Absolute Wonder Woman is Excellent

*Warning: this rant contains minor spoilers for issues #1-15 of ‘Absolute Wonder Woman’. If you’re interested, please visit your local comic shop and pick up a copy for yourself. Thanks, and enjoy!*

Reading ‘Absolute Wonder Woman’ was a very different experience from the Batman and Superman runs. See, I’ve never read any Wonder Woman comics before this. My exposure to the character came from other media, namely animated shows and movies. This is my first real foray into a solo WW story.

When I saw out-of-context panels from this run, I knew I had to read it. Whoever thought to give Wonder Woman the god damn Dragon Slayer deserves a raise. And she’s a witch? I couldn’t start quickly enough!

And what a read it’s been. Written by Kelly Thompson and edited by Chris Conroy, this comic is a delight from start to end. Like the other Absolute runs, this sets out to deliver a very different take on the standard Wonder Woman. Of the versions I’ve experienced, this one is far and away the coolest.

Our story begins as all great adventures do: in the darkest corner of Hell. The witch Circe lives alone on the Wild Isle, content to ignore and be ignored by the world beyond. That is, until Apollo appears to deliver an infant, as well as a divine command: to never speak of the Amazons again. Despite her initial misgivings, Circe quickly becomes attached to the child, raising the girl as her own daughter.

But little Diana’s destiny does not reside in the Underworld. Despite Apollo taking the word, it still whispers to the girl in her dreams: Amazon. Warrior. Hero. Knowing that her daughter must one day leave, Circe works with the gods to prepare her. Armed with an arsenal of magical spells and tools, Diana leaves for the mortal world, becoming one of humanity’s greatest champions: Wonder Woman.

I love this take on Wonder Woman. She’s seven feet tall, shredded, beautiful, and absolutely terrifying. Her dark magics are gruesome, requiring a sacrifice of her own blood. Yet of the Absolute heroes we’ve discussed so far, she is the sweetest, kindest, and most heroic. A champion of justice through and through. Also, she can talk to animals, and that is just adorable.

Her arsenal is incredibly badass. The giant sword is just the tip of the iceberg. The Lasso of Truth has gotten a scarlet makeover, and it is brutal. Diana charges into battle in a dark suit of armor, a perfect complement to her skeletal mount, Pegasus. Between that and her magic, every fight scene in this comic is a wonder to behold.

On that note, let’s celebrate the art team. Drawn by Hayden Sherman, Mattia de Lulis, Dustin Nguyen, and Matias Bergara, with lettering by Becca Carey and coloring by Jodie Ballaire, ‘Absolute Wonder Woman’ looks amazing from top to bottom. All of the character designs are amazing, Diana’s most of all. The monsters are menacing as hell. Each environment is richly detailed, the colors so vibrant they bring the world to life.

I especially love their take on the gods of Olympus. Most depictions of the pantheon have Zues and his family largely resemble humans. Not here. While still vaguely humanoid, they’re more formless, like glowing celestial bodies. It gives them a unique sense of overwhelming presence and cosmic mystery. I’m stoked to see more of them in the future.

My biggest criticism is in the supporting cast. For the most part, they’re just kinda… there. Diana gets to go off and do all the cool adventuring and heroics. Meanwhile, her friends are housekeeping her secret base. I don’t think they’re bad characters, but they’re not especially memorable. At least not right now; maybe they’ll get a moment to shine in a future issue.

Steve Trevor is the one exception. He at least plays an interesting role in Diana’s backstory. Meeting a premature death, he ends up on the Wild Isle with her and Circe. In order to save him, Diana has to make a dire sacrifice. Their chemistry is cute in just about every scene. I only wish we had more.

We also haven’t gotten a really exceptional villain just yet. Diana has battled against some terrifying monsters, sure, and there’s definitely something going on with the gods of Olympus. But at this point in my reading, there hasn’t been an antagonist that really pushes Wonder Woman to her limits. Her most daunting villains so far are a rich woman with too much time on her hands and a living fart. I was really excited to dive into Wonder Woman’s gallery of baddies, and so far, I’ve been left disappointed.

You know what we do have? An excellent cross-over with Absolute Batman! I love the dynamic between this Bruce and Diana. They have such a natural and casual friendship. It’s rare to see an entirely platonic relationship like this in comics, so it’s a very nice change of pace.

Get this woman a meet-up with Superman ASAP. Please. Clark needs her help so bad.

Despite my few grievances, I still really enjoy ‘Absolute Wonder Woman’. It’s a fantastic comic, with a gripping story and amazing artwork. Honestly, I’m a little worried I’ve spoiled myself. Whichever Wonder Woman comic I read next, it’ll have a high bar to clear.