Wonder Woman unbound : the curious history of the world's most famous heroine / Tim Hanley.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Hanley, Tim.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Wonder Woman (Fictitious character).

Wonder Woman.

Women in literature.

Gender identity in literature.

Comic books, strips, etc--United States.

Comic books, strips, etc.

Literature and society--United States.

Literature and society.

United States.

Physical Description:

xi, 304 pages, 16 unnumberd pages of plates : illustrations (some color) ; 23 cm

Place of Publication:

Chicago, Ill. : Chicago Review Press, c2014.

Summary:

"With her golden lasso and her bullet-deflecting bracelets, Wonder Woman is a beloved icon of female strength in a world of male superheroes. But this close look at her history portrays a complicated heroine who is more than just a female Superman. 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 as well as her modern incarnations 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"-- Provided by publisher.

Contents:

Introduction

Part 1: The golden age. The Utopian alternative

Damsels in distress

Amazon princess, bondage queen

Interlude 1: Wonder Woman's extra features

Part 2: The silver age. A Herculean task

Focus on the family, or Superman is a jackass

Conforming to the code

Interlude 2: Letters and advertisements

Part 3: The bronze age. Wonder Woman no more

Doin' it for themselves

Restoration and re-creation

The mundane modern age

Conclusion

Acknowledgments

Source notes

Bibliography

Index.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

9781613749098

1613749090

OCLC:

859187727