Happy Wonder Woman Day!

Suffering Sappho! it surely can’t be that time of year again, can it? I guess when you’re an immortal 3,000 year old Amazon warrior then time tends to stand still. Yet for us mere mortals, a year is everything. And so once more, fellow transient travellers, we find ourselves upon the golden sacred shores of Themyscira to celebrate Gaea’s graceful goddess, the incomparable – Wonder Woman!

That’s right fellow fans of fantastic female fiction, October 21st commemorates Diana’s first ever appearance in ‘All Star Comics #8’ which released in October of 1941 courtesy of her celebrated creator – William Moulton Marston, and DC Comics. That’s a sensational eighty one glorious years in her  illuminating presence!

We love Wonder Woman here in Precinct1313, she’s actually our favourite comic-book creation of all time, and I personally have been reading and collecting Wondy comics, movies and memorabilia since I was a mere nine years of age, she has always been an inspiration to me. Unlike her superheroic peers, Diana doesn’t necessarily rely on her fists… her strength lies within her power to understand, and forgive, to first extend a hand of friendship rather than wield her sword. Diana’s mantra is love and compassion, and in the rather unpredictable world we live in today, she is very much the hero we need…

And so, my astonishing amazonian associates, what will you be doing to celebrate this Day of Wonder? Here in the ol’ Precinct we shall be re-indulging in one of the more recent takes on the Themysciran Titan, the sublime – Wonder Woman: Tempest Tossed. The Laurie Halse Anderson penned tale provides a fresh and funky take on Diana’s early upbringing on Paradise Island and first foray into “man’s world” A superb coming of age drama that’s not afraid to delve into the darker recesses of humankind. And you too can idulge your senses in this vaunted volume with our very own review of this classic – Right Here.

Of course, we shall also be revisiting an episode or two of Lynda Carter’s spectacular turn as Wondy in the 70’s and early 80’s terrific television series, and then, once more (probably for the billionth time now) Gal Gadot’s breathtaking 2017 big screen adaptation!

Happy Wonder Woman Day!

Merciful Minerva! DC Comics Honour Eight Decades Of Wonder Woman With Twelve New Titanic Tomes!

Suffering Sappho! DC Comics titanic twelve tome testament to the Themysciran Titan will include brand new series launches, anthology specials, free comics and more…

That’s right, my astonishing Amazon affiliates, DC Comics, the bastion of superlative superheroes, will be honouring Diana’s long lasting legacy as the world’s foremost female freedom fighter with an absolutely astounding array of anthologies and albums commencing on October 21 with a 100 page super spectacular featuring thrilling tales of the Themysciran Titan’s timeless acts of hope and empowerment.This terrific tome is brought to you by acclaimed auteurs such as – Amy Reeder, Becky Cloonan, Jim Lee, Jose Luis Garcia-Lopez, Laura Braga and many, many more. The collectable comic will also feature a veritable virtuoso of variant covers that spotlight Wondy across her many different incredible incarnations throughout the Gold, Silver, and Bronze ages of comicdom.

Wonderful Women Of The World brings together a perfect plethora of talented artists and writers to celebrate the many international female role models across the globe. With Wondy standing for truth, justice and equality, she has been a superlative source of inspiration to real life pioneers in the world of activism, science, sport, and diplomacy and this new title will include visionaries such as – Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Greta Thunberg, Serena Williams and Malala Yousafzai amongst others. With a colossal cover by the fantastic Nicola Scott, and spearheaded by best selling author – Laurie Halse Anderson, this terrific title will be available to purchase on September 28.

Of all the titles so far announced, the one I’m personally most hyped for is the Phil Jimenez and Kelly Sue DeConnick collaboration – Wonder Woman Historia: The Amazons. Millennia ago, Queen Hera and the goddesses of the Olympian pantheon grew greatly dissatisfied with their male counterparts, and far from their sight, put a plan into action. A new society was born, one never before seen on Earth, capable of wondrous but also terrible things, yet their existence would not stay secret for long. When a woman in despair, named Hippolyta crosses the Amazons path, a series of events is set in motion that will ultimately lead to an outright war in Olympus, and the creation of Earth’s greatest guardian! Phil Jimenez is one of my absolute favourite WW artists/writers of all time, and his work on this first issue is looking sumptuous and spectacular! Wonder Woman Historia unleashes on October 19.

From October 5th you can follow in the fantastic footsteps of Nubia and the Amazons. Spiralling out of the thrilling Infinite Frontier storyline, this marvellous mini-series by Vita Ayala, Stephanie Williams and Alitha Martinez finds Nubia embracing the role of Queen of Themyscira, but with this prestigious position comes climactic challenges! With the unexpected arrival of new Amazons, Nubia is forced to confront her past and forge a new path forward for her beloved sisters. Though, little does she know, that a great evil grows beneath the idyllic island of Themyscira, and it’s now up to the former guardian of Doom’s Doorway to unite the tribe before their perfect paradise is lost, forever!

