Absolute Wonder Woman #1 is written 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 #1 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
Without the island paradise…without the sisterhood that shaped her…without a mission of peace…what’s left is the Absolute Amazon!
Review
The second of DC’s Absolute series kicks off today in comic book stores. Following the blockbuster debut of Absolute Batman it’s now the turn of Wonder Woman to get the Absolute treatment courtesy of writer Kelly Thompson and artist Hayden Sherman.
Right off the bat Absolute Wonder Woman perfectly fits in with the tone set by Scott Snyder’s Absolute Batman. There’s a cohesion in the approach to world building which fans should find recognisable but also extremely exciting. The sense that these characters reflect core aspects of themselves in the main universe is a given. But Thompson echoes the absence of warmth and comfort which Bruce Wayne grew up with over in Gotham. This coordinated approach to building out the Absolute Universe is tantalising knowing that more books are coming.
Thompson brings us in to Diana’s world via Gateway City, a California harbour town which was home to Wonder Woman particularly during John Byrne’s run on the title. A reporter and his cameraman watch on as the city is besieged by some kind of demonic construct. Within mere moments the city is filled with Pterodactyl-like creatures as Thompson immediately introduces a number of supernatural elements to the story. Of course going in to the book we know that this version of Diana grew up in hell and has some kind of magical powers. But the sight of her riding in on a spectral horse, fully-armoured and carrying a sword of anime-esque proportions is pretty spectacular. It’s hard to remember this is only the prologue as Wonder Woman slams together her gauntlets causing an energy blast, a nice nod to Gal Gadot, which scatters the creatures and brings us crashing in to the credits page.
Coming in to the main bulk of the story it’s time to go back and learn about the history this new interpretation. Ripped from Themyscira as a punishment to her mother Hippolyta and the actions of the other Amazons, Diana was given to Circe by Apollo as a child. Circe, exiled to a life on The Wild Isle of Hell, is entrusted with the child not as a gift but as punishment for her own actions. Thompson doesn’t lay it on thickly with the lore but there is enough to know the Gods of this world are less accommodating than they are on our Earth. Circe however is instantly recognisable. At first she shows no interest, going as far as to leave the baby to die. But Diana being Diana she finds a way to survive and eventually the two form a maternal bond.
It takes a mere nine pages for Thompson to recap the entire of Diana’s childhood. In that time we experience how Circe comes to feel for the child and how Diana longs to understand more about her true parentage. Apollo’s actions, banning the word Amazon from being uttered, loom heavily but otherwise Thompson focusses more on the emotional impact each character has on the other. It’s short, sharp and gets straight to the point. The Absolute universe isn’t messing around. Fictionally or creatively.
Back in the present day Diana has bigger fish (Pterodactyls) to fry. It turns out the earlier creatures were only the harbingers for a much larger and more lethal threat. Thompson subtly shifts the tone of the book to bring in a little humour. Firstly in Diana’s interactions with members of the army who arrive to defend the city. But also in her interactions with the kaiju-sized monster she does battle with. As Snyder did with Absolute Batman, Thompson shows that Absolute Wonder Woman isn’t dimply a dour retelling of this heroes story. There’s a nuance and a versatility which makes this a worthy and valid interpretation.
Looking to the future, Absolute Wonder Woman #1 lays out some interesting plot points to drive the book forwards. It seems the opening arc is going to tackle Diana’s connection to her homeland. The use of the word Amazon quickly goes from outlawed to mighty and that will undoubtedly be explored moving forwards. Likewise we’re left on a knife-edge as Diana’s battle with the demonic creatures continues. It’s more than enough to keep the reader engaged moving in to issue #2.
Hayden Sherman’s artwork is beautifully expressed and detailed. What stands out instantly on first read is the level emotion communicated through facial expressions and character’s body language. There’s a lot encapsulated in the story of this first issue alone and Sherman is neatly able to convey all of it through the visuals. Anyone coming in to this book is going to have prior knowledge of Wonder Woman as a character. There’s just no escaping it. So Sherman’s design reflects aspects of the character we know and love. But through newer elements like the markings on her arm, the weight of her armour and also through Jordie Bellaire’s colour palette we’re quickly able to distinguish that this is a new, harder edged Diana than what we’re used to.
Verdict
All-in-all this is a marvellous debut for Absolute Wonder Woman. Writer Kelly Thompson balances out the character’s new origin against the backdrop of a unique and high stakes fight for Gateway City. All of which is wonderfully rendered by Hayden Sherman’s expressive and dynamic artwork.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
