JLA #90 (January, 2004)

The Steel Fang and his gang were getting up to extra heavy duty hijinks in Gotham City, so Batman called Wonder Woman for help. Diana figured it was at least partial as excuse for the pair to talk about their developing feelings toward one another. After all, they'd shared a strangely passionate kiss "before dying" not so long ago. When a goon called out for them to "get a room already," Diana asked Batman to be "gentle" as he tormented the mouthy dude into silence.

Back at the JLA Watchtower on the moon, Diana and Faith discussed the kind of love Dawn had for Manitou Raven to rebuild their live 3,000 years in their future. Faith turned out to be a romantic, but wasn't very good at love. Diana confessed "I've met Aphrodite. It sort of tarnished the romantic ideal." Faith thought Diana might have had a thing with Superman, which made Diana laugh. "HA! Oh, I'm sorry... Heh... I'm sorry faith. No... Superman and I are very very good friends, and that's all." Wonder Woman had just heard that line so many times before, and Faith agreed that it was best not to "dip your pen in the company ink. Nothing but trouble."

While dismantling a giant training robot with an ax, Diana considered Batman's good and bad qualities. Finally, she decided it was time for an answer, and asked the Martian Manhunter if she could use his Transconsciousness Articulator to work through the possibilities in a sort of virtual reality.

An eternal young Diana spent her final days with her husband; the aged, crippled, ever sarcastic Bruce Wayne; on Paradise Island before he died.

A ridiculous, fetishistic Batwoman severed a wife-beater's arm with her lasso while on patrol with a relatively nonchalant Batman.

The Joker had just about murdered Batman, who pleaded with Wonder Woman not to let it push her over the line. Diana rushed the Clown Prince, and took a faceful of squirting flower acid. Then she grabbed the Joker by the face and dragged his head across a wall. "My love is dead. And now, so am I."

Despite petitioning her gods and literally going through Hell, Diana was not allowed to bear Bruce Wayne's children. Still, she had saved his soul from darkness and made him a more optimistic (a fruitier looking) hero. They had a life together, and had elevated Gotham City to a clean, ornate metropolis rivaling Superman's town.

Diana came out of the Transconsciousness Articulator with a smile on her face and Batman hovering over her. He had considered undergoing the same treatment, but "I don't really want to see what's lurking around in my brain." Simultaneously, they agreed not to progress to a romantic relationship. "Bruce. It's possible... It's more than just possible that we could be wonderful together. There's equal potential for utter disaster. I love you... as a lifelong friend, a confidant, and ally, but I'm not willing to risk that to see if there's more. Are you?"

They hugged, and joked about how terrible things must have turned out in Diana's mind...

"Perchance..." was by Joe Kelly, Chriscross & Tom Nguyen.

I tend to hate stories where Wonder Woman hooks up with either of the World's Finest. I feel the relationship overshadows her, inflates the guys, and makes her seem like that chick in a group of male friends that ends up getting passed around. On the other hand, I vastly prefer the less common WW-Batman match to the incestuously boring and obvious Superman coupling. If Diana just wanted a nice guy with super powers to settle down with, she wouldn't have to wait around for Lois Lane to die. Diana spent all those years with Steve Trevor because he worked that balance between relatively capable arrogant dick and vulnerable himbo in need of loving guidance and salvation. There's some parallels to Batman, but it occurs to me that Dick "Nightwing" Grayson is way more of a Steve. Thoughts?

Also, while she's sometimes pushes the boundaries of sexed-up thickness, I rather like Chriscross's take on Wonder Woman. She was about a full head taller than faith, and ripped as heck, but still undeniably feminine. That is damned tough to pull off, and there are definitely panels here where I get more of a Big Barda vibe, but it's still good looking stuff.