Review: Sensation Comics #4

Earlier this week, I reviewed the first part of 'No Chains Can Hold Her', the Wonder Woman story by Gilbert Hernandez that ran through Sensation Comics #4.

I will cover the second part here.

As I said before, this is really a Silver Age story, with a classic Supergirl, and in this part a classic Mary Marvel co-star with Wonder Woman. Unfortunately, for the bulk of this story, Diana is under the control of Kanjar Ro and fighting the younger heroes.

Since Supergirl shines, and since it is a great homage to the Silver Age, and since the art is mesmerizing in its simplistic beauty, I love this story. That said, I do wonder what Diana fans feel about this given she is in the background of her own book's story.

Remember, Wonder Woman is hypnotized by Kanjar Ro. And Supergirl has followed along to help. I love that the colorist got the skirt color right in this issue. Supergirl should be pure Silver Age here, in the blue skirt!

I love Supergirl's opening statement, relaying she is as strong as Superman. And having Kanjar Ro call her an adolescent pest is great!

Despite her youth, Supergirl is mature ... and noted to be so by Diana. Supergirl knows that this fight is only for the leering enjoyment of Sayyar and Kanjar Ro.

In fact, the smiling faces of the villains confirm it. Ro even says that fight of two women is for their entertainment. Creepy.

This is a silver age story and it has some DC cosmic in it.

So I was thrilled ... THRILLED ... that we got this one-panel guest, Hyathis! I am a big Hyathis fan! And even she is feeling the reverberations of the Diana/Kara fight.

Hyathis!!!

Things get even wilder when Kanjar Ro uses his technology to bring Mary Marvel into the battle from her home world ... presumably Earth S! Remember this is the Silver Age.

Mary immediately thinks this is some plot and Supergirl and Wonder Woman are evil robots. Just like that it's a brawl.

I love Wonder Woman's indignation over dealing with 2 super-powered 15 year olds. So much is conveyed by the look away, the crossed arms, the flat expression! Wonderful.

In the most hysterical sequence, Mary and Diana use Kara as a weapon, battering each other with the Maid of Might. That is crazy funny.

There was something almost Tintin-esque in the art here.

But how can you not chuckle looking at this sequence.

It ends even better.

After being humiliated, used as a range weapon, Supergirl blasts both of the other heroes with her heat vision, incapacitating them, and allowing her to confront Kanjar Ro.

Look at that expression on her face. Exasperated!

Great art throughout here.

Seriously, Ro has lots of tricks. He has a Kryptonite beam in his ship which floors Supergirl.

Luckily, Mary Marvel and Wonder Woman recover and head to the ship. Wonder Woman is even free of the hypno-ray effects; they were burned away by the heat vision.

I love the contrast in figures between Mary and Diana.

Mary has to streak Supergirl to a nearby sun to revive her. Kanjar Ron doesn't think they will survive.

But of course they do! After the brief skirmish, all the heroes are smiling. I even like Kara and Mary holding hands. And one leg behind the other, daintily, almost like a curtsy, is perfect for these young women. There is that sweetness of the 50's in this story.

I do think it is telling that Kanjar Ro says that Supergirl and Mary Marvel did the 'heavy lifting'. It is true, the younger heroes were the dynamic characters for most of this story.

The only way to get everyone back where they need to be is to have the three heroes fly into each other at top speed, the resulting energy flinging Mary back home. We even get a peek at Earth S and the Marvel family.

And Wonder Woman and Supergirl head back home.

I absolutely love that last panel. Wonder Woman with a big smile, talking about having a girls' night out.

There is a silliness to this story, akin to many Silver Age stories. But for me, it read nostalgic not anachronistic. How great was it to read a sweet Supergirl trying to do the right thing. Or a Mary Marvel who fights for what's right?

And the art is perfect for the piece.

These tend to be dark times in comics with futures ending in both of the big two. I'll take a moment of insanity as a break from the dour anytime!

Overall grade (whole story): B+

Review: Sensation Comics #3

For those who come here, they will know I loved the Superman related digital-first titles: Smallville and Adventures of Superman. Adventures of Superman was a classic anthology, different teams, tenor, art styles. The best stories in that book seemed to revolve around Superman being an inspiration. It was like reading about the big picture of who Superman is in theory. I loved it.

So far, Sensation Comics has read much more like a true anthology series. There are wildly different feels to the stories I have read here so far. And that has made this an interesting book for me. Some stories are inspirational. Some are humorous. Some are straightforward action.

One story, which ran partly in Sensation Comics #3 and finished in Sensation Comics #4 is worth reviewing here because it is very Silver Age, with classic Silver Age villains and a Silver Age Supergirl. It also is done by comic legend Gilbert Hernandez.

'No Chains Can Hold Her!' is written and drawn by Hernandez and his style of art. I do wonder how Diana fans reacted to this story because Wonder Woman is more a victim in this story. Indeed, Supergirl could be considered the hero of the tale.

But I love just how big and powerful Hernandez portrays Wonder Woman. She is huge and muscular! No big surprise that no chains can hold her! The style is simplistic. But it oddly beautiful.

The plot is relatively simple to start. Wonder Woman investigates a spaceship that has landed. Initially she is chained by robots. Hernandez refutes the old lie that being chained by a male depowers Diana.

Robots aren't men. But regardless, it doesn't work.

And nothing like 'lasers and bracelets'.

It turns out that Sayyar, the lizard emperor of planet Llaarr is working with his enemy Kanjar Ro to take over the galaxy.

Somehow, Kanjar Ro has a hypnosis ray which will only work on Earth born. He wants Diana to be his zombie slave and warrior.

Now Sayyar calls Diana an invincible warrior, a symbol of courage and strength. And his flattery distracts her so much that she is captured in that hypno-ray, rendering her powerless and enslaved.

That seems weird, for Diana to be so taken by the words to lose focus. And to have the hero defeated in her own book??

But look who is watching! Supergirl. A red-skirted Supergirl!

So she should really be a blue-skirted Supergirl because she is pure Silver Age here. Luckily, that color error is fixed in Sensation #4.

But read that word balloon. Superman not wanting her to investigate things, wanting her to stay hidden. That is pure 'stay in the orphanage until you know how to control your powers' is pure early Action.

I do love how Hernandez has her defy him, knowing the right thing to do.

Those crossed legs, almost shy and coy, evokes that feeling too.

At last we have the ship land and meet old JLA villain Kanjar Ro who is in complete control of Diana. An 'easy Earth girl'?

Luckily Supergirl is there and ready to rescue Wonder Woman.

Does that make this a Supergirl story?

Anyways, I find it charming, even if Diana is almost a non-entity in her own book. The art is odd but hypnotic. It is classic Kara. And it has some DC cosmic to it. I liked this first part ...

What about you? Any Wonder Woman fans want to comment??

Overall grade: B+