Product Description: The late 1960s saw a new direction for Wonder Woman. Forced to choose between returning to her Amazon sisters or continuing her mission in "Man's World," Wonder Woman surrenders her super- powers and gives up her star-spangled costume. Dressed in the mod fashions of the day, the new Wonder Woman took on a Chinese mentor known as I Ching, who trained her in martial arts as her adventures took her to exotic locals to fight undercover agents and mythological villains.
In this volume, featuring stories that have never been collected before, Wonder Woman faces Mars, god of war, the murderous Dr. Cyber, and an all-female biker gang known only as Them, as well as a modern-day witch called Morgana.
"Diam Prince: The New Wonder Woman" by Denny O'Neil from the late 1960's and Early 1970's The paperback volumes (trade backs) of "Diana Prince: Wonder Woman" are interesting to look into.
After more than 20 years in publication, in the late 1960's, due to dropping sales figures, writer Denny O'Neil was brought in to revamp Wonder Woman. The result was "Diana Prince: Wonder Woman" or "Diana Prince The New Wonder Woman."
Wonder Woman is summoned by her mother, Hypolite, Queen of the Amazons, to Paradise Island. Wonder Woman is told by her mother that the Amazons plan to shift Paradise Island into another dimension where they can rest and recuperate their tired and waning Amazon powers.
Wonder Woman tells her that with Steve Trevor in trouble, she cannot go with them. Wonder Woman has to then give up her Amazon powers, costume, magic lasso and bracelets, and her invisible plane to return to the U.S. as a non-super-powered Diana Prince.
Diana Prince meets this blind elderly Asian man named I-Chang who mystically senses who she really is. He offers to help her and train her in the ways of martial arts to compensate the for the loss of her Amazon powers. Diana Prince proves to be a quick student.
Basically you can say that Wonder Woman was turned into a sort of take-off on Emma Peal of the 1960's TV series, "The Avengers."
Feminist activist Gloria Stynum wrote a letter to DC Comics to voice her disapproval of this change to Wonder Woman.
Also Steve Trevor was even later killed off at this point of the series.
Wonder Woman, at this point, had to go on an indefinite leave of absence from the Justice League of America to be replaced by the Black Canary.
The beginning volumes of the stories from the late 60's and early 1970's cover show the views, beliefs and political issues of the time. They can also be looked at as time capsules.
By the mid-12970's, DC Comics decided to restore Wonder Woman to her former super-powers, costumed, Amazon self again. The original Wonder Woman firs re-appeared in the Hanna-Barbara Saturday morning animated cartoon series, "The Super Friends," a Saturday morning kid version of "The Justice League of America."
Around this time, a TV movie pilot of "Wonder Woman" staring Cathy Lee Crosby as Wonder Woman and Ricardo Montalbon as the villain was aired on ABC. This pilot reflected more the New Wonder Woman series. Wonder Woman leaves Paradise Inland giving up her Amazon heritage to go into "Man's World" to help make a difference and make a change for he better. She goes to work as an agent for the U.S. Government. Her superior is Steve Trevor. ABC did not pick up the series.
The producers went back to the drawing board and decided to try again. But this time, they went back to the beginning and the series was based on the original Golden Age Wonder Woman from the 1940's during World War II. It stared Linda Carter as Wonder Woman and Lyle Wagner as Major Steve Trevor, "the American war hero" as the evil enemy Nazis of the week would refer to him as.
ABC decided to pick up this series.
If you are interested in comic book history and/or the history of Wonder Woman, you should definitely look into these books. Also if you are a fan of Denny O'Neil's writings who also revamped Batman and Green Lantern and Green Arrow in the 1970s, you will also want to look into these books.
These were among my favorite stories as a kid... WW gave up her powers and travelled the globe with a sightless elder named I-Ching. These are the tales that introduced Dr. Cyber (the one where she kidnaps people in order to find an new face still gives me chills).My mother threw out most of these in a move;I have not been able to replace many of them and have never forgiven her their loss;but now I can buy this handy collection(and vol 2, as well)and the healing can begin!
A fantastic adventurous treat This is the 70s at its best. Without spoiling the story... Diana is truly Diana in this story and not Wonder Woman. She works her tail off to do what is right. She feels emotions and ups and downs... She is altogether, human. The artwork and coloring is detailed, crisp and compelling. A hearty solid read for any heroic myth fan.
Great book!
Groovy Masterpiece! The cover image says it all. This may not be the Wonder Woman you know, but Diana Prince is still something very special. Even without superpowers, this Amazon is hardly helpless. The great late '60s reprints contained in this book are a wonderful time capsule of the psychodelic era. Denny O'Neil and Mike Sekowsky's spy-fueled stories perfectly match the full color glory that is Sekowsky and Dick Giordano immaculate art. If you are a fan of Steranko's brief but wild Marvel work, please do yourself a favor and pick up this fantastic reprint collection. Diana Prince could easily give Steranko's Nick Fury a run for his money and maybe even make him forget that bodacious vixen, Contessa Valentina Allegra de Fontaine! O'Neil and Sekowsky's rebooting of Wonder Woman as a kung fu dynamo in skin tight Emma Peel jumpsuits is as visually exciting as her new espionage adventures are fun. Wonder Woman has rarily looked as sexy and stylish as she does in these groovy reprints. Highly recommended! Volume 2 can't come out fast enough for me!
What a dissapointment! I belong to the generation of the original Wonder Woman TV Series and basically I am a big fan of it. That's why I found this "graphic novel" so disapointing not only on the retro,colorfull design but also on the history itself. This Diana Prince has little or nothing to do with the original one regarding her attitud, selfcontempt and power. The original one would never had to give up her powers; that would mean a refusal to recognize herself as a true Amazon which, in fact, was never in discussion.
Anything Goes Trivia
Trevor
Megaton Man
