Wonder Woman Masterpiece Edition: The Golden Age of the Amazon Princess

Wonder Woman

by Les Daniels

As beautiful as Aphrodite, strong as Hercules, wise as Athena, and swift as Mercury, the much-adored Wonder Woman is celebrated in this long-awaited Masterpiece Edition. This incredible collection pays tribute to the Golden Age of Wonder Woman in two ingenious formats: a compact, inexpensive, trade edition, and a larger, more deluxe collector's edition. Both contain an exclusive 8-1/2-inch action figure of Wonder Woman, circa 1941, and a lavishly illustrated hardcover book chronicling the origins and early history of the Amazon Princess. The Wonder Woman figure is available only in these editions, and it authentically replicates the heroine as she appeared in her earliest days--complete with star-spangled cloth skirt, golden bracelets, and detachable magic lasso (the one that can make a man forget everything). The larger collector's edition also contains a faithful color reproduction of the very first Wonder Woman comic book. Both editions will be treasured by fans of the woman who wants to "change your mind--and change the world!"

Genres: Comics, Nonfiction, History, Wonder Woman, Superheroes, Graphic Novels, Feminism

96 pages, Misc. Supplies

First published September 1, 2000

About the author

Les Daniels was one of the earliest historians of comic books and an author of horror novels.

Reviews

[Valentine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Firstly, I absolutely disagree with the previous reviewer, particularly since this was not quite a biography of William Moulton Marston, but rather a look at the "life" of his creation, the nearly seventy-year old Wonder Woman.

I read this book during a particular bad period of my life when I was holed up in bed with a bad back injury, so this book has a LOT of meaning for me.

Wonder Woman is an ICON. She is one of the most recognized characters worldwide since she has been around since the early 1940s, making her debut in "All-Star Comics" #8. William Moulton Marston who wrote Wonder Woman tales under the pseudonym Charles Moulton created her as a female answer to Superman, in a way trying to empower young girls. Elements of his personal life made it into his creation from the character's resemblance to one of the two women in his life to her magic lasso which made those bound by it tell the truth, fitting for the man who had a hand in the development of the lie-detector. Wonder Woman's history is explored within the pages of this book from the controversial bondage scenes which permeate a good portion of Marston's run to the sapphic undercurrent that was cited as promoting lesbianism/homosexuality, which was still considered a disorder in that era and was discussed in the book that almost killed the entire comic book industry: "Seduction of the Innocent," published in the 1950s.

Wonder Woman survived the death of her creator, the controversy surrounding her stories, and even the McCarthy era to become an enduring icon that has seen life beyond print, from plastic toys to animation and a memorable three season run on television as portrayed by Lynda Carter. Only going up to her career as of 2000, this title is essential reading to those who enjoy the Amazing Amazon and want to know more about the behind the scenes aspects of her creation as well as see some interesting ephemera from her decades of existence.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jill Lepore's The Secret History of Wonder Woman got a lot of buzz lately, but it's important to note that Les Daniels's Wonder Woman: The Complete History did it first (2000) and arguably better. Instead of focusing on the man behind the woman, as Lepore does, Daniels keeps Princess Diana and her story front and center, tracing the development of the character through the decades. Graphic design superstar Chip Kidd handled the art direction for this volume, which means it's gorgeous as well as informative - another leg up on Lepore, who frequently resorts to describing panels that this volume simply includes. In terms of the depth of research, Secret History definitely has the edge on Daniels, but that doesn't necessarily make Lepore's work a better read, just a more thorough one (at least in regards to Marston's personal history and family life). If you spend a significant portion of your childhood in Wonder Woman underoos, the Complete History is definitely the can't-miss book.

[Shannon Willow]

"The Complete History" is, perhaps, a bit of a misnomer. The book was engaging and informative, but somewhat limited in scope. It largely covered Wonder Woman as a pop-culture and political figure in our world, and talked only passingly about each of Princess Diana's incarnations.

