Ever wanted to read a comic but didn't know where to start? Interested in superheroes, manga, romance, webcomics and more? Look no further! We have all the recommendations you'll ever need.

Saturday 17 July 2010

Teen Titans: Spotlight: Wonder Girl


Writer: J. Torres
Penciller: Sanford Greene
Inker: Nathan Massengill
Colorist: Guy Major
Letterers: Pat Brosseau, Phil Balsman, Steve Wands
Publisher: DC

What's it about?
Cassandra Sandsmark, Amazon protege and warrior, has not had a good year.  To begin with she was involved in an epic stop-the-Apocalypse type of battle.  Then her boyfriend died and in her grief she joined a cult dedicated to bringing him back from the dead.  Then her Gods and her mentor abandoned her.  Her efforts to stop a war between the Amazons and the rest of the world backfired spectacularly.

There's a lot of dangerous Hydras out there she needs to stop and on top of all this her (possibly evil) brother Hercules turns up, requesting her help to stop a God killer.

She would really rather not be dealing with all this... 


What's good about it?
Not a massively successful mini series, this book is unexpectedly enjoyable.  The Greek mythology is interwoven well with the story to produce a modern, relevant installment of the Gods among us. 
There's also some great cameos from Wonder Girl's peers, for example Supergirl, Robin and some other members of Young Justice.

It's a tightly bound, excellent standalone book.  Given the age of the protagonists and the execution of the book, this would be a good choice for a teenager or an adult.  Cassandra is a great heroine for young girls - I wish I'd known about her when I was growing up!

What's bad about it?
It's a good solid book where the writing and the art are both of a high standard and complement each other well.  Any criticisms would be tantamount to nitpicking.

What's the art like?
Expressive and respectful.  The colours are bright and the character's builds are realistic.  It seems to me to be reminiscent of cartoons like Justice League Unlimited or the Brave and the Bold.  Its got a lot of energy, but it's delivered in a simple fashion.  The characters' faces look welcoming - for a book aimed at teenagers this art provides the sort of superpowered teenager you'd want to be.  Powerful and competent.

The layouts vary throughout the book and add to the reading experience.  The penciller has adapted some of the more revealing costumes and made them more acceptable to a wider audience.  All costumes are suitable for battle and the armour is obviously amour.







Other Information
ISBN: 140121830X
Price: £12.20

If you are interested in this Wonder Girl and her young friends, may I recommend Teen Titans: Vol 1 - A Kid's Game.  The cover is horrible and an example of disrespecting your female characters, but the art inside the book is nothing like the cover.  It is well worth a read.

No comments:

Post a Comment