Wonder Woman 1984: Five classic storylines

Given the success of her Wonder Woman debut in 2017, comic and film fans alike are eagerly anticipating Gal Gadot donning the armour once more for Wonder Woman 1984 (arriving at Cineworld on 26 December). Again helmed by director Patty Jenkins, the sequel sees the action move from the trenches of World War I to 1980s America. But while the locations may have changed, there are familiar faces from the first film, with Antiope (Robin Wright), Hippolyta (Connie Nielsen) and even Steve Trevor (Chris Pine) joining Gadot’s Lasso of Truth-wielding Diana Prince.

Much like its predecessor, the Cold War-set Wonder Woman 1984 is based on fragments acquired from the vast amount of Wonder Woman source material rather than one single comic book. And should anyone want to make any further films about the character, there are plenty more fabulous stories that reveal her inner complexities while also packing in the action. We’ve picked out five of the best Wonder Woman stories that we’d love to see receive the silver screen treatment.

1. JLA: A League of One (2000)

A League of One is among the few Justice League of America stories in which Wonder Woman stands front and centre and shows the rest how it’s done. Beautifully illustrated and written by Christopher Moeller, this one-shot has sufficient strong themes and epic set pieces to make a comic book blockbuster of monstrous proportions. The story begins with Diana stopping another eruption of Krakatoa, and along the way includes goblins, mermaids, nymphs and oracles. When an oracle prophesises that one of the Justice League will be killed destroying the centuries-old dragon Drakul Karfang, Diana decides to single-handedly go after this deadly foe.

The other members of the team aren’t delighted with Wonder Woman’s plan, so they're subdued and launched into space in pods to keep them from interfering, leaving her to face off against the dragon in one of her toughest battles.

It’s an age-old tale of good versus evil that has whiffs of The Hobbit all over it, with Diana’s purity not only leading her to take on Drakul but acting as her main armour. Frankly who wouldn’t want to see this fantasy-heavy colossus played out on the big screen?

2. The Circle (2005)

Gail Simone's story gives Wonder Woman a new modern role while also looking back at her roots. We find Diana in a new job as an agent for the Department of Metahuman Affairs, with a new partner in the shape of Tom Tresser and even a few gorilla guests in her apartment for good measure. Given that the story includes run-ins with adversaries Gorilla Grodd and Captain Nazi, with a huge battle on Wonder Woman’s home island of Themyscira, there’s plenty of scope for an over-the-top actioner with humour to boot.

The run has been praised for its contemporary realisation of Wonder Woman as both a powerful warrior and a proponent of peace, but what makes The Circle such an intriguing story is the dynamic between Diana and her mother, Queen Hippolyta, who has been played by Connie Nielsen in the DC Extended Universe. With questions over how Diana came to be, and disquiet among the Amazonians under Hippolyta, it’s full of surprises and thrills.

3. The Hiketeia (2002)

We’re not sure how this tale of Batman vs Wonder Woman would work in the DC Extended Universe following the Caped Crusader’s lacklustre punch-up with Superman, or indeed with Robert Pattinson’s upcoming role in The Batman film. But given that it’s such a cracking tale, we can’t help but wonder what it would look like on the big screen.

The one-shot from Greg Rucka is an updated Greek tragedy that starts off with an ancient ritual called a hiketeia, which bounds Diana to a young woman called Danielle Wellys. When Wellys commits a crime, she's pursued by Gotham's finest, leading to Batman and Wonder Woman facing off against each other. Packed with emotion as well as action, it's treasured by Wonder Woman fans.

4. Eyes of the Gorgon (2005)

Penned during Greg Rucka's three-year tenure, this eight-issue run starts by pitting Wonder Woman against one of her greatest foes: Medusa, the serpent-headed gorgon from Greek mythology whose gaze turns onlookers to stone. While we've seen this deadly battle played out in the two Clash of the Titans movies, Diana takes the place of Perseus and comes up against Medusa in a brutal bout that's viewed by millions on live television.

It's only the first part of the story, though, and there's also a power struggle in Olympus that sees a beaten, bruised and blinded Wonder Woman coming to the aid of her patron Athena. Not only are the illustrations a visceral treat, but the story balances political intrigue in both Diana's adopted home in 21st-century America and in the home of the ancient Greek gods. Sounds like the basis of a wonderfully ostentatious, violent flick to us.

5. Spirit of Truth (2001)

Between 1998 and 2001, Justice League members Batman, Superman, Shazam and Wonder Woman were the subject of one-off stories from Paul Dini, whose credits include Batman: The Animated Series and almost every great cartoon from the '80s and '90s. With illustrations by Alex Ross, Spirit of Truth is not only the best of Dini's collection, it's also one of the hero's best appearances in her 79-year history.

Despite a ton of impressive action, the book finds Diana in reflective mood, with her achievements and efforts being stifled and under-appreciated by the world she is so desperately trying to help – a core theme of the character that's told brilliantly.