I got a lot out of this book, in terms of learning about her creator, William Moulton Marston, what his aims were, and how each writer/editor that came after him tried to either live up to Marston or avoid all association with Wonder Woman's bizarre Golden Age. I learned a lot about her on screen incarnations (including the never-quite-made-it, pre-Carter version)

Despite featuring a card drawn by Bruce Timm, her on-screen exploits in Bruce Timm's version of the JLA were strangely ignored in the book. In fact, the stories she was involved in were basically ignored unless there was some sort of impact in the real world.

Nonetheless, it was a highly informative and enjoyable book.

[S.E. Martens · Rating 5 out of 5]

Picking this up on a whim at a used bookstore in downtown Toronto circa 2007 kickstarted a lifelong obsession with this character . . . This is an excellent overview, highlighting different eras, with lots of beautiful artwork.

**2023 reread** While it doesn't have the exhaustive detail of The Secret History of Wonder Woman by Jill Lepore (and it doesn't draw in the wider context of 1920s-30s feminist writing), this still provides a really solid background on the character. It touches briefly on her creator and it also highlights a bunch of weird merchandise over the eras, which is fun. Chip Kidd does a fantastic job with the art direction/design of the book as it packed full of beautifully reproduced WW art from different eras.

Since more than 20 years have elapsed since this was published, I would love to see it revised and revisited.

[Courtney · Rating 4 out of 5]

Yup, the creator of W.W. was into bondage. He had two wives (simultaneously...and they liked each other and all lived together). He invented the lie detector. He was a professor of psychology at Harvard (among other things). He believed (really) that women should rule the world. He created Wonder Woman to further his philosophical ideals on this last point.

This book is fascinating. No one who comes in my houe and picks it up can put it down.

[John Yelverton · Rating 5 out of 5]

An amazing book to see the evolution of Wonder Woman throughout the years.

[Wayland Smith · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm a hero geek, so of course I read this. It's a good history of the development and early years of the character. Most of the focus is on behind the scenes kind of things, like the unusual lifestyle of Diana's creator.

I did learn some things, and think Mr. Daniels covered the topic well. He did a good job with his similar books on Batman and Superman as well. If you're interested in comic books, their history, or, of course, Wonder Woman, I recommend the book. It's just over 200 pages, but much of that is art/pictures.

And Lynda Carter, many people's personification of Diana after the tv show, wrote a nice forward to the book.

[Hank Stuever · Rating 4 out of 5]

Terrific research, illustrations. There is SO MUCH resting just under the surface of what we all know and appreciate about Wonder Woman. It's a goldmine of symbolism, classics, feminism, sex, psychology, weird behavior, gender -- you name it.

[M.A. Rininger · Rating 5 out of 5]

The life and times of Wonder Woman is compacted into this collection of iconic history by Les Daniels and filled with alluring artwork that sweeps the reader’s eyes from one page to the next with fierce excitement and curiosity. I am not sure if this is my favorite Wonder Woman book because Lynda Carter penned an introductory letter expressing what Wonder Woman means to her and then inviting the reader to enter the world of Wonder Woman as presented by Daniels, or is this my favorite Wonder Woman book because of the way Daniels compacts Wonder Woman’s history filled with fascinating facts, limiting his personal point-of-view as a writer and allowing the reader to consume the sourced information in order to come to one’s own conclusions.

If you are looking for a book that is easy to read but filled with sourced material, then this book is probably your best bet. Daniels covers everything from creator Charles Moulton Marston and how his life influenced the creation of Wonder Woman to how DC maintained continuity of Wonder Woman’s history in comics and her status as a female icon. Daniels even covers that failed attempt when DC Comics collaborated with Mattel Toys to create Wonder Woman and the Star Riders (if Barbie and Gem had a love child the Star Riders would be the result). From well known facts to obscure details that only the most hardcore Wonder Woman fan would know, this book has it all.

[Jack · Rating 4 out of 5]

Like the other two books about DC Comics' iconic trio of heroes, the best part about this one is the copious use of art, photos, and collectibles. You can enjoy looking at this book without reading a word. It does provide a great history, though, so do read it! This is the first time I've read in-depth reports of WW's creator and the polyamorous family life that surely influenced the character's genesis. The ups and downs of the character after his passing is well presented. This history ends around 1999 with multiple higher-ups disappointingly going to great lengths to point out that she (and, by extension, all the Amazons of Themyscira) is totally heterosexual, man! "She's a feminist and she likes men," proclaims then-publisher Jeanette Kahn.
The author is clearly very enthusiastic about his subject, and it comes through very well. I enjoyed this volume as much as the Superman book and much more than the Batman book.

