DC launched the absolute universe in grand style with Absolute Batman, setting expectations even higher for Absolute Wonder Woman, the next Absolute series up to bat. Despite that high bar, Absolute Wonder Woman quickly soared past on a skeletal Pegasus and left it in the dust. Writer Kelly Thompson, artist Hayden Sherman, colorist Jordie Bellaire, and letterer Becca Carey implemented seismic changes to Wonder Woman’s origin and world while still finding a way to retain Diana’s heart and soul. Absolute Wonder Woman goes so hard you can hear the soundtrack booming from the pages, and no one should miss the show.
Amazon in Hell
Thompson shakes up several major elements of Diana’s origin in the first few pages, and those changes shape the rest of the book in various ways. These changes are all intricately tied together, especially in regards to the word Amazon and how it is viewed by everyone involved, including Diana herself. The attention to that word and how it’s framed brings an importance to it that at some points has been lacking, and that is woven into an unexpected but brilliant story of family and motherhood.
To me that is the central piece that makes Absolute Wonder Woman so captivating. Thompson simultaneously builds up the daughter and the mother throughout the early parts of the story, and these early day moments from Sherman and Bellaire are simply stunning. The duo illustrates time moving forward in the same location over the course of several pages, and you can’t help but comb over every little detail and changing fixture as time progresses. The characters shine throughout as well, conveying the sincere love of a hesitant parent and the innocence and compassion of a brave and confident child. There are a host of shining moments throughout Absolute Wonder Woman, but these moments are the ones that will likely stick with me over time.
Amazon Magic
Absolute Wonder Woman #1 cover by Hayden Sherman and Jordie Bellaire
That said, when the situation calls for a more direct approach, Absolute Wonder Woman once again delivers in spades. Wonder Woman riding in on a skeletal Pegasus taking on an alien invasion with spells and swords sounds insanely cool as just as an idea, and spoiler, but it looks even cooler when brought to life on the page. As one might expect from a Wonder Woman forged in Hell, this Diana is a force of nature, unphased by soldiers, Gods, or massive alien threats. If aura was a person it would be this Diana, and adding in the chaos of magic only makes her that much more compelling, especially when those moments are given that extra punch from Carey’s excellent lettering.
That’s only an appetizer though for what issue #2 has in store, at least that’s the takeaway from that big final page. Granted, there’s a panel of just Wonder Woman staring a hole through her opponent that almost steals the show, so to call this book a visual tour de force feels like underselling it.
Absolute Wonder Woman brings a raw and unpredictable energy to Diana’s story, keeping some of the core elements that make Diana who she is while also shaking up so many of the tentpoles of lore and mythology that have surrounded her for so long. You’ll walk away with a new appreciation for who Diana was, who she knows herself to be, and what this world demands from her, and then watch in awe as the Amazon warrior moves through the world as the unstoppable and brilliant force she’s always been, just with a bit more of an edge this time around. Okay, perhaps a big edge this time around.
Absolute Wonder Woman is a must-read in every single way, and it doesn’t get much better than this.
Rating: 5 out of 5
Published By: DC Comics
On: October 23, 2024
Written By: Kelly Thompson
Art By: Hayden Sherman
Colors By: Jordie Bellaire
Letters By: Becca Carey
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