Phew! and that’s just a few of the myriad titles available to celebrate Wondy’s eightieth anniversary, so why not join us in October, oh fellow fans of fantastic female fiction, where we shall once again bask in the alluring beauty of the legendary isle of the immortals and their harmonious Hellenic herald – Wonder Woman!

Why We Love Wonder Woman…

It is 1941, and eminent psychology professor and inventor, William Moulton Marston, radically shakes up the male dominated market of Superhero comics with his charismatic and compelling creation – Wonder Woman, unleashed in the progressive pages of All Star Comics #8, Diana was an instant hit, and less than a year later the seminal character received her very own ongoing comic-book series, which is still being published monthly to this day, almost eight decades on from her groundbreaking inception.

It is 1982, and a nine year old Batman fanatic opens his eyes to a whole new and enlightening world outside of the grimy, corrupt streets of Gotham City, transcending the grim, driven, dark angel of justice known as The Batman, and accepting into his other (comic book) reality a much more virtuous and progressive character. A simple gift from his mum would ultimately turn into a lifelong (but wholesome) obsession, with Wonder Woman helping to not only sate a young imagination with fantastic tales of heroism, mythological monsters and warrior women, but ultimately also help guide his future precepts, and tenets.

I, of course, am that nine year old Batfan, and though the above statement of receiving guidance from a fictional character on moral precepts may sound corny, it’s also true! You see, even though much of our growth mentally and morally is instigated through parentage, friendships and schooling, we are also heavily influenced by (especially now) the fictional worlds we reside in, be that video-games, novels, movies and, of course comic-books.

My comic-book upbringing, strangely, mirrors that of my actual upbringing, and, no, that does not mean my dad ran around in tights, a pointy eared mask and fought crime, but he did share similarities to the caped crusader. He was a driven, but kind man, a member of the British parachute regiment who received the military cross for his act of heroism in rescuing injured members of his squad from a minefield, like the Batman, he was a hero that I looked up to. My mum, again has always been a kind and gentle soul with a love of animals and people, whom has never a bad word to say about anyone, she is also a feminist and rights activist, she also is my hero. Batsy and Wondy have always felt like perfect fictional counterparts to my parents, and that connection between real world and fiction has what’s really led to comic-books holding a special place in my essence.

My adoration of the Themysciran Titan not only derives from my affection for comic-books and a long-standing fascination of Greek mythology, but also my love of strong women in all forms of narrative fiction, and reality, in fact I have always preferred kick-arse female fighters in my video-games and movies and most certainly comics. I have over the years here in the Precinct written about the female influences in my life, my love of martial arts films stems mostly from my youth and watching fantastic fighting female furies like Moon Lee and Cynthia Rothrock reverse the tropes and kick everyone’s arses in film, and don’t get me started on the myriad female superheroes outside of Diana that I adore.

Ultimately though, I look up to Wonder Woman because she stands for everything I personally believe in, social justice, diversity and equity. Fairness, equality and emancipation are tenets that we should all aspire to, and Wonder Woman was, is, and always shall be a golden beacon of hope held up to shine her light on the philosophical theory of a fair and equal society. Long may she reign!

Precinct1313 Recommends: Wonder Woman – Tempest Tossed

Great Hera! the glorious gods of Olympus once more shine their light on the Themysciran Titan – Wonder Woman, as their halcyon hall of heroes bestows yet another fascinating fable from DC’s Young Adult range of graphic novels. This titanic tome is akin to a previous tale in the younger readers comic-book category, the fantastic “Diana: Princess Of The Amazons” and whilst that particular odyssey was most assuredly stunning and a must read for all ages, Tempest Tossed is on a whole other level of sublime.

Celebrated author Laurie Halse Anderson and illustrator Leila Del Luca provide us with a fresh new take on Diana’s early upbringing as the only child on the paradise island of Themyscira, and it’s ended up being one of my absolute favourite takes on the wondrous one. Beginning with a retake on Diana’s birth, we witness the Five Mothers – Athena, Aphrodite, Demeter, Artemis and Hestia as they weave their old magic to create the immortal female race known as the Amazons, a race of peace loving warriors, sworn to protect the planet. Hidden away from the world on their isle of tranquillity and tasked to one day save humanity when a great evil once more rears its head.

Yet, all is not contentment, revered Amazon queen, Hippolyta yearns for a child and upon hearing her cries of anguish the gods grant her wish, forming an infant from clay, Hippolyta’s dream becomes reality as the five mothers breathe life unto the lifeless form, giving birth to Diana, esteemed Princess, Amazon ambassador, emancipator and superhero, but these are titles yet to be won, as the Diana we follow in this monumental manuscript has just celebrated her sixteenth birthday, a unique concept on Themyscira known as Born Day, amongst a race of immortal adult females the abstraction of atypical birth is mystifying. 

