2023 EDIT: This was written before N.D. Stevenson's coming out.
Original Review:
I rarely read graphic novel sequels, but a friend of mine recommended this one to me, and given how much I love Wonder Woman, and my hearing good things about it, I quickly bought it.
In conclusion, yes, 'Sensation Comics Featuring Wonder Woman Vol. 2' is as good as the previous installment, if not better, with just as many diverse stories in its anthology collection.
Without further ado, as with my review of 'Vol, 1', I shall briefly share my thoughts on each story:
1. 'Generations' - Never has a quest to capture a phoenix egg been so bloody. Part Wonder Woman and Cheetah fight, part Diana and Hippolyta mother-and-daughter bond. It is violent and gruesome, containing subtle symbolism and surprising heart, and the artwork is glorious, magnificent! From the ashes, a dawn of a new layer of love between mother and daughter is birthed!
2. 'Not Included' - Finally, a Wonder Woman and Big Barda team-up special! Containing no men to help them out, as they come up against the Brotherhood of Evil. The ending is unconventional and peaceful, suiting Wondy as a character brilliantly. Her banter and opposing nature to Barda is nicely handled.
3. 'Venus Rising' - Ehhh, I don't know, I think this is one of my least favourites. The art is nice, and Wonder Woman's hijab superhero costume is great. She uses modern slang, but I don't mind, as she has been in the world-saving business for a long time - though you wouldn't know it by what high profile men say to detract her. She still cares for all life. And she's in space. The treatment of women in the public eye and in STEM fields is critiqued- it sets up a friendship between Diana and the only female astronaut (also a POC) on the station - but it doesn't relate to the story at all, and is mostly brushed aside once the action starts. The ending is very rushed. It's just a really weird science-fiction yarn.
4. 'Rescue Angel' - Without a doubt the best of this collection. Written by Amy Chu, it is about a female lieutenant of colour named Angel Santiago becoming a hero, rising above sexist expectations as a comforting feminine presence for Afghan natives to talk to; who is told to smile for the cameras. The older village women have set up all-girls' schools in defiance of the Taliban. Angel saves the men of her unit from a terrorist attack single-handedly, or does she? Is that Wonder Woman helping her out, giving her strength, inspiring her with her peaceful values? This story was made to highlight how Wonder Woman as an icon has inspired all different kinds of women the globe over, to be brave and strong. To be heroes. Wonder Woman is like a goddess figure here; briefly glimpsed, but her influence is undeniable. Fuck the patriarchy and its wars.
5. 'Sabotage is in the Stars' - Wonder Woman helps out a woman astronaut of colour and stops Lex Luthor's evil plans to ruin the space development competition in Lexcorp's favour. Wondy is more ruthless and quippy than is to my taste, but she's awesome and heroic all the same; assisting women in need whilst saving everybody's lives. Another achievement in the artwork department - many pretty crashes and explosions!
6. 'Wonder World' - And here it is, the one with Noelle Stevenson's art, about a fifteen-year-old Diana sneaking into man's world and stumbling across a carnival on a peer, where she makes fast friends with a girl with low-self esteem and her friends as they go up against a sexist boys' club. Plus two Amazon guards bicker and banter as they desperately try to find Diana and bring her home. It is pretty freaking adorable, even setting aside the suspension of disbelief as to how Diana could have left Themyscira and first came to man's world as a teenager. She's nevertheless badass as she navigates the world of the carnival; a microcosm of the misogyny she'll encounter in the rest of the world when she grows up. There's arcade games, dance-offs, realistic, repetitive teenage dialogue, ice cream, and above all, sisterhood. I love all the women and girls in this fun-tastic cartoon strip. 'Wonder World' - a roller coaster ride you never want to depart. Oh how I wish there was a Wonder World in real life!
7. 'The Problem with Cats' - Two little girls - sisters, dark-skinned - play with dolls as they imagine it is Wonder Woman fighting Cheetah, Circe and Medusa on the Isle of Cats to save Superman and Batman, the dudes in distress. The sisterhood dynamic is great, as is the little sister's love for Wondy; inspiring her to use her imagination and perform heroic feats, particularly in helping her big sister. Plus any context where Wonder Woman fights both Circe and Medusa is fun to me. Cute, Saturday morning-cartoony, and feminist.
8. 'Girls' Day Out' - A Wonder Woman and Lois Lane team-up. A critique on the sexist, degrading questions that interviewers ask famous female figures in pop culture. Both Wondy and Lois are great, and the superheroine reflects on how civilians will help her out in a jam, even when the patriarchy controls everyday life, and that there are different ways of handling threats. The two women make awesome friends. Not sure about the art, though; the women look too similar. Seriously, they could disguise themselves as each other if they swapped clothing and hairstyles.
9. 'VIP' - A fine reflection and critique on famous girls in the spotlight - be they actresses or pop superstars - as the patriarchy attempts to stunt their growth and creativity because "nice girls don't do those sorts of things". The executive meddling, the internet trolling, the death and rape threats - it all adds up to stopping female artists from becoming women, with agencies of their own, uncontrolled by men. A little power and freedom of choice, and misogynist men shit themselves in desperately trying to take back that power, through violent means. And lord help the women if they fail, even if the failure isn't strictly their fault. Anyway, Wonder Woman is hired as a bodyguard, fitness trainer, and general assistant to a Latinx starlet. Her new tour will make or break her career, and someone is planning to sabotage it; going so far as to apply deadly force. A favourite part is when Diana says, "The Lasso compels truth, but it can't stop mansplaining", and the starlet fixes the problem by punching the mansplainer right in the gob. Ms. Anthony, the girl's tutor and new head of security, is a badass, big dark-skinned woman. The diversity of the women in this anthology, who also support one another tirelessly, is outstanding: this truly is Wonder Woman's work as it should be! Like in 'Rescue Angel', 'VIP' mixes real life with superheroics, and it has never looked so natural. And hopeful.
10. 'Casualties of War' - Why do the last stories of these collections have to be such downers? Diana faces off against a dragon in a city, and innocent civilians die all around, and Diana is forced to kill - a known survivor of a species at that. Violent and grisly, and not a fun or hopeful way to end a Wonder Woman anthology. 'Casualties of War' (war, hrumphh!), about a giant, terrorizing, fire-breathing dragon, succeeded in leaving me cold.
Well, that's it.
So 'Sensation Comics Featuring Wonder Woman Vol. 2' comes recommended by me. What groundbreaking, modern ways the superheroine - as an icon of feminism - is interpreted in these short stories! High standards are set, helped by the best artwork.
Enjoy!
Final Score: 4/5
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