Wonder Woman

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Post-Crisis

Post-Crisis, Wonder Woman was rebooted in 1987. Writer Greg Potter, who previously created the Jemm, Son of Saturn series for DC, was hired to rework the character. He spent several months behind the scenes working with editor Janice Race on new concepts before being joined by writer/artist George Pérez. Potter dropped out of writing the series after issue #2, and Perez became the sole plotter with help from writer Len Wein, who wrote the series' finished dialogue.

Related Topics:
Reboot - 1987 - Greg Potter - Jemm, Son of Saturn - George Pérez - Len Wein

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Comic book fans and critics consider Perez's 60-issue run one of the highlights of Wonder Woman's history. Pérez and Potter gave her a pro-woman personality, and Perez's extensive research into Greek mythology gave more depth and verisimilitude to Wonder Woman's world than in her previous incarnation.

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In her new incarnation, Wonder Woman was Diana, a princess and an emissary from Paradise Island to Patriarch's world (read: man's world). She possessed incredibly stunning beauty, a gift from the goddess Aphrodite. From Athena, she received the gift of wisdom; from Demeter, the power and strength of the earth; from Hestia, sisterhood with fire; and from Artemis, a rapport with animals and the instincts and prowess of a hunter. Finally, from the god Hermes, she received the gift of speed and the power of flight.

Related Topics:
Aphrodite - Athena - Demeter - Hestia - Artemis - Hermes

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Wonder Woman did not keep her identity a secret, and she was not at first a "superheroine". Indeed, her character was in many ways that of a babe in the woods, innocent and without guile. Diana spoke only classical Greek and had to learn English when she arrived in America, rather than knowing the language intuitively. Nonetheless, Diana was trained as a warrior and had no compunction against using deadly force when called for. Through Pérez's tenure on the book, Diana dealt with war, injustice, inequality, death, and conflicts involving the Olympian Gods.

Related Topics:
Greek - English - America

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The supporting characters of the comic were altered as well. For instance, Steve Trevor was changed into an Air Force officer considerably older than Diana's apparent age, thus sidestepping the traditional romance between the two. Instead, Trevor became involved with Etta Candy, who herself became a mature military officer of good standing and a large, but realistic physique. Diana's enemy The Cheetah became a woman who could become a powerful and ferocious feline-humanoid creature who could believably challenge Diana in combat.

Related Topics:
Steve Trevor - Air Force - The Cheetah

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After Pérez left the series, other writers and artists tried to follow in his footsteps, with varying degrees of success. William Messner-Loebs wrote the character respectfully and the series sold well, but the artwork portrayed the Amazon in skimpy outfits and sexualized poses, which drew criticism from feminists. John Byrne later tried a "back to basics" approach with mixed reviews, including a period with Diana's mother Hippolyta as Wonder Woman. Phil Jimenez produced a run which was likened in some ways to Pérez's, particularly since Jimenez' art bears a striking resemblance to his.

Related Topics:
William Messner-Loebs - John Byrne - Phil Jimenez

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Recently, the writing on the series was turned over to Greg Rucka, whose initial story arc involved a book Wonder Woman had written which caused controversy. The initial arc was full of political subtexts, but more recent storylines have involved the mythology aspect.

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