Her Amazon sisters have begun referring to Diana as “changeling” watching perplexed as her body goes through the normal changes of all adolescents as they hit puberty, once again a concept not familiar to the sheltered island residents of Themyscira. Mood swings, sudden growth spurts and occasional clumsiness mark her as different to her beloved sisters, Diana wrestles with her feelings of being an outsider, yearning to spread her wings and pondering upon what lies beyond her celestial homeland. All of this she will finally experience on her born day, as refugees wash up on the isle’s illustrious shores having passed through a break in Themyscira’s magical barrier.

The books opening chapter is comparable to how Diana originally saved Steve Trevor, with her diving fearlessly into a tempestuous and tormented ocean to save the refugees and bring them to safety, yet instead gets swept out to sea passing beyond the mystical shield and seemingly unable to find her way back. Joining the refugees she ends up alongside them in Greece, once there she is detained and placed in a refugee camp. This is her first taste of humanity beyond the shores of her cherished island, and it doesn’t leave a good impression as she witnesses in incredulity the depths of mistreatment, abuse and neglect the refugees suffer on a daily basis.

Railing back at the internment guards and treatment of refugees, Diana comes to the notice of two UN officials, Steve Chang and his husband Trevor (yep, Steve Trevor) as they pluck her from the camp and introduce her to a new life in America, with the promise that Diana can do more to help the downtrodden by securing a formal education and thus later returning to save the refugees, Diana reluctantly agrees. It’s here that we are introduced to the two most influential people in Diana’s new life, Henke, a Polish grandmother and her capricious grand-daughter, Raissa.

Tempest Tossed is a superlative piece of art from Anderson and Del Luca, showcasing their wonderful talents for empathy and enlightenment. Dealing with Diana’s integration into a strange new world, there is a lot of joy, from taking part in a Polka dance off, through discovering a secret parkour group run by Raissa, of which, of course, Diana excels in. The book also delves into the problematic areas of poor neighbourhoods and poverty, with Diana becoming increasingly alarmed at how badly people are treated by their peers and vowing to cease and educate on such practices. Throw in a crooked property developer and the increasing and upsetting dilemma of missing children, it seems adolescent Diana certainly has her work cut out for her. 

Wonder Woman: Tempest Tossed is an absolute must read, from the moment I got home from my local comic-book emporium clutching my hallowed copy I was engrossed, a superlative coming of age drama that’s not afraid to delve into the darker sides of humanity but is ultimately a book of family, friends, love and emancipation. One of the very best Wonder Woman tales I have ever read. Highly, highly recommended.

Precinct1313’s Comic-Book Classics: Odyssey Of The Amazons

In 2017 Author, Kevin Grevioux brought over his love for strong female characters to a new mini-series for DC Comics with “Odyssey Of The Amazons”. Grevioux is probably best known as the co-creator of the smash hit “Underworld” series of movies, the Kate Beckinsale led film franchise that dealt with the ongoing, millennia spanning conflict between Vampire and Lycan (werewolf) clans

This collected volume encompasses the original six issue mini-series and is set many years before the birth of Princess Diana, and follows a host of Amazons as they set out on an expedition to re-discover their bygone Amazon sisters, along the way they encounter mythical beasts and legendary creatures, though their campaign soon graduates into a rescue mission as two of their sisters are captured by Norse Storm Giants.

Odyssey kicks off a previously untold chapter in Amazon lore as we follow the group of Amazon warriors and their indomitable leader Hessia, as they scour the world outside of Themyscira on a quest for more of their kind. Feeling very much in the mould of an epic tale of Greek antiquity such as Jason and the Argonauts, Grevioux’s mythical fable is fantastically well rendered and is an enthralling and welcome addition to Amazon mythos.

The series is in essence an Amazon origin story, exploring their existence and beginnings. Though the Amazons themselves are primarily a race derived from ancient Greece, they are also a diverse group comprising many ethnicities, and Odyssey aims to explain their eventual formation as the immortal female race of warriors, artisans, and scholars we all know and love.

Our first encounter with the Amazon emissaries is in battle, as they face off against an invading troop of O’Kungians in the fictional African country Zhu’Kara. It’s here that we first meet the group’s stalwart leader Hessia, a strong confident character revered by her Amazon peers, tasked by Queen Hippolyta with gathering Amazons from different cultures and nations, and returning with them to Themyscira. The visuals by Ryan Benjamin are gorgeous, beautifully detailed, they especially shine during the hectic battle sequences, where his kinetic art flows wonderfully.

