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Wonder Woman Archives #1
Wonder Woman Archives, Vol. 1
The earliest adventures of the most enduring heroine of all time are featured in this hardcover collection, from her beginnings as an Amazon Princess to her 1940s career battling the power of the Nazis. These celebrated stories made an indelible impression on all those who grew up with them.
240 pages, Hardcover
First published May 4, 1998
9 people are currently reading
360 people want to read
About the author
William Moulton Marston
134 books51 followersDr. William Moulton Marston (May 9, 1893 – May 2, 1947), also known by the pen names Charles Moulton and William Marston, was an American psychologist, feminist theorist, inventor, and comic book writer who created the character Wonder Woman. Two women, his wife Elizabeth Holloway Marston and Olive Byrne (who lived with the couple in a polyamorous relationship), served as exemplars for the character and greatly influenced her creation.
He was inducted into the Comic Book Hall of Fame in 2006.
He was inducted into the Comic Book Hall of Fame in 2006.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews
September 21, 2014
Bullet Review:
3 stars for nostalgia. Because this is cheesier than cheese pizza. So much cheese, I feel constipated.
And this is embarrassingly racist. And while it has some feminist undertones, WW STILL does a lot of things just because of Steve Trevor.
And really ridiculous. The incredible leaps in logic. The ridiculous chain of events. How Mary Sue-ish WW is (I'm not so much of a fan I can't see it).
Great Aphrodite!!!
3 stars for nostalgia. Because this is cheesier than cheese pizza. So much cheese, I feel constipated.
And this is embarrassingly racist. And while it has some feminist undertones, WW STILL does a lot of things just because of Steve Trevor.
And really ridiculous. The incredible leaps in logic. The ridiculous chain of events. How Mary Sue-ish WW is (I'm not so much of a fan I can't see it).
Great Aphrodite!!!
April 9, 2012
Let's be perfectly honest: the only reason to read these old Wonder Woman stories is historical curiosity. Or at least the only reason for me: although I love the Golden Age heroes, the Golden Age stories usually fall flat for me, and probably for many modern readers. In many ways, Wonder Woman is a reverse of the stereotypical Superman format: here, it's the woman who's strong, smart, and capable, and the man who needs to be rescued. That was, of course, the point. Marston's creation was pretty feminist for his day, and it's an idea that we still don't see enough of: the woman who has physical strength and power and is attractive in part because of that strength. These are the good things to take from early Wonder Woman, the character herself.
August 22, 2016
This was a very interesting read, from a historical perspective. Published in the early 1940s, Wonder Woman's first stories are groundbreaking with the first major super heroine. However, the stories are also indicative of attitudes of the era with a bit of misogyny and some very racist caricatures of all the non-white characters. Keeping the historical context in mind, it was good to read the quirky origins of this iconic super hero, even though the storytelling style was a bit of a slog for me at times.
November 23, 2022
EXTREMELY dated material but still gets 3 stars simply for it's place in comic book history.
March 27, 2012
When I was a little girl I watched reruns of the Wonder Woman TV show and I loved them, and I've always had a love for Wonder Woman ever since, but I never knew the origins.
This was the first time I read any Wonder Woman comics, so I went back to the beginning. I loved the first line - "At last, in a world torn by the hatreds and wars of men, appears a woman to whom the problems and feats of men are mere child's play."
These were published in the early 1940s, and reading it now it feels understandably dated, so I couldn't help but laugh, especially at the magic girdle.
Yes, there is a MAGIC GIRDLE, given to Wonder Woman's mother by Aphrodite. I have a hard time believing that the goddess of love thinks girdles are all that lovely.
So I'm very glad I read the origins and it was entertaining, but I don't think I'll keep reading all the volumes. It's just too dated for me, but I'm glad I now know where Wonder Woman came from.
This was the first time I read any Wonder Woman comics, so I went back to the beginning. I loved the first line - "At last, in a world torn by the hatreds and wars of men, appears a woman to whom the problems and feats of men are mere child's play."
These were published in the early 1940s, and reading it now it feels understandably dated, so I couldn't help but laugh, especially at the magic girdle.
Yes, there is a MAGIC GIRDLE, given to Wonder Woman's mother by Aphrodite. I have a hard time believing that the goddess of love thinks girdles are all that lovely.
So I'm very glad I read the origins and it was entertaining, but I don't think I'll keep reading all the volumes. It's just too dated for me, but I'm glad I now know where Wonder Woman came from.
