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Wonder Woman (2006) #1
Wonder Woman: ¿Quién es Wonder Woman?
'Infinite Crisis' saw Diana take a man's life in cold blood, and her subsequent trial - the amazing Amazon has relinquished the mantle of Wonder Woman. So who is the Wonder Woman fighting crime and righting wrongs worldwide? And what will Diana become?
144 pages, Hardcover
First published April 24, 2009
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1359 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 179 reviews
June 7, 2017
I haven't read a comic book since forever so to BR this with Luke, I was quite excited to dig in and dug I did.
Well. Uhm. Ok.
This was good. No, scratch that. This was just ok and I'm real glad it's a comic. Less pages to turn, less lines / dialogues to read.
The title is called Who Is Wonder Woman but I didn't get the answer. The answer who really she was / is.
The storyline was rushed and bombarded with too many characters, villains and superheroes for that matter, that I had a hard time following them.
Funny thing is, she was always WONDERing if what she did and doing is the right thing. I know she was called Wonder Woman for a reason but not because of this.
Look, I'm no expert at reviewing let alone (reviewing) comics coz I don't read them that much but I think the part where Hercules was involved was quite contradicting and confusing at the same time because for the life of me, I don't get why he was portrayed as one of the baddies.
That bit was really REALLY disappointing.
Rating it 2 Stars.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
One day late to this party...errr BR. Sorry Luke, I'm diving in now!
Well. Uhm. Ok.
This was good. No, scratch that. This was just ok and I'm real glad it's a comic. Less pages to turn, less lines / dialogues to read.
The title is called Who Is Wonder Woman but I didn't get the answer. The answer who really she was / is.
The storyline was rushed and bombarded with too many characters, villains and superheroes for that matter, that I had a hard time following them.
Funny thing is, she was always WONDERing if what she did and doing is the right thing. I know she was called Wonder Woman for a reason but not because of this.
Look, I'm no expert at reviewing let alone (reviewing) comics coz I don't read them that much but I think the part where Hercules was involved was quite contradicting and confusing at the same time because for the life of me, I don't get why he was portrayed as one of the baddies.
That bit was really REALLY disappointing.
Rating it 2 Stars.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
One day late to this party...errr BR. Sorry Luke, I'm diving in now!
November 29, 2014
Wonder Woman has given up her role as a superhero (see THE SACRIFICE) but circumstances not so surprisingly call her back. A lot of JLA members make their cameos as a big crisis hits Earth.
Expect a lot of Greek Mythology in this one.
Vibrant and colorful artwork by Terry and Rachel Dodson. Tale by Alan Heinberg.
Oh, since it's DC Comics you need to accept that putting on a lame outfit or even a pair of glasses hides you from being revealed.
Wonder Woman is controversial in some circles as some argue she doesn't empower the modern woman in her super tight and revealing outfit. Remember that she's from a time when people didn't have hang ups about sexuality as they do now and that the original creator was in a BDSM relationship with two women and felt a woman could still be sexual and empowered.
Thematically on one level this is a tale of redemption for Wonder Woman but on a greater level it's about our fearless Amazon accepting herself.
CHARACTERS/DIALOGUE: B to B plus; ARTWORK PRESENTATION: B plus; STORY/PLOTTING/PANEL EDITING: B; ACTION: B; WHEN READ: end of August 2013; OVERALL GRADE: B to B plus.
Expect a lot of Greek Mythology in this one.
Vibrant and colorful artwork by Terry and Rachel Dodson. Tale by Alan Heinberg.
Oh, since it's DC Comics you need to accept that putting on a lame outfit or even a pair of glasses hides you from being revealed.
Wonder Woman is controversial in some circles as some argue she doesn't empower the modern woman in her super tight and revealing outfit. Remember that she's from a time when people didn't have hang ups about sexuality as they do now and that the original creator was in a BDSM relationship with two women and felt a woman could still be sexual and empowered.
Thematically on one level this is a tale of redemption for Wonder Woman but on a greater level it's about our fearless Amazon accepting herself.
CHARACTERS/DIALOGUE: B to B plus; ARTWORK PRESENTATION: B plus; STORY/PLOTTING/PANEL EDITING: B; ACTION: B; WHEN READ: end of August 2013; OVERALL GRADE: B to B plus.
January 6, 2011
This takes place about a year after Diana killed Maxwell Lord. She has disappeared, and no one knows where she has gone. Her sister, Donna Troy, has taken up the mantle of Wonder Woman trying to fill the void. I thought it was pretty good, even though I haven't read Infinite Crisis, so I'm not exactly sure what happened with Lord.
January 14, 2022
This was an interesting volume.
Diana after the events of Infinite crisis has retired from being WW but when her sidekick Donna who is now WW gets kidnapped by her enemies, she has to step up and fight the villains including Cheetah and then we find the real villain whose Circe and also Hercules is there and after betrayal and twists, we see her psychology and all and whats actually happening and what she will do now? Plus team up with Nemesis and Sarge Steel and the other heroes to take down the mythological threats that keep coming and everything.
Its a fascinating read and I kinda love the whole exploration of how Diana becomes WW again and then elevating Circe as the main villain and showing her true threat was great and the art was beautiful. The Dodson's do a great rendering in this volume though the fight scenes could have been better and I love the way they show all her villains in the end and set stage for some great things to come.
Diana after the events of Infinite crisis has retired from being WW but when her sidekick Donna who is now WW gets kidnapped by her enemies, she has to step up and fight the villains including Cheetah and then we find the real villain whose Circe and also Hercules is there and after betrayal and twists, we see her psychology and all and whats actually happening and what she will do now? Plus team up with Nemesis and Sarge Steel and the other heroes to take down the mythological threats that keep coming and everything.
Its a fascinating read and I kinda love the whole exploration of how Diana becomes WW again and then elevating Circe as the main villain and showing her true threat was great and the art was beautiful. The Dodson's do a great rendering in this volume though the fight scenes could have been better and I love the way they show all her villains in the end and set stage for some great things to come.
