Best Single Issues?

[DisneyBoy]

Which regular issues - as in, a regular monthly issue, not an oversized annual or trade paperback or collected volume - do you consider the best to feature Wonder Woman?

It could be issues of Wonder Woman or Sensation Comics going back to the Golden Age, for instance, or something more recent, or one of the animated tie-ins that heavily features her. It could be a chapter of an on-going story or a standalone story.


Obviously Perez's Wonder Woman #1 makes the list, and Sensation Comics #1. I'd also include Wonder Woman #170 - A Day In The Life - by Phil J.

[Garrac]

As you may know, I have a top 100 Wonder Woman stories that I tend to update all the yers. So, let's see what would be my top 10 picks following this particular conditions (i will make it clear im msotly thinking about auto-concluded issues, and not so much regular issues of narrative arcs):

10. Number 14, volume 3. The starts of new runs tend to be the most interesting parts, since they are the presentations where new writers may be able to show how to get **** done. In this case, we can agree that Gail Simone's one was most intriguing. She presented the mistery of the Circle, nazis, gorillas, and best of all, one of the best individual iterations of the characters ever seen, mixing all of her diferent runs and adding a lot of comedy and hearth.

9. Number 5, volume 1. So, let's just start saying this issue has a lot of subtextual problem that have aged... not pretty well. But nonetheless, back at the day this was Marston's way of mocking a very famous anti-women rights speaker, and well, a fun story at the end of the day. Im just glad they found a way to update Dr Psycho, keeping the misoginy of the character while not mocking an entire sector of the population.

8. Number 20, volume 2. What can I say, it's the number where Mindi dies. Apart from the great critique to the consumption of drugs, we also have how Perez managed to craft this story. Like, we could see how we were totally convinced that Mindi was murdered, but then it comes the end and we get shattered by the revelation, as well as Diana, who is first seen dealing with the worst of mankind.

7. Number 195, volume 2. When I say I like Greg Rucka's first run I often receive bad looks or people scratching their heads. But when I say it's the first issue the one I like the most, some people get nervous. It's not that I don't love the fight against Medusa (again, issues, not narrative arcs) it's just that the beginning of the run was SO potent. We can see how Diana affects the world, how a lot of regular, super, and even mythical people see her, Rucka manages to present themes and plot threads that will affect the whole run... and best of all, Diana almost doesn't appear at all!

6. Number 7, volume 1. Well, when people pick their favorite stories from Marston, they often choose this number, and I can see why. This is Marston presenting his ideal version of an utopia and... it's just so over the top. Remember those old far right memes of women wearing spandex and spanking slave males, while saying "this is the future the left wants"??? Well, number 7 of WW vol.1 is Marston just saying "Yes". It's just so ridicolously funny, with some savage ideas, and others that sadly haven't aged a lot. The most marstoniest you can marston.

5. Number 8, volume 2. Man, this is my problem with Cheetah. Her presentation here was AMAZING. She was presented in such an epic way. It wasn't until Rucka retook her that I havent felt Cheetah as an ominous character as she was back at this story.

4. Number 25, volume 5. The ending issue of Rucka's second run. What can I say except thanks dude.

3. Number 170, volume 2. This a very well known story for the community, so I don't think I would be able to add nothing that hasnt been said yet. Jimenez, I love you.

2. Number 2, volume 5. You may have noticed I love Greg Rucka's Wonder Woman. Maybe. And maybe for once I just wanted to pick a number from a very narrative arc. Well, this is my hill to die: Themyscira, rethought by Rucka and Nichola Scott. The question its not why I love this, but what its there not to love about Year One's first number? How Rucka reinterpreted Hyppolita and Philippus relationship, the combined narrative with Steve Trevor, how he gets to the hearth of the character. How Rucka sees Diana as a person that lived on a literal Paradise, but still wanted to go far away because she felt she could bring something of that to the outside. Wonder Woman doesnt see the stars on the sky because she is occupied seeing the stars on the horizon.

1. Number 1, volume 2. I mean, it's literaly the best story ever written about her, and arguably the best number 1 ever crafted. It's George Pérez giving the best of his art, of his writing, of Greg Potter's ideas. This should be the ABC of Wonder Woman, her DNA, her everything. Seems a little cruel when I go to an author like "you should write Wonder Woman like in this number from almost 40 years ago" but MAN, what can I do if this is one the best comics in history?

Oooooooh, I feel very bad excluding Hiketeia, True Amazon, George Prez's second arc, Tempest Tossed, the Legend of Wonder Woman, Earth One, or entire personal favorite runs like Orlando's. But, what can I do with it. Not everything can enter through this lists.

One day, when I have more time, I could put my entire list. Problem is, I often update it and it wouldn't be 100% acurate. For example, Historia recently entered on the top 10, while Wonder Girl reached a 50-60 position, to put an example. It's all acording to my point of view, tho.

