Summary

The foreword, titled "The Splash Page," serves as an introduction and foreword for the entire book. The author, Jill Lepore, gives a brief overview of what to expect from her book. She first gives a quick framing of the character Wonder Woman in relation to the entire comics pantheon as well as a brief description of the character. Wonder Woman premiered in 1941, a few years after Superman and Batman came onto the scene. She is the longest running female comic character in history and has evolved over the years from her original gold tiara and red bustier in the 1940s. Lepore posits, “…not even Wonder Woman’s most ardent followers know the true story of her origins” (xii) and she plans explicate that ‘secret history’ in this book.

Lepore next briefly goes over her methodology for writing this book, starting with reading all printed...