May 1, 2023
More of an exploration of Diana Prince than Wonder Woman, it shows who Diana is without the mantle, as well as the journey to reclaiming her title. Donna Troy and Cassie Sandsmark have taken up the responsibility of the symbol in the meantime, yet Diana still steals the show through her new identity: Agent Prince. A strange entry that doesn't wow in the slightest, it's got some good moments and spreads, but it feels like a dish that hasn't quite been served right.
August 14, 2017
4.5 stars
September 30, 2020
Look... it's a strange thing. I feel as though the only Wonder Woman writers to write about Diana were Gail Simone and whoever wrote the New 52 run. There's this weird tendency to write about Wonder Woman the legend - and not about Diana herself. I don't mean that these books focus on the hero more than who she is outside of that, I mean that the focus is all on her legend and what she means as a symbol. There's no real introspection for Diana, none of her personal thoughts and feelings - everything is what others (Donna, Steel, Cassie, other supers, the other Amazons, Hercules, Circe, Cheetah, etc) think of Wonder Woman.
Where is Diana?
Where is her perspective?
It's the strangest thing. It makes it so that I've read quite a few books on Wonder Woman and I don't really know how she feels about anything. That's not good.
Anyway, the art here is good. There were some of the worst ass shots I've ever seen, though.
I question why this entire thing involves Diana being criticized and ousted because she killed a man in self defense. From what I read in the past, Diana was always willing to kill if absolutely necessary in battle. I'm not sure why this book acted like that was such a big deal. She's not Batman.
I also question why every single female villain had understandable and/or downright honorable goals? Like we're supposed to be against Circe, who was fighting to free women from sex trafficking? I'm supposed to root against the female "villain" who's experience with abuse led her to lead a crusade against abusers and protect women? I'm sorry, I just don't get it.
Add to that Diana agreeing to work with the misogynistic piece of shit who raped her mother?
It's reminding me of Rey in that here's a female character I loved in other installments siding with someone who's just the worst. And even worse, they're fighting against people with honorable causes.
The only thing I got out of this book was desire to see these women team up and form their own league. What's better than a group of women coming together to protect other women?
Anyway, this wasn't enjoyable for me because I didn't really learn anything new about Wonder Woman and what was here did not present her as a likable or admirable character to me.
Where is Diana?
Where is her perspective?
It's the strangest thing. It makes it so that I've read quite a few books on Wonder Woman and I don't really know how she feels about anything. That's not good.
Anyway, the art here is good. There were some of the worst ass shots I've ever seen, though.
I question why this entire thing involves Diana being criticized and ousted because she killed a man in self defense. From what I read in the past, Diana was always willing to kill if absolutely necessary in battle. I'm not sure why this book acted like that was such a big deal. She's not Batman.
I also question why every single female villain had understandable and/or downright honorable goals? Like we're supposed to be against Circe, who was fighting to free women from sex trafficking? I'm supposed to root against the female "villain" who's experience with abuse led her to lead a crusade against abusers and protect women? I'm sorry, I just don't get it.
Add to that Diana agreeing to work with the misogynistic piece of shit who raped her mother?
It's reminding me of Rey in that here's a female character I loved in other installments siding with someone who's just the worst. And even worse, they're fighting against people with honorable causes.
The only thing I got out of this book was desire to see these women team up and form their own league. What's better than a group of women coming together to protect other women?
Anyway, this wasn't enjoyable for me because I didn't really learn anything new about Wonder Woman and what was here did not present her as a likable or admirable character to me.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 13, 2015
***Pink Taco Buddy Read with the Shallow Readers! Female lead this time: Wonder Woman a.k.a. Princess Diana. Also, Donna Troy, Wondergirl, kind of Circe, Cheetah did some cool stuff, Giganta kicked ass.... lots of women***
I really really really wanted to like this, for a lot of reasons. One, because it's WONDER WOMAN. She's supposed to be this all encompassing force of nature sent from the gods to wreak havoc on evil. Two, because Brian K. Vaughan had such great things to say about this volume. And Brian K. Vaughan rates WAY high on my list (that's still really short, but still). But this totally failed for me.
My biggest problem was the supreme excess of super heroes and villains running around. In the annual, during three pages, I was very briefly introduced to FOURTEEN different villains. What the fuck? That's not even including all of the other super heroes that were even more briefly introduced in the earlier pages. And let's add in all of the super heroes who were just hanging out in uniform, spouting off important information, but their names are never mentioned. I don't have enough of a background in DC, so this was probably my mistake. When I saw the title "Who is Wonder Woman?" I expected somewhat of an origin tale. I was so wrong. Instead I just let this book fuck my brain while I tried to keep up. Now I'm more confused about DC than ever.
The story wasn't bad, and once again, with some insight to the back story, I probably would have liked it more. I liked the add in of Greek gods and their stories. I've always been a fan of Greek mythology so having Hercules and Circe and the mentions of Olympus, Zeus, Hera, etc, really worked for me. I liked that Wonder Woman was posing as Diana Prince, even though a shit ton of people still knew exactly who she was. And I really enjoyed Nemesis. But the action was sub par. Most of the battles were won too easily. When Wonder Woman is cornered by a shit ton of baddies and you think HERE COMES TO THE GOOD STUFF! all of the other super heroes show up. And they conveniently seem to have the same number of people on both sides, because everyone pairs up with their opposite and kicks ass really fast. I wanted more of a struggle.
And in my personal opinion, the origin story that was found at the end of the book, would have served better in the beginning. Because if you're a big time DC fan, you probably already know the ins and outs of Wonder Woman and her sidekicks, so it would be a refresher. And for lowly people like me, who waited twenty-five years to start reading comics, we would have the origin and THEN jump into the story and watch it unfold. But that's just me.
The artwork was really awesome (except for the origin story; not sure what happened there). I loved the way that the characters were drawn, that even when there a hundred characters on a page, every person had details to explain who they were (if you know who they are, of course). The colors were vibrant, and man, Wonder Woman's outfit was always on point. So no complaints from me on this point.
I don't think I'll be continuing this run, just because I wasn't a huge fan of how everything was laid out. I think I need earlier issues so that I can become knowledgeable in her story, her villains, and her allies. I just am not ready for her new stuff, apparently.
