Absolute Wonder Woman #8 is written by Kelly Thompson and published by DC. Artwork is by Hayden Sherman, colours by Jordie Bellaire and letters by Becca Carey. Main cover art (left) is by Sherman and Bellaire.
Absolute Wonder Woman #8 is available from today, in print and on digital platforms where all good comic books are sold. Grab your digital copy from Amazon Comixology UK right here.
Synopsis
The Tetracide was a much greater threat than Wonder Woman had imagined forher first battle on the surface—but The Tetracide was child’s play compared tonegotiating the complexities and evils of man’s world. The mysterious Area 41and its Black Box Maze will be Diana’s greatest test yet…and what she findsinside will shock you!
Review
After a brief stint in the Underworld, Absolute Wonder Woman returns to comic book stores today with the first chapter in a new arc. With series artist Hayden Sherman back on board, Diana’s return to Gateway City offers a chance for the series to cement its core cast and setting against the backdrop of a mounting challenge from two classic Wonder Woman villains.
After two diverse by incredible stories I was interested to see where Kelly Thompson would take this new version of Diana next. We’ve seen that the series – and its creative team – is versatile enough to lean in to different aspects of its titular character’s history. But what’s immediately striking about Absolute Wonder Woman is just how much this version of the character feels at home on the page. It doesn’t feel like this world is a mere 8 months old. Instead Thompson is able to bring such a weight and richness to Absolute Wonder Woman that it immediately feels familiar even on page one. The approach with which Thompson has constructed the Absolute version of the character continues to impress as she flexes both physical and magical muscles across this latest issue.
We start with a peaceful Diana in the woods. Appearing almost like a Disney princess, at one with all of the animals and nature which surrounds her. What’s surprising is just how easily Diana takes to the mystical elements which Thompson has imbued her with. It feels no more strange seeing her cast spells on a whim than it would be to see her deflecting bullets with her bracelets. That’s testimony to just who well the writing of Absolute Wonder Woman has built this character up.
Shifting focus to an undisclosed location in the western US is where Thompson is able to thrown down the gauntlet for issue #8. I knew instantly who we were dealing with the second I saw Hayden Sherman’s power posing, business suited character in the distance of an impressively scaled bunker. Having shown up the sheer scale of the book with the Tetracide, now it’s time for Thompson to flex those muscles in folding in classic Wonder Woman elements with a whole new spin. Veronica Cale feels like the perfect way to start. Though perhaps not an A-list DC villain, the character is certainly recognisable to long-time fans of Diana. Here she has been reimagined as the director of Global Anti-Terror and Emergency Services. So naturally events in Gateway City have caught her attention.
We actually spend more of Absolute Wonder Woman #8 with Veronica, setting up her place in this world. Though her intentions as director of this task force may be honourable. It certainly seems like her methods are less than honourable. Thompson writes Cale with shades of Amanda Waller to her character and that’s more than enough to instantly excite me for the direction of travel in this story. Add in to this the immediately recognisable Doctor Poison and I think we have a recipe for sure fire success on our hands. Poison is where the gloves come off and Thompson completely rewrites the rule book for the character. There’s so much potential for storytelling with Poison in this capacity that I can’t wait to see which side of the fence she lands on having come in to contact with Wonder Woman for the first time.
I have to admit it feels like coming home having Hayden Sherman back on the book. Whilst I adore Mattia De Iulis’ artwork, Sherman just IS Absolute Wonder Woman. All of the design work in this world just naturally suits Sherman’s style to a tee. It was in Sherman’s DNA to create Diana’s world and so Absolute Wonder Woman #8 just has an authenticity to it which comes from having the OG creative team back together again.
By definition there’s a less scale to this story without a Tetracide-sized monster to face. But that doesn’t stop Sherman from finding moments to show just how expansive Diana’s world can be. A double page spread as she manifests The Hieron out of the ground is stunning in its use of no less than 50 panels. I say that unconvincingly as the natural curve to the page acts like a brain teaser which I struggled to keep up with. Nonetheless it’s impressive to behold on the page. I’m looking forward to exploring what The Hieron hides within its walls and interesting to see this version of Diana getting her own Batcave/Fortress of Solitude-like location.
It’s hard to pick holes in what Thompson and Sherman have created here. Absolute Wonder Woman just works. Effortlessly so. The pair has created a captivating version of the character and her mythology. Now this new arc tempts up with the additions of Veronica Cale and Doctor Poison. Even without knowing their plans there’s more than enough gas in the tank to keep the motor running. But I’m interested to see how long the series can go before bringing Diana face-to-face with any other surviving Amazons…
Verdict
Absolute Wonder Woman #8 takes big, bold steps towards embracing more of Diana’s legacy in comics. The addition to two major villains from her past widens the mythology of this new book. Putting a new spin on both characters honours what DC is seeking to do with its All-In era of storytelling.
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