Wonder Woman #799: Hello Diana, My Old Friend…

It’s the penultimate chapter of the end of an era, Michael W. Conrad, Becky Cloonan, and a who’s who of artists who take a trip down memory lane, giving readers these dream sequences of how they met Diana. Which scenes are the standouts? Which art team grabs your attention the most? Where will we go after this beginning? How will the CloonRad dynamic duo end this year’s long run, where they helped define Diana’s role in the Multiverse and finally confirmed that Wonder Tot is Diana’s own Fifth-Dimensional Imp? Well, there’s only one way to find out…

Not every story landed, but the art of this issue was more than serviceable, to be downright amazing, and made up for whatever shortcomings were found here. Each chapter has a different artist, giving each story a sense of wonder and adventure, whether it be the sassy sisters of the Holiday Girls and having a picnic with the girls or a rip-roaring experience over a war-torn Europe by Wonder Woman legendary artists Terry and Rachel Dodson, giving fans a little bit of everything that readers have come to know and love about Diana over the last 83 years, making this issue that much more enjoyable. 

The chemistry is unmistakable.

It’s a beautiful love letter from the creators to Wonder Woman and the world she comes from. CloonRad came on and immediately added some old and new elements to the Wonder mythos, and they immediately caught the fandom by storm. Whether it be the creepy utilization of Dr. Psycho, a new Villainy Inc., to add Deadman and Siggy to the supporting cast, they’ve taken readers on a journey to celebrate Diana and her world. The creators are as big of fans as we are, making this run feel a lot more personal. These two have waited years to bring their vision of Diana and her world, and while not 100% perfect, felt more intimate. Having enjoyed their run, I prepared to follow them everywhere they went. 

While there were so many artists, and I can’t speak about all of them, some hit the most. First up is the Dodsons. Terry and Rachel are no strangers to Diana and her world as they launched the third volume of Wonder Woman in the post-Infinite Crisis DC Universe in 2006, and continued by creating covers for Diana over the last 20 years, giving us some of the most iconic covers to grace the character. Reading their portion just gave was such a delight. Diana is strong, graceful, and beautiful, qualities that evoke so much nostalgia, leaving this reviewer clamoring with glee. 

Just pure brilliance

Also, Meghan Hetrick’s work on the Etta story is just plain fun, with some whimsical panel layouts. Seeing Minerva dressed up like the Golden Age Cheetah Priscilla Rich is a real treat. It’s so kitschy and harkens back to a simpler, less complex time for the cast. The team is giving us Lizzo energy, who’s full of confidence, and sass. This sequence was just fun, setting the tone for the rest of this issue. I was smiling at the very first page of Meghan’s part and continued for the remainder of the issue. One more issue to see whatever happened to the Warrior of Truth, and man, it’s gonna be so good.