October 19, 2020
… And I’m the new Wonder Woman.
My first time reading this graphic novel. I never knew most of Wonder Woman’s enemies were females!!!🤓 This book tells you a little about them. Dr. Psycho is similar to Professor Xavier, X-Men. 
February 25, 2023
A decent kind of semi-reboot after Infinite Crisis. This was kind of showing who Wonder Woman was, even though she half-retired here. Instead it focuses on Donna Troy and other people who have kind of picked up the work load but Diana is in the background here as a "Agent" of justice in a way. Decent, some cool moments, but didn't blow me away. Heinberg has written better stuff for sure.
April 22, 2021
Meh. I was interested in this volume, due to the fact it addressed what happened to Wonder Woman after she killed Max Lord. In that other story, her killing caused her to leave the JLA and eventually give up being Wonder Woman.
In this volume we see that Wonder Woman is very,very badly hiding in plain sight as Agent Diana Price. Umm really? Anyways, there are a few runner-ups that now have donned the mantle. There is Donna Troy who is running around as Wonder Woman and some blonde girl who is Wonder Girl. Anyways, all the Wonder Women wonder where is Wonder Woman? Well uh..she's right over there. Very,very badly hiding as Special Agent Diana Price.
Meanwhile, Circe and Hercules have come up with a plan to take over Olympus. It will take all the Wonder Women to stop them.
That's pretty much the plot. I really got this volume to see what happened after the whole "we are mad because Wonder Woman killed a mind controlling lunatic" nonsense. The story itself was not awful, but not really good. The artwork was decent though.
This is one a true Wonder Woman fan might enjoy. I am not that person, though there several Wonder Woman books that are quite good. This is not one of them.
In this volume we see that Wonder Woman is very,very badly hiding in plain sight as Agent Diana Price. Umm really? Anyways, there are a few runner-ups that now have donned the mantle. There is Donna Troy who is running around as Wonder Woman and some blonde girl who is Wonder Girl. Anyways, all the Wonder Women wonder where is Wonder Woman? Well uh..she's right over there. Very,very badly hiding as Special Agent Diana Price.
Meanwhile, Circe and Hercules have come up with a plan to take over Olympus. It will take all the Wonder Women to stop them.
That's pretty much the plot. I really got this volume to see what happened after the whole "we are mad because Wonder Woman killed a mind controlling lunatic" nonsense. The story itself was not awful, but not really good. The artwork was decent though.
This is one a true Wonder Woman fan might enjoy. I am not that person, though there several Wonder Woman books that are quite good. This is not one of them.
July 30, 2012
After the events of Infinite Crisis, Diana apparently went off by herself to do a little soul searching. In her place, Donna Troy took up the mantle of Wonder Woman. Oh, how I wish this book had been about Donna's turn as Wonder Woman. But that went came and went very quickly, maybe within the first issue. (Since this collection doesn't show issue divisions at all, I can't be sure. I do not like when trades do this, by the way.)
What we end up is more like a Who's Who of Wonder Woman villains than a cohesive storyline. Even Hercules shows up, proving once again that Diana can be way too willing to forgive and forget. It's that "where's the kitchen sink?" tendency by the writer that drags down a story that has some interesting things to say about Wonder Woman, about her contradictions (warrior for peace, for one) and about who she is and can be.
What we end up is more like a Who's Who of Wonder Woman villains than a cohesive storyline. Even Hercules shows up, proving once again that Diana can be way too willing to forgive and forget. It's that "where's the kitchen sink?" tendency by the writer that drags down a story that has some interesting things to say about Wonder Woman, about her contradictions (warrior for peace, for one) and about who she is and can be.
January 28, 2018
A fun comic narrative featuring the popular superheroine Wonder Woman. It's a bit different than I'm used to seeing her, but it was still great nonetheless.
October 3, 2011
I think a politician was the one who said that, unless it gets my attention, it doesn’t get my vote. Now, our favorite Amazon Princess has always gotten my attention and my vote but I felt that it was just a vote that was naturally given. I mean, how could you not?
She is a compelling figure to look that. She is fierce, fearless, gorgeous and as per Batman, never fails to inspire and that puts her above the rest of all other superheroes. But for this compilation, the life of Wonder Woman that we all view as almost perfect as her form and figure is less than ideal. This compilation comes after the startling events in Infinite Crisis and follows the death of former Justice League member turned murderer, Maxwell Lord who saw his own demise at the hands of our Amazon as a result of mentally manipulating Superman to kill her. The world saw her then as a murderer and Diana had to retreat and go into self-imposed exile and let Donna Troy, then Wonder Girl take over for her as Wonder Woman.
In this compilation, Donna does the best that she can to fill in for Diana but finds herself up against former British archeologist, Dr. Barbara Minverva, aka, Cheetah; Dr. Doris Zeul, aka. Giganta; and the most power telepath, Dr. Psycho. Together they ganged up on Donna and almost left her for dead, although not quite while our own Diana, having been stripped of her title, goes undercover to work for the US Department of MetaHuman Affairs as Agent Diana Prince. With this new assignment she adds the “title” of double agent to her superhero resume and had to work with Agent Tresser, aka. Nemesis, the Master of Disguises in search of the missing Wonder Woman who has not been seen since.
This search soon finds herself being allied with Hercules and facing the witch Circe who for a time being in this compilation relegated herself to being the new Wonder Woman; vengeful and unrelenting, after stripping Diana of her powers and capturing both Donna Troy and the new Wonder Girl, Cassandra Sandsmark. While being human has not dampened our Amazon’s spirit, it in a way has been the catalyst for her to move forward and be resourceful in unravelling a and conspiracy between Hercules and Circe and later managed to get her powers back and become the Wonder Woman that we all love.
