Wonder Woman’s Backstory Comes to Your Coffee Table

Every superhero has an origin story. Hollywood can’t seem to get it together when it comes to putting Wonder Woman’s tale up on the big screen. (Sorry, but I’m not counting her appearance in 2016’s Batman V. Superman: Dawn of Justice. The Amazon Princess deserves her own movie! Here’s hoping the announced one actually is made.)

Until that moment happens, fans can indulge in a bit of her backstory with Wonder Woman: The Complete Newspaper Comics.

IDW Publishing worked with DC Entertainment and the Library of American Comics to produce this gorgeous coffee table book, which focuses on the world’s first and most kick-ass female superhero. This is the kind of thing you’d put out for guests that you’d actually want to stay for a little while. Captivating and entertaining, the book’s 196 pages features Wonder Woman’s entire newspaper run—the whole darn thing.

The Library of American Comics’ Bruce Canwell kicks off the book with an excellent essay, which includes a little backstory about the comic and the character, as well as a peek at some promotional materials, original sketches, and other tidbits. It’s just a few pages, so don’t expect anything comprehensive, but it’s an awesome few pages.

From there, the rest of the book has all of the black-and-white comics that ran in newspapers from May 1, 1943 until December 1, 1944. It ran six days a week, so there’s a ton of material and characters to comb through. Steve Trevor, Etta Candy, Cheetah, and many more are all represented here. There’s info on Wonder Woman’s Lasso of Truth, her bracelets, and even the Invisible Plane. Some of the storylines may seem a little very familiar and some is a bit dated, but this is part of comics (and superhero) history. It’s also really cool. The imagery is insanely detailed, which is especially awesome, because you have to remember that this is the first time that these particular comics have been printed since their original run.

The $49.99 price tag may seem a little steep, but this book is well worth the cost. The material created by writer William Moulton Marston and artist Harry G. Peters is something to experience. And this is one good looking collection that will certainly warrant repeat reading. If you are a fan or have a Wonder Woman fan in your life, it would be hard to find a better gift than Wonder Woman: The Complete Newspaper Comics. Consider your holiday shopping complete!

GeekMom received this item for review purposes.