Greetings comic lovers and welcome back to casually comics the channel where we chat
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When it comes to comics there are some characters who have had their mantle passed on many times
or inspired a slew of legacy or at times completely knock off characters.
Wonder Woman is an interesting case as her first spin off Wonder Girl was created by
accident, a creator misunderstanding that Diana had adventures with both her teen and
toddler self but that they were all her and instead assuming that she was teaming up with
different girls.
This first Wonder Girl would be given the identity of Donna Troy and would have complex
origin after complex origin thrust upon her.
As we have dedicated a few videos to which I will link to down below.
However DC wasn't done with the wonder girl code name just yet, and a vacancy was created
when Donna Troy moved beyond it becoming Troia.
This new wonder girl would be Cassandra or Cassie Sandsmark.
She had a bit of a journey to becoming wonder Girl she didn't start off there but instead
first appeared in Wonder woman 105 in 1996 as a supporting character or rather the daughter
of a supporting character.
She would be an active support character across many titles for years through various crises
and even reboots there was Cassie/.
So she did develope a loyal fanbase and there are still those who feel she was shortchanged
and never really got a chance to shine on her own.
Which some feel she was capable of.
Some wish she had been given the chance Yara Flor the third wonder girl currently time
of recording was for those of you in the future given of an ongoing solo series.
The thing is Cassie kind of sort of had that happen, in a way but alas it was a mess.
So let's take a look at a forgotten 2007 mini series called Wonder Girl: Champion.
But before we get started I'm Sasha and if you're enjoying this content you know what
to do hit that like button and that subscribe button join us on this comic book journey.
Now while Cassie may be beloved by her fanbase there are still many out there who greet her
existence with a who?
So just who is Cassie, let's give you some cliff notes well she is the daughter of doctor
helena sandsmark and the god Zeus, she is a demigod who eventually finds her way to
heroism as she admires wonder woman but more specifically Donna Troy the former wonder
girl.
It's to the point that during her time on Young Justice she wore a black wig to emulate
her and also secret identity but most importantly wiglife.
Donna also gave her the second costume she ever wore as Wonder Girl but she was afraid
to wear it cause she didn't want to ruin it.
Cassie's mother had the ability to remove her powers at a touch so had to go through
an arc of acceptance and letting her daughter go and be the hero she wanted to be.
She has a complicated relationship with the God Ares her half brother who has sought to
know her better and given her some sweet weapon upgrades but has also used her an anchor to
the world so you know pros and cons.
She was in a relationship with COnner Kent, Kon El and it was presented as an endgame
type deal.
She'd had a crush on him since the young justice days and flash forwards to the future would
show them together.
However when Conner :"died" she found comfort and a complicated rebound romance with his
best friend third robin Tim Drake.
She was a key member of the updated roster of Teen titans and would be tied closely always
to Wonder Woman's lore.
Then the new 52 happened and she was given a new edgy backstory she was a teen thief
and runaway who stole the the weapons that has been given to her by diana previously
This time her dad was a demi god son of zeus and wonder woman's half brother so she was
related to Wonder Woman.
Why cause why not?
But we don't need to dive into that quagmire cause our mini series is from 2007 so pre
new 52.
So nice girl Cassie lives.
This series wonder girl champion is really more of a mini series and completely tied
into the events of the time it flows off of the Amazons attack arc wherein the Amazons
were manipulated by Granny Goodness into attacking the Capital after Man's world had detained
Diana after she neck snapped maxwell Lord.
So you know it could be better.
The series spanned 6 issues but for all that happens it could really be three.
It was written by J Torres, the J is for Joseph I dunno it was a mystery I just needed solved
so there you go.
The art is by Sandford Green and the colours by Nathan Massengill
The header at the top of the first issue which states from the pages of Wonder Woman and
Teen Titans is accurate cause if you weren't reading those two books or just following
DC closely at that time you would be lost, lost I say.
Following the Amazons attack incident public opinion on the Amazons' is pretty low and
Wonder Girl was directly involved in an incident that resulted in the president being wounded
so she is also specifically being called out.
She's gone into hiding under the name Drusilla which is a nod to the name of the Wonder Girl
on the 70s tv series and her mom is in hiding in a separate location.
The opening gives you a cliffnotes on her backstory but also if you jump in with no
reference points is still a little too vague.
The first issue sees her calling her mom, having to team up with Robin who she had kissed
over in Titans so they're in a weird place and having to help capture a battle beast
from the attack in washington.
As the beast charges she is startled at the appearance of her half brother Hercules.
Which is played up by the fact that this issue was called the labours of Cassandra which
is a cutre Greek reference but she also did two things.
