Top 20: Best Wonder Woman Stories, Part 2

From ancient witches to vengeful gorgons, Wonder Woman has battled some of the most unbelievable threats over the course of her illustrious career. This Amazing Amazon has proven her worth time and again in incredible stories that rival that of her contemporaries Superman and Batman. 

Picking up from part one, here is the second half of the top 20 greatest Wonder Woman stories.

10. Wonder Woman: The Hiketeia
 Written by: Greg Rucka
Illustrated by: J.G. Jones

In this modern Greek tragedy crafted by Greg Rucka, Wonder Woman is duty-bound to protect a young woman named Danielle Wellys. When she discovers that Danielle is responsible for the murder of a group of sex slavers, Wonder Woman must do battle against Batman as he attempts to bring Danielle to justice.

The Hiketeia is a brilliant example of the complexity of Wonder Woman's character. She is bound by ancient traditions that often conflict with modern laws and rights, which puts her at odds with some of her allies. Aside from that, The Hiketeia serves as a reminder that Batman is far from invincible and the Amazing Amazon is always ready to put him in his place (under her stylish red and white boots).

09. The Fist of Flame,
Wonder Woman v1 #201-202
Written by: Dennis O’Neil, Samuel R. Delany
Illustrated by: Dick Giordano

In this mod era adventure, Wonder Woman forges an unlikely alliance with Catwoman in order to procure an ancient artifact known as the Fist of Flame. After an initial cat fight (pardon the pun), the pair band together to defeat the forces of the villainous Lu Shan.

Of all of the mod era adventures, this one stands out as one of the most unique and ambitious. It blends globe-trotting 007-style intrigue with science fiction to create a memorable read for this time period. On top of that, it provides a rare team-up between two of DC Comics' most iconic heroines. I'll admit this choice is 100% biased since the story (as all were from this era) is quite problematic by today's standards.

08. Rise of the Olympian, 
Wonder Woman v3 #26-33
Written by: Gail Simone
Illustrated by: Aaron Lopresti

When an unstoppable menace known as Genocide threatens to destroy everything Wonder Woman holds dear, the Amazing Amazon is pushed to her limits and must go further than she's ever gone to bring down her foe.

In general Gail Simone's run on Wonder Woman was a satisfying read, but "Rise of the Olympian" managed to be an exceptional story from that era. Simone simultaneously created an incredibly terrifying villain and crafted an epic befitting of Wonder Woman's stature.

07. Gods of Gotham, 
Wonder Woman v2 #164-167
Written by: Phil Jimenez, J.M. DeMatteis
Illustrated by: Phil Jimenez

After the Greek Gods of terror, discord, and fear take possession of Gotham City's most dangerous criminals, Wonder Woman and Batman team up to stop this divine threat and rescue Harley Quinn.

By and large, Wonder Woman's supporting cast is often overlooked by the comic community. However, this four part adventure put them at the forefront and used Batman's cast to create an interesting comparison between the two "families." Beyond that, it proved that Wonder Woman's baddies are exponentially more dangerous than Batman's (just saying).

06. The Witch on the Island, 
Wonder Woman v2 #18-19 
Written and Illustrated by: George Perez

While touring Greece with her friends Julia and Vanessa Kapatelis, Wonder Woman is captured by the devious Circe and is marked for death by the witch.

As far as Wonder Woman villains go, Circe is arguably the most dangerous. In this introductory arc, her origin is detailed and she makes a rather big impact on the Amazing Amazon's life. From this point onwards, Circe would be treated as Wonder Woman's arch nemesis and would show up in nearly every succeeding major storyline.

05. The Medusa Saga, 
Wonder Woman v2 #196-213
Written by: Greg Rucka
Illustrated by: Drew Johnson

After penning a best-selling memoir, Wonder Woman comes under fire from the media for her beliefs and is targeted by the insidious Veronica Cale. To make matters worse, Circe resurrects the monstrous Medusa and pits her against the Amazing Amazon.

Often considered one of the best Wonder Woman writers, Greg Rucka outdid himself with this epic. This grouping of issues are an informal continued narrative held together by the presence of Veronica Cale, Circe, and Medusa. Rucka shows off his knowledge of the character rather well over the course of these issues and he rightly focuses on her status as an ambassador.

04. The Legend of Wonder Woman Volume 1: Origins,
Written and Illustrated by: Renae De Liz

As a mysterious darkness begins infecting Paradise Island, the young Amazon Princess Diana dedicates herself to finding its cause. This eventually leads her to America, where she takes up arms alongside the singer Etta Candy to fight the Axis during World War II.

The Legend of Wonder Woman is a colourful and whimsical retelling of Wonder Woman's origins that places an emphasis on the power of sisterhood. It is gorgeously illustrated and features some truly creative reimaginings of the Wonder Woman mythos.

03. The Witch & The Warrior,
Wonder Woman v2 #171, 174-176
Written and Illustrated by: Phil Jimenez

After Wonder Woman's arch nemesis Circe turns every male citizen of New York City into animals and unleashes an army of female villains to hunt them down, Wonder Woman enlists the aid of every known heroine on Earth to stop the wicked witch.

Aside from this being hands-down the best Wonder Woman vs. Circe story around, Phil Jimenez uses this arc to re-introduce the Perez-era character Vanessa Kapatelis to readers as well as a new Cheetah. This narrative acts as a beautiful tribute to the George Perez run and proves to be an excellent example of just how dangerous Circe can be.

02. The Princess and the Power,
Wonder Woman v2 #1-7
Written by: George Perez, Greg Potter
Illustrated by: George Perez

In this origin story, Princess Diana of Themyscira competes in a contest that earns her the right to travel to "Man's World" to battle the evil forces of the God of War. This unassuming Princess subsequently becomes the superheroine known as Wonder Woman and she brilliantly takes down Ares before he can unleash World War III upon the world.

This arc would serve as the beginning of George Perez's legendary run on Wonder Woman. It re-introduced the character for a new generation of readers and helped to revitalize the franchise. The supporting cast at this time was incredible and the stories were woven with the intricate narratives from Greek mythology. 

01. A Day in the Life, 
Wonder Woman v2 #170
Written by: Phil Jimenez, Joe Kelly
Illustrated by: Phil Jimenez

As part of a new assignment, intrepid reporter Lois Lane follows Wonder Woman around for one day in an attempt to uncover the Amazing Amazon's dirty laundry. Even though she initially sets out to write a cynical expose, Lois quickly discovers that the truth about Wonder Woman is that she's flawlessly imperfect.

Perhaps it's my own bias for Phil Jimenez speaking, but this single issue stands as the greatest Wonder Woman story ever told. In the pages of this one comic, Jimenez and co-writer Joe Kelly sum up the character so brilliantly and poignantly that it is sure to move even the most cynical of readers. Wonder Woman is more than just a superhero and this story celebrates that by showing that she is Gloria Steinem, Diana Princess of Wales, Marie Curie, and Angelina Jolie all wrapped up in a star-spangled one-piece.