DAMN Good Comics -- SENSATION COMICS FEATURING WONDER WOMAN #1

Think Batman, Robin, Nightwing and Batgirl are the only ones who can protect Gotham City?  Think again.

After the recent digital anthologies Legends of the Dark Knight and The Adventures of Superman, DC Comics is now focusing on the remaining member of their Holy Trinity with the release of Sensation Comics Featuring Wonder Woman #1.  The title may be a tad clunky, but there's no denying the appeal of a series that isn't overly dramatic like the current Wonder Woman ongoing and confined to only The New 52 continuity.

In the opening two-part story "Gothamazon," former Wonder Woman writer Gail Simone returns to one of her favorite characters with the simple, but effective story premise of what would happen if Wonder Woman was called in to save Gotham from an army of Batman's biggest enemies.  And if that isn't enough to hook you, the setting is somewhere before the events of Flashpoint, meaning Wonder Woman gets to wear traditional gold instead of silver, Oracle (a Simone favorite) is in play, and The Joker thankfully still has his face attached.  Good times, good times...

Part One opens with Gotham's most notorious supervillains finally waking up and realizing how formidable they would be if they joined forces instead of fighting Batman one at a time.  After taking Batman, Robin and Nightwing off the board (to what extent, we don't know) with an explosion, the Batrogues proceed to take control of Gotham in less than four hours, forcing Oracle to look for help elsewhere.  Deciding that The Flash is "too kind-hearted," Green Lantern is "too cosmic," and Superman is "too noble," GoldiOracle calls in "the big guns," which are juuuust riiiiiiiight.

As for the art, Ethan Van Sciver (with colors by Brian Miller of Hi-Fi) blends some Pre-Crisis nods into his designs -- Two-Face wears his classic half-orange, half purple-checked suit, The Penguin wears his top hat with tails and white gloves -- while incorporating Batman: The Animated Series' original look for Mr. Freeze.  Although his artwork seems a bit rushed in places with some uneven anatomy, Van Sciver utilizes the digital panel layout well with a number of bold close-ups that create very striking images that enhance the overall story.

All in all, a very promising start to the series that should continue to entertain Wonder Woman fans with upcoming creators Cat Staggs, Chris Sprouse, James Tynion IV, Cecil Castellucci, Laruen Beukes, Caitlin Kittredge, Amanda Diebert, Renae De Liz and Georges Jeanty.  Be sure to check DC's digital comics store every week for more adventures with everyone's favorite Amazing Amazon!