Sensational Wonder Woman #4 // Review
A conflict on Warworld reaches its conclusion as Diana, Artemis and Mongul clash in DC Digital First's Sensational Wonder Woman #4. Writer Andrea Shea brings an action climax to the story, vividly resonating across the page courtesy of artist Bruno Redondo and colorist Adriano Lucas. The quick, little 20-page excursion into a pulpy gladiatorial arena in space. Warworld looks incredibly beautiful in a strikingly powerful action sequence followed by a bit of storytelling that might feel a bit odd at the end of an issue. Still, the fourth in the shockingly brief weekly series makes quite an impression nonetheless.
Wonder Woman and Artemis of Bana-Mighdall have clashed in the deep space arena that is Warworld. What with things being as dodgy as they are on an entire planet centered around gladiatorial combat, it's unclear exactly how everything is going to end. Wonder Woman's idealism doesn't match with the brutality of merciless combat. This is going to place both her and Artemis in direct conflict with the ruler of Warworld: the massive, menacing figure of Mongul. Strategy plays strange games with ignorance and expectation as Artemis and Wonder Woman clash with the vicious, tyrannical ruler of an entire planet.
Shea's story has a rather strange plot structure that becomes apparent in the second of its two issues. The climax hits with six whole pages to go before the end of the issue. Those last six pages are post-hoc explanation. There's really no reason why this should work in a strikingly brief action story. Still, Shea's clever characterization of Diana and Artemis keep the story fun and interesting right through the final panel of the two-parter. Shea's overall story composition ultimately allows Artemis nearly as much time on the page as Wonder Woman, which makes for an appealing balance.
The aspect ratio of this year's DC Digital Wonder Woman series doesn't allow for a whole lot of periphery around the center of the action. Redondo and Lucas embrace the tight space of the issue with brutal bursts of action punctuated by some very tense drama and moments of exhilarating beauty. The issue opens on the delightfully surreal image of Wonder Woman and Artemis on a levitating scrap of land on an alien planet and ends with Wonder Woman's ship returning to Earth in a gorgeous star-scape. Wonder Woman strikes some very heroic poses, including a moment where she's staring down a towering Mongul in an image that is the very picture of heroic defiance.
The new weekly continues to slice its way through gracefully through the end of its first month with another satisfying story. The contrast between Wonder Woman, Artemis, and Mongul shines against a pulpy alien world's background. Sensational Wonder Woman might lack the appealing rhythm of one fully-rendered story per week that animated last year's Agent of Peace, but two consecutive two-part stories have their own appeal. The series has been a great deal of fun so far. If DC maintains this level of quality, Sensational should have a very satisfying run in 2021.
