Bound to be a Wonder Woman (Wonder Woman: the Complete History - Les Daniels, Chip Kidd)

Member Name: Baxter

Product:	Wonder Woman: the Complete History - Les Daniels, Chip Kidd
Date:	13/10/00 (107 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Fascinating, well-illustrated overview

Disadvantages: Rather pricey

Ask most of us to name three superheroes and chances are we rattle off, in order, 'Superman/Batman/Wonder Woman'.

Sixty next year and still looking great in those satin tights, Wonder Woman is the subject of comics historian Les Daniels' latest book, following similar editions on DC Comics' two other biggies.
WONDER WOMAN: THE COMPLETE HISTORY (Titan Books)

The price screams 'useless coffee table book' but there's some fascinating inormation here, even for someone like me who's familiar with most of Princess Diana's DC Comics adventures of the last 30 years.

For instance, I knew Wonder Woman creator William Moulton Marston was one of the inventors of the lie detector, but if I'd heard the details of his tangled home life previously I'd certainly have remembered.

And while a certain fascination with bondage was evident in the strip's early years - Wonder Woman and her sister Amazons would advocate 'loving submission' as the way to world peace, with the heroine herself tied up at least once per issue - it's put into a new perspective by some of psychologist Marston's opinions reported here.

There are focuses on the various periods of Wonder Woman, from her Axis-bashing 1940s peak of popularity to 1960s makeover into a powerless Emma Peel-style martial artist - complete with oriental mentor I-Ching (who soon took a powder) - and adoption as a symbol by 1970s feminists.

Illustrating the commentary and interviews with creators are numerous colour panels, strip pages and photographs of memorabilia, all making for a beautifully designed package - even comic artist Alex Ross' dust jacket is used to stunning effect, contrasting with a 1940s headshot beneath.

Even if you're not a comics fan I recommend this book as an entertaining look at 20th century popular culture through the eyes of one of its most enduring icons.

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