September 7, 2010
I find it difficult to rate proportionally-ancient comics in regards to their modern counterparts. The writing is different, the tone different, the era different. Thus, the early Wonder Woman comics are very difficult to read and hold my interest. But I suppose if one looks at them as you would a historical document, one can appreciate it more, too.
I dunno. I've come to expect...more from comics in modern times. That doesn't make the old stuff bad, it's just not my cup of tea in this case.
I dunno. I've come to expect...more from comics in modern times. That doesn't make the old stuff bad, it's just not my cup of tea in this case.
June 7, 2009
Not my favorite, but well worth the read. It was really interesting to see how the character of Wonder Woman started out in the 1940's. It all seems rather daring and I wonder how it went over at the time. I would like to know more about who the comics were aimed at and who the actually read them.
September 7, 2015
Ah, '40s racism and sexism!
June 28, 2021
Enjoyed these, although the plots were similar in most of the stories. It's interesting to look back at these old stories and see how different things were back then, particularly the outright racist artwork.
One thing that stands out is how often Wonder Woman and other female characters wound up in bondage. I think it probably had to do with the moral panics about white slavery at the time, as well as the author's personal proclivities. I understand the movie "Professor Marston and the Wonder Women," which I have not seen, deals with that.
One thing that stands out is how often Wonder Woman and other female characters wound up in bondage. I think it probably had to do with the moral panics about white slavery at the time, as well as the author's personal proclivities. I understand the movie "Professor Marston and the Wonder Women," which I have not seen, deals with that.
October 29, 2017
It started out great then just got stupid and repetitive... with almost always a minority as the villain.
September 14, 2020
it's nice to see the earliest version of the WW comics, but hoooo boy is there quite a bit of racism & fatphobia in here
April 14, 2023
i used to read this to my sister when she was little
Read
July 7, 2023Picked it up from my college library one day and read it. Yep.
January 31, 2024
Be transported back to WWII, where Wonder Woman tackles obese women and people of color!
May 7, 2024
It's a golden age comic. Pretty much the same story told 2 dozen times.
July 11, 2022
Wonder Woman: Archives reprints several of the earliest Wonder Woman stories from the pages of 1942 Sensation Comics. It also reprints Wonder Woman No. 1.
The first half of this collection is pretty solid, as Wonder Woman takes out nazi spies on American soil. Yes, the dialogue is cheesy, but I love how snarky Golden Age Wonder Woman is - she seems like she's having a ball the whole time, regarding her enemies with wry amusement as she performs her amazing feats.
The wonderful homoerotic subtext is also constant in these stories - from Paradise Island, where all of their games involve tying each other up, to Etta Candy and the Holliday College Girls with their sorority hazing rituals, to the machinations of the evil villainesses dominating their girl slaves. I find Etta Candy particularly delightful in these Golden Age stories and it's a shame the modern incarnations strip away all the comedy and vibrancy from her character, because she really is a hoot!
The art by H.G. Peter is very interesting, art nouveau style, and unlike anything you would see in modern comics. You instantly know that you are in another era when you see any of these panels.
Unfortunately, around the half-way point of this volume we start to see the racism which is sadly prevalent in media from this time period. Like 1940's Le Voyage de Babar, (which I also read this year), we see gross racist caricatures of Black people. There are similarly ugly caricatures of Japanese people and racial slurs used against them. This is part of the propaganda angle, as the United States was at war with Japan at the time. I'm not excusing the racism, but that's the context for it.
Reading these comics in 2022 is a fascinating exercise, but unfortunately the racism ruins a lot of the enjoyment. There are aspects I appreciate - WW herself is a lot of fun in these old stories, and the Holliday Girls are a treat. Silly as they are, I kind of wish they made it into the modern comics. I can get into the unusual art style and the corny dialogue. However, the racism really makes this a difficult and often uncomfortable read, and I no longer feel the need to keep this volume in my collection.
The first half of this collection is pretty solid, as Wonder Woman takes out nazi spies on American soil. Yes, the dialogue is cheesy, but I love how snarky Golden Age Wonder Woman is - she seems like she's having a ball the whole time, regarding her enemies with wry amusement as she performs her amazing feats.
