Written by: Kelly Thompson
Art by: Hayden Sherman
Colors by: Jordie Bellaire
Letters by: Becca Carey
Cover art by: Hayden Sherman, Jordie Bellaire (cover A)
Cover price: $4.99
Release date: October 23, 2024
Is Absolute Wonder Woman #1 Good?
I'll say this for writer Kelly Thompson. She understood the homework assignment. Absolute Wonder Woman #1 is a stark contrast from the Wonder Woman you thought you knew in a world spawned from Darkseid energy. At the very least, Absolute Wonder Woman hits the mark for the Absolute imprint much better than Absolute Batman, and that's saying something.
Absolute Wonder Woman #1 begins with a brief prologue in Gateway City, California. A massive, inverted pyramid appears, hovering above the coastline. Within moments of the appearance, a swarm of flying reptiles swarm outward from the pyramid to attack anyone within reach.
Writer Kelly Thompson begins the tale with a large-scale attack that feels otherworldly and mystical, like a scene from a fantasy novel. The creatures and the reason for their attack aren't given much setup (more on that later), but it's an energetic start.
Suddenly, a woman wearing armor, carrying a large sword, and riding on a skeletal Pegasus swoops in to attack the swarm. She first uses her sword to separate heads and limbs from bodies. Then, she lands on the shore and casts a spell that stuns the swarm, sending the flock crashing to the ground.
Absolute Wonder Woman's entrance is as dramatic as you can get without having a giant orchestral theme song playing in the background. You'll get the impression that Diana's first appearance borrows some inspiration from Wonder Woman's entrance on the battlefield in BvS, but if the inspiration is coincidental, it's amazingly coincidental.
The comic then flashes back to some unknown point in the distant past to show Diana's upbringing. Circe is the sole resident of the Wild Isle as punishment for some transgression against the gods. Apollo arrives one day with a baby, ordering Circe to take custody of the baby to be her warden. Diana of Themyscira was taken from the Amazons by Zeus as "punishment for their crimes against the gods," and the gods have decreed that Circe will be Diana's warden in Hell for eternity.
Well, that's quite a mouthful. Based on the narration and the characters involved, the phrasing makes it clear that the reader isn't getting the full story and that the narrators are unreliable. Apollo tells rather than shows how Diana came to be in Hell, which is a minor letdown (more on that later).
Over several pages, we see how Circe was initially fine with letting beasts, monsters, and demons attempt to kill the child since she had no desire for a daughter. However, the baby had the instinctive strength and charm to tame any casual attacker. As the years passed, Circe eventually came to love Diana, educating her in the ways of history and magic.
If you're going to come up with a credible way for Circe and Diana to be in a loving relationship, Thompson nails it. Circe's sparse cave evolves into a home over the years, partly due to Diana's influence, so you get a believable sense of how the two could grow and bond with each other.
Now, Diana tells nearby military men to evacuate anyone within a mile radius as the flying reptiles she calls Harbingers are only stunned, not killed. The situation escalates when the inverted pyramid opens to unleash a massive demon called Harbinger Prime to attack Diana and clear the way for something much worse.
The issue concludes with Harbinger Prime giving as much damage as it takes, Diana learning to say a word forbidden to be spoken by Circe, and Absolute Wonder Woman drawing a line in the sand (literally and figuratively).
What's great about Absolute Wonder Woman #1?
Kelly Thompson's central premise delivers on the idea of an Elseworld version of Diana in a universe spawned by Darkseid energy. There are familiar aspects to Diana's origin, but everything after her birth is dark and twisted enough to explain a rougher, tougher Wonder Woman accustomed to demons and dark magic.
In a lot of ways, Thompson's Absolute Wonder Woman does a better job of presenting a character that feels different enough from the original to stand on her own while still presenting as Wonder Woman. I wish Absolute Batman had gone this far.
What's not great about Absolute Wonder Woman #1?
There are two weak points in this first issue, one with the story and the other with the art.
Regarding the story, a lot of interesting stuff happens without any context or setup. What did the Amazons do to get on Zeus's bad side? Why is Circe in Hell? Where did a giant, inverted pyramid come from? Where did Diana and her skeletal Pegasus come from? Epic-sounding and looking events pop in out of nowhere. To be fair, the flow of the narrative is good enough that you can simply accept what is and move on, but the world-building is a little lacking.
How's the Art?
I'm not a fan. This was a moment for DC to shine with gritty, grimy, nasty art that practically pummels your eyes with the visual equivalent of raw electric guitar riffs and explosive bass notes. Instead, we get squiggly line art that looks like what you'd expect from an indie comic.
In kindness to Hayden Sherman, this art style would not be a problem in any other context, but this is the moment that art needs to smash you in the face and knock your socks off. On that count, Sherman's style falls short.
About The Reviewer: Gabriel Hernandez is the Publisher & EIC of ComicalOpinions.com, a comics review site dedicated to indie, small, and mid-sized publishers.
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Final Thoughts
Absolute Wonder Woman #1 presents a rougher, darker, mystical Wonder Woman, fit to fight all comers in a universe spawned by Darkseid energy. Despite the mildly annoying lack of setup in a few spots, Kelly Thompson nailed the assignment to create a Wonder Woman who's recognizable but stands wholly apart from her Earth Prime counterpart. Sadly, the material needed art with a harder, sharper edge, so the visuals don't live up to the script.
8.5/10
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