[AlexLyo]

Which regular issues - as in, a regular monthly issue, not an oversized annual or trade paperback or collected volume - do you consider the best to feature Wonder Woman?

It could be issues of Wonder Woman or Sensation Comics going back to the Golden Age, for instance, or something more recent, or one of the animated tie-ins that heavily features her. It could be a chapter of an on-going story or a standalone story.


Obviously Perez's Wonder Woman #1 makes the list, and Sensation Comics #1. I'd also include Wonder Woman #170 - A Day In The Life - by Phil J.

I would concur on Perez #1 and A Day In The Life.

I would also add The Fifty-Second Visit by Steve Orlando (#51 of the most recent volume). It gets right at the core of who Diana can be that feels specific to her mission and outlook.

Chalk Drawings (#47, Vol 2) is up there, as is #225 by Greg Rucka (is it called The Mission? I might not be remembering correctly).

I actually find the opening issue of Rucka's run (#195) to be a verrrrry clever issue for building suspense to meeting Diana at the end. We get to know her via her world and those she's impacted and interacts with, and she looms large in presence in scenes where she's not even on the page. By the time you meet her, you're so hyped to, and then she's just even more brilliant than she was set up to be.

I'm sure I have more, but will start with those.

[AlexLyo]

As you may know, I have a top 100 Wonder Woman stories that I tend to update all the yers. So, let's see what would be my top 10 picks following this particular conditions (i will make it clear im msotly thinking about auto-concluded issues, and not so much regular issues of narrative arcs):

10. Number 14, volume 3. The starts of new runs tend to be the most interesting parts, since they are the presentations where new writers may be able to show how to get **** done. In this case, we can agree that Gail Simone's one was most intriguing. She presented the mistery of the Circle, nazis, gorillas, and best of all, one of the best indivudal iterations of the characters ever seen, mixing all of her diferent runs and adding a lot of comedy and hearth.

9. Number 5, volume 1. So, let's just start saying this issue has a lot of subtextual problem that have aged... not pretty well. But nonetheless, back at the day this was Marston's way of mocking a very famous anti-women rights speaker, and well, a fun story at the end of the day. Im just glad they found a way to update Dr Psycho, keeping the misoginy of the character while not mocking an entire sector of the population.

8. Number 20, volume 2. What can I say, it's the number where Mindi dies. Apart from the great critique to the consumption of drugs, we also have how Perez managed to craft this story. Like, we could see how we were totally convinced that Mindi was murdered, but then it comes the end and we get shattered by the revelation, as well as Diana, who is first seen dealing with the worst of mankind.

7. Number 195, volume 2. When I say I like Greg Rucka's first run I often receive bad looks or people scratchign their heads. But when I say it's the first issue the one I like the most, some people get nervous. It's not that I don't love the fight against Medusa (again, issues, not narrative arcs) it's just that the beginning of the run was SO potent. We can see how Diana affects the world, how a lot of regular, super, and even mythical people see her, Rucka manages to present themes and plot threads that will affect the whole run... and best of all, Diana almost doesn't appear at all!

6. Number 7, volume 1. Well, when people pick their favorite stories from Marston, they often choose this number, and I can see why. This is Marston presenting his ideal version of an utopia and... it's just so over the top. Remember thsoe old far right memes of women wearing spandex and spanking slave males, while saying "this is the future the left wants"??? Well, number 7 of WW vol.1 is Marston just saying "Yes". It's jsut so ridicolously funny, with some savage ideas, and others that sadly haven't aged a lot. The msot marstoniest you can marston.

5. Number 8, volume 2. Man, this is my problem with Cheetah. Her presentation here was AMAZING. She was presented in such an epic way. It wasn't until Rucka retook her that I havent felt Cheetah as an ominous character as she was back at this story.

4. Number 25, volume 5. The ending issue of Rucka's second run. What can I say except thanks dude.

3. Number 170, volume 2. This a very well known story for the community, so I don't think I would be able to add nothing that hasnt been said yet. Jimenez, I love you.

2. Number 2, volume 5. You may have noticed I love Greg Rucka's Wonder Woman. Maybe. And maybe for once I just wanted to pick a number from a very narrative arc. Well, this is my hill to die: Themyscira, rethought by Rucka and Nichola Scott. The question its not why I love this, but what its there not to love about Year One's first number? How Rucka reinterpreted Hyppolita and Philippus relationship, the combined narrative with Steve Trevor, how he gets to the hearth of the character. How Rucka sees Diana as a person that lived on a literal Paradise, but still wanted to go far away because she felt she could bring something of that to the outside. Wonder Woman doesnt see the stars on the sky because she is occupied seeing the stars on the horizon.

1. Number 1, volume 2. I mean, it's literaly the best story ever written about her, and arguably the best number 1 ever crafted. It's George Pérez giving the best of his art, of his writing, of Greg Potter's ideas. This should be the ABC of Wonder Woman, her DNA, her everything. Seems a little cruel when I go to an author like "you should write Wonder Woman like in this number from almost 40 years ago" but MAN, what can I do if this is one the best comics in history?