Sooooo
Issue 2
Opens with the cliffnotes for Hercules who is following the disney tradition if adopting
his roman name when he should be using his greek one.
Heracles doesn't sound that terrible does it?
Basically hercules went mad cause of manipulation by Hera and circe and he became a killer and
he's constantly having to atone and do labours and for some reason he was chained to a stone
line Loki for a bit.
He tries to invoke their sibling bond but she doesn't want thay.
He tells her that Zeus has a mission for them which surprises her cause no one has heard
from Zeus since the amazon attack.
You know cause he's hiding from the bad pr just kidding he was captured
She says she has a family Donna and Diana but he counters with oh really where are they.
He hasn;t told her what he wants specifically but she tells him to go away or rather
Just stay out of my way and we're golden like fleece
My soul it hurts
She tries to talk to Diana in her civilian identity as a secret agent but get rebuffed
and Hercules just follows her around the rest of the issue taking different forms for days
all the while referencing current canon yelling things at her like you attacked the president.
And he even sends her some new armour and by sends I mean turns into the deliveryman
and gives them to her.
And for some reason she wears it, she says it;s cause it;s semi cool looking but Cassie
is meant to be torn as to what she should do but really most of what we've seen is her
being annoyed by him.
And all of this didn;t need to take a whole issue
After he sees her out in the armour he assumes oh hey so you're joining me and then they
proceed to have the exact same argument that had at the start just different phrased they
even repeat the fallout of oh where are Diana and Donna.
Then the female furies show up
Issue 3
Little splash page about who the female furies are.
Sidenote Lashina has the silliest costume and I love it.
They say they want to form an alliance that they've been in talks with hercules and so
finally we get some idea as to what he wants because that was never answered last issue
And oh boy get ready.
There's a god killer out there and they've already killed lightray a fod fro new genesis.
So Hercules has been persuaded to believe that that means maybe they'll eventually come
for the pantheons on Earth.
Listen herc I didn't stretch this morning it's going to be a little hard for me to reach
that far.
Cassie wants to know why aren't zeus or ares or athena doing something ans Hercules says
that zeus works in mysterious ways and not to question.
Yeah he keeps using monothistic judeochristian idioms but applying to them Zeus.
Bloody mary brings up that they;re being watched which I only mention cause it will matter
later.
Cassie leaves again saying she wants nothing to do with this but Herc tells the furies
cause calling them female furies is a bit redundant that he just needs one more shot.
Cause the 75th time is the charm.
You gotta work that tenacity like Sam from Green Eggs and Ham.
Cassie goes to talk to Connor at his grave shaken by all the things hercules has been
saying to her and feeling alone and abandoned when suddenly Connor is there yes that is
supposed to be connor.
She's overjoyed and belives it could be him cause this is the DC universe and I mean Superman
came back to life so why not.
Only psych it's Hercules cause what better way to get someone to team up with you then
pretending to be their dead boyfriend.
He pitches that maybe if they save the Gods they'll bring Connor back that they could
restore the amazons who were scattered memories lost at the end of Amazons attack
That if they fail they can create a new olympus be the new gods and she will be his queen
cause he says Zeus and hera were brother and sister so.(crickets)
This fails and she leaves again
So the furies who had only wanted Hercules cause they wanted Wonder Girl to bring to
Granny Goodness.
So they decide it's time for their approach which is much more effective than stalking
her, they Lashina kidnaps her mom.
Issue 4
Our starting blurb this time is Cassie's mom.
The furies know all they have to do is wait and indeed Cassie is there in record time
Where is my mother!!!??
She's taking them down pretty handily at first but there are too many and she gets crushed
by Stompa
They need to leave cause Bloody Mary senses something is wrong and Lashina says they need
her alive cause if they kill her the plot can't happen.
So they leave and she's saved by a man who claims to be a "friend" of her mothers.
He is aristides a hero bearing the golden fleece who was assigned to keep her mother
safe in the early days for Zeus.
He says he senses that Zeus wants him to protect this family once more, also I mean he was
a "friend" of her moms
So it's round 2 Cassie vs the furies and a mind controlled hercules, but she didn't come
alone she brought friends.
Her moms friend aristides, robin, supergirl empress and Arowette.
Issue 5
Opening blurb this time around is about the Titans.
Most of this issue is the fight and it well choreographed the action is fast paced and
feels dynamic.
Also Cassie gets revenge on Stompa by breaking her foot!
Foot Snap or well ankle snap they are in greece after all.
