A new look for Wonder Woman

"Diana is far too undervalued by this world. This must change."

So says a character in the landmark issue "Wonder Woman" No. 600 - and this issue goes a long way toward changing that.

Besides the development within that has hit the comic community with the force of a nuclear bomb (see below) it is clear DC made a conscious effort to make this issue special for fans, while reminding everyone what makes Diana Prince iconic, special and deserving of sales numbers and respect accorded the other two members of "DC's Trinity," Batman and Superman.

Virtually everyone who has made a substantial contribution to the Wonder Woman mythos the past two decades is included in No. 600. Gail Simone, who is credited with bringing stability and a modern sensibility to the character after a problematic relaunch a couple years ago, ends her run with a short story that accentuates WW's place in the DC Universe. Fighting alongside the majority of DC's top heroines, it is clear that even they are all in awe of her. Penciled by George Perez - who relaunched and recharged the character two decades ago, and who contributes one splash page of all the heroines charging into battle that is suitable for framing - the tale is a nice collaboration of the two chroniclers who have arguably done the most to shape the character in the modern era.

There is also a short but sweet team-up of Wonder Woman and Power Girl in which Amanda Conner exhibits her unique style as an artist and for humorous, edgy, envelope-pushing storytelling. Writer Louise Simonson explores the dynamic of the Superman/Wonder Woman relationship, while writer Geoff Johns explores what makes Diana tick. Oh, and there's a foreword by Lynda Carter to boot!

So while the last ten pages by J. Michael Straczynski may be getting the bulk of the media attention, this is a book worth every penny of its $4.99 cover price whether you agree with the new direction teased at or not.

New outfit not Wonder-ful

 

All of the aforementioned has been overshadowed by the massive changes Straczynski has made to the character, which is clear in those ten pages. Most evident at first glance is that the classic costume is gone. The red, white and blue swimsuit has been replaced by what Straczynski feels is a more modern, urban look (designed by DC co-publisher Jim Lee - see below).