Comic book reviews for Sensation Comics Featuring Wonder Woman #4, Sensation Comics Featuring Wonder Woman #5, and Sensation Comics Featuring Wonder Woman #6 by Gilbert Hernandez, Rob Williams, Tom Lyle, Neil Kleid, Dean Haspiel, Corinna Bechko, Gabriel Hardman, Michael Jelenic, Drew Johnson, Adam P. Knave, and Matthew Dow Smith
Average rating: 3.6/5 stars
Sensation Comics Featuring Wonder Woman #4
No Chains Can Hold Her! Part 2 by Gilbert Hernandez
Again, I just don’t think Hernandez and I share the same comic aesthetic. He’s characters were wooden to me, but more they reminded me of old timey cartoons. Which is definitely a style beloved by many, but has never been my thing.
While I’m always for a team-up of female characters, this seemed too contrived. It was very much evil villains want to see some hot female superheroes fight against each other. But to what end?
I do appreciate that Hernandez’s Wonder Woman has hulking hard muscles and that you can see her strength. Though I’m not so sure about the dainty ankles.
Supergirl and Mary Marvel are very much girls here, and they are very girlish in their behavior. Perhaps it is why they don’t connect well with Wonder Woman, if only in adoration of someone much older and cooler than them.
Attack of the 500-foot Wonder Woman by Rob Williams
Art: Tom Lyle
Wonder Woman seemed extremely unconfident here, and that’s not typically a characteristic I would associate with her. Sure, she’s not used to being the size of a skyscraper, but you’d think she’d show some more balance and poise. The Atom doesn’t seem like a good armchair psychologist. And sure Byth was a giant monster, but Hawkman and Hawkwoman are pretty freaking strong on their own.
While I’m not sure how Wonder Woman did it, I liked that she used the golden lasso power on Byth. That it was then he shape-shifted back into his original form and asked for his true heart’s desire. I thought it was perhaps too cheeky that at the end Wonder Woman told him to stay on Paradise Island, he’d have to shift to a woman. I also don’t like it as Williams presents gender as a whimsical choice.
Lyle’s art reminded me a lot of the late ’80s/early ’90s Wonder Woman. Would’ve been great if he’d looked up some more recent looks or perhaps drew from inspiration from recent issue of this book. I hate when Diana’s outdated in her look.
Ghosts and Gods by Neil Kleid
Art: Dean Haspiel
I really wanted this story to be some good old-fashioned Diana and Etta Candy in action story. I loved seeing sidekick Etta and fat, but strong, Etta back in action. Sadly, Deadman spends most of the issue possessing Etta and trying to convince Diana that he’s real and a thing and helping her instead of Etta. Which means Etta faints and falls down a lot.
I am surprised that more villains — especially those like Ra’s al Ghul, who are obsessed with immortality — haven’t tried to steal the Amazon’s healing purple ray. I suppose that they do keep it a secret. So good on Kleid for going for that angle.
Mostly, I’m just not sure what Deadman adds to this story at all.
Sensation Comics Featuring Wonder Woman #5 by Corinna Bechko and Gabriel Hardman
Art: Gabriel Hardman
Always a huge fan of Hardman’s art, and I’m definitely interested to see how his writing career will evolve. I’m glad that he got an entire issue to tell his “Dig for Fire” story.
I can definitely see how the Amazons live in a culture that’s basically the opposite from Apokolips. And Hippolyta and Darkseid opposite types of leaders.
Diana is also not very good at going undercover. Despite how long she was undercover in the original comic books. She was always very obvious. Diana’s way too committed to justice and saving people to hide on Apokolips.
Of course, Diana finds the truth about what her sisters did. Especially them working with Lexcorp. That’s not something Diana would let go, nor Darkseid for a different reason. Even if Hippolyta did order it, the Amazons would never blame it on her.
This issue was strongest in how it portrayed Diana. She wasn’t going to let the Apokolipian people be destroyed, and she wasn’t going to let her sisters get away with genocide.
Solid story all around.
Sensation Comics Featuring Wonder Woman #6
Generations by Michael Jelenic
Art: Drew Johnson
This story tried to be a lot of things, and in the end, it was far too scattered. It would’ve been a far better mother-daughter story had we only seen Diana’s struggles to find the phoenix ash egg. She had the chase already. Cheetah’s insistence on getting the egg for herself and the drawn out battle only diluted Diana’s quest and gift.
Of course, no one wants to create quiet stories in superhero comic books.
Are Hippolyta and Phillipus dating? Because Jelenic writes them as if they are. They seem like two disappointed parents that their daughter isn’t home for her mother’s birthday.
The flashback to a younger Diana learning a lesson was okay. I don’t think there was quite enough foreshadowing about the egg being what Diana destroyed and what she was trying to make up to her mother.
Not Included by Adam P. Knave
Art: Matthew Dow Smith
Smith’s art wasn’t my favorite. The style was very sketchy and at times muddled. Especially during the fight scenes.
I’m always a fan of Barda and Diana teaming up. They are the best together. They seriously need to hang out more together.
Love Barda pushing Diana around by insisting on calling the gorillas “monkeys.” Loved this humorous exchange between two warrior women who often aren’t known for their humor. Or for even possessing a sense of it.
Join in on Wonder Woman’s adventures and read Sensation Comics Featuring Wonder Woman Vol. 1.
