Wonder Woman: A Celebration of 75 Years collection - spoilers and discussion

[millernumber1]

WW75cover.jpg

The most recognizable superheroine of all time, Wonder Woman has been an essential part of the DC Universe and an icon for female empowerment for more than 75 years.

Armed with her lasso of truth and her bullet-stopping bracelets, the Amazon Princess journeys into Man's World again and again, spreading her mission of peace and goodwill and fiercely battling injustice where she finds it. She's a princess, a warrior and an ambassador. Beautiful as Aphrodite, wise as Athena, stronger than Hercules, swifter than Mercury...she is Wonder Woman!

WONDER WOMAN: A CELEBRATION OF 75 YEARS collects more than 400 pages of the iconic heroine's best stories, from her first appearance by William Moulton Marston and H.G. Peter, to her mod '60s redesign by Denny O'Neil and Mike Sekowsky, to her present-day adventures by Brian Azzarello and Cliff Chiang. Other legendary talents featured include George Pérez, Darwyn Cooke, Robert Kanigher, Gene Colan, Phil Jimenez, Mike Deodato, Greg Rucka, Gail Simone and more.

Collects ALL-STAR COMICS #8; SENSATION COMICS #1; WONDER WOMAN (1942-) #7, #28, #64, #93, #99, #107, #142, #177, #179, #195, #204, #288, #600; WONDER WOMAN (1987-) #1; WONDER WOMAN vol. 3 #0; JUSTICE LEAGUE: NEW FRONTIER SPECIAL #1; SENSATION COMICS FEATURING WONDER WOMAN (2014-) #1 and #7.

I saw this at my comic shop today, but it was in a plastic sleeve, so I couldn't see which comics were really included (which isn't super helpful, since there are so many numberings for Diana's series, and the digital first comics are really hard to figure out by number). Anyone pick it up and have a scoop and what each story is (other than the obvious first two issues ?

This kind of anthology is very interesting to me, as it highlights a couple of things - what DC wants us to buy (by giving us the first issues of runs), and what DC thinks is the major points in Diana's existence or thematic points that form who she is in the public consciousness. A lot of great pieces were written a few years ago when the Superman anthology in this collection was released, primarily about how Superman in DC's consciousness is a failure. What do the pieces selected here seem to indicate about how DC sees Diana, and how they want us to see her? And furthermore, are there any you think should be removed or added?

[millernumber1]

So, I took a look at the book this week, and here's my report.

The anthology is divided into four parts, and contains 19 issues.

Part 1 - The Amazon - 1941-1948 (8 years, 4 issues)

ALL-STAR COMICS #8; SENSATION COMICS #1; WONDER WOMAN #7, #28, all by William Marston and H. G. Peter.

Part 2 - The Princess - 1958-1982 (25 years, 5 issues)

WONDER WOMAN #99, #107, #179, #204, #288

Three by Robert Kaniger, one each by Denny O'Neil and Roy Thomas. Art by Ross Andru, Mike Sekowsky, Don Heck, and Gene Colan

Part 3 - The Ambassador - 1987-2008 (22 years, 7 issues)

WONDER WOMAN #1, #64, #93, #142, #177, #195, JUSTICE LEAGUE: NEW FRONTIER SPECIAL #1

George Perez/Greg Potter, William Messner-Loebs, Erik Luke, Phil Jimenez, Greg Rucka, and Darwyn Cooke provide writing, with Perez, Jill Thompson, Mike Deodato, Yanick Paquette, Matt Clark, Jimenez, Drew Johnson, and J. Bone provide the art.

Part 4 - The Warrior - 2012-2014 (3 years, 3 issues)

WONDER WOMAN #0, SENSATION COMICS FEATURING WONDER WOMAN #1, #7

Brian Azzarello, Gail Simone, and Amy Chu write, with Cliff Chiang, Ethan Van Sciver, and Bernard Chang providing art.

I don't see Wonder Woman #600, but it could be the covers/pin-ups at the end.

Fairly obvious choices for Part 1. (I confess that other than the first two issues, I haven't read much of these stories from the first two sections.) Part 2 has Denny O'Neil. Part 3 seems to make a lot of choices based on artists, giving Jill Thompson, Yanick Paquette, and Mike Deodato issues (all of whom have gotten a major Wonder Woman project or reprint this year). I'm really disappointed in the choice of two issues of Sensation at the end, but I'm betting it's because they didn't want to overload Part 3 any further, but they did want to give Simone her due as an influential writer for Diana. But the second Sensation issue doesn't seem very worthwhile, honestly. Giving Renae De Liz an issue would have been more interesting, I think, even though yet another origin story in an anthology already overloaded with origins might have been a problem (though I don't think it would have been that bad, since De Liz's series has so much it covers). It's a real shame that the Simone choice was made, since losing Nicola Scott on Diana is hugely sad. I'm thrilled, of course, that The Mission was chosen, as Rucka and Johnson really define Diana for me (when is volume 2 coming?)

Much as I love Darwyn Cooke, I'm also really annoyed by the inclusion of that particular issue - why not the Vietnam issue of the actual New Frontier? That was much more interesting, and less obnoxious.

All in all, not a terrible selection, but not something I'm really excited about either. But to be fair, I'm probably mostly satisfied by the Wonder Woman by Greg Rucka reprints they're doing right now (though I'm really curious about the plans for that - will volume 2 wrap everything up, or will they include things like Blackest Night: Wonder Woman to make it into 3 volumes?)

[Largo161]

Thank you for this detailed rundown of the contents. I'm probably going to splurge and get this. I'm surprised that there's nothing from the lengthy Conway/Delbo era.

[millernumber1]

Thank you for this detailed rundown of the contents. I'm probably going to splurge and get this. I'm surprised that there's nothing from the lengthy Conway/Delbo era.

Of course! The way the solicits listed the issues, it was impossible to tell what was what, so I wanted to get the word out!