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This issue, together with the next two, form the basis of a three part event story to celebrate the Amazon’s 40th Anniversary. With a host of special female guest stars, the story is told over three ‘books’. Book One features a heroine known as Zatanna, who possesses magical powers. Once more, the Huntress back-up stories take a break for the next few issues, although she does make an appearance in this story line.

With regards to this ‘all star’ multi-part issue, cynics might argue that this was less about celebrating Wonder Woman’s past and more about securing her future. It might be seen as yet another attempt by DC to bring in new readers to the title by including some of the favourite heroines of the DC Universe at that time. By enticing fans of these other heroines to read a “Wonder Woman” title they might otherwise have ignored, the hope would have been that the fans enjoyed the action so much that they would remain faithful to the book and stick with it. This is further supported by the fact that Diana hardly even appears in Book Two and yet this is supposed to be her Anniversary!!

In a case of history repeating itself, 2001 marked Diana’s 60th Anniversary and the writer at that time, Phil Jimenez, produced a similar story in issues 174 and 175 (Volume Two) whereby Wonder Woman summons an army of super heroines to combat a common evil. He said at the time it was written as a tribute to the “Judgement in Infinity” story line, but also acknowledged that having guest stars in the book was a good way to entice more readers to ”come on board’ too!