Absolute Wonder Woman #17 is written by Kelly Thompson and published by DC Comics. Artwork is by Hayden Sherman. Colours by Jordie Bellaire. Main cover art (left) is by Hayden Sherman & Jordie Bellaire.
Absolute Wonder Woman #17 is available from today, in comic book stores and on digital platforms where all good comic books are sold. Grab your physical copy from Forbidden Planet or digitally from Amazon Comixology UK.
Synopsis
WONDER WOMAN, BETRAYED! Diana faces off against a team assembled with only one mission in mind: take down Wonder Woman at any cost. But after a strangely intimate betrayal, Diana finds herself outplayed, boxed in, and running out of options…
Review
I’ve made no secret about my love for Absolute Wonder Woman. This series has been a triumph. Kelly Thompson’s writing has been on point, crafting one of the most interesting iterations of Diana to date. Coming right off the back of the kick-ass 2026 annual, I was eagerly awaiting the face-off between Diana, Princess of Hell, and Zatanna.
When we last saw Diana, Veronica Cale’s Suicide Squad—led by a punk-rock Zatanna—had crashed a museum gala to hunt her down. This might be the only thing about the issue’s synopsis that actually tracks. Because this series has teased Zatanna’s arrival for a while, my expectations for her first flesh-and-blood fight were sky-high.
What little we’ve seen of Zatanna hints at a fascinating, powerful character whose magic rivals Diana’s. So, does the buildup pay off?
Well, and this hurts to say, but no.
As quickly as Zatanna is introduced, she’s gone. She had a grand total of roughly three pages before exiting stage right. Even worse, the major interaction between Diana and Zatanna is mostly in backwards “spell-speak.”
A little of that goes a long way! It’s just as taxing as trying to follow Bizarro’s opposite speech. Consequently, the characters’ chunky “spell-off” hurt the momentum, and then—poof—Zatanna is gone.
Not only does she vanish, but no one—including Veronica Cale—seemed to care. It is jarring that Cale’s instinct wasn’t to track her down immediately. Instead, she just orders a “new witch” to be deployed ASAP.
I don’t want to hang on this much longer. However, given the foundation laid for Zatanna, it’s a shame that she felt mishandled. Her character design is out of this world; she seems tough, savvy, and ready to be a big deal.
When she’s gone in a flash, the focus shifts to Wonder Woman battling Giganta for the rest of the book. Naturally, it’s hard to shake the disappointment. So what happened? Maybe plans changed behind the scenes, but the way she was taken off the board felt lacklustre and rushed.
More Questions Than Answers…
Zatanna wasn’t the only problem. The official synopsis boldly states: “WONDER WOMAN, BETRAYED!” I’ve read this issue multiple times, and I cannot tell you who betrays Wonder Woman. Is the suggestion that Zatanna’s getaway is her betraying Wonder Woman? Wonder Woman and Zatanna didn’t have a relationship that could qualify as a betrayal. Or is it Zatanna betraying Cale? Eh. Are you really betraying someone who has forced you into servitude? The Suicide Squad members aren’t there willingly; they can’t just leave. This concept of betrayal, which is mentioned twice in the synopsis, baffles me.
There’s also an odd exchange between Diana and Etta regarding Gia’s whereabouts:
Etta says: “She’s at the Candy Shoppe, she said she needed to do something you’d been working on with her…”
Diana says: “She’s a good girl. I hope it will help.”
What is being referenced here is another enigma. This isn’t the finale; it’s part two of five of The Season of the Witch. It feels like a chunk of plot has been trimmed somewhere, putting this new miniseries off to a very rocky start.
For anyone doing more than a surface reading, you’ll wonder what was going on during production. Because this does not reflect the overall quality of Thompson’s work. This issue seems more preoccupied with getting Zatanna off the board, leaning into big battle spectacles, which references Batman V Superman’s Doomsday fight, and introducing a new mysterious villain. But I think it is safe to say we were here for Zatanna.
Verdict
Absolute Wonder Woman #17 is a chink in the armour. It’s nowhere near as elegant and impressive as the series has proven to be in the past. The setup and payoff for Zatanna might leave readers cold and confused. Others might also wonder about this betrayal. I hope the next issue can iron out these details. This series has worked too hard to maintain some of the best quality in the industry to wobble this much at this stage. Still, the issue isn’t without its highlights. There’s great action, fantastic artwork, an intriguing setup for a new witch, and a death that will take you by surprise.
⭐⭐⭐
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