This was the Wonder Woman that I knew and this was the compilation that won me over once more. With brilliant and beautiful art drawn by Terry and Rachel Dodson and creative and paced writing by Allan Heinberg, this compilation attempted to answer the question we all asked ourselves. Who is Wonder Woman? To paraphrase the foreword by writer, Brian K. Vaughan, the iconic and elusive Amazonian was never that easy to understand, much less write about for she was full of contradictions? Diana Prince was a warrior at heart and yet loved peace. She also was a champion for women’s dignity and yet runs around wearing star-studded blue underpants while in spite of being a goddess possessing the gift of flight, still rides an invisible plane to get around. Truly a woman herself is already hard to understand and to add these contradicting elements into the mix, no wonder readers have yet to still scratch the surface about this iconic lady.
And given her icon status, layers upon layers have yet to be peeled off to understand her. And thus gives rise to the opportunity to always spin a new take on her story as it revolves around the people closest to her. From members of the Justice league, to her constituents as Ambassador of peace of Themyscara, to her fellow Amazonians, Donna and Cassie, her desire to be human and to explore this side of hers continues on promisingly after this compilation. This, for me, is human and goddess drama at its best. Next episode please.
She is a compelling figure to look that. She is fierce, fearless, gorgeous and as per Batman, never fails to inspire and that puts her above the rest of all other superheroes. But for this compilation, the life of Wonder Woman that we all view as almost perfect as her form and figure is less than ideal. This compilation comes after the startling events in Infinite Crisis and follows the death of former Justice League member turned murderer, Maxwell Lord who saw his own demise at the hands of our Amazon as a result of mentally manipulating Superman to kill her. The world saw her then as a murderer and Diana had to retreat and go into self-imposed exile and let Donna Troy, then Wonder Girl take over for her as Wonder Woman.
In this compilation, Donna does the best that she can to fill in for Diana but finds herself up against former British archeologist, Dr. Barbara Minverva, aka, Cheetah; Dr. Doris Zeul, aka. Giganta; and the most power telepath, Dr. Psycho. Together they ganged up on Donna and almost left her for dead, although not quite while our own Diana, having been stripped of her title, goes undercover to work for the US Department of MetaHuman Affairs as Agent Diana Prince. With this new assignment she adds the “title” of double agent to her superhero resume and had to work with Agent Tresser, aka. Nemesis, the Master of Disguises in search of the missing Wonder Woman who has not been seen since.
This search soon finds herself being allied with Hercules and facing the witch Circe who for a time being in this compilation relegated herself to being the new Wonder Woman; vengeful and unrelenting, after stripping Diana of her powers and capturing both Donna Troy and the new Wonder Girl, Cassandra Sandsmark. While being human has not dampened our Amazon’s spirit, it in a way has been the catalyst for her to move forward and be resourceful in unravelling a and conspiracy between Hercules and Circe and later managed to get her powers back and become the Wonder Woman that we all love.
This was the Wonder Woman that I knew and this was the compilation that won me over once more. With brilliant and beautiful art drawn by Terry and Rachel Dodson and creative and paced writing by Allan Heinberg, this compilation attempted to answer the question we all asked ourselves. Who is Wonder Woman? To paraphrase the foreword by writer, Brian K. Vaughan, the iconic and elusive Amazonian was never that easy to understand, much less write about for she was full of contradictions? Diana Prince was a warrior at heart and yet loved peace. She also was a champion for women’s dignity and yet runs around wearing star-studded blue underpants while in spite of being a goddess possessing the gift of flight, still rides an invisible plane to get around. Truly a woman herself is already hard to understand and to add these contradicting elements into the mix, no wonder readers have yet to still scratch the surface about this iconic lady.
And given her icon status, layers upon layers have yet to be peeled off to understand her. And thus gives rise to the opportunity to always spin a new take on her story as it revolves around the people closest to her. From members of the Justice league, to her constituents as Ambassador of peace of Themyscara, to her fellow Amazonians, Donna and Cassie, her desire to be human and to explore this side of hers continues on promisingly after this compilation. This, for me, is human and goddess drama at its best. Next episode please.
May 21, 2008
I read an interview with the Dodsons before while they were working on this book (before the series launched) and what they said about their approach to bringing Wonder Woman up to date intrigued me.
They spoke of things that had never really occurred to me about Wonder Woman as a character. The fine line that the artist (and consequently, the writer) walks in portraying her as sexy, but not an object; as strong but not masculine. They the contradictions that they faced in representing a character they didn't create.
I was never able to follow the single issues of the series because of my impatience with the 30 page serial format. So when I saw this had come out as a collected edition, I snapped it up.
Coming at the book from that angle, I feel they did a decent job with the character. It was an enjoyable read, but it felt like they kept introducing deeper issues and then never returning to them. They made passing remarks about the issues without ever really exploring them too deeply. And, in the end, that's what I left feeling. The book, while pretty and fun, lacks the depth I was hoping it would.
It's good, but my expectations were higher...
They spoke of things that had never really occurred to me about Wonder Woman as a character. The fine line that the artist (and consequently, the writer) walks in portraying her as sexy, but not an object; as strong but not masculine. They the contradictions that they faced in representing a character they didn't create.
I was never able to follow the single issues of the series because of my impatience with the 30 page serial format. So when I saw this had come out as a collected edition, I snapped it up.
Coming at the book from that angle, I feel they did a decent job with the character. It was an enjoyable read, but it felt like they kept introducing deeper issues and then never returning to them. They made passing remarks about the issues without ever really exploring them too deeply. And, in the end, that's what I left feeling. The book, while pretty and fun, lacks the depth I was hoping it would.
It's good, but my expectations were higher...
April 21, 2017
This is my first outing into any of the Wonder Woman comic books. It was in my library one day, so I thought hey, why not? A title like ‘Who is Wonder Woman?’ also seemed accessible for a Wondy newbie like me.
It is.
Despite being in the dark about the smaller details regarding Wonder Woman and her adventures - though I was already familiar with her backstory, powers and what she generally stands for - I really enjoyed 'Who is Wonder Woman?' a lot.
The story is very accessible for newcomers, getting right into the action while still taking the time to briefly narrate the events that happened previously in canon, as well as panels dedicated to Wonder Woman's backstory and those of her comrades and enemies. It's one of those things where, even if you are confused, if you just relax and keep reading it eventually comes together in an acceptable way.
