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At last, Azzarello’s incredibly slow paced epic reaches its climax and after three years it goes out with a whimper rather than a bang. Most readers had already guessed most of the revelations revealed at the end of the arc and even the climactic showdown between Diana and the First Born proved to be all rather predictable and under whelming – with Diana once again a bit player in several moments throughout the issue , although finally she gets her moment in the sun at the end. As a resolution it felt unsatisfying, with Hippolyta still (presumably) an animated clay Golem and the battle down on Themyscira between the Amazons and the forces of the First Born over/won?

Clearly, many readers felt that Azzarello’s very different take on the Amazon Amazon was a shot in the arm the character needed and polls indicated that many felt his run to be one of – if not -the best ever. Many however loathed almost everything he did – particularly the revised origin, the Amazons being portrayed as murdering child slavers and particularly Diana’s rather more aggressive attitude to everything – including now becoming the God of War.

With the new creative team of the Finch’s taking over from issue 36, interviews they gave clearly indicated that they would be focusing on bringing Diana back into the overall New 52 universe, versus Azzarello’s effectively stand alone tale. Some hoped that they might address or even retcon some of the more controversial elements of Azzarello’s run in order to mark their own stamp on the character.

Whether you were a fan or not of Azzarello’s time on Wonder Woman however, it cannot be denied that he certainly raised her profile and got people talking about this iconic character once again with passion. But tellingly, with the subsequent introduction of “Sensation Comics” and the forthcoming “Wonder Woman ’77” books, which focused on the more traditional and classic version of the character, it seems clear that even DC finally realised that it was rather premature to write off and say goodbye to that version of the Diana – as they had attempted to depict at the end of Issue 600.

So, as another chapter closed on the career of the Amazing Amazon, fans looked forward to what lie in store ahead as a new, and hopefully very different chapter commenced.