Now the heavy hitter to be taken on is our mind controlled hercules and Cassue's mom
gets to lay in a punch, cause she put on one of the power bracelets well the gauntlet of
atlas against him
And the fight goes on, until someone waiting in the wings shoots Bloody MAry.
And Wonder Woman shows up.
So basically I could ahve summed it up as they fight bloody mary gets shot, hi wonder
woman.
Last issue!
Wonder Woman gets a page detailing her ever so briefly and Donna looms far largely in
the background proportionally than she should.
Wonder Woman is taking on the god killer and the furies decide they need to retreat cause
the odds are turning against them.
I mean now they're one down
Hercules is still in our of control berzerker mode however and he managed to get the fleece
from aristides.
No hercules ack it's me ...your sister
you need to stop calling me sister
Eh I'll chock it up to saying anything to get someone to stop choking you out.
Supergirl gets the fleece and wonder woman leaps in with an unhand her
The furies attempt to capture Cassie on their way out which snaps hercules out of his mind
control cause I mean how can they be hera and zeus if she's on Apokaplips
Wonder Woman says that she has some explaining to do, young lady which cassie rightfully
calls her out on saying she already has a mother and also where has Diana even been.
Hercules explains himself that Zeus told him to gather his children so he was just trying
to do that and ended up falling in with the wrong crowd . I mean who hasn';t accidentally
allied themselves with Darkseid,
This segment also explains that Hercules is once more a demigod not a full god which you
would only know if you were keeping up with everything
He leaves and we get some epilogues
Aristedes moves into the house where Cassie aka Drusilla is staying and finally Cassie
nd Wonder Woman have a heart to heart while they take out some of those roaming amazon
beasts leftover from Amazons attack.
Wonder Woman claims the reason she wasn't around is because Cassie isn't a child anymore.
That Cassie needs to choose her own path and that Diana can't always be there
And cassie says she's done playing the blame game, it;'s time to take responsibility and
move on.
So she confidently soars off as Wonder Girl… the end.
This has fallen down the memory hole hard and there are a few key reasons for that but
chief among them is that it doesn't stand on its own.
It truly is a tie in in the sense that without a firm grasp on lore across a couple of ongoing
books at that time period this book not only has a confusing array of events but character
motivations that are hard to track.
Cassie's entire arc, angst the positon she's in is because of Amazon's attack.
So it leaves this feeling a bit empty and it didn't have to be like that, this could
have dealt with the core points it had to hit but also given some room for Cassie to
establish herself a bit more and feel on firmer footing as wonder girl which based on this
minis conclusion was the point.
Part of why this isn;t achieved is thew pacing.
This series feels very padded like aside from the core points it wasn't clear how the rest
of the issues would be filled out.
Issue 2 could have been cut in more than half the same with issues 4 and 5 there was room
for more than was done here.
Instead you have characters going through the same beats over and over, and ultimately
not much is gained.
The status quo is essentially restored with a couple of minor tweaks such as oh now aristides
is there, hercules is a demigod.
Diana and Cassie don;t have beef even tho that felt like an afterthought.
We could have expanded upon the scenes of Cassie with Empress and Arowette as she figures
out what to do, Perhaps striking out in a new costume which would also help make Hercules
gift make more sense.
The female furies feel wasted here and scenes are constructed in ways that make them seem
really ineffectual for an elite squad tortured into being by Granny Goodness.
It takes a long time to figure out the point of the series to its issue 3 by the time you
can grasp onto what the plot actually is.
In short it's not a great showcase for Cassie it makes her feel like a character who can't
exist outside of Diana or the Titans.
And you don;t even need to read it to understand the overall of what;s going on in universe.
The art also varied a lot.
Those Conner panels at first I actually didn't know who it was I had to infer by context
and be like right Conner.
On the plus side it has managed to maintain contact with the canon of the time so there
is that even if it is to the stories detriment.
Cassie also has some real issues to work through and for the brief moments when that is touched
upon you can see vestiges of what it would be like to have Cassie truly pull focus.
So instead of beating up on this mini any longer I want to hear from you.
There are those as I mentioned who really wish Cassie had a shot at a wonder girl series,
soi I want to know what would that look like?
What would the premise be?
Pitch me.
Do you like pre new 52 cassie or post?
What do you hope they do with her character?
Or if it;s the future aka your present how to do you feel about how she is being utilized..
If you read this series tell me your thoughts.
Did you love it?
Am I a harsh cruel mistress?
Share all your thoughts down below and while you're down there please do all of the youtube
things.
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vid.
Thanks so much for taking some time out of your day to spend it discussing comics with
me, I always appreciate it and I will see you again soon.
Buh bye.