[Michael P. · Rating 5 out of 5]

An absolutely fantastic history on the publishing and other media profile of this pivotal character. Look, I don't like Wonder Woman comics. I don't like them a lot. Those I read as a kid are just strange and reprints of the older stories are not just strange but also creepy. Daniels helps me understand that these stories really were strange and sometimes creepy, it isn't just me, but he takes us behind the scenes to understand the idealism that resulted in the comics being written this way, then takes us on a strange journey to how successive writers tried different approaches to the character with nothing sticking for long. The next writer always takes the magazine in a different direction and often contradictory direction. I think this is a great and informative book. If somebody who does not enjoy different incarnations of the character feels this way, you just might like it too.

[Denise Spicer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Though filed under GN (graphic novel), this book is more a history of the Wonder Woman comic book story than a graphic novel per se. It features many, many pages of reproduction comic book illustrations. The text of this 201 page book also covers the origin of the story, the writers and artists who developed it, and photos of various types of interesting Wonder Woman memorabilia. Has an index.

[Gary Sassaman · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book, along with the Superman and Batman Masterpiece Editions, is a wonderful little history of a specific time in comics history, The Golden Age. Comics historian Les Daniels is perfectly complimented by Chip Kidd's stellar and innovative design and layout and the book itself is a work of art, filled with comics panels and pages, original art and sketches and promotional and merchandising items that are seldom seen.

[Ross Cudmore · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fascinating look at Wonder Woman's creation and cultural/political impact.

Wonder Woman's creator William Moulton Marston was a psychologist, and he had some rather interesting ideas regarding womanhood, power, and submission. This is explored in detail, as we learn more of the creation of Princess Diana of the Amazons.

[wildct2003 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Covers many aspects of Wonder Woman in our culture (comics, TV shows, dolls, etc.) Lots of pictures of items from the past 60 years (printed in 2000).

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

A bit of biography, some history of the strip and the character, along with some excerpts of classic stories. Great for collectors and new fans.

[A. J · Rating 3 out of 5]

Since watching Wonder Woman this summer I've been a little obsessed with the character. So it's been fun to read about her origins and her writer William Moulton Marston, and how her character changed throughout the years.  I learned a lot about Wonder Woman, and I enjoyed that.

Though this book's title is "The Complete History" this book actually felt more like a brief overview of the character. I feel like it could have been a little longer. I also didn't like the writer very much, his comments at time felt unnecessary and rude. He makes snide comments about feminists and about Marston's life.  The Wonder Woman comics have been mostly written by men, and that felt unfortunate to me. I don't think a lot of the comic writers knew what they were doing with her character, but Daniels doesn't seem to care one way or the other.

All in all I think this book was still a pretty good read. You can learn a lot, and it's only 208 pages so it doesn't take long to read. I gave it 3 stars on Goodreads.

[Jeff · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is sort of a coffee table book-style treatment of the history of Wonder Woman, both as a character and of the people who created her. In some ways, it's great - in others, kind of lacking.

The book is great in the respect that it has a lot of photos of memorabilia, of different Wonder Woman publications and such that probably wouldn't see the light of day unless you were a heavy collector. It also tosses some older comics into the context of the times, which is kind of neat - especially for a superhero like Wonder Woman who has gone through so many incarnations.

The interesting parts for me were the parts discussing how Moulton created Wonder Woman, and how much of a foil for much of his studies and ideology regarding feminism and sexuality Wonder Woman truly was. I'd love to read a much larger take on that someday, but starting there and then discussing the context of the Lynda Carter show and the pressures that future writers faced, it was very interesting.

