Graphic Novel Review: Wonderful Women of the World, curated by Laurie Halse Anderson
The Details
Media Type: Ebook (ARC)
Title: Wonderful Women of the World
Curator: Laurie Halse Anderson
Authors: Various
Illustrators: Various
Publisher: DC Comics
Pages/Length: Paperback; 208
Release Date: September 28, 2021
Source: BHI/Publisher
I received a free copy early release copy of this book, in exchange for an honest review.
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Not all heroes wear capes!
Wonder Woman has been an inspiration for decades, and while not everyone would choose her star-spangled outfit for themselves, her compassion and fairness are worthy of emulation. We’ll be presenting tales of the real-world heroes who take up Diana’s mantle and work in the fields of science, sports, activism, diplomacy, and more!
New York Times bestselling author Laurie Halse Anderson brings together an all-star cast of authors and illustrators in this anthology of contemporary Wonder Women–and how they’ve changed our world.
The Artwork
This book is a literally filled to the brim with powerhouse illustrators! From all walks of life, from all art styles, each story is accompanied with its own illustrative flair that truly brings it to life. One of my favorite parts of reading this was anticipating what story would be told next, and how it would be depicted. Truly, this book is a piece of art. I can’t say anything more than that. It’s the solid truth.
The Review
When I was offered the opportunity to review Wonderful Women of the World, I knew that it wasn’t one that I could pass up. This volume immediately stole my heart, with its empowering message to all those who identify as women and an equally loud and vibrant message that people from all walks of life and all backgrounds matter. It’s a beautiful thing to witness the diversity in the comics world growing bigger all the time. This volume though, this promised to be something special. A beautiful space created for sharing important stories, and highlighting the true power that each one of us holds if we only choose to acknowledge it.
From the first page, this collection is a sheer delight. You’ll see some easily recognizable faces in here. There are stories about Ruth Bader Ginsberg, Serena and Venus Williams, and even Beyonce. It was lovely to see their stories told in such a dynamic way, and I was so impressed with how many snippets I learned beyond what I already knew about each of them. However, what I really loved were the stories of women that I had not been previously introduced to. People like Mari Copeny and Khatijah Mohamad Yusoff, for instance. Important women, involved in work that changed (and still is changing) the world! Their stories inspired me to do more research on them, which is exactly how I anticipate a lot of readers will feel.
In truth, this is such an excellent way to introduce anyone to these wonderful women. Their stories are short enough to be easily accessible by readers of a wide age range, but also detailed enough to really do them justice. I don’t know how the authors managed to walk that line, but they accomplished it handily. Better still, each story has its own stunning art style, that really brings it to life! If this had been around when I was younger, I know that I would have eaten it up. Let’s be honest, I’m in my late thirties now and that’s still the case. Each woman highlighted in this book, each author and illustrator who brought them to life, they’re all role models to me now. Using their voices to uplift and empower others.
Wow. Seriously, just wow. That’s the cleanest and most succinct way to sum up how I felt about Wonderful Women of the World. I knew that I was going to be treated to a treasure trove of stories. I knew that the talent in this book was vast, and unparalleled. I should have been thoroughly prepared to be blown away! In fact, I wasn’t ready at all for how this book hit me straight in the heart. The amount of passion, love, and respect that were poured into these stories is something that is going to stick with me for a long time. It is my sincere wish that I could shout out every single author and illustrator who worked so hard on this volume, but that would make this review entirely too long. So instead I’ll simply say that this is well worth your time! Add it to your reading list. Read it. Share it. This is an important set of stories.