Odyssey Of The Amazons is an engaging and exhilarating  take on Amazon history by Grievoux, strong characterisation, an awesome central character in Hessia and sublime artwork by Benjamin. Highly recommended.

Precinct1313 Recommends: Diana – Princess Of The Amazons

Suffering Sappho, you’ve got to love DC Comics (no, I mean you really do, it’s literally the law in these here parts!) not content with thrilling it’s insatiable long term fan-base with stellar stories and astonishing art of superheroic stature for the past eight decades, they also provide many starting points to their ubiquitous universe, especially for younger readers.

Now, the oft overused term – “comics are for kids” is obviously complete nonsense, and usually comes from the mouths of those who don’t (and have probably never) read comics, if comics are really just for the little ‘uns then how do you explain Watchmen, or The Dark Knight Returns or The Punisher! You see comics are just a visual medium for telling stories, surprisingly they’re just like novels, except, they also contain incredible artwork, they’re as much a legitimate form of story-telling as any other medium, and conversely are actually less for “the kids” because of their narrative complexity and adult content. Yet there absolutely needs to be jumping on point for the younger reader, and DC Comics have been providing this essential option for many years now, and continue to do so with a brand new line of graphic novels for kids.

Diana – Princess Of The Amazons tells the tale of the Themysciran Titan many years before she became the icon known as Wonder Woman, an eleven year old girl growing up on the idyllic paradise island of Themyscira. And though her life and upbringing are verging on peaceful perfection, she is starting to feel ever more cloistered and isolated due to the fact that she is the one and only child on an island of millennia old adult women, and despite the fact she is well loved by her mother, Queen Hippolyta, and her many, many Amazon aunties, Diana is lonely.

With repeated feelings of being shunned by her mother, Hippolyta, due to her time commitment as Queen, and being too young to take part in the training and ceremonies of her Amazon elders, Diana’s feelings of isolation begin to grow into utter despondency, until that is she decides to create her own companion, one formed from clay, not unlike how she originally came into being, things however seldom turn out the way we expect or ultimately wish them to.

Diana – Princess Of The Amazons is an uplifting fable that touches upon loneliness and insecurity, it’s about facing yourself and your life and embracing everything that is good about them, but also dealing with the inevitable growing pains that everyone ultimately experiences on their emotional journey into adulthood. Shannon Hale and Dean Hale’s glorious narrative is a heart-warming and touching tale, and though it is fundamentally aimed at the younger reader it still proves an absorbing and surprisingly deep chronicle for all ages.

It’s not just the story that shines though but also Victoria Ying’s gorgeous illustrations. Her cartoony style visuals are wonderfully bold and beautiful and even though much simpler in design to most of DC’s “grown up” comics, still convey all the emotion and intention of her peers work in other fields. The vivid bright colours bring Diana’s world to emphatic life, and though the book is aimed at the younger reader, Wondy fans of all ages (I loved it!) will absolutely adore this little slice of Themysciran heaven… Thoroughly recommended to kids of all ages!

 

Wonder Woman is copyright – DC Comics

 

Precinct1313 Recommends: Wonder Woman – Come Back To Me

By the golden girdle of Gaea, how in Tartarus did this one slip by me, my astounding Amazonian associates. ‘Wonder Woman: Come Back To Me’ has been sitting on my local comic-book emporium’s shelves for the past month and yours truly (quite possibly… the World’s biggest Wondy fan) failed to notice it’s resplendent release! So, I hereby revoke my honorary Amazon status and hang my head in shame… but before I do that, let us visit the golden shores of the paradise island known as Themyscira, and catch up with the wondrous one’s odyssey once more…

‘Wonder Woman: Come Back To Me’ was originally published in DC Comic’s – Justice League Giants #3 and 4, oversized volumes that were exclusive to the Walmart chain (which means they were never available here in the UK… boo!) These terrific tales of the Themysciran Titan are now available as an ongoing mini-series courtesy of the astonishing Amanda Conner (my fave artist) who co-writes Diana’s chronicles alongside her hubby, jaunty Jimmy Palmiotti… Amanda also takes on duty as cover artist, delivering her always astoundingly accomplished artwork, and as usual each and every cover image is a joy to behold.

Military pilot and Wonder Woman’s beau – Captain Steve Trevor is called in to test fly an experimental new aircraft, but his mission goes awry and he winds up lost in the infamous Bermuda Triangle. Diana, and best friend Etta Candy manage to track his perilous path to a mysterious and most certainly dangerous island, can they manage to liberate Steve from the clutches of this malefic, mythic Isle before it’s too late…

As always Conner and Palmiotti deliver an absorbing and amusing tale, they really are  marvellous masters of mystery and mirth. Conner’s covers are beautifully rendered works of art, bright, colourful and full of emotion. Interior art duties are handled by Chad Hardin and Alex Sinclair, two wonderful mainstays of the comic-book universe and as ever their renderings are exquisite. Highly Recommended.

Day Of Wonder: Precinct1313 Celebrate The Themysciran Titan With The Return Of… Classic Wonder Woman!

Day Of Wonder – A Celebration of all things Wonder Woman is upon us my astounding Amazonian associates! Hera’s heraldic hero of hope has been astonishing us with fantastic feats and stunning storylines for well over 75 years, and in that time has immersed herself in all forms of entertainment media, through comic-books, television, animation, novelisations, video-games and, most recently, a bombastic big budget live action movie courtesy of Gal Gadot and Patty Jenkins.

We love Wondy here in Precinct1313, she is, without a shadow of doubt, our most beloved comic-book character of… all… time! (sorry Batsy!) but looking back through our recent posts we realise that we haven’t written a great deal about Zeus’ favoured daughter in a while, which constitutes a travesty… one that will be rectified forthwith with the return of our popular Classic Wonder Woman series, the last episode of which was posted 2 years ago to this day (and can be re-experienced right HERE)

So why not join us as we head back to the golden shores of Amazon paradise Themyscira to bask in the illuminating presence of Princess Diana and her immortal sisters, as we once more head down into the Ancient Amazon Archives to relive Wondy’s greatest triumphs and tribulations…

Classic Wonder Woman: The Odyssey Returns…

The golden sands of Themyscira beckon us back to their bounteous beauty as we search for meaning beyond our enlightening and impactful odyssey through it’s ancient Amazon archives. 

Our colossal crusade reached its crescendo two years ago to this day, and since exiting the labyrinthian libraries we have ultimately found our lives empty and devoid of the inspiration that these bygone Amazonian tales regaled us with, since returning to mortal realms. So it is with new found purpose that we once more set our sights on the idyllic isle of the immortals and venture forth unto the archives to retrieve and collate the tenacious tomes that reside within its deepest recesses.

Chapter 1: The Return

The journey was arduous, our ship was a ramshackle and decrepit shadow of its former self, two years since its last voyage and nary a care given in that time to its upkeep and condition. We could almost be forgiven for our lack of maintenance for the intrepid vessel, when we departed Themyscira we never believed we would ever return to the fabled isle, and the ship that wrought our original voyage became a painful memory of a past we desired to never see end.

“The Odyssey” was the name we had borne our ship with, an apt moniker for our journey certainly bore out its titular title. Though badly dilapidated, the vessel forged its way through the vast oceans and deadly perils of our pilgrimage with an almost sentient purpose. Themyscira island had been hidden away by the old Gods for millenia to protect its imperishable inhabitants from the horrors and injustices of the outside world, and though we had once proudly walked its flaxen beaches and lush forests, finding our way back was to be a feat worthy of Hercules himself.

Standing at the bow, I braced myself against the cooling zephyr and tang of acrid sea salt, in the not too far distance a storm of such severity that it could only have been created by Poseidon himself in an effort to deter our perilous journey brewed, its course set for our bijou and insignificant vessel. The Odyssey hit the deadly squall head on, its sails buckled and warping from the extreme pressure of the sudden tempest, the decks ruptured beneath our feet flooding deadly ice cold death unto our intrepid ship… all seemed lost, and yet…

Warmth and bird song greeted us as we opened our eyes to the incredulous sight of what was the most beautifully beguiling and serene being we had ever encountered.

 “Merciful Minerva! are you alright?” came the comforting voice from this resplendent soul  “Be calm now, you are safe, your vessel is done, I am afraid, but I have managed to pluck you from a certain watery grave… welcome back mortals, to Themyscira!”

To Be Continued…

Happy Wonder Woman Day, My Astonishing Amazonian Associates!

Ancient Amazon Archives Revisited – Act II

The ornate chambers of the Amazon archives are vast, stretching as far as any mortal’s eyes can see. We make our way deeper into the legendary library, stopping occasionally to survey the various parchments and tomes, the millennia long annals of Amazon deeds and accomplishments are contained within this sacred place, and conveyed to you through – ‘Classic Wonder Woman’  Precinct1313’s comic cover coundown to the 75th anniversary of the Themysciran legend.

This week’s tenacious tome is brought to you by those mythical maestros of comic book creation – J. Torres, Julian Lopez, & Marta Martinez. With the classic cover rapturously rendered by – Terry & Rachel Dodson. Released: December 2007.

Thirteen issues into Volume 3 of Diana’s daring adventures brings you a startling story entitled “Mothers and Daughters”, a crossover issue in conjunction with the mini-series “Amazons Attack”. After the cataclysmic events of Infinite Crisis, the Amazons return to Earth to find their Princess, Diana, unlawfully held in detention by the United States Government.

Led by their Queen, Hippolyta and her adviser Circe, and joined by mythic Greek creatures that includes, Pegasus, Hydra, and Cyclops, the Amazons attack the USA, with Hippolyta hellbent on destroying the world of men. Unbeknown to the Queen and her sister Amazons however is that the whole event was orchestrated by Circe, who is using the war as a means to destroy the Amazons and their fabled home of Themyscira.

Join us again next time for more Classic Wonder Woman, my astonishing Amazonian associates!

Happy Birthday Wonder Woman

On this day, in fictional comic-book history, an immortal warrior Princess was born…

Diaphanous silken banners flutter slowly in the breeze as we make our way through the tapestry of forests, mountains, and lakes that form the awe inspiring forgotten isle known as Themyscira. A warm breeze caresses our skin, and bird song greets our ears as we wend our way through the serene calm of the Amazon homeland.

Ancient baluster guide our journey flanking us on both sides, intricately carved with each vying for our attention with their Daedalian imagery of hellenic Gods and Amazons. Before us rise the majestic wrought marble gates that ultimately give way to the Elysian rapture that is the city-state of Themyscira itself, the elaborate Mycenean styled gate slowly unveils it’s secrets, ushering us through its magnificence and unto the celebrations beyond.

Welcome my awesomely affable Amazonian associates to the fabulously fictional birthday celebration of Princess Diana of Themyscira. Today, in Themysciran history, a baby Titan was born unto Amazon Queen, Hippolyta, a fledgling Amazon who would ultimately grow up into the world’s most significant and popular female Superhero, ambassador, peerless warrior, emancipator and illustriously influential icon to the masses.

Happy Birthday Diana, we raise a glass to many, many more mythical millennia in your illuminating presence…

(Imagery Copyright-DC Comics)

Classic Wonder Woman: 75 Years Of The Awesome Amazon

After our Herculean trek through the Ancient Amazon Archives reached it’s climactic crescendo in our previous instalment, we find ourselves, once more, basking in the alluring beauty of the legendary paradise island known as Themyscira. A warm breeze again caresses our skin as we cross the tranquil tapestry of forests, mountains and rivers that ultimately unfolds before us to form this awe inspiring isle of immortals.

Bird song greets our ears and a serene calm seems to hang over this ethereal island. As we move further inland, ancient baluster rise from the ground arranging a beautacious path that weaves it’s way towards an ancient city that defies mortal eyes with it’s diaphanous presence of elegance, gleaming incandescently in the golden hue of the sun. The Baluster give way to pennants softly swaying in the breeze, with each of these intricate vexillum vying for our attention with their Daedalian imagery of the Hellenic Gods and Amazons.

Our heartbeat quickens and anticipation heightens as we finally reach the majestically wrought marble gates that lead, ultimately, into the elysian rapture that is the city-state of Themyscira. Hanging conspicuously from a single strand of an unknown golden gossamer to the side of the grand gates is an elaborately detailed horn depicting Zeus’ nurturing goat Amalthea, softly blowing into the Cornu causes the Mycenaean styled gate to slowly reveal the magnificence of it’s interior, a vision so resplendent that it can only be relayed to mortal eyes through… ‘Classic Wonder Woman’ Precinct1313’s comic cover countdown to the 75th anniversary of the Themysciran Titan.

And lo our odyssey reaches its conclusion as we find ourselves at the denouement of this quest to celebrate the creation and continuation of the world’s premier and most important fictional female character. The journey through the Ancient Amazon Archives has been filled with many tantalising tales of heroism, and heartbreak, a grand adventure that ultimately ends here with the 75th anniversary of Princess Diana of Themyscira, better known to the world as Wonder Woman.

DC Comics, that fine purveyor of the fantastic, have pronounced that today is their official celebration of Diana’s virtual birth, it coincides with the United Nations event naming the wondrous one as their ‘Honorary Ambassador For The Empowerment Of Women And Girls’ and you can count on Precinct1313 to commemorate this monumental occasion with a week long salute to our favourite fictional female. 

‘Suffering Sappho’ Calm Down Folks, Wonder Woman Has Always Been Bisexual…

You may have noticed that we spend a lot of our time here in Precinct1313’s legendary comic crypts discussing the awesome Amazon – Wonder Woman, in fact well over 50% of the articles emanating from these creative catacombs are about the Themysciran Titan, due to the fact that she is, without a shadow of a doubt, our favourite comic-book character.

In the past few days we have received several PM’s from readers asking us for our opinion on the recent news that the venerable Princess of Themyscira is bisexual. Of course our quick answer to this question would be, “Great Hera, where have you been for the past 75 years, this is not new, Diana has always been bisexual”. It may have been implied more often than actually spoken out loud, but the signs were always there, both from her humble beginnings in the 1940’s (where, let’s be honest the allusions were so obvious, you’d have to be blind to miss them) to the actual Greek mythology that she originates from.

