Wonder Woman Historia is the epic retelling of the origin of DC Comics’ Amazons. But this isn’t just about what leads to the foundations of Wonder Woman, but a years long tribute to George Perez.
Wonder Woman Historia: The Foundation
In 1987, years after DC’s attempts to streamline their comic books for a hipper audience, George Perez would create the Amazon’s origin. From how the Amazonians come to be, Ares’ rivalry with them, and how Themyscira functions. For many fans this is THE Wonder Woman story, laying the foundations for the modern day. You don’t get too big a celebration without retcons getting fans riled up.
It basically go something like this: the Greek goddesses use the souls of dead women to create the Amazons, the gods didn’t like that, Heracles fights them, the gods don’t like this, Athena strikes a bargain with Hippolyta to keep the Amazons on Themyscira, Hippolyta wants a kid, and one last soul goes into her clay doll to create Princess Diana (better known as Wonder Woman).
Larger Than Life
So what does Wonder Woman Historia do for an audience with even higher standards? I mean George Perez died from cancer the year this ended its run. How do you adapt a classic without getting under the skin of too many nerds? For Kelly Sue DeConnick, that involves building off the source material into a Greek Epic scale.
What Makes A Man’s World?
For example, there’s how the Amazons represent a divide against “Man’s World”. At first glance, it might look like it’s limited to Ancient Greece, but it gives a greater focus on the Greek Gods. Who better to represent Man’s World than the most idealized versions of men at the time? Especially when they can hear the prayers of the followers they identify with the most? Like how one of Apollo’s biggest fans is a boy mistreated by his father, but he’s a bully who cut women bound to be sold off. It’s a subtle way of looking at how powerless Apollo is towards his father Zeus and he takes his frustrations out on acceptable targets.
Rather than just one bad egg like Ares, there’s nuance of how male dominance shapes persecution. Not only on women, but men as well. For example, the God of War Ares shows genuine concern for his mother Hera, worrying that Zeus would beat her again. But he’s practically powerless to come to her defense. So he has to be subtle in his warnings with big threatening swings, less he invokes Zeus’ wrath. Hence why deals have to be made behind closed doors for any chance of peace and eventual change. Like how Hera’s appeal to Dionysius comes across as setting the stage for a future revolution.
Because as shown by Hades’ indifference to the creation of the Amazons, it’s possible that there are gods who are fed up with Zeus’ example as well.
Wonder Woman Historia: The Amazons
As for the Amazonians, rather one nation split into two tribes, each tribe follows a specific goddess. Throughout the mini-series, readers see how these tribes try to follow the example of their matron. Like how Artemis is seen as being one with nature with both beauty and terror, so Antiope’s tribe dress themselves with fallen animals while giving comfort to living ones.
But the most compelling of them all is a sixth tribe unofficially represented by Hera that unites the other five. This one is made of mortal women led by their queen, Hippolyta. Making Hippolyta mortal born instead of part of the first Amazon batch is an interesting direction. As a midwife in Ancient Greece, Hippolyta sees how being born a girl shapes a person’s life. In a land where boys are preferred, girls tend to be the ones left to the wolves. The compassion needed for that job is a hard one, especially once she decides to rush and find a baby that’s not even hers.
That act serves as the push for Hera to move in her own time. While she accepts a losing battle ahead, Hera works with Artemis to bring Hippolyta to the Amazons. Seeing love and compassion for their fellow women is what unites the Amazons and Goddesses against the status quo.
A Tribe on Her Own
But maybe the most important thread in Wonder Woman Historia is the birth of its title heroine. Unlike George Perez’s version, Hera never participated in the creation of the Amazons as a whole. Not only that, she basically gave in to women’s life of torment from seeing now, then, and later. But seeing Hippolyta’s actions inspire her to do things on her own terms. Not only does she provide a way for the Amazons to survive but she gifts them their salvation.
Using the soul of the baby Hippolyta tried to save and a baby sand sculpture Hippolyta made for some comfort comes Hera’s tribe of one. With Artemis’ blessing, Diana is born and for fans of Wonder Woman, they’ll know that she inherits every gift of the Amazons. From their unique abilities and weapons to the compassion and love from Hippolyta. All to not only free the Amazonians from the confines of Themyscira but to lead an example against Zeus’ patriarchy. It’s a battle that seems hopeless, but doing it on your terms is always worth it.
Wonder Woman Historia: Never Surrender
That’s quite fitting considering George Perez’s own fate. In 2021, he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer but chose not to pursue treatment. Wouldn’t have mattered anyway since it was inoperable. Besides Perez had already long retired from comics with a life well spent with his wife. To me, that seems like even if a battle is fated to end, that doesn’t mean you’re hopeless. Sometimes what you leave behind can pull off the impossible. The Hero Initiative certainly gave Perez a great send off after his death in 2022.
Now imagine DeConnick who tried to get Wonder Woman Historia to print since 2018. By the time it actually started, the mini-series changes from a tribute to the immortalizing of Perez’s legacy.
May The Epic Live On
Wonder Woman Historia preserves not only the legacy of Wonder Woman, but the man who introduced her to newer fans. With George Perez’s passing in 2022, those fans he influenced restore the majesty for a modern audience. By expanding the legend of the Amazons, there’s a story of the battle for change. Even if you face an uphill battle, there’s always hope that something can change. So with that as an adaptation that captures the epic proportions of Greek myths this gets: 9/10.
Thanks for coming to the end and as always remember to look between the panels.