The downside is in two places. For one, it's much less about the Wonder Woman story and more about the story of how the Wonder Woman story came to be. Those hoping for a history of the actual saga are going to be missing something. The other downside is that it effectively ends right around the Crisis on Infinite Earths even though the book was written in the mid-2000s. There's plenty of opportunity to expand, especially during the Rucka era, that would have been beneficial.

Regardless, a good entry-level piece about one of the more iconic heroes out there. Worth a look if you're interested in this sort of thing.

[Marsha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yes, here she is, the original wonder girl in a metal brassiere, lariat in hand. She was invented by a Dr. William Moulton Marston, a guy with a fair amount of scientific genius, genuine exuberance and (to me) an odd desire to see women being tied up.

But he also was a firm believer in female emancipation. In his day he predicted that women would rise to become the more powerful sex, wielding power over men through sexual power. Okay, so his ideas weren’t that advanced but he had something going for him. Strangely enough, he didn’t consider that women should bid for equality with men only superiority over them. (Good for him!)

The drawings, the comics, the origins, the stories that reflected the mores, values and spirit of their times and the genius of WW’s creator are all here. This book is packed with information about cartoon’s enduring superheroine goddess, posing as Diana Prince, and you should run out and get it if you have any geekboy or geekgirl love for this comic heroine whatsoever.

[Marcus Vinicius Medeiros · Rating 4 out of 5]

I´ve been reading Wonder Woman comics since the 80´s revamp by George Pérez, when I was 8 years old, and it´s always good to know more about my favorite super-heroes. This book have some beuatiful illustrations from the glorious past of the heroine, not only comic book pages but also toys, animation, TV series and photos of her writers and artists. The most insightful sections were the ones about the early years of Wonder Woman, the so-called Golden Age of comics in the 40´s, which were full of bondage and the concept of "submission to a loving authority". Wonder Woman - The Complete History come more than 10 years ago, so it´s not updated, but still a good reading.

[Anna · Rating 2 out of 5]

This a history of Wonder Woman from the 40's up to the 90's. There are lots of nice "coffee table book" pictures (which is great!), but not as much information as I would have liked. It turns out I read this book back in 2009, but had no recollection of having ever done so. According to my ratings, I enjoyed it less this time around (two stars vs. three). I felt like Les Daniels' Complete History of Superman was an all around stronger book.

[Karen Cox · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an interesting study of the origins of the character and her creators. I wish the author had spent more time on the lives of Olive Byrne and Sadie Holloway after Marston's death. Her research is excellent and conclusions interesting, but the book is shorter than it could have been. Still, it's worth reading for fans of the character and for those interested in mid-20th century feminism.

[J. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Les Daniels' books about the "Big 3" at DC Comics should be issued to people--they're THAT good. Of the 3, I like this one the best because there's much more focus on the writers and their aims. Kidd's layout is stunning. An absolute must have for anyone who loves comics history. HIGHLY recommended.

[Chriss · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting look at the history, views and culture behind the development of everyone's favorite superhero lady. Bondage imagery in early comics? You bet! All kinds of interesting information, as well as some page scans from the original.

[Eli · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a delightful book, telling the story of Wonder Woman and her creators through text and lots of graphics. I suspect I will perennially pick it up to read a few pages in bed at night, and learn a few more interesting facts each time.

[Josie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an awesome compilation that not only tells the story of the creation & history of Wonder Woman, it is full of photographs & comic pages. Large format pages really show off all the visual content. Foreword by Linda Carter <3.

"She's a wonder, Wonder Woman."

[Bear · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting history - Marston certainly had a bondage issue going on...hence the handcuffs, er, I mean bracelets and the golden lasso of truth with which to tie people up, er, I mean wrangle the truth out of the bad guys...

[M.L.D. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow. Who knew that the origins of Wonder Woman were so kinky? I sure didn't, not until I read this. Find out why Wonder Woman was constantly getting tied up, bound, chained, and trussed like a chicken in her early adventures!

[Captain Curmudgeon · Rating 2 out of 5]

There's a good
book out there about the creator of Wonder Woman, William
Moulton Marston, but this isn't it.

[Amber · Rating 4 out of 5]

It shows a nice history of wonder women. Awesome pictures!