Creative Staff:
Story: Sanya Anwar
Art: Sanya Anwar
Colors: Eva de la Cruz
Letterer: Travis Lanham
What They Say:
Wonder Woman’s search for missing socialite Natalia Close has taken a dark turn—can Wonder Woman convince the troubled mother to choose her real life over her villainous new persona…or was that life just a mask all along?
Content: (please note that content portions of a review may contain spoilers):
The conclusion newest storyline from Sensational Wonder Woman is the kind that I can really get behind. Though I love what we see in big collaborations with writers and artists, the writer/artist combo always draws me in a bit more as they’re able to bring what’s in their minds-eye to the page more clearly. Sana Anwar won me over with the first part of the story with the design work for it and it continues on well here. Visually, the book is really solid here with beautiful designs, a great sense of flow even as it jumps through different periods of time, and a cohesive design that still feels unique and exciting. The writing is just as strong as we get to know the character that is the focus of things here. Being the back half, it’s a bit more action than detective material but it still works strongly.
As Diana has learned so much about Nina at this point, it comes just as Nina herself is taking action and apparently seeking revenge. This isn’t too much of a stretch to believe based on what Diana has learned of her and when she discovers that even the house that she bought her mother is on fire, with her mother in it, it cements her understanding of what’s going on. This also plays out as her husband Brutus begins to realize that she’s shaking him down big time in the last few hours or so as she’s withdrawn ten million dollars from the various accounts and has bought herself a small mercenary force to protect her. And to allow her to get in to see her husband so she can have her revenge there as well.
The big confrontation at Close headquarters had Diana facing off against Nina’s goons, who are stupidly excited to take a shot at a superhero, but that’s all quick work. Most of what we get here is Diana trying to reach Nina in that she can still turn this around before she does some truly bad stuff and goes beyond a bad point when it come to her husband and child. Diana’s not able to fully reach through to her, as Nina is bonded to the mask she has now and what she’s fallen into, and that leaves her husband and child on their own (while being part of a big company, of course) and trying to move forward there. Brutus comes off better than one might expect based on initial presentation and there’s a really interesting somber aspect to the end of it.
In Summary:
Sanya Anwar’s story works well overall but it’s definitely the kind of two-parter that reads better together since it goes through such a narrative shift from detective story to action story. It unfolds well here with there being no clear winners when you get down to it and you have to readjust your view on almost everyone based on how it plays out. Anwar’s artwork looks great, the action works well, and the somber ending is one that resonates better than something where it’s all wrapped up tightly and easily.
Grade: B+
Age Rating: 12+
Released By: DC Comics via ComiXology
Release Date: April 7th, 2021
MSRP: $0.99