Wonder Woman Unbound is the Curious History of the World’s Most Famous Heroine. The book is broken up by ages – the Golden Age, Silver Age & Bronze Age. It talks about how in the beginning, Wonder Woman was ahead of her time and then how the ads in the book evolved into being about women being domestic. How she was at one point geared towards boys reading the comics and later geared to get girls to read the comics. It also compares her to some other female comic book characters of the time – Lois Lane, CatWoman, Bat Girl, etc to see how they are the same and different. How there was bondage in the early issues – she was often tied up. Then it talks about how as the series evolved she changed – and wasn’t so much ahead of her time anymore. It also touches on how society looked at women and how that changed from the 40s, 50s, 60s, 70s, etc. Also interesting was how she was treated in the media – while comics are always in the news for storylines – Wonder Woman found herself in the news if she got a haircut and for more superficial reasons.
Certainly an interesting read about my favorite comic book character!
I received a free e-copy of this book in order to write this review. I was not otherwise compensated.
About the Book
This close look at Wonder Woman’s history portrays a complicated heroine who is more than just a female Superman with a golden lasso and bullet-deflecting bracelets. The original Wonder Woman was ahead of her time, advocating female superiority and the benefits of matriarchy in the 1940s. At the same time, her creator filled the comics with titillating bondage imagery, and Wonder Woman was tied up as often as she saved the world. In the 1950s, Wonder Woman begrudgingly continued her superheroic mission, wishing she could settle down with her boyfriend instead, all while continually hinting at hidden lesbian leanings. While other female characters stepped forward as women’s lib took off in the late 1960s, Wonder Woman fell backwards, losing her superpowers and flitting from man to man.Ms. magazine and Lynda Carter restored Wonder Woman’s feminist strength in the 1970s, turning her into a powerful symbol as her checkered past was quickly forgotten. Exploring this lost history adds new dimensions to the world’s most beloved female character, and Wonder Woman Unbound delves into her comic book and its spin-offs as well as the myriad motivations of her creators to showcase the peculiar journey that led to Wonder Woman’s iconic status.