As for the characters? First of all, I have to say that the blurb for 'Who is Wonder Woman?' is misleading. It made it seem like the comic book was going to be about Donna Troy and her struggles and obstacles as she replaces Diana as the new Wonder Woman, after Diana had disappeared in shame over killing a dangerous businessman, Maxwell Lord, in self-defence. But she comes into the story at the moment when Donna just barely completes her first mission in Wondy's costume; when she was going to fit into the role - swing her lasso - in her own way and style and brand of feminist awesomeness.
No, 'Who is Wonder Woman?' is really about the title character receiving a civilian identity from Batman (who, holy crap, SMILES in the comic!). She is now Agent Diana Prince, and works for the Department of Metahuman Affairs under Sarge Steel, along with her partner, ex-Suicide Squad member Nemesis, aka Thomas Andrew Tresser. It's a bit like 'The X-Files', only with Skully strictly in the lead. Their first mission together: Find Wonder Woman and let her face her own justice for her “crime”.
The story is about Diana coming into her own. We follow her on her journey as she goes through a sudden identity crisis. Plus her guilt, her complex role in the name of truth and justice, and her friends and family turning against her for giving up being Wonder Woman - not just for the public but for the Greek gods and heroes as well. It is also about her requiring her humanity, when she was born from clay and the gods' blessing, yet at the same time she doesn’t want to give up her powers and weapons. No matter her identity and choices, she wants to be an agent of peace, but she is still being used by others as an instrument of war.
This is where Donna Troy takes a backseat. A bit disappointing, but at least the three Wonder Women - Diana, Donna and Cassandra Sandsmark - play essential, not to mention interesting, parts in fighting and trying to understand the meaning of the question: Who is Wonder Woman?
(A cute titbit: Batman's photo of Diana Prince, whom Wonder Woman is to emulate in civilian form, has glasses; a nod to Superman and his cheesy and obvious disguise as Clark Kent).
It is also really cool to have Circe as one of the main villains, and to see how she fits into Wonder Woman's various dilemmas - as a superhero, a princess of Themyscira, a public (feminist) icon, and a champion to women everywhere. Perhaps Diana could be doing so much more for woman in modern society; for abuse victims, sex workers and slaves...
(This point is kind of pushed under the rug later on in the comic. This is disheartening, since real life issues such as these should not be glossed over. But I guess you can't have it all in only one volume).
I love the mythology here, by the way. It is a vital presence in the story and in Diana's life, but it isn't cluttered or distracting, and best of all it doesn't divert 'Who is Wonder Woman?' from being about Wonder Woman as a character. Not even the dreaded Hercules undermines her. Even I knew the complicated history (by which I mean it has to do with rape) between those two. I was pleased with how it is handled towards the end.
One character trait I got from Wondy in this comic is that maybe she is too trusting, or is desperate to believe in the good in anybody after killing a man. That is this newbie's interpretation anyway, I'm not sure if it's what the writer, Allan Heinberg, was going for in terms of Wonder Woman trusting clearly bad men.
But at least Nemesis is decent to her and in fact looks up to her (so far). However he is rather an idiot himself when it comes to not figuring out Agent Prince's true identity. Isn't he meant to be the most experienced and talented agent the Department of Metahuman Affairs has?
The artwork is beautiful; specifically, Wonder Woman is. Sure there are a few instances of blatant fanservice concerning her outfits (like her white skin-tight suit as Agent Prince), but overall she looks great, as everyone else does. And there is a boatload of characters drawn in 'Who is Wonder Woman?' - superheroes and a whole rogues gallery of villains (such as the Cheetah and Giganta) showing up and kicking arse. They all help her to realise her weaknesses as well as her strengths. Surprisingly, Robin - Tim Drake - is given an important role, and not just for the humorous moments.
Although I must ask, why do nearly all the blonde superheroines look the same? It's not only their hair and hairstyles, it's their costumes as well (they're mainly in white, like Power Girl). It was hard for me to tell them apart, especially when they are in the same scenes together. I could recognise Cassie Sandsmark just by her red shirt and blue pants, and I'd never even heard of her character until I read this comic.
Also the artwork for the separate issue right after the ending, 'Backstory', is so different from 'Who is Wonder Woman?', it was jarring to me. Wonder Woman looks downright terrifying sometimes! And she looks drunk in one panel where she's meant to be having a meaningful discussion with Nemesis.
In conclusion, 'Wonder Woman, Vol. 1: Who is Wonder Woman?' is a fun and quick read, exploring the mythos, ideals (no matter how contradictory), and motivations behind the world's most famous superheroine, while being accessible to new and/or casual comic book readers. It is by no means perfect - that I am fully aware of - but it is enjoyable in its own right.
I will be coming back to this comic many times in the future, and I look forward to reading more issues about Wonder Woman, as interpreted by different writers.
Also, Wondy's Lasso of Truth and Invisible Jet are the coolest things ever! So useful, yet understated, unlike Batman's coliseum of gadgets and mobiles. Just sayin'. And isn't Agent Diana Prince's transformation into Wonder Woman - finally appearing near the end - sweet as cutting steel? It references the 1970s 'Wonder Woman' TV show starring Lynda Carter, or was the show's transformation sequence inspired entirely by the comics beforehand? I don't know, but maybe I'll find out soon.
"WONDER WOMAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAANNNNNNNNNN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
Final Score: 4/5
It is.
Despite being in the dark about the smaller details regarding Wonder Woman and her adventures - though I was already familiar with her backstory, powers and what she generally stands for - I really enjoyed 'Who is Wonder Woman?' a lot.
The story is very accessible for newcomers, getting right into the action while still taking the time to briefly narrate the events that happened previously in canon, as well as panels dedicated to Wonder Woman's backstory and those of her comrades and enemies. It's one of those things where, even if you are confused, if you just relax and keep reading it eventually comes together in an acceptable way.
As for the characters? First of all, I have to say that the blurb for 'Who is Wonder Woman?' is misleading. It made it seem like the comic book was going to be about Donna Troy and her struggles and obstacles as she replaces Diana as the new Wonder Woman, after Diana had disappeared in shame over killing a dangerous businessman, Maxwell Lord, in self-defence. But she comes into the story at the moment when Donna just barely completes her first mission in Wondy's costume; when she was going to fit into the role - swing her lasso - in her own way and style and brand of feminist awesomeness.
