When it comes to super heroines, goddesses and sheroes, there’s a clear #1. Diana Prince or Wonder Woman, has always been on the vanguard of feminine superherodom, and yet we can’t seem to get a good, let alone a consistent, Wonder Woman in the books. We’ve seen her as a sword-wielding God of War in the New 52, only to see her individual story arcs superceded by her male colleagues (*cough* Superman) in the Justice League. And the tragedies of the Superman/Wonder Woman book seems to be a read on Diana’s love life rather than showing that the strongest she-warrior of them all is capable of sustaining a healthy relationship. Lastly, there’s the sex-crazed Diana seen in DC’s latest animated film, Justice League: Gods and Monsters. Wonder Woman not only mentions sex three times in her battle alongside Steve Trevor, but celebrates her victory by pouncing on him afterwards.
Aforementioned blemishes aside, Sensation Comics has done an amazing job of making Diana more than an Amazonian princess. The title, an homage to the roots of princess D’s first comic appearance, is an anthology series that started on the web, but after weeks of success, was available in print. The beauty of the anthology is Wonder Woman living out so many fanboy fantasies (not those kinds, gurl) and doing things we’ve always wanted to see our lasso wielding champion do! Ever imagine Wonder Woman as a rockstar, or seeing her take on Gotham’s rogues gallery? It’s all here, beautifully written and illustrated by some of the best creators in the industry. (Gail Simone pens Wonder Woman’s Gotham take over with Ethan Van Sciver on pencils, and it...is...glorious!)
But the anthology is so much more than WW kicking the Joker’s ass. At the core of each story, Wonder Woman is very much so the feminist superhero icon she was meant to be. In a story by Amanda Diebert and Cat Staggs, we see Wonder Woman taking on the Amazonian Circle, while a young boy watches from afar admiring Wonder Woman’s strength. The boy is teased by his comrades for liking a “girl hero.” (Typical) Diana later comforts him, telling him there’s nothing wrong with loving a superhoine. Hold up, did Diana just address heteronormativity in a comic panel? Shit’s getting real,right?
But wait, there’s more! The book is incredibly charming and isn’t without a few LOL moments, as seen in Cecil Castellucci and Chris Sprouce’s Wonder Woman and Lois Lane team up. And if you’re in the mood for a bucket of feels, Noelle Stevens beautifully illustrates a teen Diana attempting to escape into “Man’s World”. The anthology reflects how each of us has been uniquely inspired by Diana. Whether your demon is a literal one (there’s a certain Slayer you can call if that’s your deal) or internal one, Sensation Comics seems equipped to give readers a Wonder Woman for every occasion.
You can follow my non superhoic adventures on Twitter @ralph_nerd