Sensation Comics featuring Wonder Woman 1 & 2

A few months ago we reported on DC’s plans for online-first out-of-continuity Wonder Woman stories, reviving the name of the series that gave Princess Diana her first lead feature (but also making sure in the title that everyone knows that these are Wonder Woman comics). We thought that they might not be awful (high praise for DC these days). Well, now they’re out as regular go-and-buy-them-in-your-regular-LCS comic books, so we have to ask – are they any good?

Well, we were right: they’re not awful. And these days, that’s quite an achievement at DC. But it has to be said that they don’t really get much beyond ‘slight’. This is probably inevitable, as each issue contains one twenty-page story and one ten-page story, and all the stories are the products of different creative teams.

In issue #1, Gail Simone and Ethan van Sciver give us ‘Gothamazon’, a story in which Wonder Woman goes to Gotham to sort it out while Batman, Robin and Nightwing are incapacitated. It’s hardly the first time we’ve had a Diana in Gotham story (Phil Jiminez did it in Wonder Woman, vol. 2,  164-167, back in 2001), but that’s okay. The story is quite fun, and it is good to see Simone both writing Wonder Woman again, and writing Barbara Gordon as Oracle again. There are some nice touches, as Simone explores how Diana rejects Batman’s methods, and deals with Gotham’s villains in a way that actually might stick more than beating them up and sticking them in Arkham. Of all the stories here it takes the most advantage of being out of continuity. I like Van Sciver’s artwork (a bit Steve Dillon in places, a bit Marshall Rogers in others). But it’s not Simone’s best Wonder Woman story.

The short here is ‘Defender of Truth’, by Amanda Diebert and Cat Staggs. For the most part it’s a standard fight scene between Diana and Circe, but the last two pages turn the story into something rather different and very lovely.

In issue #2, Ivan Cohen and Marcus To bring us ‘Taketh Away’, a story in which it appears that the gods are undermining Diana’s powers. Of course, it turns out to be a Golden Age villain (as updated), who gets his comeuppance. The story raises some theological questions that it doesn’t really answer. But the art is rather gorgeous.

My favourite story, however, is the short here, Jason Bischoff and David Williams’ ‘Brace Yourself’, a charming story of the young Diana growing up, narrated by her mother.

I note that all stories here engage strongly with Wonder Woman’s Greek mythological heritage, as has generally been the case since George Perez revived the character.

Overall, these are good fun stories – nothing that is compelling and must-read, but okay.

And I’m afraid they don’t top the best WW story I’ve read recently.