This article is part of the DC Database Recommended Reading project, a series of articles written by our editors. They are meant as a guide to help both new and old readers, either getting into comics for the first time or looking to read more on their favorites. These should not be taken as a definitive guide; obviously you can start wherever and with whatever you want, but they're some general suggestions that we think you might find useful and enjoyable.
The Amazing Amazon
Wonder Woman is the most well-known female superhero in comic books. Despite this, her books have never sold as well as her male counterparts Batman and Superman. There are lots of great runs on Wonder Woman by many different writers and artists, but they lack consistency. Wonder Woman is frequently retooled or redesigned in new locations in an effort to increase her sales. This means that the various runs don't always build on each other very strongly, but it also gives us a wide diversity of top-notch stories. You can pick up the beginning of almost any writer's run and be able to read it comfortably start-to-finish without prior knowledge of the character.
New readers[]
- Wonder Woman: Gods and Mortals: This is the definitive Wonder Woman origin story written by George Pérez, Greg Potter and Len Wein, and begins Pérez's renowned 62-issue run on the title. The story establishes the origins of Diana and the Amazons, and follows Diana's venture from Paradise Island to Man's World, where she faces the villain Ares.
- Wonder Woman: Year One: The origin story of Wonder Woman in DC Rebirth, written by Greg Rucka. Follows Diana's voyage to Man's World with Steve Trevor, the origin of her powers and her becoming known as Wonder Woman.
- Wonder Woman: Who Is Wonder Woman?: The introduction of the new status quo after Infinite Crisis. One Year Later, Diana has abandoned the role of Wonder Woman, with her apprentice Donna Troy taking over the mantle. Diana is working for the Department of Metahuman Affairs as secret agent Diana Prince, but is forced to intervene when Circe establishes a team of all of Wonder Woman's greatest foes.
Further reading[]
- The Twelve Labors: A series of stories from 1974-1976, starring the Earth-One Wonder Woman. After Wonder Woman gets her powers back, she calls on the Justice League to monitor her on missions to see if she can still fight crime effectively.
- Judgment in Infinity: A three-parter saga and the first crossover among female heroes of the DC Multiverse, also starring Earth-One Wonder Woman. Diana meets an immensely powerful alien being, bent on judging the Multiverse Earths and destroying them if he finds them wanting.
- Wonder Woman: Challenge of the Gods: The second storyline by Pérez and Wein, introduces the villain Cheetah before delving into a story in which Wonder Woman is set a challenge by the Gods of Olympus to venture into the caves beneath Themyscira.
- War of the Gods: A crossover event written by Pérez which centers largely on Wonder Woman and one of her most famous villains, Circe.
- Wonder Woman: Paradise Island Lost: A two-issue story that sees the return of Pérez as writer, accompanied by Phil Jimenez. The story deals with the integration of the Amazons of Bana-Mighdall into Themyscira.
- Wonder Woman: The Hiketeia: A graphic novel written by Greg Rucka, the first of his work with the character. Wonder Woman finds herself at odds with Batman when she partakes in an ancient Greek ritual called the Hiketeia to protect a young woman whom Batman is hunting for murder.
- Wonder Woman: Down to Earth: Begins Rucka's acclaimed arc of Wonder Woman. Diana, now a diplomat working with the United Nations, faces public backlash and protests after publishing a book, and clashes with both classic and new villains.
- Wonder Woman: Eyes of the Gorgon: Rucka's run continues with an action-packed story in which Wonder Woman must battle the resurrected Gorgon Medusa, making great sacrifices in the process.
- Superman: Sacrifice: Superman is mind controlled by Maxwell Lord, and Wonder Woman must stop him from wreaking havoc even if it means taking drastic measures. This story leads into the massive crossover event Infinite Crisis.
- JLA: A League of One: A graphic novel written and illustrated by Christopher Moeller and starring Wonder Woman. An Amazon oracle tells Diana of a prophecy she has seen: the Justice League will fight an evil dragon and lose their lives in the process. Wonder Woman attempts to save her teammates' lives and face the dragon alone.
- Wonder Woman: The Circle: The first Wonder Woman storyline written by Gail Simone. Diana is attacked by a secret group of Amazon criminals known as the Circle who see her as a curse on Themyscira and seek to kill her.
- Wonder Woman: Odyssey: A story written by J. Michael Straczynski and Phil Hester which attempted to reboot Wonder Woman with an updated backstory; this reboot didn't last long as the New 52 followed shortly after. Diana suddenly finds herself in a new, entirely different world and seeks to restore the past that has been taken from her.
- Wonder Woman: Spirit of Truth: A graphic novel written by Paul Dini and Alex Ross and featuring art by Ross. The story deals with the world's perception of Wonder Woman.
- Wonder Woman: Blood: The first arc of the New 52, written by Brian Azzarello, who offers an entirely new take on the character and her mythology. This run has now been almost entirely retconned but presents a very different look at the Amazon princess.
- Wonder Woman: The Lies: Sees Greg Rucka's return to the character in DC Rebirth. When Wonder Woman discovers she has been deceived, she seeks to find out the truth about her past and unravels a great mystery.
- The Legend of Wonder Woman: A self contained miniseries set outside main continuity by Renae De Liz and Ray Dillon.
- Wonder Woman Historia: The Amazons: Another outside continuity tale regales Hippolyta's history with the Amazons and the birth of Diana, written by Kelly Sue DeConnick, with art by Phil Jimenez, Gene Ha, and Nicola Scott. This miniseries served as one of the main inspirations behind the upcoming TV series Paradise Lost.
Individual issues[]
- Wonder Woman (Volume 2) #20: Wonder Woman has to come to terms with humanity and mortality.
- Wonder Woman Annual (Volume 2) #1: A series of vignettes detailing Amazon history and culture.
- Wonder Woman (Volume 2) #170: Lois Lane interviews Wonder Woman, showcasing her friends, relationships and values.
- Wonder Woman #600
- Wonder Woman #750
- Wonder Woman 75th Anniversary Special #1