The wonderful homoerotic subtext is also constant in these stories - from Paradise Island, where all of their games involve tying each other up, to Etta Candy and the Holliday College Girls with their sorority hazing rituals, to the machinations of the evil villainesses dominating their girl slaves. I find Etta Candy particularly delightful in these Golden Age stories and it's a shame the modern incarnations strip away all the comedy and vibrancy from her character, because she really is a hoot!
The art by H.G. Peter is very interesting, art nouveau style, and unlike anything you would see in modern comics. You instantly know that you are in another era when you see any of these panels.
Unfortunately, around the half-way point of this volume we start to see the racism which is sadly prevalent in media from this time period. Like 1940's Le Voyage de Babar, (which I also read this year), we see gross racist caricatures of Black people. There are similarly ugly caricatures of Japanese people and racial slurs used against them. This is part of the propaganda angle, as the United States was at war with Japan at the time. I'm not excusing the racism, but that's the context for it.
Reading these comics in 2022 is a fascinating exercise, but unfortunately the racism ruins a lot of the enjoyment. There are aspects I appreciate - WW herself is a lot of fun in these old stories, and the Holliday Girls are a treat. Silly as they are, I kind of wish they made it into the modern comics. I can get into the unusual art style and the corny dialogue. However, the racism really makes this a difficult and often uncomfortable read, and I no longer feel the need to keep this volume in my collection.
June 25, 2024
Superb! I rank these as the best of the Golden Age comic books that I've ever read. I read all but Sensation Comics Nos. 10-12 in Wonder Woman Chronicles Vol. 1 trade paperback. These are every bit as excellent on the re-read. DC began blowing out their Archives inventory for ½ off in late 2010, so I asked Santa (my wife) for all six Wonder Woman Archives for Christmas in 2010. It took me a year to get to them in my backlog rotation, but when you are dealing with something that is already 70 years old, what's one more year, right?
Dr. Marston, under the pen name of Charles Moulton, created a powerful, independent, assertive female hero uncharacteristic for the time. Marston was a psychologist and inventor of the systolic blood pressure test which became part of the polygraph test. He was involved in a polyamorous/ polygamous relationship, and his live-in girlfriend Olive greatly influenced the creation and appearance of the character.
Bondage and dominance/submission are two recurring themes throughout the title, and I find it to be hysterical that kids were reading this stuff in droves. This was way off of middle America's radar in the early '40s. The fashions and Wonder Woman's lasso, which in these early issues make people submit to whatever the lasso holder commands, were a far cry from what I saw on the SuperFriends when I was growing up in the late '70s. Everything in this title is excellent, from the writing to the artwork to the lettering. These are just great reads that had me laughing out loud, often unintentionally.
DC Archives are a thing of beauty. The paper has a creamy, ever so slightly off white color, and has a nice texture and weight to it. They have superb sewn binding and lay flat from the front page to the last. The linework and color restoration are excellent. I cannot figure out why DC would do such an about face in terms of quality. Their more recent hardcovers of classic material feature decontented paper and binding. A pity.
Dr. Marston, under the pen name of Charles Moulton, created a powerful, independent, assertive female hero uncharacteristic for the time. Marston was a psychologist and inventor of the systolic blood pressure test which became part of the polygraph test. He was involved in a polyamorous/ polygamous relationship, and his live-in girlfriend Olive greatly influenced the creation and appearance of the character.
Bondage and dominance/submission are two recurring themes throughout the title, and I find it to be hysterical that kids were reading this stuff in droves. This was way off of middle America's radar in the early '40s. The fashions and Wonder Woman's lasso, which in these early issues make people submit to whatever the lasso holder commands, were a far cry from what I saw on the SuperFriends when I was growing up in the late '70s. Everything in this title is excellent, from the writing to the artwork to the lettering. These are just great reads that had me laughing out loud, often unintentionally.
DC Archives are a thing of beauty. The paper has a creamy, ever so slightly off white color, and has a nice texture and weight to it. They have superb sewn binding and lay flat from the front page to the last. The linework and color restoration are excellent. I cannot figure out why DC would do such an about face in terms of quality. Their more recent hardcovers of classic material feature decontented paper and binding. A pity.
February 12, 2017
Okay, so there are SOME racist and sexist bits, but as long as you can whistle past those it's actually pretty good.
June 20, 2015
So this is the Wonder Woman personified by William Moulton Marston? I have to admit I can see why three decades later it would be adapted into a somewhat silly TV series, the original stories themselves were a little silly.
