Written by: Kelly Thompson
Art by: Mattia De Iulis
Colors by: Mattia De Iulis
Letters by: Becca Carey
Cover art by: Hayden Sherman, Jordie Bellaire
Cover price: $4.99
Release date: April 23, 2025
Absolute Wonder Woman #7, by DC Comics on 4/23/25, brings Diana's disagreement with Hades to a close when she recalls a story her mother read to her as a child that teaches a valuable lesson.
Is Absolute Wonder Woman #7 Good?
Recap
When we last left Diana in Absolute Wonder Woman #6, the last Amazon was brought before Hades to explain how she created one of her magic lassos and acquired Pegasus. The lasso was created by a ritual involving a sample of Prometheus's blood, given willingly. The issue ended with Hades showing he knows the power of exploiting weaknesses by unveiling he has Circe in chains.
Plot Synopsis
In Absolute Wonder Woman #7, Diana's temporary submission to Hades continues. In a series of intermixed flashbacks, we see little Diana making friends with Persephone, the forced Queen of the Underworld. In the months and years to come, Circe secretly implores Hecate for guidance on how to get Diana out of the Underworld. Hecate cryptically explains that a certain story holds the key to Diana's future escape. Circe interprets the guidance as an object lesson in the story "The Lady, or The Tiger?," published in 1884 by Frank R. Stockton.
Now, Diana fights against a Chimera in a gladiator ring, overseen by Hades and Persephone, as Circe remains held in chains. Diana wins the fight by killing the chimera when given no other option. Hades rewards Diana's victory by allowing her to choose one of two doors to exit the arena. One door leads to death, but the other leads to freedom.
Remembering the object lesson, Diana chooses no door. She breaks her mother's chains and tells Hades she ate one of the Pomegranate seeds given to her by Persephone to forge a third option. Diana is free to leave the Underworld, but if she sets foot on the Wild Isle to visit her mother, she must remain one month to mark the one Pomegranate seed eaten.
First Impressions
Writer Kelly Thompson mixes fables and mythologies to concoct a part clever, part convoluted answer to the question - "How did Diana escape Hell?" Fans of the previous issue will like the intricate connections to classic stories and the heartfelt emotional beats, but intricate can get messy.
How’s the Art?
Mattia De Iulis's contribution to this two-part backstory is both a blessing and a curse. De Iulis's art style is gorgeous.... nay, stunning, so you're going to love the visual appeal of Absolute Wonder Woman #7. However, it's almost impossible not to think about the transition back to main artist Hayden Sherman and not see it as a sizable downgrade. De Iulis is levels above Sherman, and it's not even close. Love what you have, but more than a few readers will grieve the loss of De Iulis when he rolls off.
What’s great about Absolute Wonder Woman #7?
The end of this two-parter is majestic, grand, mythical, and stunning. Kelly Thompson's central premise about reimagining Diana's relationship with the Greek gods is the kind of storytelling Wonder Woman has lacked for a long time. Plus, Mattia De Iulis's artwork is the best of any Absolute title.
What’s not great about Absolute Wonder Woman #7?
An intricate mingling of classic stories can get messy if you're not super careful about how you lay it out and how you prioritize which story. Given the outcome of this tale, the story of "The Lady, or The Tiger?" is much less relevant to the outcome than Persephone's history. Further, Stockton's story relies on trust and a moral conflict, which doesn't apply in this case. Structurally, Thompson created the parallels. Thematically, Thompson focuses on the wrong thing, so the resolution feels clumsy.
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 #7 looks gorgeous, reads well, and has all the makings of a great comic except for a narrative stumble at the end. Kelly Thompson's script shows the potential of what a great Wonder Woman comic could be, and Mattia De Iulis's artwork is breathtaking. That said, a crisscross of ideas creates a jumbled resolution.
8.5/10
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