Wonder Woman is awesome. You know it; I know it. But when it comes to looking through her seventy-plus years of comic history for a book to read, it can be hard to know where to begin. Hundreds of writers and artists have worked on her over the years. Some of their stories are excellent, but simple probability states that some are… well, some are pretty awful.
You don’t want to read the awful ones, but don’t worry. I’m here to help with a list of Wonder Woman comics that are–incoming pun–absolutely wonderful. This isn’t meant to be a universal list but just my personal favorites. If you loved the movie and are looking for more stories about Diana, Princess of Themyscira, these are great places to start.
5. Wonder Woman by George Perez
Honestly, this one could make the list based on art alone. Perez’s art is stunning, even if you don’t read the words—and you should definitely read the words, because the stories are great, too. There are so many good ones, so I’ve linked to Vol. 1 for simplicity’s sake. It’s got the origin of the Amazons (or make that one of the many, many origins the comics have gone through over the years), our favorite god of war, and the supervillain Cheetah—who might be Diana’s greatest foe. Well, her or Circe. Both are great.
Perez’s run on Wonder Woman is a classic, and there’s a reason for that. Check it out on Amazon here.
4. Sensation Comics Featuring Wonder Woman
Sensation Comics is a collection of short Wonder Woman stories by different writers and artists. There are good ones, great ones, and some that are pretty meh, but overall it’s a wonderful collection (pun intended). My favorite is Brace Yourself by Jason Bischoff in Issue #2. It’s about a young Diana’s quest to defeat her mother in combat and earn her Amazon bracelet, and it’s heart-warming and adorable. It you enjoyed little Diana on Themyscira in the first part of the movie, you’ll love this story.
There’s a huge variety of stories from silly to serious, but they all have something to offer. You can download it here.
3. Wonder Woman: Eyes of the Gorgon by Greg Rucka
There’s only so much I can say about this storyline without spoilers: the richly developed supporting cast (Ferdinand is the best!), the fantastically-written Diana, the mix of myth and modern-day. But I need to spoil you to really sell it, so don’t click on if you want to be surprised.
Still here? Great. It’s like this: Wonder Woman fights Medusa. To avoid getting turned to stone, she cuts off one of Medusa’s hair snakes and squeezes the snake venom into her eyes to blind herself. Unable to see, Diana still manages to decapitate Medusa and win. Oh, and she does it all on national television.
Wonder Woman is a badass, you guys.
The fight happens in Volume 2, but here’s the link to Volume 1 as well, since you won’t regret reading all the cool stuff that leads up to it.
2. Wonder Woman: The Circle by Gail Simone
This one was very nearly my choice for number one. The only reason I bumped it down to the number two slot is that I don’t think it’s quite as friendly to new readers as my choice for number one. But that doesn’t mean this story isn’t absolutely awesome. It has everything you didn’t know you needed: a group of sympathetic villain Amazons, Wonder Woman and her mother fighting Nazis, not to mention Wonder Woman’s posse of talking, warrior gorillas. The whole thing is a great balance of action, humor, and character moments, and what more can I say? You should go buy it now.
1. The Legend of Wonder Woman by Renae De Liz
This book is a work of art, and if you loved the movie, I think it’s the story you’re most likely to enjoy. It starts with the origin of the Amazons, Diana’s childhood on the island, her meeting Steve Trevor and then going out into Man’s World. And it quite possibly has the best incarnation of Etta Candy I’ve ever seen, which is saying a lot, because Etta Candy is awesome wherever she appears.
Diana is a wonderful, sympathetic heroine who never fails to kick ass. (De Liz does a great job with her facial expressions.) Her friendship with Etta is my favorite part of the book, but her romance with Steve is also well done, and she has wonderfully nuanced relationships with both her mother and Alcippe, her mentor. The narration boxes give you the feeling that you’re reading an epic myth or fairytale, and the art—holy cow, the art. Buy the hardcover and be careful not to drool on the pages, because it’s that gorgeous.
The Legend of Wonder Woman is a fun, beautiful read that will appeal to both new and old fans alike.
Agree or disagree with my list? What are your favorite Wonder Woman comics? Let me know in the comments!
Kristen Brand 