Wonder Woman: Love and Murder

Popular novelist Jodi Picoult was recruited by DC Comics to write for the venerable Wonder Woman series. The result is engaging if imperfect. Picoult takes us through a storyline featuring battles between mother and daughter, and the identity crisis that results, sexism, and empowerment. The effort is only slightly marred by Picoult's evident self-consciousness regarding the genre and the heroine. Quips about the uniform feel stale and trite in the comics world; we all know a woman wouldn't wear a bustier to fight crime as Picoult points out more than once, for example, but sensible fashion has never been the point to superheroes. Still, it's a strong story arc with themes that are likely to appeal to Picoult's fans.