This collection presents the first chunk of Wonder Woman's story following her rebirth in the wake of the Crisis on Infinite Earths, an event that reorganized the continuity of the DC universe. However, it's not necessary to know anything about that. It's a fresh start, a clean slate, and while that makes this book a good jumping on point for new readers, it also presents some "problems."

As this is Diana's origin story, and she hasn't been off the island till now, much of the book is taken up with her learning about the rest of the world. She's essentially a blank slate, passive (except when in combat)...and just not very interesting. Unfortunately, her supporting cast doesn't do much to make up for it. There's far too much of a domestic focus for my tastes, particularly regarding a couple of Diana's friends, an archaeologist and her teen-aged daughter.

In 600 pages, I never really felt a strong urge to pick the book back up again and find out what happened next.

George Pérez has always been one of my favorite comic artists. I loved his work on The Avengers and Justice League of America when I was a kid, and I think during this period he was at his peak. He's not very good with monsters, though. Creatures like Phobos, Euryale and Decay look more cartoonish than threatening. Otherwise, the art is superb.

There are a couple story gaps that might confuse new readers, and seemed jarring to me. One involves a crossover event called Millennium, in which various characters' supporting cast members turn out to be robot sleeper agents; in this case, the god Pan. Here we find out about his duplicity in one issue and in the next it's all been resolved "off panel." If they didn't want to include those issues or pages, they could have at least inserted a text page letting us know what happened, as Marvel sometimes does in their compilations.

The other concerns Darkseid's assault on Olympus. They definitely should have included the main story from Action Comics #600, especially as Pérez had a hand in the art. It wouldn't have taken up much more space and this part of the book would have flowed much better.

I believe this was George Pérez's first full-time writing job (Len Wein scripts the first half or so) and it's not bad; I just wish Diana's "baby steps" had been compressed somewhat and her transition into fully-realized character had occurred sooner. If you're a Wonder Woman fan and don't mind a lot of "downtime," it is worth a read. ( )

A massive omnibus of the George Pèrez Wonder Woman series. I'd read one trade paperback before (Gods and Mortals) but not the whole thing. I really like the way Wonder Woman is embedded in the Greek myths (an idea continued by Brian Azarello and Cliff Chiang later in the New 52 series). The gods are *real* in her experience, and her biggest fights are with these immortals. The other interesting thing about this series is the exploration of the supporting characters: Hippolyte, Phillipus, Julia and Vanessa Kapetalis, Mindy Mayer; even the gods Hermes and Ares undergo some transformations. There is one obvious point where some other publication has silently advanced the plot (a Superman/Wonder Woman team-up), which is slightly annoying. Overall a strong comic which shows Wonder Woman's a human and mythological sides. ( )

Tasked with introducing a post-Crisis version of Wonder Woman that both fit the other new DC heroes while honoring the character's history, George Pérez delivered and then some. Pérez and Len Wein dove deep into the mythological background of Diana of Themyscira, telling stories rich with the presence of Olympian gods and monsters. Pérez's art strains the bonds of the four panel comic book structure. His lush backgrounds and detailed character designs remain among the most impressive comic book art. His depictions of Olympus resemble M.C. Escher's "Relativity," blending the aesthetic trappings of Ancient Greece with a modern spin that comic book readers would expect of higher beings. Finally, the inks by Bruce Patterson and colors by Tatjana Wood & Carl Gafford add to the richness on each page. While William Moulton Marston's original version of Wonder Woman was interesting and offered glimpses of her mythical origins, his stories focused more on her life in patriarch's world. Pérez strikes the perfect blend between the two. Fans of the character or those looking for somewhere to start exploring Wonder Woman's story should start here. This omnibus edition collects Wonder Woman nos. 1-24 and Wonder Woman Annual no. 1 from the late 1980s. ( )