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Elizabeth Sandifer

Elizabeth Sandifer created Eruditorum Press. She’s not really sure why she did that, and she apologizes for the inconvenience. She currently writes Last War in Albion, a history of the magical war between Alan Moore and Grant Morrison. She used to write TARDIS Eruditorum, a history of Britain told through the lens of a ropey sci-fi series. She also wrote Neoreaction a Basilisk, writes comics these days, and has ADHD so will probably just randomly write some other shit sooner or later. Support Elizabeth on Patreon.

17 Comments

  1. Daibhid C
    November 12, 2013 @ 12:29 am

    I'm afraid I actually gave up on Azzarello's Wonder Woman after the first story arc. I looked back and realised that while I'd been appreciating these comics were technically brilliant, I hadn't actually been enjoying them. I'll give it another shot.

    Otherwise, I agree absolutely, although I also think the Gail Simone run should probably be up there.

    Reply

  2. Froborr
    November 12, 2013 @ 12:42 am

    Yeah, I'm also puzzled by the absence of the Gail Simone run. Otherwise, it's a good list–the I Ching era in particular is one I've always meant to read and never gotten around to.

    Also, it's really high time I picked up the book, I've been meaning to since it came out.

    Reply

  3. gatchamandave
    November 12, 2013 @ 1:12 am

    Good list but like DaibhidC I wasn't moved much by the Azzarello first arc either, feeling that it was just covering the same ground as the Potter/Perez/Wein issues, which are much prized by me to this day. Your own tome is an intended treat for Christmas.

    I recall a story that might interest you. Back around the time he first became a Big Name, DC approached Frank Miller to revamp Wonder Woman. He intimated that he would turn her into a genuine Amazon Warrior by having her lop off one of her breasts, the better to draw back her bowstring.

    So they offered him Batman instead.

    Reply

  4. Froborr
    November 12, 2013 @ 1:57 am

    Okay, bought it. It was too much of a hassle finding an app that would let me put a Smashwords purchase on my phone, so I bought it via Barnes and Noble. E-mail me and I'll paypal you the difference in royalties.

    Reply

  5. Matthew Blanchette
    November 12, 2013 @ 5:07 am

    So… can we talk about Doctor Who again, yet? :-S

    Reply

  6. Marionette
    November 12, 2013 @ 6:10 am

    Which just shows the breadth of Frank's ignorance. The breast mutilation nonsense was traced back to a mistranslation ages ago. All classic depictions of Amazons have the full rack. And there are plenty of modern female archers who manage just fine without body modification.

    Reply

  7. Henry R. Kujawa
    November 12, 2013 @ 9:45 am

    My comics-shop manager once said the Golden Age Wonder Woman Archives were his favorite of all the reprints DC was doing. When I got ahold of the first 3 volumes… I had to agree. I've read a lot of different versions of WW, though not as many as some. But now, having read the William Marston-Harry Peter original, I feel that nobody– and I mean NOBODY– not even George Perez– ever came close to getting her "right".

    Those Archive books should remain in print perpetually.

    Reply

  8. Elizabeth Sandifer
    November 12, 2013 @ 12:54 pm

    Barnes and Noble is a perfectly fine way to buy it. I wouldn't put it on sale there if I minded people buying from there.

    If you want to give me more money, go buy the Last War in Albion chapter that goes on sale Thursday. 🙂

    Reply

  9. Elizabeth Sandifer
    November 12, 2013 @ 12:58 pm

    You know, and I recognize that it's in part just me, but I was let down by the Simone run. Plenty of smart people with good taste adore Simone, but she's never quite done it for me. To me, the main advantage she has over something like the (quite underrated) Eric Luke run or Phil Jimenez's time on the character is that she's still in print.

    I think. Is she? Actually, I bet she's gone out of print like every other good Wonder Woman comic. But yeah. If you asked me to pick among her, Luke, and Jimenez, I'd have a really hard time.

    Reply

  10. ferret
    November 12, 2013 @ 3:08 pm

    Thanks for this, I am indeed A Golden Thread purchaser who has never read a Wonder Woman comic outside of crossovers (Death of Superman/Kingdom Come is all that comes to mind) and Seanbaby's Hostess Cupcake scans/mockery reviews (http://www.seanbaby.com/hostess.htm).

    I was just wondering what Graphic Novels to pursue next – having exhausted the good Daredevil stuff published in larger volumes – so this is perfectly timed!

    Reply

  11. encyclops
    November 12, 2013 @ 3:56 pm

    Oh good — I'm glad you posted this, because I really needed it. I own the first and last items on your list, and I just finished the last one the other night.

    I loved 100 Bullets. I'll admit the art was a big part of that, but I wouldn't have made it to the end if the writing hadn't equalled or exceeded its quality. And I do love a good Greek mythology story. But I can't help feeling that Azzarello is, at least in this first volume, WAY more into reimagining the Greek gods (and embroiling them in a fairly embarrassing soap opera, as you point out in your chapter on this era in your book) than in actually having Wonder Woman do much of anything. It's hard to get invested in the revelation about her birth when the false story is sprung immediately before (as opposed to something we've always assumed about the character — see Swamp Thing), and I really can't see what else she does in these early issues apart from being generally awesome. I guess I don't need to analyze what her role should be, but I would like her to have one that isn't defined in terms of everyone else around her.

    It's like: yeah, Hades and Apollo look wicked cool, but I thought I'd bought a book called Wonder Woman.

    It's cool, though. Someday I'll read more of Azzarello's run, because even if his habit of torturing dialogue to produce double meanings and puns is a little irritating he's still, well, wicked cool. And now I can go back and read the Chronicles and maybe get what I was after in the first place.

    Reply

  12. Daru
    November 12, 2013 @ 9:43 pm

    Hey Phil – Sounds exciting! To respond first to your work with Flood and They Might Be Giants – I am going to see them live in Edinburgh this Friday for the first time! I have bought surprise tickets for me and my partner as a treat for completing a 2 year's training in leading outdoor learning. The venue is a lovely converted church called the Queen's Hall. WILL buy Flood and check out your blog posts.

    Also – I had in a way always written off Wonder Woman as a character without really looking into her. Your suggestions make me want to look further and of course, buy your book.

    Reply

  13. karl
    November 13, 2013 @ 10:28 am

    Ive never heard of this book of yours and am intrigued – where can I get a copy of it?

    Reply

  14. Elizabeth Sandifer
    November 13, 2013 @ 10:30 am

    Reply

  15. HELLACRE13
    November 14, 2013 @ 10:28 am

    JL A League of One. Not a WW but WW centric and really really one of my favorites!

    Reply

  16. KMT75
    November 15, 2013 @ 5:55 am

    Doctor Who is the only thing that doesn't get talked about. Although I must admit Wonder Woman is way more interesting than either Torchwood, which apparently produced twice as many episodes as Doctor Who or Alan Moore comics that aren't Killing Joke, Watchmen or Swamp Thing.

    Reply

  17. neroden@gmail
    December 14, 2013 @ 1:54 pm

    Well, her run drags early, but I really thought she was finding a marvellous tone during the latter half… before the unceremonious dumping for JMS who didn't bother to stay.

    Reply

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