To make your mark on the future, it helps to take stock of where you’ve been. 2017 promises to be an exciting year for DC and its fans, but before we celebrate the new year, we thought we’d look back on 2016 and consider some of the places we’ve been. DC made some bold choices in the worlds of comics, film and TV, and many of them set our course for the months and years ahead. The past year was full of memorable moments, but some of these moments held real significance. Some of them really mattered. So as we do every year at this time, we thought we’d discuss a few of them. These are DCComics.com’s “Ten Moments that Mattered” for 2016.
 

First introduced by William Moulton Marston in the pages of ALL STAR COMICS #8 back in 1941, Wonder Woman turned 75 years old this year. But don’t expect this iconic hero to slow down any time soon.

2016 began with Wonder Woman making her cinematic debut in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice…and stealing every moment she was onscreen. This was followed by the long-awaited release of Grant Morrison and Yannick Paquette’s WONDER WOMAN EARTH ONE, a provocative new take on the beloved Amazon that lit up best-seller lists. Morrison and Paquette’s graphic novel kicked off what turned out to be one of the strongest stretches of Wonder Woman comics in recent history, culminating with Greg Rucka’s return to Wonder Woman’s ongoing title with two concurrent storylines, one set during Diana’s first year as Wonder Woman and the other focusing on the present day. Wonder Woman was also a flagship character in the successful DC Super Hero Girls line, was honored at the U.N. and celebrated with a series of U.S.P.S. Forever stamps, and was the subject of two exclusive Wonder Woman 75 panels at San Diego Comic-Con and New York Comic-Con.

Even better, Diana’s anniversary celebration is really just getting started. She’ll continue to play a prominent role in Rebirth (including getting a spinoff comic miniseries in 2017 that focuses on the Amazons), can once again be seen in animation on Cartoon Network’s new Justice League Action, and will cap off her 75^th Anniversary celebration by starring in her very first feature film, portrayed once again by Batman v Superman’s Gal Gadot.

But whenever you celebrate an iconic character’s anniversary, what you’re really celebrating is the impact that character has had on society, and by that measure, Wonder Woman may just be the most successful of all. She’s the most widely known female super hero in the world, and stands shoulder to shoulder with Batman and Superman in the minds of most. Unlike most other heroines, she isn’t derived from a male hero. She’s a complete original. At a time when the struggle for true female equality and independence continues to dominate the conversation and political landscape, that matters. It’s also likely why women have found so much inspiration in Wonder Woman over the years. Her success is something to strive for, and her struggles are easy parallels to the sometimes less flashy, and yet no less real, struggles women have faced over the past 75 years.

Yet, while Wonder Woman’s importance among women can’t be denied, her appeal transcends gender. It’s universal. She fights for everyone, not just women, and she fights for all nations, despite her star-spangled appearance. She’s a hero of the world, who possesses the utmost faith in us as a race. After all, she left her Paradise Island where she lived a peaceful existence to live with us, flaws and all. She believes in us, which may just be her most inspiring trait of all.

Be sure to check DCComics.com again tomorrow for another moment that mattered in 2016.