New Readers of WW: Recommended Reading & Questions

[Free-Man]

I have a question. I read that Hippolyta went back in time and was the Wonder Woman during WWII. Does this mean that Diana wasn't Wonder Woman during this time because I thought that she was at the beginning? Or was Diana and Hippolyta Wonder Woman at the same time during WWII? If not, where was Diana at during this time? Was she even around or was she still on Paradise Island with the other Amazons?

Diana was "dead" during this time, so her mom took up the Wonder Woman mantle and joined the Justice League and all that.

As for Diana during WW2, she wasn't born until years after the war ended.

[Atomcrush]

Diana was "dead" during this time, so her mom took up the Wonder Woman mantle and joined the Justice League and all that.

As for Diana during WW2, she wasn't born until years after the war ended.

Do I understand correctly that this has essentially been retconned and Diana is no longer the second Wonder Woman?

[Wonder Watcher]

I have a question. I read that Hippolyta went back in time and was the Wonder Woman during WWII. Does this mean that Diana wasn't Wonder Woman during this time because I thought that she was at the beginning? Or was Diana and Hippolyta Wonder Woman at the same time during WWII? If not, where was Diana at during this time? Was she even around or was she still on Paradise Island with the other Amazons?

The short answer to the question is we don't know for sure.

Following COIE and the 1987 Perez Wonder Woman reboot Diana emerged again as a young adult and thus is nowhere near old enough to have been around during WWII. The paradox that there was a WWII Wonder Woman was eventually bodged by creating another one and having Hippolyta travel back in time to become WWII Wonder Woman. Trouble was this meant Diana wasn't the 'original' Wonder Woman any more and just inherited her mothers mantle. Not very satisfactory but that was the way things remained until Infinite Crisis and Final Crisis and a bunch of universe altering events shook everything up again. It's not clear how much Diana's and Hippolyta's history was affected, if at all.

I think that until we are told otherwise in print we still have to assume that Hippolyta was WWII Wonder Woman and Diana was born several decades after the end of the war.

[Gaelforce]

DC Legacies recounts the history of the DCU and has already covered the Golden Age and the JSA.

There was no mention of any Wonder Woman during that time.

Dan Didio said in no uncertain terms that Hippolyta was *not* the WWII Wonder Woman.

It has not been said anywhere if there was ever a WWII/Golden Age Wonder Woman (outside of a parallel Earth)

[Flying Saucers Over Oz]

Okay, thanks. So is JMS starting off with an origin story, then? I have to admit I have no idea what her origin is, so that'd be brilliant.

A... sort of origin story. The idea is that a villain, we don't know who yet, went back in time and changed history so Paradise Island was destroyed, the Amazons were largely wiped out, and Diana's been on the run ever since, raised in secret by a handful of surviving Amazons.

I'd suggest THE ESSENTIAL WONDER WOMAN ENCYCLOPEDIA, if you can find it, afford it (It's about twenty-five dollars), and care to wade through all the character's history, pre and post-Crisis.

[RoguishGurl]

Thanks for the answers guys! They are very helpful.

DC Legacies recounts the history of the DCU and has already covered the Golden Age and the JSA.

There was no mention of any Wonder Woman during that time.

Dan Didio said in no uncertain terms that Hippolyta was *not* the WWII Wonder Woman.

It has not been said anywhere if there was ever a WWII/Golden Age Wonder Woman (outside of a parallel Earth)

So that means that it's possible that Diana wasn't Wonder Woman during WWII? I'm just stepping into DC and I'm not completely caught up with all the parallel Earths so it's just a little confusing.

[Free-Man]

Thanks for the answers guys! They are very helpful.

So that means that it's possible that Diana wasn't Wonder Woman during WWII? I'm just stepping into DC and I'm not completely caught up with all the parallel Earths so it's just a little confusing.

In the current stories (prior to JMS' big revamp), she was never Wonder Woman in WW2. She never left the Island to come to America up until the 80's, and was too young to have ever fought in WW2.

Now, it's confusing, but there's an alternate earth called Earth-2 where she is a lot older, and did indeed fight in WW2 as she left the island in the 40's. All of the Golden Age Wonder Woman stories take place on that earth.

[RoguishGurl]

In the current stories (prior to JMS' big revamp), she was never Wonder Woman in WW2. She never left the Island to come to America up until the 80's, and was too young to have ever fought in WW2.

Now, it's confusing, but there's an alternate earth called Earth-2 where she is a lot older, and did indeed fight in WW2 as she left the island in the 40's. All of the Golden Age Wonder Woman stories take place on that earth.

Okay, thanks for the clear up! When I first read that Hippolyta went back in time to be in WWII, I thought it was still occurring on the same earth where Diana fought in WWII.

[Flying Saucers Over Oz]

Re: The Invisible Jet. I'm sure everyone's just lost you at this point.

