Part 2 of the Taketh Away story is this week’s SENSATION COMICS. With the conclusion to the two part issue, Wonder Woman goes up against one of her oldest villains Cheetah but not all the battling is in public as she fights against her own inner demons.
Ivan Cohen continues his tale in week’s issue. Diana is still grasping at her mortal coil as she struggles with her god-like appearance in man’s world. It has been an interesting perspective but one that most people can relate too. I think all superheros have moments of self-doubt, mostly on the battle field or in a bad situation but not usually while walking around town. Though it’s all just a trick being played on the Amazon, it allows Cohen to delve into the mind of Wonder Woman with huge internal monologue pieces and find out what really makes the woman tick. The random occurrence to Cheetah showing up felt a little out of place but thankfully the story comes full circle with a powerful “believe in yourself” message at the end.
Immense praise to Marcus To and Andrew Dalhouse for the amazing artwork in the issue. The bold colors and bright features leap off the pages, teaming with details. Cheetah’s colors are spectacular and really give her the fantasy dimension that I always thought she should have. They also keep the females strong but feminine which is something that gets lost in Wonder Woman artworks, though both artists executed it perfectly. That really gave this story its own vibe and they were yet again another wonderful duo to showcase Wonder Woman’s little adventure.
Positives
I always love how strong Wonder Woman is. No matter what personal problems are plaguing her mind, she is on standby and ready to help out even in her sundress, though it wasn’t hiding anything from us. Cohen has done a great job in keeping the message of “believe in yourself” alive through the issue and getting the Amazon to never give up no matter what the odds. It’s great to see how powerful her presence is not only in the body but in the mind as well. The little twist of the doubts being planted in her head was also incredibly clever and I loved how well that blended into the concept.
Negatives
The paneling of the comic seems to lose a bit of the artwork. Favoring large, heavy panels leaves quite a huge chunk of white background to each page. With such stunning art, I wish the artists had decided to fill up the pages more but I noticed that to fit in the giant amounts of dialogue something had to be sacrificed. It slightly losses the flow of the artwork but doesn’t deter from its beauty. The random entry and exit of Cheetah also had me puzzled. I had been expecting a fight from the old foe but I wish she was had gotten her own story not just shoved into half an issue with slightly little purpose. For a moment I felt like I was watching an episode of the Brave and the Bold cartoon, where Batman’s villains have no point and are taken out far too easily.
Verdict
With this week’s story wrapped up, SENSATION COMICS continues onto another arc. Tackling the bravery within Wonder Woman as she continues her quest to live and be accepted in man’s world just the way she was born and protecting the world she has now grown so fond of.
Rating
