Passed from hand to hand: Wonder Woman 151-163

I’m curious what was going on behind the scenes during this period. Following his initial Titans War arc, Eric Luke starts a new arc, leaves the book and we get multiple new writers contributing before Phil Jimenez, whose run I absolutely love, takes over as writer/artist in 164.

The new arc starts with Devastation working with Dr. Poison (daughter of the original WW II villain) to create the Pandora virus, something that unleashes the mythic archetypes we carry inside our minds. In #152 Diana thwarts the first manifestation but the virus is still out there.

Then comes a fun Mark Millar story (and I’m not a Millar fan) about Cassie Sandsmark dealing with her role as Wonder Girl, then a much less interesting story by Doselle Young involving the Zoroastrian deities (Ahura Mazda, Ahriman) running loose in Vegas. This arc also gives us Nubia, though this take is not Wonder Woman’s sister.

Then Eric Luke returns but no mention of the Pandora Virus. Instead it’s a plotline in which Devastation schemes to set Wonder Girl to kill Wonder Woman. Doesn’t work but it fits with Devastation’s manipulative nature shown in earlier stories.

Then comes a fun two parter in which Batman’s foe Clayface contrives to suck up some of Diana’s clay body, giving himself Olympian powers. Then comes a two-parter by Benjamin Raab that I can’t even remember.

It reminds me a lot the 1970s and the rapid-fire soft reboots as different writers took over the series. Fortunately Jimenez stuck around for a while — I’m five issues into his run and it holds up as well as I remembered it.

Covers by Adam Hughes. All rights to images remain with current holders.