In honor of the 80th anniversary of Wonder Woman, DC Comics plans to release a special 100-page issue in her honor. Entitled the Wonder Woman 80th Anniversary 100-Page Spectacular, the issue will contain original stories and an art montage from artist Yanick Paquette with colors by Nathan Fairbairn. The issue will be part of the "Believe in Wonder" campaign that will conclude on October 21st, the date of Wonder Woman's first appearance in comics.
Wonder Woman was created at a time when nearly all female characters in comics were either love interests to be saved or otherwise innocent bystanders. Creator William Moulton Marsdon, a psychologist and the inventor of the polygraph, desired to create a female superhero and role model, writing "Not even girl want to be girls so long as our feminine archetype lacks force, strength, and power...the obvious remedy is to create a feminine character with all the strength of Superman plus all the allure of a good and beautiful woman." Wonder Woman would later debut in All-Star Comics #8 before quickly moving to her own series, which has seldom gone out of publication since its inception.
Now 80 years later, DC, has announced a 100-page issue to commemorate her debut into comics history. An official announcement by the company states: "Embracing the call to see the world through Wonder Woman's eyes and to 'Believe in Wonder', the 80th Anniversary celebration illuminates the superhero's timeless and relevant message of hope and empowerment." Robin, Green Lantern, and the Joker have all had special 100-page issues for their 20-years-shy-of-a-centennial anniversaries. But as a member of the DC's Big Three (alongside Superman and Batman), DC places particular importance on this celebration. The issue will gather "...some of the greatest storytellers in comics and entertainment for a tribute to Wonder Woman in a collectible keepsake."
The "Believe in Wonder" multimedia campaign will also include fashion collections inspired by the Amazon superhero, along with publicity videos with Gal Gadot, who played the character in Wonder Woman, Justice League, Wonder Woman 1984, and the upcoming Zack Snyder's Justice League. In conjunction with the campaign, Nintendo will also release Super Hero Girls: Teen Power starring Wonder Woman, Batgirl and Supergirl. The game is slated for release on June 4th for the Nintendo Switch game console.
It's no hyperbole or exaggeration to say that Wonder Woman is one of the most recognizable superheroes of all time. Certainly she's the most famous female hero, and the release of her new film series starring Gal Gadot has increased readership in her comics even more. The issue will undoubtedly be a sought-after item for Wonder Woman fans, and they can learn more about the multimedia campaign by searching social media with the hashtags #WonderWoman80 and #BelieveInWonder.