No, 'Who is Wonder Woman?' is really about the title character receiving a civilian identity from Batman (who, holy crap, SMILES in the comic!). She is now Agent Diana Prince, and works for the Department of Metahuman Affairs under Sarge Steel, along with her partner, ex-Suicide Squad member Nemesis, aka Thomas Andrew Tresser. It's a bit like 'The X-Files', only with Skully strictly in the lead. Their first mission together: Find Wonder Woman and let her face her own justice for her “crime”.
The story is about Diana coming into her own. We follow her on her journey as she goes through a sudden identity crisis. Plus her guilt, her complex role in the name of truth and justice, and her friends and family turning against her for giving up being Wonder Woman - not just for the public but for the Greek gods and heroes as well. It is also about her requiring her humanity, when she was born from clay and the gods' blessing, yet at the same time she doesn’t want to give up her powers and weapons. No matter her identity and choices, she wants to be an agent of peace, but she is still being used by others as an instrument of war.
This is where Donna Troy takes a backseat. A bit disappointing, but at least the three Wonder Women - Diana, Donna and Cassandra Sandsmark - play essential, not to mention interesting, parts in fighting and trying to understand the meaning of the question: Who is Wonder Woman?
(A cute titbit: Batman's photo of Diana Prince, whom Wonder Woman is to emulate in civilian form, has glasses; a nod to Superman and his cheesy and obvious disguise as Clark Kent).
It is also really cool to have Circe as one of the main villains, and to see how she fits into Wonder Woman's various dilemmas - as a superhero, a princess of Themyscira, a public (feminist) icon, and a champion to women everywhere. Perhaps Diana could be doing so much more for woman in modern society; for abuse victims, sex workers and slaves...
(This point is kind of pushed under the rug later on in the comic. This is disheartening, since real life issues such as these should not be glossed over. But I guess you can't have it all in only one volume).
I love the mythology here, by the way. It is a vital presence in the story and in Diana's life, but it isn't cluttered or distracting, and best of all it doesn't divert 'Who is Wonder Woman?' from being about Wonder Woman as a character. Not even the dreaded Hercules undermines her. Even I knew the complicated history (by which I mean it has to do with rape) between those two. I was pleased with how it is handled towards the end.
One character trait I got from Wondy in this comic is that maybe she is too trusting, or is desperate to believe in the good in anybody after killing a man. That is this newbie's interpretation anyway, I'm not sure if it's what the writer, Allan Heinberg, was going for in terms of Wonder Woman trusting clearly bad men.
But at least Nemesis is decent to her and in fact looks up to her (so far). However he is rather an idiot himself when it comes to not figuring out Agent Prince's true identity. Isn't he meant to be the most experienced and talented agent the Department of Metahuman Affairs has?
The artwork is beautiful; specifically, Wonder Woman is. Sure there are a few instances of blatant fanservice concerning her outfits (like her white skin-tight suit as Agent Prince), but overall she looks great, as everyone else does. And there is a boatload of characters drawn in 'Who is Wonder Woman?' - superheroes and a whole rogues gallery of villains (such as the Cheetah and Giganta) showing up and kicking arse. They all help her to realise her weaknesses as well as her strengths. Surprisingly, Robin - Tim Drake - is given an important role, and not just for the humorous moments.
Although I must ask, why do nearly all the blonde superheroines look the same? It's not only their hair and hairstyles, it's their costumes as well (they're mainly in white, like Power Girl). It was hard for me to tell them apart, especially when they are in the same scenes together. I could recognise Cassie Sandsmark just by her red shirt and blue pants, and I'd never even heard of her character until I read this comic.
Also the artwork for the separate issue right after the ending, 'Backstory', is so different from 'Who is Wonder Woman?', it was jarring to me. Wonder Woman looks downright terrifying sometimes! And she looks drunk in one panel where she's meant to be having a meaningful discussion with Nemesis.
In conclusion, 'Wonder Woman, Vol. 1: Who is Wonder Woman?' is a fun and quick read, exploring the mythos, ideals (no matter how contradictory), and motivations behind the world's most famous superheroine, while being accessible to new and/or casual comic book readers. It is by no means perfect - that I am fully aware of - but it is enjoyable in its own right.
I will be coming back to this comic many times in the future, and I look forward to reading more issues about Wonder Woman, as interpreted by different writers.
Also, Wondy's Lasso of Truth and Invisible Jet are the coolest things ever! So useful, yet understated, unlike Batman's coliseum of gadgets and mobiles. Just sayin'. And isn't Agent Diana Prince's transformation into Wonder Woman - finally appearing near the end - sweet as cutting steel? It references the 1970s 'Wonder Woman' TV show starring Lynda Carter, or was the show's transformation sequence inspired entirely by the comics beforehand? I don't know, but maybe I'll find out soon.
"WONDER WOMAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAANNNNNNNNNN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
Final Score: 4/5
November 2, 2011
When DC decided to relaunch Wonder Woman after Infinite Crisis I was excited for it because I wondered what the changes would be. I was floored when the first pages showed that Donna Troy was the new Wonder Woman instead of the classic Diana. This felt like a nice nod to fans of that particular character who wanted her to be Wonder Woman, but these fans would have little joy for this series because for most of the story Donna would be hanging around the neck of a villain. While I am a huge fan of the character Donna Troy I appreciated this particular story in that it established why Diana had been missing and also where she was currently in her life. The story was also paying respect in many ways to each character within the world of Wonder Woman. While this is probably not the single best Wonder Woman story created it is one that is interesting to read and really shows that Wonder Woman does have her own great rogue gallery, even if no one seems to want to recognize it.
February 2, 2012
Wonder Woman is back and better than ever in this reboot of her book series.
December 24, 2014
This is my first graphic novel/comic I've ever read so I don't have anything to compare it to but I found this story entertaining and the graphics well done.
