Wonder Woman #226

Fascinating to me that so many who have posted reviews of '70s era Wonder Woman comic books reference them as 'Silver Age.' They are not. And though there are some discrepancies among serious collectors as to when eras end and others begin, the mid-'70s comics are absolutely Bronze Age books. What makes this two-part story so iconic for those of us who grew up with these books is that such an unlikely, even unwitting, villain as Hephaestus -- considered among the gentlest of Greek deities -- was chosen to battle the Amazing Amazon -- a wonderful surprise! The golden handmaidens are a beautifully illustrated reference to the god's mythic 'robots' that the ancient Greeks imagined he created to aid his lame limbs -- a wonderful nod to high-tech Olympus! Moreover, interest in the Wonder Woman comic was renewed around this time (sales had been flagging for years) thanks to the excitement and buzz of the television series starring Lynda Carter. Indeed, not long after this issue hit newsstands, the comic would 'return' to Wonder Woman's Golden Age-roots, to benefit from the success of the series (which was set in 1942 for its initial 14-episodes). José Delbo and Vince Colletta handle the artwork -- satisfying in its economy of line and simple grace. Trivia: The uncredited cover image of the Amazing Amazon was chosen for the now highly collectible, vinyl lunchbox issued a year or so later. As to the over-the-top action: Welcome to the '70s, folks, when heroes were truly larger-than-life, and displays of 'clever' solutions to challenges mixed brawn and might with, um, rather impossible ingenuity. But hey, we loved it!