Absolute Wonder Woman #2 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 #2 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
A Harbinger is but a messenger. It is The Tetracide that you must fear, for The Tetracide leaves nothing behind. Diana’s true enemy has been revealed—and it will take everything she has to save Gateway City from oblivion!
Review
Well that was unexpected… after two issues of relative setup set against the backdrop of some rather high stakes action, Absolute Wonder Woman just pulled the rug out from underneath readers. Kelly Thompson takes Absolute Diana in an entirely new direction, doubling down on her incredible strength of character as Wonder Woman rises up to save Gateway City.
Issue #3 picks up with Diana staring down The Tetracide. An ever bigger even scarier foe than the Harbinger who came before it. Thompson really wants to drive home the scale of the fate which awaits humanity if Diana is unable to complete her mission. Upping the stakes in quite dramatic fashion thanks to some swift exposition from Diana to the clueless group of soldier who stand by as if ready to fight this ginormous foe. It seems The Tetracide doesn’t just kill you, it toys with its victims first. Eventually luring them in to its jaws for a slow, painful and quite horrific death. A death with awaits the entire city if Diana can’t convince them to evacuate.
Thompson is doing an incredible job of ramping up the tension in Absolute Wonder Woman. Diana’s desperation to convince Steve and the rest of the army to leave the city is frantic. It’s easy to get caught up in the moment, turning the pages faster and faster as the situation escalates. Thompson’s story is gripping and the pacing becoming relentless leading up to Diana facing the monster head on again. Yet even with all of this apocalyptic-level danger, there’s still plenty of room to continue the story of Steve and Diana which began last month. Exploring their connection and their history together in Hell progresses a refreshing take on the relationship which doesn’t feel overtly romanticised or forced. Thought I suspect these two may become romantically involved in the future, Thompson instead shows an invigorating reverence between them.
We can’t discuss this issue without touching on a couple of rather major spoilers which spin the legend of Wonder Woman on its axis. Absolute Wonder Woman #3 introduces a certain Barbara Minerva during its opening scene, a moment which is now intrinsically tied to Diana accepting the mantle of the Wonder Woman name. Barbara had to arrive at some point. It wouldn’t be the Wonder Woman mythology without a Barbara somewhere in that history. Rather than setting these two up as friends or enemies, Thompson instead leverages Barbara to offer Diana a connection to her heritage which sets up some potential storytelling for the future. There’s an instant connection between the two but the moment is so fleeting due to the chaos unfolding around them. When this fight is over it will be interesting to see this connection circle back in the story.
Then there’s the method by which Diana sends Steve back to Earth. The revelation comes as a complete surprise to us and to Circe in the story. I guarantee nobody going in to this issue is expecting it. There’s so much to unpack from the twist. It informs the audience so much about who Diana is as a person. Not just physically. But what she was willing to sacrifice in order to return this near-stranger home is such an intrinsically Wonder Woman thing to do and it reinforces all of the character decisions she’s making in the present day storyline. Of course it also gives artist Hayden Sherman the chance to push the design of Absolute Wonder Woman even further away from the character’s classic look.
Verdict
Absolute Wonder Woman earns its first five-star review from me as Kelly Thompson continues to consistently push the boundaries of the character. This month the story goes even harder, pushing Diana to her limits as the situation around her continues to spiral out of control in the most gripping ways.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
