Sensation Comics Featuring Wonder Woman – issues 12 & 13

Back in August, I posted my thoughts on the first two issues of Sensation Comics – DC’s new digital-first title centred on their most famous female superhero, Wonder Woman. My verdict, you may recall, was little mixed; while there were certainly elements I liked, the overall quality of the final product was lacking in a few areas.

Image copyright DC Comics

Since then, I’ve been picking up some issues and skipping others, on a case-by-case basis. For the most part my opinion remains the same as it did after reading those first two issues. The rotating cast of writers and artists makes it an interesting novelty to see who’s working on the book each week, but this isn’t enough to sustain a title on its own. Some of the issues are good, but they’re unfortunately in the minority.

However, the most recent issues – #12 & 13—have seen things dramatically improve. Written by Michael Jelenic and pencilled by Drew Johnson, the two-part “Generations” is a darn sight better than what the last few weeks have thrown at us.

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It’s Queen Hippolyta’s birthday – and while that may not sound like a particularly intriguing set-up, the action gets going pretty quickly, as Diana is seeking a very special and very specific gift for her mother. We get a few flashbacks to Diana's childhood on Themyscira, but the bulk of the two issues is taken up by a surprisingly violent confrontation with arch-nemesis Cheetah. It’s lengthy, but never feels like it drags. And while the story ends in fairly predictable fashion, it’s nonetheless satisfying.

These are probably the best illustrated issues we've had so far in the series, which certainly doesn't hurt my overall opinion of them. Are they the best written? Perhaps not, but they definitely kept me engaged throughout the two issues.

Image copyright DC Comics

I hope this marks an overall improvement for the title. I hope that it continues -- the concept behind Sensation Comics is great, and I hope it continues for quite a while. 

So for the time being I plan to continue to keep an eye on this series, I’m more excited for December – apparently the last month of 2014 will be bringing us Wonder Woman ’77, a digital-first continuation of the 1970s Lynda Carter series, with cover art from Australia’s own Nicola Scott. And with David Finch taking over illustration duties on the regular monthly title, it's a good time to be a WW fan.