3.5 stars :)
3.5 stars :)
November 15, 2025
loved this!!! loved the focus on diana prince and i loved all the cameos. the art is also gorgeous and its a nice wonder woman read
June 4, 2017
Disappointing to say the least, I really didn't feel this was the Wonder Woman I know and love, whose whole conflict to begin with was rendered inert by the end of the book making me feel that the writers were unethically taking creative license with her sterling character by creating page after page of villains and destruction that if Wonder Woman really was Wonder Woman would've easily stopped long before it happened. That said, the art is great. Buddy read with Aileene.
February 14, 2017
"I think Wonder Woman is so hard to write because she's so full of contradictions."- Brian K. Vaughan
2.5/5 Stars
I don't think the dual identity works for Wonder Woman. I understand the idea behind giving her a dual identity as Diana Prince. A way for Diana to be Wonder Woman without actually having to BE Wonder Woman. She can help save the world as a secret agent of the Department of Metahuman Affairs.
I buy into the dynamic between Bruce Wayne [playboy billionaire] and Batman, Clark Kent [mild-mannered reporter] and Superman, but Diana Prince and Wonder Woman? basically the SAME person. There's NO effort in keeping her identity a secret with her CHARACTER [the up-do, glasses, and pantsuits have nothing to do with it.] That's probably what keeps me from being convinced that people go along with the charade. These agents can't be that good if they can't put the two together.
I like that Diana is still herself, whether she's sporting her star-studded little blue underpants or in a white bodysuit, it seems true to her character to not shy away/HIDE her powers/gifts or create a dual personality. She tones down her true strength but she's basically the same person in and out of the suit. Still strong, assertive, competent, independent, etc. etc.
Aside from that, this was an okay read. I like how they talk about Wonder Woman being a symbol... even though that doesn't seem to hold up since by the end, we all know Diana is going to reclaim the uniform.
The plot was okay, I like the selection of villains, I like Wonder Woman's Rogues gallery, the only negative thing to say about that is that it got REALLY CROWDED, really fast. I enjoyed Circe's character a lot; the conversations between her and Diana are my favorites.
I still don't really see how killing Maxwell Lord has made a huge impact on Diana, to give her such self-doubt/identity crises. I'm guessing it has to do a lot with the media/government labeling her as a murderer, which isn't really shown here too much, just stated. [DISCLAIMER: I didn't read Infinite Crisis so I'm probably missing out on the ramifications of her actions if they're shown in an issue prior to this.]
Diana is a warrior, she's an Amazon, this isn't her first kill but I guess it's WHO she killed that really makes the impact... Nemesis kills a sphinx with a message from the gods [an innocent by-standard] and that's just kind of brushed off with that "oops, my bad" kind of attitude.
I guess if it's not human, it's all good, nobody bats an eye, but if it's a government official, an evil one, everyone loses their minds.
Just a pet peeve of mine like when in comics/graphic novels/movies/shows, all these henchmen/goons working for the big bad get killed off but when it comes down to the guy on top, he gets to go to prison... what's up with that?
November 9, 2023
This was my first time reading a Wonder Woman comic and (although I was mildly disappointed by the two typos I found), I quite enjoyed it.
Most of all though, I loved the artwork, including the inkwork and colours. Very well done. As with any comics, I love it when they include bonus conceptual and rough sketches.
The overall story was kind of interesting and very fast-paced without really exploring the question of "who is Wonder Woman", as the title suggests.
There were also a lot of characters and villains that make an appearance throughout the book which can usually result in very over-crowded panels and make the story harder to follow. In this case though, the
This book consists of the following:
1. Wonder Woman, Volume 1 (my understanding is that this book is the deluxe version of Volume 1)
2. Wonder Woman (2006), Issue #1, in which Wonder Woman retires from her superhero role and becomes Diana Prince instead. Meanwhile, her sister, Donna Troy takes up the mantle as the new Wonder Woman but gets into trouble with several villains such as the Cheetah, Giganta, and Dr. Psycho.
3. Wonder Woman (2006), Issue #2, in which we learn about how Wonder Woman became Diana Prince and an agent for the Department of Metahuman Affairs, where she's tasked with finding both the new Wonder Woman and old Wonder Woman.
4. Wonder Woman (2006), Issue #3, we get introduced to more Greek mythology with the appearance of Wonder Girl (daughter of Zeus), Hercules, and Circe.
5. Wonder Woman (2006), Issue #4, - Circe becomes the new Wonder Woman and goes on a power trip.
6. Wonder Woman Annual #1 - the finale to the series with an ultimate battle in which the Justice Society and Justice League all make an appearance to help their beloved and OG Wonder Woman (this is where I found an unfortunate typo...).
7. This book also included a bonus backstory about Diana Prince working alongside Nemesis.
8. And finally, the book finishes off with bonus art sketches from the series (where I found the second typo).
Most of all though, I loved the artwork, including the inkwork and colours. Very well done. As with any comics, I love it when they include bonus conceptual and rough sketches.
The overall story was kind of interesting and very fast-paced without really exploring the question of "who is Wonder Woman", as the title suggests.
There were also a lot of characters and villains that make an appearance throughout the book which can usually result in very over-crowded panels and make the story harder to follow. In this case though, the
This book consists of the following:
1. Wonder Woman, Volume 1 (my understanding is that this book is the deluxe version of Volume 1)
2. Wonder Woman (2006), Issue #1, in which Wonder Woman retires from her superhero role and becomes Diana Prince instead. Meanwhile, her sister, Donna Troy takes up the mantle as the new Wonder Woman but gets into trouble with several villains such as the Cheetah, Giganta, and Dr. Psycho.
3. Wonder Woman (2006), Issue #2, in which we learn about how Wonder Woman became Diana Prince and an agent for the Department of Metahuman Affairs, where she's tasked with finding both the new Wonder Woman and old Wonder Woman.
4. Wonder Woman (2006), Issue #3, we get introduced to more Greek mythology with the appearance of Wonder Girl (daughter of Zeus), Hercules, and Circe.
5. Wonder Woman (2006), Issue #4, - Circe becomes the new Wonder Woman and goes on a power trip.
6. Wonder Woman Annual #1 - the finale to the series with an ultimate battle in which the Justice Society and Justice League all make an appearance to help their beloved and OG Wonder Woman (this is where I found an unfortunate typo...).
