Sunday, November 2, 2014

Sensation Comics Featuring Wonder Woman #12 Review

Written by: Michael Jelenic
Art by: Drew Johnson
Cover Price: $0.99
Release Date: October 30, 2014

I Liked it, Butt...



The last bunch of issues of Sensation Comics have been one-shots and while that's not really a problem, it's nice to see a longer story beginning this week.  In the first of a two-parter, Michael Jelenic pits Wonder Woman against her most iconic villain in an issue about family, honor and tradition.  Drew Johnson's art is good (except for one unnecessary panel at the end) and the story is a nice setup for what I hope is a good conclusion next week.


The issue opens with Wonder Woman doing a little bird watching in the Arabian wilderness.  Not much is explained, but it's nice to see a little Azzarello-like mythology make it into the weekly.  That vibe continues when the book shifts to Themyscira where a party for Hippolyta is going on with the pomp and circumstance that goes with such a thing.

When the book returns to Wonder Woman, we get to see what she's after and it's pretty awesome...a Phoenix Egg.  Michael Jelenic then introduces the villain of the story and she's even better than the Egg she wants to steal.  Cheetah runs her spear through Wonder Woman and it's game on.  You would think it would be a no-holds barred battle to the finish, but it's more than that.  As Cheetah sneers and spits out threats, Wonder Woman thinks back at what her Mother told her as a little girl on Paradise Island.  

Hippolyta taught her daughter that Peace is always the solution over War, no matter who you are fighting.  It's a hard lesson for the young Princess to learn, but now that she's facing Cheetah, it's obvious she did...kind of.  The issue ends with Wonder Woman having better aim then it first appeared, Cheetah about to be covered in rocks and Wonder Woman (or Drew Johnson to be more precise) making me feel a bit like a peeping tom.

This is one of those setup issues that is hard to rate on it's own.  I liked the mythological feel and I always love seeing Cheetah, but in the end, not much happened that isn't setting up for the second part next week.  I usually go with my gut feeling and it's pretty positive.

I liked Drew Johnson's art in this issue.  It had a classic look with plenty of detail.  I especially liked the brief scenes on Themyscira.  The part I've mentioned a couple times is a gratuitous butt shot that ends the issue.  It would seem out of place in any story, but it really did in a story about the strength and tradition of the Amazons.  I'll consider that a misstep and just move on.


Bits and Pieces:

I can always get behind a Wonder Woman/Cheetah battle and this one had a nice little twist.  While the entire issue was mainly setup for next week's finale, I enjoyed it and am excited to see how it turns out.  


7.5/10

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