Don't get me wrong. Marston develops his heroine with great courage and compassion, but some stories were odd and show how dated they were. Chubby Etta, a man chaining his wife, stereotypical depictions of Latinos and Blacks, etc. For a man who was considered a feminist, this isn't very redeeming.
Still there is some fun to be had here and there. Love the progression from the skirt to the shorts. The lasso, Steve Trevor, as well as the beginning with Themiscyra.
An okay read. C
Don't get me wrong. Marston develops his heroine with great courage and compassion, but some stories were odd and show how dated they were. Chubby Etta, a man chaining his wife, stereotypical depictions of Latinos and Blacks, etc. For a man who was considered a feminist, this isn't very redeeming.
Still there is some fun to be had here and there. Love the progression from the skirt to the shorts. The lasso, Steve Trevor, as well as the beginning with Themiscyra.
An okay read. C
February 9, 2015
I read this because I wanted to get a little insight into the creator, William Moulton Marston, who also invented the lie detector, the theory behind the DiSC Profile, and had a successful polyamorous relationship. People say he was also into bondage. Well someone is tied up in each issue. I can't say Wonder Woman makes me proud to be a woman. I didn't enjoy Diana's jealousy of herself as Wonder Woman because whatshisname loves Wonder Woman, but not her. And while I like Etta Candy being a strong fat woman, the fact that she always has a box of candy in hand bugged me. I think I might like her better than her later incarnation by Gail Simone.
May 19, 2015
All Star Comics #8, Sensation Comics #1-12, 1942.
Fascinating for the look at cultural expectations from 1942. Wonder Woman is, of course, way ahead of her time in many ways, but she also represents what women had to become during wartime. Stereotypes abound: all the girls, except Etta Candy, are slim, pretty, and wear dresses and heels. Etta is not, but she's the leader -- a great role model. The few black people are caricatures and speak in bad dialect, which rather makes me cringe for our society at the time.
Fascinating for the look at cultural expectations from 1942. Wonder Woman is, of course, way ahead of her time in many ways, but she also represents what women had to become during wartime. Stereotypes abound: all the girls, except Etta Candy, are slim, pretty, and wear dresses and heels. Etta is not, but she's the leader -- a great role model. The few black people are caricatures and speak in bad dialect, which rather makes me cringe for our society at the time.
August 8, 2011
Yay! This was a fun read, and neat to see how WW started out. It's funny to note that WW was invented by a guy who cheated on his wife. I guess he didn't respect women THAT much. Anyway, cool to see what WW is supposed to be, and that things are coming full circle and she's getting back to her roots.
October 14, 2010
this book is incredible and filled with action on every page its exciting to see how wonder woman defender of all things good battles the bad guys truly awsome and better than any other comic i have read including batman one of my favorites
June 29, 2015
Really cheesy, pretty racist, and reminds me of some of today's more well know binding fetishes. But...take all that out and you've got a wonderfully nostalgic comic book that reminds us girls to be tough and independent, well sort of.
June 20, 2018
I honestly could not finish this book. I think it was written too long ago for me to enjoy it because Wonder Woman annoyed me more than anything. She chose to leave her entire people for some guy she literally didn't even know, which turned me away almost immediately.
February 18, 2016
Early wonder woman is a strong woman who leaves her island for a man... But she is drawn strongly and does some amazing things, but her alter ego as a nurse reminds you that she has a domestic side. A weird mix, but I can see how she started to break the idea of what women could be in comics.
April 30, 2012
Interesting, if not silly, look at the past. I read it for the bondage and was not disappointed.
May 4, 2013
This was for the Canvas Network course, Gender through Comic Books. Wonder Woman is great but she's not my most favorite character, no particular reason why.
May 11, 2014
Historically of value, but it didn't keep my interest. Finished about 2/3 before I decided that was all the time I was willing to give.
April 7, 2017
All I can say is it was a mistake to let Robert Kanigher take over the writing for Wonder Woman. If you're not a feminist, that's fine, but then don't take over writing for the main feminist icon in comics. Even recent Wonder Woman editor Paul Kupperberg seems to have problems with Kanigher's choices, which he talks about in the introduction for this volume. On top of that, the plot of each issue is full of holes, and the main characters seem to have lost a significant chunk of their brains since Charles Moulton put down the reins. It pained me to have to read things being explained to Capt. Steve Trevor over and over and over again.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews