{"id":26498,"date":"2022-09-16T08:00:50","date_gmt":"2022-09-16T08:00:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/?p=26498"},"modified":"2022-09-15T12:15:54","modified_gmt":"2022-09-15T12:15:54","slug":"wonder-woman-in-the-fifties","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/2022\/09\/16\/wonder-woman-in-the-fifties\/","title":{"rendered":"Wonder Woman in the Fifties"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\" \"\"
\nBy Robert Kanigher, John Broome<\/strong>, Harry G. Peter, Ross Andru & Mike Esposito, Frank Giacoia, Arthur Peddy & Bernard Sachs<\/strong> & various (DC Comics)
\nISBN: 978-1-779507-624-6 (TPB\/Digital edition)<\/p>\n

In the early years of this century, DC launched a series of graphic archives intended to define DC\u2019s top heroes through the decades: delivering magnificent past comic book magic from the Forties to the Seventies via a tantalisingly nostalgic taste of other – arguably better, but certainly different – times. The collections carried the cream of the creative crop, divided into subsections, partitioned by cover galleries, and supplemented by short commentaries; a thoroughly enjoyable introductory reading experience. I prayed for more but was frustrated\u2026 until now\u2026<\/p>\n

Part of a trade paperback trilogy – the others being Superman<\/strong> and Batman<\/strong> (thus far, but hopefully Aquaman<\/strong>, Green Arrow<\/strong> and Martian Manhunter<\/strong> are in contention too, as they have become such big shot screen stars these days) – the experiment was recently re-run, with even more inviting samples from the company\u2019s vintage, family-friendly canon.<\/p>\n

Gathered here is a menu of deliciously dated delights starring Earth\u2019s most recognisable Female Heroic Ideal, heralded by a time-&-tone-setting Introduction from historian, author and columnist Andy Mangels augmenting each context-stuffed chapter text piece.<\/p>\n

With Robert Kanigher as primary writer of record throughout the book, the contents here originated in Sensation Comics<\/strong> #97, 100; Wonder Woman<\/strong> #45, 50, 60, 66, 72, 76, 80, 90, 94-95, 98-105, 107, 108, 750; and All-Star Comics<\/strong> #56, 57 spanning the entire decade whilst attempting to reconcile an indomitable symbol of female emancipation and independence with a post-war world determined to turn them back into docile brood mares and passive uber-consumers\u2026<\/p>\n

Wonder Woman<\/strong> was created by polygraph pioneer William Moulton Marston – apparently at the behest of his remarkable wife Elizabeth and their life partner Olive Byrne. The vast majority of the outlandish early adventures were limned by illustrator Harry G. Peter.<\/p>\n

The Astounding Amazon debuted in All Star Comics<\/strong> #8 (cover-dated December 1941, and top-selling home of the Justice Society of America<\/strong>) just before launching in her own solo series and cover-spot of new anthology Sensation Comics<\/strong> the following month. She was an instant hit, and gained her own eponymous title in late Spring of that year (Summer 1942).<\/p>\n

Using the nom de plume Charles Moulton, Marston & Co scripted all her many and fabulous exploits until his death in 1947, whereupon Kanigher officially took over the writer and editor\u2019s role. The venerable Peter continued until his own death in 1958. Wonder<\/strong> Woman<\/strong> #97 – in April of that year – was his last hurrah and the end of an era.<\/p>\n

Supported by a factual briefing, the comics classics commence with The (Many) Origins of Wonder Woman<\/em><\/strong>, and the first adjustments to the classic origin tale\u2026<\/p>\n

For purposes of comparison, the 1940s saga stated that on a hidden island of immortal super-women, American aviator Steve Trevor<\/em> of US Army Intelligence crashed to Earth. Near death, he was nursed back to health by young, impressionable Princess Diana<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Fearing her growing obsession with the creature from a long-forgotten, madly violent world, her mother Queen Hippolyte<\/em> shared the hidden history of the Amazons: how they were seduced and betrayed by men, but rescued by goddess Aphrodite<\/em> on condition they isolated themselves from the world, devoting their eternal lives to becoming ideal, perfect creatures.<\/p>\n

However, when Athena<\/em> and Aphrodite<\/em> subsequently instructed Hippolyte to despatch an Amazon with the American to fight for global freedom and liberty and against oppression and barbarism, Diana overcame all other candidates in a brutal open competition to became their emissary – Wonder Woman<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

On arriving in America, she purchased the identity and credentials of lovelorn Army nurse Diana Prince<\/em>, elegantly allowing the Amazon to be close to Steve and the heartsick medic to wed her own fianc\u00e9 in South America. Diana also joined Army Intelligence as secretary to General Darnell<\/em>, ensuring she would always be able to watch over her beloved. She little suspected that, although painfully shallow Steve only had eyes for the dazzling Amazon superwoman, the General had fallen for mousy yet superbly competent Lieutenant Prince\u2026<\/p>\n

As the decade turned it was deemed time for a refurbished origin and – illustrated by Harry G. Peter – WW<\/strong> #45 (cover-dated January\/February 1951) delivered \u2018The Wonder Woman Story!\u2019 <\/em><\/p>\n

This found childhood rivals vying for the journalistic kudos of publishing the Amazon\u2019s backstory. However, after a hard-won trip to Paradise Island led to Mary Ellen<\/em> learning the details of it all – Hercules\u2019s ancient \u2018Act of Treachery!\u2019<\/em> and how the Princess defied authority for love – all manner of trouble emerged\u2026<\/p>\n

Cunning competitor John Lane<\/em> had bugged Mary\u2019s jewellery and craftily followed her to the Amazon homeland, causing a major upset\u2026<\/p>\n

Back then Wonder Woman\u2019s artists were astonishingly faithful and true, staying with her for pretty long hauls. Peter and his uncredited team of female assistants served nearly 20 years before he was let go mere weeks before dying. His replacements Ross Andru & Mike Esposito drew her adventures from 1958 to the middle of 1967 (#98 – 171), and limned this breakthrough tale from WW <\/strong>#105 (April 1959)<\/p>\n

The issue debuted Wonder Girl<\/strong> in the \u2018\u2018The Secret Origin of Wonder Woman\u2019<\/em>, revealing how centuries ago Olympian divinities bestowed unique powers on the daughter of Queen Hippolyta and how – as a mere teenager – the indomitable Diana brought the Amazons to Paradise Island. Continuity – let alone consistency or rationality – were never as important to Kanigher as strong story or breathtaking visuals, and this eclectic odyssey is a great yarn that simply annoyed the heck out of a lot of fans – but not as much as the junior Amazon would in years to come after these teen tales spawned an actual junior Amazon as sidekick to Diana\u2026<\/p>\n

That ball started rolling in #107 (July 1959) and proved that the high fantasy exploits of the minor had clearly caught somebody\u2019s editorial fancy. Follow-ups came thick and fast after \u2018Wonder Woman Amazon Teen-Ager!\u2019 <\/em>saw the youngster ensnare an unwanted romantic interest in merboy Ronno<\/em>, whilst dutifully undergoing a quest to win herself a superhero costume\u2026<\/p>\n

Fronted by an article on her legendary kit and illustrated throughout by H.G. Peter, Fashion as Armor: The Equipment List<\/em><\/strong> shares some of Kanigher\u2019s frequent and often contradictory expos\u00e9s on the source and powers of Wonder Woman\u2019s combat gear. It begins with \u2018The Secret Story of Wonder Woman\u2019s Lasso!\u2019 <\/em>(WW<\/strong> #50, November\/December 1951), depicting how the princess undertakes three divine tasks to ensure the rope gains magical traits of unbreakability, infinite elasticity and truthful compulsion. Along the way she uses it against crooks, spies, other Amazons, submarines, dinosaurs and a Roc\u2026<\/p>\n

That mythological bird, another dinosaur and aliens play a major role in \u2018The Talking Tiara!\u2019 <\/em>(#66, May 1954) as Steve learns how Diana belatedly won possession of her headpiece, a \u201cLinguagraph Tiara\u201d capable of translating any language past present or future, whilst \u2018The Secret of Wonder Woman\u2019s Sandals\u2019 <\/em>(#72, February 1955) reveals some odd characteristics of the footwear as she performs incredible feats (sorry!) to confirm her worthiness\u2026<\/p>\n

Cover-dated February 1956 \u2018The Origin of the Amazon Plane!\u2019 <\/em>featured in Wonder Woman<\/strong> #80, recalling a trio of tasks undertaken to collect separated sections of her faithful, invisible robot conveyance before #95 (January 1958) offered \u2018The Secret of Wonder Woman\u2019s Tiara!\u2019<\/em>:<\/em> this time in the form of a tale told to toddlers, revealing how the hat was a gift from aliens given in thanks for saving them from marauding Phenegs\u2026<\/p>\n

Moving on to highlight the Amazon\u2019s noteworthy collaborations, One of the Team <\/em><\/strong>offers a trio of tales. The section is a somewhat \u201cMarmite\u201d moment that fans will either love or hate\u2026<\/p>\n

The majority of the chapter is devoted to a brace of tales starring the Justice Society of America<\/strong> and, whilst I\u2019m never going to complain about seeing such classics where new readers can discover them, it\u2019s a lot of pages to hand over to a group who had Wonder Woman serving coffee and taking notes as \u201cClub Secretary\u201d for years. At least here, in the last of the original run, she\u2019s graduated to being an leading participant in their adventures\u2026<\/p>\n

After the actual invention of the superhero via the 1938 Action Comics<\/strong> debut of Superman<\/strong>, the most significant event in our industry\u2019s history was the combination of individual stars into a like-minded group. Thus, what seems blindingly obvious to us with the benefit of four-colour hindsight was proven: consumers can\u2019t get enough of garishly-hued mystery men, and combining a multitude of characters inevitably increases readership. Plus, of course, a mob of superheroes is just so much cooler than one\u2026or one-and-a-half if there\u2019s a sidekick involved\u2026<\/p>\n

The creation of the Justice Society of America<\/strong> in 1941 utterly changed the shape of the budding industry. Following the runaway success of Superman<\/strong> and Batman<\/strong>, both National Comics and its separate-but-equal publishing partner All-American Comics went looking for the next big thing whilst frantically concentrating on getting anthology packages into the hands of a hungry readership. Thus All Star Comics<\/strong>: conceived as a joint venture affording characters already in their respective stables an extra push towards winning elusive but lucrative solo titles.<\/p>\n

Technically, All Star Comics<\/strong> #3 (cover-dated Winter 1940-1941 and released in December 1940) was the kick-off, but the mystery men merely had dinner and recounted recent cases and didn\u2019t actually go on a mission together until #4, which had an April 1941 cover-date.<\/p>\n

The merits of the marketing project would never be proved: rather than a runaway favourite graduating to their own starring vehicle as a result of the poll, something radically different evolved. For the third issue, prolific scribe Gardner Fox apparently had the bright idea of linking all the solo stories through a framing sequence with the heroes gathering to chat about their latest exploits. With that simple notion that mighty mystery men hung out together, history was made and it wasn\u2019t long before they started working together\u2026<\/p>\n

However, after WWII ended, superheroes gradually declined, and most companies had shelved them by 1950. Their plummet in popularity led to a revival in genre-themed titles and characters, and it was a stripped-down team (Flash<\/strong>, Green Lantern<\/strong>, Hawkman<\/strong>, The Atom<\/strong>, Black Canary<\/strong>, Dr. Mid-Nite<\/strong> and Wonder Woman<\/strong>) in contemporarily tailored crime and science fiction sagas before the title abruptly changed into All Star Western<\/strong> with #58.<\/p>\n

Both JSA stories were written by John Broome and illustrated via alternating chapters by Frank Giacoia and Arthur Peddy & Bernard Sachs. Leading off is All-Star Comics<\/strong> #56 (December 1950\/January 1951) and \u2018The Day the World Ended!\u2019<\/em> wherein a future scientist goes to extraordinary lengths to recruit the 20th<\/sup> century stalwarts to save Tomorrow\u2019s World from shapeshifting invaders. Issue #57 was the JSA\u2019s last hurrah with \u2018The Mystery of the Vanishing Detectives!\u2019<\/em> pitting them against criminal mastermind The Key<\/em> after he abducts Earth\u2019s greatest criminologists in advance of a spectacular robbery spree. Both are great yarns that deserve their own archival volume, but the Amazon\u2019s contributions are barely visible in both\u2026<\/p>\n

Of more interest is the Kanigher & Peter tale from Wonder Woman<\/strong> #72 (November 1957). \u2018The Channel of Time\u2019 <\/em>begins as an unashamed plug for The Adventures of Superman<\/strong> TV show, with the Amazon eagerly enjoying the latest episode when interference turns the screen into an SOS through time, displaying old ally Robin Hood<\/strong> in existential peril\u2026<\/p>\n

An initial iteration of the legendary archer had debuted in New Adventure Comics<\/strong> #23 (January 1938), and National\/DC also acquired Quality Comics\u2019 Robin Hood Tales<\/strong> title. That version had begun in February 1956, with DC continuing the run from #7 (cover-dated February 1957) as well as featuring the hero in Kanigher\u2019s The Brave and the Bold<\/strong> from #5 (May 1956). That was (coincidentally?) the same month The Amazing Amazon first met the Sentinel of Sherwood Forest, who here requires assistance against a dragon, wicked foemen and a shark-infested moat safeguarding evil Prince John\u2026<\/p>\n

Seeing Double <\/em><\/strong>then highlights the hero\u2019s tendency to encounter copies of herself – everything from evil doppelgangers from parallel universes to weirdly exact robot facsimiles\u2026<\/p>\n

When Showcase<\/strong> #4 rekindled the readership\u2019s imagination and zest for masked mystery-men with a second, brand-new iteration of The Flash<\/strong> in 1956, the fanciful floodgates opened wide once more. As well as re-inventing Golden Age stars like Green Lantern<\/strong> and Hawkman<\/strong>, the company consequently updated many hoary survivors like Green Arrow and Aquaman. Also included in the revitalising agenda were the High Trinity: Man of Steel, Caped Crusader and the ever-resilient Princess of Power\u2026<\/p>\n

Andru & Esposito had debuted as cover artists 3 issues earlier, but with Wonder Woman<\/strong> #98 they took over the entire comic book as Kanigher reinvented much of the old mythology and tinkered with her origins in \u2018<\/em>The Million Dollar Penny!\u2019 <\/em>After Athena<\/em> visits an island of super-scientific immortal women, informing Queen Hippolyta<\/em> that she must send an emissary and champion of justice to crime-ridden \u201cMan\u2019s World\u201d, the sovereign declares an open competition for the job.<\/p>\n

She isn\u2019t surprised when her daughter wins and is given the task of turning a penny into a million dollars in one day – all profits going to children\u2019s charities, of course\u2026<\/p>\n

Just as the new Wonder Woman begins her coin chore, American airman Steve Trevor<\/em> bails out of his malfunctioning jet high above the magically hidden isle, unaware that should any male set foot on Amazon soil the immortals would lose all their powers. Promptly thwarting impending disaster, Diana and Steve then team up to accomplish her task, encountering along the way \u2018<\/em>The Undersea Menace\u2019<\/em> before building \u2018<\/em>The Impossible Bridge!\u2019<\/em><\/p>\n

Following that epic comes the lead from landmark issue #100 (August 1958):<\/em> a spectacular battle saga commencing with \u2018<\/em>The Challenge of Dimension X!\u2019<\/em> as an alternate Earth Wonder Woman competes with the Amazing Amazon for sole rights to the title: all culminating with a deciding bout in \u2018<\/em>The Forest of Giants!\u2019<\/em>\u2026<\/em><\/p>\n

No celebration of the fifties could be complete without an exploration of the outdated concept of gainful female employment. With art by Peter, Working 9 to 5: The Careers of Wonder Woman<\/em><\/strong> offers a quick peek of typical opportunities beginning with Sensation Comics<\/strong> #97 (May 1950). \u2018Wonder Woman, Romance Editor\u2019 <\/em>sees the Amazon agree to a task no male journalist can handle, solving the woes of lovelorn women seeking husbands, whilst her own duties prevent her giving in to Steve\u2019s increasingly urgent demands to settle down\u2026 Cover-dated November 1950, Sensation Comics<\/strong> #100 showcases \u2018Wonder Woman, Hollywood Star!\u2019<\/em> as the Amazon and Steve endure peerless perils making a movie one crazed glamour queen is determined only she should star in, after which two millionaires make a bet that propels the Amazon into a string of crazy roles culminating in her shepherding an infant T-Rex as \u2018Wonder Woman, Amazon Baby Sitter!\u2019 <\/em>(WW<\/strong> #90, May 1957)\u2026<\/p>\n

As you\u2019ve probably ascertained, much of Kanigher\u2019s oeuvre depended on the Princess of Paradise undergoing tasks and tests for a variety of reasons and this voyage of rediscovery concludes with some of the most noteworthy, gathered as The Trials of <\/em><\/strong>Wonder Woman<\/em><\/strong>\u2026<\/strong><\/p>\n

Leading off is Peter-rendered classic \u2018The Secret Olympics!\u2019 <\/em>(<\/em>WW<\/strong> #60, July 1953) as Diana justifies her legendary brief as \u201cbeautiful as Aphrodite, wise as Athena, swifter than Mercury (sic) and stronger than Hercules\u201d\u2026<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/em>Issue #76 (August 1955) introduces \u2018The Bird Who Revealed Wonder Woman\u2019s Identity!\u2019<\/em> before Diana devises a way to undermine a gabby Mynah\u2019s proclamations before Andru & Esposito assume the art duties for the remainder of the book, beginning with \u2018<\/em>Top Secret!\u2019 <\/em>from Wonder Woman<\/strong> #99 (July 1958).<\/p>\n

Introducing the Hellenic Hero\u2019s new covert identity as Air Force Intelligence officer Lt. Diana Prince<\/em> the tale opens a decade of tales with Steve perpetually attempting to uncover her identity and make the most powerful woman on Earth his blushing bride, whilst his bespectacled, glorified secretary stands unnoticed, exasperated and ignored right beside – or slightly behind – him\u2026<\/p>\n

Here that means attempting to trick her into marriage with a rigged bet – a tactic the creep tried a lot back then – after which \u2018Wonder Woman\u2019s 100th<\/sup> Anniversary!\u2019 <\/em>(WW<\/strong> #100 again) deals with the impossibility of capturing the far-too-fast and furious Amazon\u2019s exploits on film for Paradise Island\u2019s archives\u2026<\/p>\n

In #101 (October 1958), \u2018Undersea Trap!\u2019 <\/em>sees Steve tricking his \u201cAngel\u201d into agreeing to marry him if she has to rescue him three times in 24 hours (just chalk it up to simpler times, or you\u2019ll pop a blood vessel, OK?) after which January 1959 and WW<\/strong> #103 spotlight \u2018The Wonder Woman Album!\u2019 <\/em>returning to the previously explored \u201cimpossible-to-photograph\u201d theme, before we close on \u2018<\/em>Wanted\u2026 <\/em>Wonder Woman\u2019 <\/em>(#108, August 1959), as Flying Saucer aliens frame her for heinous crimes as a precursor to a planetary invasion but are not smart enough to realise when they are being played\u2026<\/p>\n

Also including a selection of breathtaking covers by Irwin Hasen & Sachs, Irv Novick, Peddy and Andru & Esposito plus a Bonus Cover Gallery<\/strong><\/em> by the latter pair, this is a fascinating but potentially charged tome. <\/em>By modern standards these exuberant, effulgent fantasies are all-out crazy, but as examples of the days when less attention was paid to continuity and concepts of shared universes and adventure in the moment were paramount, these outrageous romps simply sparkle with fun, thrills and sheer spectacle -a s long as you keep in mind the outrageous undercurrent of blatant sexism underpinning it all. This was a period when – officially – only men could tell the tales of the Amazing Amazon\u2026<\/p>\n

Wonder Woman<\/strong> is rightly revered as a focal point of female strength, independence and empowerment, but the welcoming nostalgia and easy familiarity of these costumed fairy tales remain a delight for all open-minded readers with the true value of these exploits being the incredible quality of entertainment they provide.
\n\u00a9 1950, 1951, 1953, 1954, 1955, 1956, 1957, 1958, 1959, 2020, DC Comics. All Rights Reserved.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Robert Kanigher, John Broome, Harry G. Peter, Ross Andru & Mike Esposito, Frank Giacoia, Arthur Peddy & Bernard Sachs & various (DC Comics) ISBN: 978-1-779507-624-6 (TPB\/Digital edition) In the early years of this century, DC launched a series of graphic archives intended to define DC\u2019s top heroes through the decades: delivering magnificent past comic … <\/p>\n

Continue reading “Wonder Woman in the Fifties”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[76,290,102,28,127,48],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-26498","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-dc-superhero","category-dinosaurs","category-fantasy","category-jsa","category-nostalgia","category-wonder-woman"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p4AFj-6To","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26498","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=26498"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26498\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":26504,"href":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26498\/revisions\/26504"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=26498"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=26498"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=26498"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}