A New Wonder Woman

There is no doubt that Wonder Woman is one of the most iconic figures in comic book history. For decades girls and women have been dressing up as the Amazon princess – and sometimes for Halloween. So why mess with a formula that has been working for years? The truth is Wonder Woman hasn’t been relevant for nearly as long as she’s been in comics. With the exception of the Kingdom Come Series and the Justice League animation in the 2000s she has been rendered nearly as invisible as her plane.

But this is all about to be altered. How? Issue 600 is sure to give more than a clue as it looks back to the Wonder Woman we know and are introduced to the pants-wearing Amazon for the 21st century. Essentially this is the issue where everything changes.

Lynda Carter and Wonder Woman have been synonymous for many years. The successful series of the ‘70s gives Carter an inside expertise on speaking about this character and more importantly that notorious red, white and blue bathing suit. For Carter the suit is meaningless in comparison to what the woman inside it represents. Her introduction to this comic is a challenge to faithful readers and new fans as to the journey that Michael Straczynski will be guiding them on.

From Gail Simone to Louise Simonson have a hand in saying farewell to the Wonder Woman we once knew. Her ability to lead, the camaraderie of fellow heroes and her inspiration to make anyone in her life become better are all emphasized by the writers in this issue. In turn many of the artists who had a hand in giving Wonder Woman her iconic images such as Phil Jimenez also contributed on this look back. The one thread that joins these stories together is that the only constant is change. Except when it comes to the creator of Wonder Woman’s world. Yes, William Moulton Marston’s stamp is all over this issue. A man with his own interesting story is given credit with each narrative as if to say without Marston there would be no woman warrior, no feminine icon, no Wonder Woman.

The last story leading up to Straczynski and artist Don Kramer’s new incarnation of Wonder Woman is written best by Geoff Johns through the young Amazon princess: “Don’t you ever wonder what’s beyond the next horizon?” As the young girl takes a leap of faith we are led into a transformed Wonder Woman with a new back story. It’s a darker, more realistic look into a world in which heroines are no longer beyond reproach. How will this new Wonder Woman interact with the DC universe? Only time will tell.