Wonder Woman focus of new books, comic revamp

She’s the world’s most famous female superhero, but after a decade in development, there’s still little movement on a “Wonder Woman” film. But the star-spangled hero is still popular in the world of comics, and DC Comics is focusing even more attention on the character in 2010.

Writer J. Michael Straczynski (“Babylon 5”) will take over the adventures of the character starting with “Wonder Woman” No. 601, shipping in July.

“The chance to write Wonder Woman — the nearest analogue to Superman in the DC (universe) — is massively exciting,” Straczynski told DC Comics’ Source blog. “She’s a vital, powerful character, and we hope to bring a more contemporary sensibility to her character (while) retaining everything that makes her unique.”

If you want to get caught up on Wonder Woman before July, “The Essential Wonder Woman Encylopedia,” by Phil Jimenez and John Wells, is a 400-plus page reference tool with entries ranging from the ape queen Abu-Gita to the Central American kingdom Zarikan. This is an expansion of the previous Wonder Woman encyclopedia by Michael Fleisher, and it’s been revised and updated with more than 1,100 entries. “Essential” deals with the comic-book adventures of “Wonder Woman,” not her appearances on the Lynda Carter TV series or her various animated incarnations; but for comic aficionados who want the ultimate Wonder Woman reference, this is a very complete tool.

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