WARNING: Contains Potential Spoilers for BATMAN: GOTHAM BY GASLIGHT - THE KRYPTONIAN AGE #3!

While Wonder Woman is the Princess of Themyscira, she is rarely seen working with other Amazons outside of the Wonder-Family, and even those team-ups are infrequent. Diana Prince’s alliances typically involve Batman, Superman, and other heroes from "Man’s World." Thus, the recent introduction of Diana leading an all-Amazon team in one of DC’s Elseworlds titles was a refreshing and much-needed addition to Wonder Woman’s lore.

DC needs to recognize the epic potential of Diana’s Dozen and bring them back to comics.

The sequel to the fan-favorite Elseworlds series, Batman: Gotham By Gaslight, continues in issue #3 of Andy Diggle and Leandro Fernández’s Batman: Gotham by Gaslight - The Kryptonian Age. This installment further expands the lore of the 19th-century-inspired alternate universe, introducing new characters, including Wonder Woman.

Among the many revelations about the Amazon Warrior, the debut of Wonder Woman’s short-lived all-Amazon team, Diana’s Dozen, stands out as one of the most intriguing. Although their appearance is brief and outside of main continuity, the addition of Diana leading an elite group of twelve Amazon warriors is one of the most exciting updates to her lore in recent years.

Diana's Dozen: Wonder Woman Reveals She Once Led an Elite Group of Amazon Warriors

Diana's Amazon Sisters ed Her to Save Humanity

Batman: Gotham by Gaslight - The Kryptonian Age #3 completely reimagines Wonder Woman, giving her a new origin in which she and her sisters reside in the hellish realm of Skartaris, located within Earth’s hollow core, instead of on the island of Themyscira. However, this wasn’t always the case; the Amazons originally lived on Themyscira until the “Doom of Krypton” fell upon Earth, forcing the survivors to migrate to Skartaris. While the details remain vague, Wonder Woman makes it clear that despite this cataclysmic event happening eons ago, the Amazons still consider the Kryptonians their ancestral enemies.

When the seers of the Amazons predict a second coming of the Doom of Krypton will strike Earth, the Amazons decide to leave the surface world to its fate. However, Diana refuses to abandon a world full of innocent lives, insisting they must help if they can. In the end, twelve of her Amazon sisters choose to stand with her, journeying to the surface to save as many lives as possible. These twelve warriors become known as “Diana’s Dozen.” Thus, Wonder Woman’s elite Amazon task force was born from her comion and determination to save humanity.

Batman: Gotham by Gaslight - The Kryptonian Age #3 Marked the Debut AND the End of Diana's Dozen

Diana's Dozen Had So Much Story Potential, But It's Understandable Why They Were Killed Off

As previously mentioned, Diana’s Dozen were short-lived due to the perilous nature of their journey to the surface. Wonder Woman reveals through her memories shared with Adam Strange that she and her sisters set off for the forbidden world of men. However, they soon discovered that the paths to the surface had been destroyed by earthquakes and nightmarish creatures. Their quest to reach the surface turned into a desperate battle for survival, leading to their gradual fall, until only Wonder Woman remained.

Thus, The Kryptonian Age #3 not only introduced Diana’s Dozen but also marked their end. While this outcome makes sense from a narrative perspective, it's still disappointing that such a compelling addition to Wonder Woman’s lore was so short-lived. The concept of Diana leading a group of twelve elite Amazons is inherently badass, and it would have been even more impressive if this idea had been explored in greater depth beyond just a few s. It would have been particularly interesting to see each member of the Dozen developed as an individual character, with unique designs, personalities, and relationships with both each other and Diana.

The Off-Page Journey of Diana's Dozen in The Kryptonian Age Would Make an EPIC Black Label Mini-Series

There's a TINY Chance Diana's Dozen Could Return to Comics

Even though Diana’s Dozen was killed off in the Gotham by Gaslight series, fans would undoubtedly welcome a spin-off mini-series that delves deeply into Wonder Woman and the Dozen’s journey to the surface world. Despite the plot being relatively straightforward, exploring this off-page journey from The Kryptonian Age #3 has significant story potential. Given that all but Diana meet their end, this would be a particularly grim tale. However, it would be a perfect fit for DC’s Black Label imprint, known for exploring darker storylines outside of main continuity. Hopefully, DC recognizes the epic potential of Diana’s Dozen and brings them back into Wonder Woman lore.

Batman: Gotham by Gaslight - The Kryptonian Age #3 is available now from DC Comics!