From Wonder(s) to Sirens

Though Pérez’s 1987 relaunch of Wonder Woman is often singled out for its attention to gender, this chapter presents a concern regarding gender and its representation as present and evolving over the course of Pérez’s career. From his early work, which depicted male and female bodies with a generic roundness and similarity, Pérez became more conscious about distinguishing the bodies of his characters, starting with his work in New Teen Titans. With Wonder Woman, Pérez sought to elevate her within DC’s pantheon of heroes, largely eschewing the trite romantic plots and overt sexualization that prevailed before and after his run. Gender and its representation remain a constant concern in the later stages of Pérez’s career, persisting even during his most difficult times as an artist, manifesting throughout his return to Avengers beginning in 1998, and being the centerpiece of his final work, Sirens from Boom! Studios.