REVIEW: ‘Wonder Woman 80th Anniversary 100 Page Super Spectacular,’

Wonder Woman 80th Anniversary 100 Page Super Spectacular is published by DC Comics, written by Michael W. Conrad, Becky Cloonan, Tom King, Jordie Bellaire, Vita Ayala, Amy Reeder, Steve Orlando, Mark Waid, Stephanie Phillips, and G. Willow Wilson, art by Jum Cheung, Evan “Doc” Shaner, Paulina Ganucheau, Isaac Goodhart, Laura Braga, Jose Luis Garcia-Lopez, Marcio Takara, Meghan Hetrick, Nick Robles, Brittney Williams, David Marquez, Gabriel Picolo, Nicola Scott, Anette Kwok, Daniel Warren Johnson, Dani, Janaina Medeiros, and Amy Reeder, colors by Marcelo Maiolo, Kendel Goode, Jeremy Lawson, Marissa Louise, Romulo Fajardo Jr., and Trish Mulvihill, inks by Joe Prado, with letters by Pat Brosseau, Clayton Cowles, Becca Carey, John Workman, Carlos Mangual, Clem Robins, and Rob Leigh.

It’s time for another ginormous 80th anniversary spectacular in honor of one of DC Comics’ legendary characters. This one though has a special weight to it beyond the fact that it commemorates 80 years of tales filled with adventure, heroism, and justice. With Diana still being believed dead by some following the events of Dark Knights: Death Metal, Wonder Woman 80th Anniversary 100 Page Super Spectacular at times takes a more somber tone to some of its tales. This is particularly true of its opening story.

The first, and in my opinion best, of this anthology of stories centers around Steve Trevor and a documentary he has begun making of Diana in the wake of her apparent passing. Writers Conrad and Cloonan do a remarkable job of capturing all the elements that have made Diana such a power through the years, tinged with the grief of one looking back on a love they believe is lost. This fantastic script, coupled with the wonderful art created by Cheung and colors by Maiolo delivers a moving tale that sets an impossibly high bar for the rest of the book to follow.

While Wonder Woman 80th Anniversary 100 Page Super Spectacular never manages to equal this lofty peak again, the rest of its stories are all enjoyable tales that highlight the many faces and roles Diana has carried over the years. From Bellaire’s continuing exploration of a young Diana on Themyscira, to Diana as an ambassador to the United Nations, powerfully laying down a challenge for all the “World of Men” to accept, each story brings something unique, inspiring, and completely Wonder Woman.

Just as varied as the stories within is the art one will find filling the 100 pages of this book. Everything from recreations of classic comic visuals, to examples of the most modern of designs and techniques, are on display here. The variety of art helps further emphasize just how long Diana has been saving humanity.

The final element of Wonder Woman 80th Anniversary 100 Page Super Spectacular is the lettering. The lettering does a great job of both delivering the stories here in a clean, easy-to-follow manner and making sure the lettering fits in with the unique presentation of each story.

If there is any complaint I could leverage against this book it is the surprising absence of any of the various Wonder Girls. While Yara is perhaps too new to make an appearance, the fact that Donna and Cassie only ever appear in one of the many lovely pin-up pages between stories greatly surprised me. With so much of Diana being explored here, I was surprised that her relationship with those most closely following in her footsteps isn’t touched on.

When all is said and done, Wonder Woman 80th Anniversary 100 Page Super Spectacular delivers a series of wonderful tales celebrating the adventures of one of comics’ most iconic characters. It is a spectacular read for fans new and old of the Immortal Wonder Woman.

Wonder Woman 80th Anniversary 100 Page Super Spectacular is available now wherever comics are sold.