Oooooooh, I feel very bad excluding Hiketeia, True Amazon, George Prez's second arc, Tempest Tossed, the Legend of Wonder Woman, Earth One, or entire personal favorite runs like Orlando's. But, what can I do with it. Not everything can enter through this lists.

One day, when I have more time, I could put my entire list. Problem is, I often update it and it wouldn't be 100% acurate. For example, Historia recently entered on the top 10, while Wonder Girl reached a 50-60 position, to put an example. It's all acording to my point of view, tho.

I love so many of these, and snap on your reading of 195. I remember when I read it when it came out, it was like a lightning bolt of excitement. This was really before I had any engagement with the internet and so I didn't know anything about the run or what was coming, and it felt like it came out of nowhere with a mission statement and I just wanted more!

[Gaius]

Fun idea, DisneyBoy. Nothing particularly surprising/controversial for my picks.

"Who Killed Myndi Mayer" (WW Vol. 2 #20)
"She's a Wonder" (WW Vol. 2 #170)
"The Mission" (WW Vol. 2 #195)
"Stoned Part IV" (WW Vol. 2 #210) - Not entirely a single issue but best individual fight WW's been in.
"The Fifty-Second Visit" (WW Vol. 5 #51)

I'd include The Hiketeia but that's not a standard monthly single issue.

[bardkeep]

Fun idea, DisneyBoy. Nothing particularly surprising/controversial for my picks.

"Who Killed Myndi Mayer" (WW Vol. 2 #20)
"She's a Wonder" (WW Vol. 2 #170)
"The Mission" (WW Vol. 2 #195)
"Stoned Part IV" (WW Vol. 2 #210) - Not entirely a single issue but best individual fight WW's been in.
"The Fifty-Second Visit" (WW Vol. 5 #52)

I'd include The Hiketeia but that's not a standard monthly single issue.

Add Perez's first issue and the last proper issue of Rucka's Post-Crisis run (#225) and these are my exact picks. I also found Chalk Drawings from Perez's run very affecting, if a bit "very special episode."

That said, if we're including non-monthlies/oversized issues, both issues of Historia are heads and shoulders above the rest, with #1 just beating out #2. If Nicola Scott's stunning previews are any indication I'm sure #3 will be up there as well.

[Gaius]

Add Perez's first issue and the last proper issue of Rucka's Post-Crisis run (#225) and these are my exact picks. I also found Chalk Drawings from Perez's run very affecting, if a bit "very special episode."

That said, if we're including non-monthlies/oversized issues, both issues of Historia are heads and shoulders above the rest, with #1 just beating out #2. If Nicola Scott's stunning previews are any indication I'm sure #3 will be up there as well.

I did think about Historia #1 for the same reasons but #2 doesn't work quite as well as a single issue imo, as the first one.

[Garrac]

I think the og idea is to take stories from the regular series. Sadly, Historia is a pure Black Label comic.

[Nyssane]

Chalk Drawings (#47, Vol 2) is up there

If I had to pick a single Wonder Woman issue that has impacted me more than any others, it'd be Chalk Drawings. One of the best stories dealing with depression/teenage suicide I've ever seen.

[OBrianTallent]

large-5429416.jpg

I've always thought this was a good one.

[DisneyBoy]

large-5429416.jpg

I've always thought this was a good one.

Yes, that's why I mentioned it in the first post I love that cover too - the expressions are priceless.

If I had to pick a single Wonder Woman issue that has impacted me more than any others, it'd be Chalk Drawings. One of the best stories dealing with depression/teenage suicide I've ever seen.

That's definitely one of the best, for sure. It's not really a heavily Wonder Woman-focused issue, but still one that immediately comes to mind.

I think the og idea is to take stories from the regular series.

Yes, but I'd still accept issues from other monthly books that were classic Wonder Woman stories. For example, I think this issue of Adventures in the DC Universe is terrific, even though it's a Wonder Woman/Kyle GL story, with a Jason Blood cameo:

[Largo161]

Roy Thomas’ sneak peak in DC Comics Presents and his first issue in the regular title (whatever number that was) would be in my top ten list. Bronze Age fun!

[Koriand'r]

Don't feel like looking up issue numbers and I'm missing a lot but the fight with Medusa, the fight with the JLA to prove she could battle while blind, the Omac attack of Themyscira and the PDR, Circe's first post-crisis appearance, the spin at the culmination of Cheetah's Paradise invasion by Orlando and the Mayfly issue, Orana WW & Artemis WW die, the one with Psycho, the Silver Swan and Steve as Captain Wonder, the one with the death of the actress playing WW and Diana lays her to rest on Paradise Island, Debbie Domain's conversion, THEM!, the Beauty Killer & the war at the end of the Mod era, the old fashioned girl gets cool with the help of WW and our favorite sorority.