Batman, Superman, Spider-Man, X-Men, Iron Man, Wonder Woman. Like the old Sesame Street song, one of these things is not like the other. In a world dominated by male characters, Wonder Woman stands apart. Not only in genitalia but in history. Introduced in a time where women were required to leave the home to take over jobs left vacant by fighting soldiers, Wonder Woman represented the strength that a woman possessed, no matter if she had a man to stand by or not. When the GI Joes came back? Wonder Woman comics became a love story. Can you even imagine if there was a series of Batman comic books centered on Batman asking a girl to a dance? Probably not.

Even without the somewhat ridiculous story lines, Wonder Woman stands alone as the most recognizable female comic book superhero there is. While diehard fans know of Black Canary and Ms. Marvel, almost everyone knows about Wonder Woman. Of course, made even more popular by the 1970’s TV show starring Lynda Carter, Wonder Woman remains to this day a fan favorite. But what effect does she and other female superheroines have when it comes to influencing the young women of the world today?

Director Kristy Guevara-Flanagan set out to answer that question.

Wonder Women: The Untold Story of American Superheroines is a look at feminism through the comic book lens. Interviews with noted feminist Gloria Steinem, Wonder Woman herself, Lynda Carter, and young girls come together to paint a picture of what female comic book characters mean to the world, both in ages past and today. Maybe this documentary will be the push Hollywood needs to finally put Wonder Woman on the big screen. I think we can all agree, the dude superheroes have had their day and it’s time to move over a bit and let a girl have the spotlight for a moment. Here’s hoping!

Airing on April 15th on PBS, Wonder Women will hopefully incite conversation amongst men and women alike, comic book fans or not. I know I’ll be watching, Lasso of Truth at the ready.

Check out a clip from the documentary Wonder Women:

Wonder Women! Sneak Peek from Vaquera Films on Vimeo.