Wonder Woman Psychology by Travis Langley
I’m not an avid Woman Wonder reader. Actually, come to think about it, I’m not an avid comic reader as a whole. So, why am I reading this installment of Dr. Travis Langley’s Popular Culture Psychology series if I’ve never read any of her comics. Simple answer? I’m a feminist and she, along with her creator, William Moulton Marston, were some of the earliest inspiration for feminism so I was instantly drawn to it. So, let’s see what this Amazonian brought to the table for women.
Now, knowing Dr. Travis Langley, feminism may be the central theme but that doesn’t mean it’s the only thing that he’s going to talk. With the help of his colleagues, they explored the field of mother-daughter relationship, upbringing, alienation and isolation among new surroundings, gender norms (really big one) and many many more. I found gender norms to be interesting because it’s what we always predisposed to and it always dictate what how we shape ourselves – whether its to empower or debilitate.
To further the discussion on the psychology of the titular hero, they explore the mindset of her creator, William Moulton Marston, and his path on creating the first lie detector test. Funny enough, after reading that article, it clicked when wondering where he got the idea revolving around her Lasso of Truth. It’s also worth mentioning that Marston was an “outspoken feminist, swinger, S&M practitioner, and firm believer in the superiority of women” which provided, well, all of the inspiration and theme in the comic series. Because of this, he went through a lot of hell to get this hero in our hearts and mind. Can you say “misogyny” and “homophobia”? I mean…it was the 1940s.
One article caught me off guard…martial arts. Yeah, an Amazonian known to be the best melee fighter of all of DC, of course, they are going to talk about martial arts to come degree. It was nice for someone to take a deep dive into my realm in an attempt to understand all the styles an Amazonian warrior are incorporating in their fighting. One of my favorites, for sure.
Again, when you get the chance, get this book and his many others. I did a review about another one of his books last year as well as two more for this year. Right now, he’s at ten books with two more planned for release (Yes, the books are out of order – don’t judge me):
- Batman and Psychology: A Dark and Stormy Knight
- The Walking Dead Psychology: Psych of the Living Dead
- Star Wars Psychology: Dark Side of the Mind
- Game of Thrones Psychology: The Mind is Dark and Full of Terrors
- Wonder Woman Psychology: Lassoing the Truth
- Doctor Who Psychology: A Madman with a Box
- Supernatural Psychology: Roads Less Traveled
- Star Trek Psychology: The Mental Frontier
- Daredevil Psychology: The Devil You Know
- Westworld Psychology: Violent Delights
- Black Panther Psychology: Hidden Kingdoms
Yep, this book gets an A+ from me.
