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Because publishers want you to buy their product every month, comics are typically serial in nature. However, occasionally (and more often nowadays than ever before) publishers launch a comic title that is only meant to last for one issue. While ongoing series often have multiple chances to hook in new readers, the comics highlighted in this ongoing investigations only had One-Shot At Greatness!

Publisher: Amalgam Comics
Cover Date: April 1996
Cover Price: $1.95
Writer: John Byrne
Artist: John Byrne

When the DC and Marvel Universes merged in Marvel vs DC, a new one was created: the Amalgam Universe. This one-shot combined Wonder Woman and Storm of the X-Men into one concept.

Princess Ororo of Themyscira is a weather-controlling mutant who was orphaned at a young age in a shipwreck. She was found and raised by Amazons who, years later, selected her to bear the mantle of Wonder Woman. Now, the being who killed her father intends to do the same to her. But, can even an mutant Amazon defeat Poseidon?

Byrne pits our heroine against quite the heavy-hitter in this tale, all the while revealing her origin through flashbacks. The book is heavy on word balloons and thought bubbles but it’s not at all tedious to read. The art is undeniably Byrne’s work … the worst part of which is that I think he has a difficult time drawing girls with attractive faces. Interestingly enough, he wrote this comic as if it were part of an ongoing series (a practice that was executed in all the Amalgam books – they even went so far as to write a fake letters page and “next issue” box) and even goes so far as to set up a subplot (albeit briefly) involving a wounded Diana Prince that will never be resolved. However, it’s got me curious and I would certainly read the next issue … if it were ever published. And, that’s the sign of a good read!

On Ebay: Amalgam | John Byrne
On AtomicAvenue: Amalgam Comics