Robert Greenberger

by Robert Greenberger

Timing, as they say, is everything. Last summer, I was asked by Chartwell Books to compile three 100 Greatest Moments book, one featuring the Justice League (out July 31), one about DC Comics’ Super-Heroines, and one with the Super-Villains.

Then a funny thing happened. Wonder Woman was the movie of the summer. The #MeToo movement burbled to the top of the news. A record number of women began campaigning and by this spring’s primaries, were winning. At the end of Avengers: Infinity War, the post-credit scene teased that it would be Captain Marvel coming to save the day.

DC Comics Heroines: 100 Greatest Moments

It was time to celebrate female empowerment in a way that hadn’t been seen, heard, or felt before. What a lovely time for DC Comics Super Heroines: 100 Greatest Moments to be solicited and arrive in the fall.

Initially, DC’s female heroes were masked marvels, without powers, but then came Wonder Woman as her creator, William Moutlon Marston, used her to advance his belief that empowered females would save us from ourselves.

Teen Titans #49, the first time Bumblebee appeared on a cover

Little did Bob Rozakis realize that when he created Bumblebee for Teen Titans, he was giving DC its first Black female hero; he was just giving Mal Duncan someone to hang out with. At the same time, variations of Supergirl and Batgirl arrived in refreshing guises as Power Girl and the Huntress, adding complexities to the personalities.

When I began constructing the list of characters to include and moments to consider, I realized we’ve come a long way from the female heroes being there to be rescued or romanced. Whereas Mary Marvel and Bulletgirl looked like their male counterparts, today, our heroes wear many different shapes and sizes, from Amanda Waller to Harley Quinn (yes, she’ll pull double duty in the villains book, too).

It was actually difficult to keep the list down, especially as people from across Facebook kept throwing ideas at me. As with the first book, I limited the options to the core DC continuity, which sadly meant the Bombshells were ineligible as was Silk Spectre (sidestepping Doomsday Clock for the moment). I waffled on the Element Woman and Death moment from Sandman but decided to cut it.

In some cases, DC didn’t have viable files available, making many Golden Age options moot although I am thrilled I got Sheldon Mayer’s Red Tornado in there.

Sasha Bordeaux and Amanda Waller grace the cover of Checkmate #1

There were several cool characters I truly struggled to find strong moments for, a list led by Black Orchid but including Sasha Bordeaux (a personal favorite), and Maxima. Other cool moments happened through dialogue or off-panel and since this was a visual work, had to be left out.

But which moment for Supergirl, Wonder Woman, and Batgirl, the three to dominate the book? Well, that was where some of the fun debating happened. I needed to cover 80 years and be as broad as I felt the book should be. DC asked I consider some of the morally questionable characters such as Catwoman, Harley, and Poison Ivy (thank you Gotham City Sirens) and to ensure those appearing in forthcoming media works be included. Heck, there was no way I leaving out Mera. Dcwomenkickingass.tumblr.com was inspirational and hope they approve of my choices.

Assembling the moments, selecting the pages, and then writing about them was the fun part of the assignment. Sadly, ace designer Maria Carbado was unavailable after the Justice League book but as I write this, am assured her successor is making this volume shine.

It’s a great time for a book to remind us about the amazing feats of these characters so, allow me to humbly recommend this volume for your consideration.