Best and Worst Wonder Woman books and comics

[AmiMizuno]

According to Amazon archives Marston's has a writer are

Wonder Woman:1-29

Sensation Comics:1-76

Comic Cavalcade:1-10,14,16-22

All Star:8,13

[Jim Kelly]

I have the WONDER WOMAN ARCHIVES Vols 1 - 6 and COMIC CAVALCADE ARCHIVES Vol. 1, but I wonder if I should switch to the WONDER WOMAN GOLDEN AGE OMNIBUS to get the complete run.

Apparently, some of the stories "by Charles Moulton" were not by Marston himself, during his lifetime--the GCD credits Joye Hummel Murchison. I also have the Ms WONDER WOMAN book--which I bought way back in 1973 at the Coles bookstore--and that reprints some stories which were by Robert Kanigher, after Marston's death. And I don't see a change in quality.

The "by Charles Moulton" credit was kept by Kanigher. I've also read some stories reprinted from the '50s and the biggest difference is that H.G. Peter's style became rather dull. Irv Novick often did the cover art, while Peter and his assistants handled the story art--Novick's Wonder Woman is much more exciting.

Peter employed several women to help him with Wonder Woman, but he was getting quite old in the '50s--he came into the comics industry late in life. Being born in 1880, he must have been in his seventies in the '50s.

H.G. Peter passed away in 1958, which is when Kanigher, Andru and Esposito made radical changes to Wonder Woman.

[SeanT]

The biggest difference between the Marston years and the Kanigher years is that Kanigher eventually became his own editor, sometime around #45, I think. When he was still being edited by Sheldon Meyer, Kanigher could be made to write a good story. Left to his own devices, Kanigher didn't give a flying #u(%.

It's under Kanigher that Peter's art becomes noticeably bad as well. With such bad stories it was like Peter didn't care, either.

[SeanT]

Best: Marston, Jack C. Harris, Thomas, Mishkin, Messner-Loebs, Rucka (first run), Azzarello.
Worst: Finch (worst by a longshot), Byrne, Jimenez, Simone.

[Nyssane]

For me, it's...

The Best:
– Marston's Run
– Rucka's Runs (both of them, plus The Hiketeia... the only meh Rucka WW is the Blackest Night mini IMO)
– The Legend of Wonder Woman by De Liz
– Wonder Woman '77 by Andreyko
– Perez's Run
– Jimenez's Run
– Wonder Woman: Earth One by Morrison

Not Great, But at Least Worth Checking Out:
– Messner-Loebs' Run
– Luke's Run
– Simone's Run
– Azzarello's Run
– The current Trinity series
– Heinberg's Run

The Worst:
– Finch's Run
– Wonder Woman: The True Amazon by Thompson
– Kanigher's Run
– Superman/Wonder Woman
– Odyssey by JMS
– Byrne's Run

I have yet to read most of the silver age stuff in full completion, so I left them off the list (though most of it would be at least worth checking out).

[Jim Kelly]

One book that really let me down was WONDER WOMAN: THE ONCE AND FUTURE STORY by Trina Robbins, Colleen Doran and Jackson Guice (1998).

I had always thought if there was one person who could do justice to Wonder Woman it had to be Trina Robbins, so my hopes were very high. That's why it was a let down, because it seemed (from what I remember) very heavy handed and pedantic. Rather than celebrating Wonder Woman, it was set on this joyless tangent in argument with the past.

[Dr. Poison]

BEST
Jimenez - A complete love letter to the character and her world.
Perez
Byrne
Heinberg
Luke





WORST
Azzarello - By a long shot!
Rucka - 1st Run
The Powerless Era
The Odyssey
Messener-Loebs

[SteveGus]

BEST:

Marston's Golden Age run. Nothing else in the history of the form like it.
Jimenez run. Literally encyclopedic knowledge of the lore, profound sympathy for the character, and top notch art.
Perez run. Had its flaws, to be sure, but was well intentioned and still reads well.

WORST:
The New 52. The character shouldn't be given to writers who apparently hate the entire history of the character.
Odyssey. Again, lack of respect for the history and lore was the basic problem.
The art of Lee Moder and Jill Thompson. Ugh.

[AmiMizuno]

To you guys why has Wonder Woman stuck around for a long time? I think it's her unique history and the fact she didn't stem from a hero hero. Very few female and male characters can claim that.

[Troian]

League of One is my fave Wonder Woman JL story hands down. I liked Azz's run and any of the stuff Gail writes. The Perez run too.

Worst is by far Finch. Odyssey. Didn't finish either. Don't ever plan on doing it.

[Troian]

To you guys why has Wonder Woman stuck around for a long time? I think it's her unique history and the fact she didn't stem from a hero hero. Very few female and male characters can claim that.

I think it's because she set the archtype for what a strong female superhero is. She also managed to live into the 50s and beyond even after that Seduction book was published along with Clark and Bruce. I also think being the first and only female founding member in the original 7 JL helped as she was a sure fire character to also get put into the cartoons that followed and only added onto her popularity.

[AmiMizuno]

I wonder Diana currently hasn't had a editorial creative team in a long time. One of the reasons is because they don't use her many cast and supporting cast. To you whatever books with Wonder Woman characters can be made? I honestly think they could being back sensation comics again.

[Stanlos]

Has this marks the closing of Diana's 75 anniversary what in her 75th anniversary to you has been the best and worst books and comics during her 75 run? For me

I liked Jill's work on the WW title (issue 54 interiors are beautiful) but I must say her TRUE AMAZON book was sooooooooooo very not awesome. I will take even Morrison's take over that.

[Stanlos]

To you guys why has Wonder Woman stuck around for a long time? I think it's her unique history and the fact she didn't stem from a hero hero. Very few female and male characters can claim that.

She quite literally changed the world.