This was a wonderful examination of the history and evolution of Wonder Woman!

From the relationship between William Moulton Marston, Elizabeth Holloway Marston, companion Olive Byrne, to the psychology that influenced Wonder Woman's storyline, to the various waves of feminism that changed the role model that Wonder Woman performed, this book was an in depth exploration of Wonder Woman's power and inspiration.

And more than how much I enjoyed this book, I am inspired to seek out older versions of the Wonder Woman comics, especially her beginning. My knowledge of Wonder Woman was restricted mostly to Gail Simone's run, the animated Justice League series, and the new live action movies, but now I want to really explore more of her history.

Thank you to NetGalley and Rowman & Littlefield Publishers for this arc.

I’ve been a longtime fan of Wonder Woman ever since I watched Linda Carter’s Wonder Woman tv series. I have to say that this book was a treat. It explores the how Wonder Woman impacted female empowerment. I also love e plowing the history of Wonder Woman. Therefore, this book was truly a gem. I recommend this for fans who not only love superheroes but also for the everyday woman!

My thanks to both NetGalley and the publisher Rowman & Littlefield Publishers for an advanced copy of this history and cultural study of Wonder Woman on comics, society and women's dreams.

Wonder Woman has been around almost as long as other superheroes have been going Up, Up and Away. Wonder Woman has been chained, depowered, dead, had her fellow Amazonians wiped out, brought back, been replaced by her mother, had a Wonder Girl, lost a Wonder Girl, fought crime with groovy outfits, and karate kicks. However what has never changed is that she loves being who she is, and so should all of us. Wonder Woman sees the best in us, even in the worst of us and at the worst times. Wonder Woman knows we can be better, because she knows we are better, we just don't know it, or know how to get there. And not even Wonder Woman's worst enemies bad comic book writers can take that away from her. Wonder Woman: Warrior, Disrupter, Feminist Icon by author and professor Regina Luttrell is a study of the myth, the legend, the truth and Wonder Woman's influence in the world.

The book begins with an essay from writer and publisher Gloria Steinhem, on her past and love of Wonder Woman, reading comics in the trees, amazed by the stories of a woman who wasn't blonde, didn't fit the ideals of the times, and yet had great adventures and respect. The book then goes into the origins of the character, created actually by a real character William Moulton Marston, who developed the polygraph, explaining Wonder Woman's lasso of truth. The history of Marston who lived with his wife Elizabeth Holloway Marston and companion Olive Byrne is explored, mostly in an interview with surviving members of the family. They describe the influences both women had on Marston, giving him ideas about the strength and character of women that was reflected in the early issues. The character's history is explored, the many bad decisions by writers who really should have known better, Wonder Woman's treatment during the 1960's and early 70's up until Ms. Magazine caused the character to be given back her costume and powers. And leading to today, with many personal asides and stories from the author.

A very personal study of an inspiring character. There is a lot of history to cover and the author does a very good job, trying to summerize so many year of comic book history, and the work of both good, and many bad writers, who either didn't understand the character or women. The research is very good as is the writing, which isn't bogged down in comic fan history, nor seem textbook-ish in anyway. Many personal asides, help to explain why the ideals that Wonder Woman stood so proudly for remain with the author. Plus there are articles about real life wonder women, women who tried to enact change, or help others, that might otherwise be ignored.

A very good overview of Wonder Women history, the history of the people involved, and the legacy the characters has given us. Recommended for comic readers, women who need the inspiration for the many fights that seem to be coming in the future, and for people who need to be reminded that heroes are heroes no matter what gender, race or creed. Wonder Woman would never give up on us, and there are a lot of lessons to learn from that.

A few years ago there was a book called The Secret History of Wonder Woman by Jill Lepore that went in depth about the lives of William Moulton Marston, Elizabeth Holloway, and Olive Byrne. While I think that's essential reading for anyone interested in the real life origins of Wonder Woman, I think Regina Luttrell has written a book that naturally picks up after that biography. How did Wonder Woman become so iconic? Why have so many people gravitated towards her? How did a comic book character impact millions of women, feminism, gender, politics, media, and the world? Regina answers those questions with such elegance and love.

As an avid comic reader who is currently, very slowly, attempting to read every issue of Wonder Woman ever published, I was very happy to see Regina touch on how some creators haven't done Wonder Woman well. It's so easy to gloss over the mistakes and misogyny in her history because of how important her character is, and how much material from the past 80+ years there is. That level of detail is why I love this book. She obviously well researched every aspect of Wonder Woman, but wrote everything in a way that's not so academically dense it feels like a chore to read.

I'm looking forward to its release and can't wait to annotate the heck out of it!

This was a fantastic read!! I have loved Wonder Woman since I was a little girl. She was my hero and thanks to this book she still is as a grown up. The polished version of this will be phenomenal. Highly recommend for new and old fans