If you don’t necessarily closely follow the comic book scene, allow us to enlighten you on recent events that have led up to this, frankly ridiculous furore. DC Comics, that bastion of scintillating superheroes, recently softly rebooted it’s universe of characters with an event known as ‘Rebirth’.

This event has been a huge success for the company, thanks not only to fantastic storylines, great art and a reverence for their characters lengthy history, but also because they had actually listened to their fans, who had been very vocal over the direction the company had been taking the heroes and villains over the years, some missteps had been made, and Rebirth was their attempt to bring their much loved characters back to a time when their popularity soared like the Man of Steel himself.

Wonder Woman Rebirth Has Been Astonishing… In Fact This Could Very Well Be Our Favourite WW Run Of All Time!

In fact Rebirth has turned out to be the most popular and profitable event in comics since forever, with DC Comics currently holding a huge market share in the comic book industry and soundly trumping their closest rival Marvel month in and out, they are currently holding 44% share in total comics sold worldwide, with Marvel sitting at 32%.

And one of their biggest hits has been the Rebirth issues of our favourite Hellenic Herald. Wonder Woman: Rebirth has been getting rave reviews each and every issue, the storyline by sensational scribe Greg Rucka has been sublime, alternating each issue between her origin story and modern day adventures, with awe inspiring art from Liam Sharp and Nicola Scott making every issue a majestic masterpiece.

Liam Sharp’s Visuals Are Breathtakingly Gorgeous!

Greg Rucka has recently proclaimed that ‘Yes, Diana has had same sex relationships’, in an interview with Comicosity he stated – “It’s supposed to be paradise (her home island of Themyscira) You’re supposed to be able to live happily, in a context where one can live happily, and part of what an individual needs for that happiness is to have a partner, to have a fulfilling, romantic and sexual relationship, and in this case the only options are women. But an Amazon doesn’t look at another Amazon and say ‘you’re gay’ they don’t know the concept exists”

The link to the full interview is above and if you have the time, it’s an interesting read. The context has always been clear though, Diana, though her origin has changed slightly over the years (child of clay or daughter of Zeus) spent millennia on an isolated island populated by just women. She had never met a man, so it was obvious that she would have had same sex relations with other Amazons, as stated earlier, this was always implied, and in some cases (Grant Morrison’s Wonder Woman: Earth One being the most recent) was actually written about.

In the 1940’s when Wonder Woman was first unleashed onto the world, the suffragette movement was beginning to gain tract and Diana who emerged triumphantly from the mind of her creator William Moulton Marston was at the forefront of this. Marston specifically created a female superhero to counter the dominant male oriented comic book market, as strong and smart as her male counterparts but filled with compassion and love of nature and the world around her, basically a deeper more rounded creation than any of the male superheroes.

It was in fact Marston’s wife Elizabeth Holloway, Olive Byrne and suffragist icon – Margaret Sanger, that inspired the creation of Diana. Marston was a psychologist as well as a writer, and it was through this that he determined that women overall were more honest than men in certain situations, and could work faster and more accurately.

In an interview in a 1943 issue of ‘The American Scholar’ Marston wrote – “Not even girls want to be girls so long as our feminine archetype lacks force, strength and power. Not wanting to be girls, they don’t want to be tender and peace loving as good women are. Women’s strong qualities have become despised because of perceived weakness. The answer was to create a feminine character with all the strength of Superman, plus the allure of a good and beautiful woman” 

1940’s Amazons Were Into Bondage Games, And This Has Been A Fundamental Part Of Diana’s Heritage Ever Since

Wonder Woman being bisexual doesn’t change the character in any way whatsoever, it has always been part of her make up, it’s her heritage and should have zero bearing on whether people derive enjoyment from her continuing tales of fortitude and heroism. DC Comics are not jumping on a bandwagon, they haven’t all of a sudden decided to make Diana bisexual to be hip and trendy, this is what she has always been. Wonder Woman is an extraordinarily important character, the original female Superhero, THE progenitor in her field, a shining example of inclusivity and empowerment and her sexual orientation should hold no relevance in this.

Comic Cover Of The Week: Wonder Woman Rebirth #6

Welcome my comic collecting cohorts to another instalment of ‘Comic Cover Of The Week’  and this week’s wonderfully wrought cover is brought to you by the fantabulous Frank Cho.

Wonder Woman Rebirth has been a rather wondrous soft reboot of DC Comics’ premier Superheroine. After nearly 75 years in print, Diana’s history has become rather convoluted, in comparison to her Trinity stablemates – Batman & Superman, the amazing Amazon’s past has been, at times, in conflict with itself. Is she the daughter of Zeus? or was she formed of clay and brought to life by a pantheon of Greek gods? These questions and many more have been asked by the fans over the last seven and a half decades of her virtual existence.