7. This book also included a bonus backstory about Diana Prince working alongside Nemesis.
8. And finally, the book finishes off with bonus art sketches from the series (where I found the second typo).
January 9, 2016
The good: Donna kicking butt as Wonder Woman. Wonderfam moments. Terry Dodson's art is nice, even if his women are a little too samefacey for my liking.
The bad: Everything else.
This is a 'soft' relaunch of Wonder Woman evidently based on the view that Wonder Woman is inherently unrelatable, that she's so majestic and powerful that she can't relate to ordinary human beings, and that something needs to be done to 'fix' these problems.
In this case, the solution is for Diana to quit superheroing and get an ordinary, human secret identity and an ordinary, human job as... er, a secret agent using futuristic weaponry to tackle metahuman threats. Yeah. And that's about how quickly the logic of this story falls apart.
I could write an essay on how fundamentally out-of-character the premise is for Diana -- she has literally spent years at this stage living among ordinary humans, she's never seen any value in hiding her identity and there have been epic story arcs devoted to her dedication to the principle of truth.
But aside from that, it's just not a very good story.
Heinberg's writing is all tell, no show. We know that the overriding theme is supposed to be Diana's search for identity mostly because he insists on having her remind us over and over again that she doesn't know who she is.
His treatment of Circe is frankly awful. And I mean, I recognise that Circe is a character who's been written without a lot of consistency over the years and she has often ended up in the role of moustache-twirling-villain, but-- "I was a princess once. Like you, Diana. But when my husband and my subjects betrayed me, I traded my soul for the power of the goddess Hecate and used her magicks to become the immortal avenger of all wronged women."
...yeah. Apparently Circe wants to steal Wonder Woman's power so she can systematically murder all the rapists in the world. (Because apparently having 'the power of the goddess Hecate' isn't enough...?!) (This is even more hilaristupid if you're aware of Circe's long history of fucking over 'wronged' Amazons.)
So anyway, Circe is trying to steal all of Wonder Woman's power, which means Diana needs to fight her despite not being sure if she even wants the power or the title and I think you can see where this plot-anvil is going.
My recommendation: Don't even bother. If you're just starting out with Wonder Woman, try A League of One, The Hiketeia, Golden Perfect or Greg Rucka's run instead.
The bad: Everything else.
This is a 'soft' relaunch of Wonder Woman evidently based on the view that Wonder Woman is inherently unrelatable, that she's so majestic and powerful that she can't relate to ordinary human beings, and that something needs to be done to 'fix' these problems.
In this case, the solution is for Diana to quit superheroing and get an ordinary, human secret identity and an ordinary, human job as... er, a secret agent using futuristic weaponry to tackle metahuman threats. Yeah. And that's about how quickly the logic of this story falls apart.
I could write an essay on how fundamentally out-of-character the premise is for Diana -- she has literally spent years at this stage living among ordinary humans, she's never seen any value in hiding her identity and there have been epic story arcs devoted to her dedication to the principle of truth.
But aside from that, it's just not a very good story.
Heinberg's writing is all tell, no show. We know that the overriding theme is supposed to be Diana's search for identity mostly because he insists on having her remind us over and over again that she doesn't know who she is.
His treatment of Circe is frankly awful. And I mean, I recognise that Circe is a character who's been written without a lot of consistency over the years and she has often ended up in the role of moustache-twirling-villain, but-- "I was a princess once. Like you, Diana. But when my husband and my subjects betrayed me, I traded my soul for the power of the goddess Hecate and used her magicks to become the immortal avenger of all wronged women."
...yeah. Apparently Circe wants to steal Wonder Woman's power so she can systematically murder all the rapists in the world. (Because apparently having 'the power of the goddess Hecate' isn't enough...?!) (This is even more hilaristupid if you're aware of Circe's long history of fucking over 'wronged' Amazons.)
So anyway, Circe is trying to steal all of Wonder Woman's power, which means Diana needs to fight her despite not being sure if she even wants the power or the title and I think you can see where this plot-anvil is going.
My recommendation: Don't even bother. If you're just starting out with Wonder Woman, try A League of One, The Hiketeia, Golden Perfect or Greg Rucka's run instead.
February 11, 2015
One of the better written Wonder Woman books I've completed lately, Who is Wonder Woman? is mostly about Diana's evaluation of herself as a hero. Donna Troy takes up the role while Diana chooses to work as an agent with the Department of Metahuman Affairs, but soon, the call to arms has WW struggling with whether or not she needs to stay a cape. Definite strengths are the solid writing on just about every character, good looking color work and art, and a fast-paced, engaging plot. The only small complaint I had was some of the action panels for WW and Donna being a little too irritatingly exploitative for my taste, but in a WW book, most of that is par for the course.
May 31, 2015
Wonder Woman #1-4, Annual #1, 2006-2007?
An attempt to coordinate and update several versions of Wonder Woman into a coherent whole. It probably would have been less confusing if I'd known some of them first. Guest appearances by Batman and Robin, Superman, and a number of assorted villains that the reader is clearly supposed to know about. Not at all a good introduction to Wonder Woman.
An attempt to coordinate and update several versions of Wonder Woman into a coherent whole. It probably would have been less confusing if I'd known some of them first. Guest appearances by Batman and Robin, Superman, and a number of assorted villains that the reader is clearly supposed to know about. Not at all a good introduction to Wonder Woman.
April 9, 2017
It was an impulse grab at the library's graphic novel shelf, partially because I know I'll be taking my daughter to the summer '17 WW movie. Anyone else think 'Nemesis' was drawn to resemble Brad Pitt?
July 31, 2017
Yes I'm still reading every Wonder Woman comic I get get my hands on, don't worry about it.
September 23, 2017
3.5 Hace tiempo que no leí un cómic y este me ha gustado mucho! Se los recomiendo bastante
April 16, 2018
This is my first time reading a comic book it was very confusing I don’t know a lot of the hero’s or villains. But It was a fun read and I plan on reading more comics so I am not as confused.
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