Briefly, the Invisible Plane was introduced back in the Golden Age and it was drawn in the usual manner comics suggested 'invisible' things, as a transparent outline. However, not only did everyone quickly forget the plane was supposed to be invisible (Characters were forever looking up in the sky, "Hey, look! Here comes the Invisible Plane!"), but Wonder Woman was drawn in her normal, non-transparent manner inside. So it basically felt like it was this weird, transparent plane that looked like it was made of glass and/or people could look up and see Wonder Woman flying through the air, sitting down.

Pre-Crisis, they weren't big on continuity and the plane had several origins over the years. Let's just say it was Amazon tech. Post-Crisis, they didn't include the plane at first but eventually it was worked in as a gift from a lost alien race. The "plane" was actually a shape-shifting robot-computer, able to assume any form Wonder Woman needed. For a time, she even turned it into a kind of floating headquarters, The Wonder Dome, and lived there. However, someone established the robot was sentient, capable of independent thought, and acted as Wonder Woman's slave because he was so madly, hopelessly in love with her. The general response was, "Ick," so he got lobotomized and now he's just a transparent, high-tech plane.

To complicate matters even more, another writer introduced another invisible plane, this one as equipment for the spy agency Wonder Woman works for in her secret identity as Diana Prince. They seem to have blown that one up, though.

[Boonciaver]

As a new reader I only have 3 questions:

1. What are the names of all of the runs of the Wonder Woman comics in chronological order?

2. What are the absolute definitive, epic, & best Wonder Woman comics/graphic novels of all time that I should buy?

3. What are the absolute worst Wonder Woman comics that I should avoid at all costs?

[Gaelforce]

As a new reader I only have 3 questions:

1. What are the names of all of the runs of the Wonder Woman comics in chronological order?

I'm gonna assume you only want volume 3 'cause there's 600 issues to go through ;)

Who is Wonder Woman? - Issues #1-5
Love and Murder - Issues #6-10
Hubris - Issues #11-12
The Circle - Issues #13-17
Expatriate - Issues #18-19
Ends of the Earth - Issues #20-23
A Star in the Heavens - Issues #24-25
Rise of the Olympian - Issues #26-33
Birds of Paradise - Issues #34-35
Warkiller - Issues #36-39
A Murder of Crows - Issues #40-42
Wrath of the Silver Serpent - #43-44

2. What are the absolute definitive, epic, & best Wonder Woman comics/graphic novels of all time that I should buy?

There's a few I'd go with:

Original Graphic Novels:

The Hiketia
JLA: A League of One

Compilation Graphic Novels:

Gods and Mortals - Perez issues 1-7
The Circle - Simone issues 13-17

3. What are the absolute worst Wonder Woman comics that I should avoid at all costs?

Amazons Attack
Anything by Jodi Piccoult

[Teal_Lantern]

Two questions here, what is the tone and style of the Rucka run. Basically, is it serious, gritty, lighthearted or what?

And two, how was Paradise Found? I managed to find the trade at my LCS and wanna know what it's like.

Help would be appreciated very much.

[Jacquaman]

The Rucka run is one of my favourites. I'd call it serious with a solid mix of ethics and mythology. It gets gritty during the Medousa storyline, big time.

Paradise Found has great stuff in it too, notably the sequence with the death of Hippolyta. You might find it relies a bit on the Our Worlds at War crossover for a few chapters but I enjoyed it. Phil Jimenez art - you can't go wrong, really.

[americanwonder]

2. What are the absolute definitive, epic, & best Wonder Woman comics/graphic novels of all time that I should buy?

For my money, I agree with Gaelforce: The Hiketia and JLA: A League of One.

From there, I'd say the tpbs by Rucka (esp., Eyes of the Gorgon and Bronze Doors), Perez (esp, vol. 1&2), and Simone (esp. The Circle).

Two questions here, what is the tone and style of the Rucka run. Basically, is it serious, gritty, lighthearted or what?

Rucka's run is my favorite, but I understand that it's not to everyone's taste. It's much more serious than lighthearted or humorous, but I wouldn't say it's gritty. It's more of a mix of Greek myth (somewhat modernized) and socio-political intrigue, with some super-heroics thrown in there, of course.

And two, how was Paradise Found? I managed to find the trade at my LCS and wanna know what it's like.

I enjoy Paradise Found and think it's worth a purchase. It contains the WW issues that tie in to the Our Worlds at War storyline, and a huge team-up of all the hero-gals against Circe, and has some nice moments, particularly one between Diana and her mother.

[Teal_Lantern]

Rucka's run wounds cool, i was afraid it was gonna be one of those all warrior type Wonder comics.

Paradise found sounds interesting, don't know anything about Our Worlds At War, so I might get lost, but I really wanna check out a Day in the Life.