Wonder Woman #199
Published and © by DC, March-April 1972
Title: “Untitled”
Synopsis: Diana Prince teams with Jonny Double in an effort to protect the “King of Beautiful Women.”
Writer: Denny O’Neil
Penciler: Don Heck
Inker: Dick Giordano
Review: Much like Marvel’s The Cat (see reviews), the depowered-Wonder-Woman stories of the early ’70s are wonderfully entertaining relics of their time. Feminism! Secret societies! Martial arts! Awkward, swinger romance! This issue has it all. It’s hard to judge this one as a superhero comic, but it’s certainly enjoyable.
•••
Title: “Battle of the Mermen!”
Synopsis: A young Diana attends a dance with a shy mer-boy, and offers a lesson of tolerance to his undersea world.
Writer: Robert Kanigher
Penciler: Ross Andru
Inker: Mike Esposito
Review: This reprint from 1960’s Wonder Woman #111 is well drawn, but it’s a silly little story with a heavy-handed moral.
Grade (for the entire issue): A-
Second opinion: “By 199, the series was back in the hands of O’Neil, who tried to turn Diana into a toned-down Modesty Blaze.” – The Slings & Arrows Comic Guide (second edition), 2003
Cool factor: Didn’t you see that Jones cover? Why are we having this conversation?
Notable: The “Battle of the Mermen!” story is credited to Charles Moulton. … According to new editor Denny O’Neil’s introduction on the “Wonder Woman’s Write-In” page, his Diana Prince loves to cook “Chinese vegetarian,” reads Shakespeare and Asimov, and listens to “middle Beatles, late Bob Dylan.” Yikes.
Collector’s note: According to the Grand Comics Database, there is a National Book Store of this issue.
Character quotable: “I’m allergic to foul caves full of maniacs! They give me pimples!” – Jonny Double, busting out the swingin’ small talk on Diana “Wonder Woman” Prince
Editor’s note: This review was originally published by Comics Bronze Age on June 22, 2010.
