DC celebrates the 750th issue of Wonder Woman with a giant 96-page “extra-sized spectacular!” Edited primarily by Brian Cunningham and Brittany Holzherr, the massive issue features a major turning point for the hero and a host of supporting stories that do a remarkable job of outlining those things that have made Princess Diana such an interesting character over the past 75+ years. The main feature story is written by Steve Orlando with art by Jesus Merino and Vincente Cifuentes. Their finale to, “The Wild Hunt,” finds Diana boldly moving into new territory for the current series. The rest of the stories run a range of past, present, and near-future tales that celebrate one of the most enduring characters in popular culture. 

The feature story has Wonder Woman confronting Cheetah and Hera. The two women represent opposing forces in her life. She has a decision to make. So do they. It’s a very cleverly-crafted central story that gives Diana more of a leading role in her own life. Cheetah and Hera aren’t the only long-running recurring supporting characters who find their way into the giant issue. Also featured are Cerci, Ares, Vanessa Kapatelis, and more in a truly expansive series of stories.

Orlando’s story leans on Diana’s altruism a little bit heavily early-on. The inner struggle she finds in trying to support Cheetah feels a bit over-rendered. (William Messner-Loebs did a much more graceful job of rendering Diana’s nonchalant altruism in supporting Cheetah in the beginning of his run back in the early ‘90s.) That altruism is the core of Diana’s character that is elegantly echoed throughout the entire issue. Though there is physical aggression in nearly every story, the resolution never comes through physical action alone. It’s Wonder Woman’s relentless optimism in the face of adversity that makes her the hero she is. To the credit of the writers assembled in this issue, this altruism never feels stiff, awkward of grandiose. It is the product of tremendous courage and selflessness that is its own kind of totally wicked coolness. 

The artwork is generally well-paired to the stories featured here. Merino and Cifuentes give a climactic conflict quite a bit of weight and impact, but it’s the movement forward AFTER that conflict that proves to be really impressive. Elsewhere Colleen Doran gives a wistful moment of interpersonal drama a deep sense of beauty as Wonder Woman spends a little bit of time with Star-Blossom. Laura Braga gives an overwhelming sense of menace to the frustrations of Vanessa Kapatelis in her story. Riley Rossmo’s distinctively rubbery dynamic action serves a more endearing comic-action story impressively well as Wonder Woman is called home to deal with a hydra in a story cleverly written by Shannon and Dean Hale.

Cunningham and Holzherr have done an excellent job of refraining from any kind of overreach here. The 96 pages of anniversary are one hell of a lot of space to fill. A big anniversary like this often tries to overreach and go for a big, nostalgic look at the winding path that led its hero to this issue. Cunningham and Holzherr keep the project from reaching for anything too big to fit between two covers. The editors bring together tales of Diana’s virtues in a way that showcase the distinct brand of heroism that has made her so appealing for over three-quarters of a century.

Grade: A+