Her byzantine history is finally being definitively addressed through DC’s ‘Rebirth’  a soft reboot of their entire universe of characters, that will finally provide an answer to those many questions posed by her faithful fans.

The Rebirth series is split into two alternating titles, written by the groundbreaking Greg Rucka, with rotational art duties performed by nifty Nicola Scott and luminous Liam Sharp. Wonder Woman Rebirth expertly focuses on two halves of her life, her ongoing adventures during the modern era and her ‘Year One’ origin story.

Wonder Woman #6 finds the awesome Amazon encountering the world outside her paradise home of Themyscira for the first time, alongside her cicerone, Steve Trevor. Unable to understand the language or customs of these outsiders, Diana’s day becomes increasingly embroiled in mishap and misunderstanding.

Wonder Woman Rebirth #6 is available at your local comic-book emporium right now.

New Comics Spotlight: Wonder Woman Rebirth #1

DC Comics’ recent relaunch of their Superhero comic books through ‘Rebirth‘ returned the DC Universe to a time prior to the ‘Flashpoint’ storyline, but still incorporated the continuity and consequences of much of the prior ‘New 52’ reboot. The main architect of Rebirth, superstar writer Geoff Johns, described the relaunch as “Re-laying the groundwork for DC’s future whilst also celebrating its past and present. It’s not about throwing anything away, in fact it’s quite the opposite.”

Each of DC’s major heroes are receiving a one shot comic that precedes the relaunch of their monthly titles (in most cases now twice monthly) back to issue issue #1 (the only deviation from this are Action Comics and Detective Comics which will return to their original numbering that were prior to the New 52 reboot.)

Of course, of all the one shot titles available the one that I was most looking forward to was Wonder Woman Rebirth, and thankfully the one off special did not disappoint, in fact it was everything I had hoped for, and more.

The Minotaur is no match for the mighty Amazon

Comic book scribe extraordinaire Greg Rucka returns once more to bring his inimitable writing style to the amazing Amazon’s amphitheatrical adventures. Rucka’s previous run on Wonder Woman ended in 2006 and was the recipient of an Eisner Award for best writer. Hailed as one of the foremost authors of the Themysciran Princess, Rucka was a fan favourite choice to pen her ongoing escapades.

WW Rebirth finds Diana in a dilemma in that she is no longer able to distinguish reality and falsehood when it pertains to her past. Is she the daughter of Zeus, or was she created from clay by her mother Queen Hippolyta and then given life by a pantheon of Greek Gods. These questions and more will be asked by the Amazon herald as she explores her history, searching for the true reason behind her existence.

Emblematic of Diana’s move away from the New 52 storylines are reflected in the differing art styles encompassed in the comic, with the first two thirds of the issue illustrated by Matthew Clark whose style reflects the earlier incarnations, but when Diana takes a major turn in the book, Liam Sharp takes over the artistic duties with a complete departure to Clark’s art, his technique reflects the metaphorical change in the story beautifully as Diana also sheds her New 52 costume for an outfit that resembles rather closely Gal Gadot’s Wonder Woman costume from the recent Batman v Superman movie.

Liam Sharp’s visuals are tremendous throughout

Greg Rucka, Liam Sharp and Matthew Clark create a bold new direction for the continuing exploits of Wonder Woman, fantastic writing, sublime artwork from Sharp and an intriguing new start to the chronicles of the world’s most beloved Superheroine.

Precinct1313 Rating: 5 Golden Girdles Of Gaea Out Of 5.

Classic Wonder Woman: Wonder Woman (Vol 3) #20

Pushing ever deeper into the ancient Amazon archives we discover a seemingly forgotten pathway, heavily shrouded in near impenetrable darkness and coated in a fine layer of dust and cobwebs. Beyond this hidden path lies a small ornate room illuminated from some unknown and otherworldly source, and at its centre lies a magnificent manuscript that can only be translated through – “Classic Wonder Woman” Precinct1313’s comic cover countdown to the 75th anniversary of Princess Diana of Themyscira.

This week’s tantalising tome is brought to you by those boundless bastions of comic book creation – Gail Simone, Aaron Lopresti & Matt Ryan. Released in July 2008.

The startling story secreted behind the colossal cover is the first part of a four issue mini-series entitled “Ends Of The Earth” and marks the beginning of Gail Simone’s legendary run on the awesome Amazon’s adventures.

Diana must brave the mystical demonic dimension known as the Black Horizon, this desolate plane has devoured many a great warrior who has encountered its perilous landscape. Bereft of many of her powers and fighting a growing bloodlust in her veins, Diana must journey through this dangerous dimension to reclaim her soul from a demon lord who lives at the edge of all existence.

Join us again next time for more Classic Wonder Woman, my astute Amazonian associates!