The characters and heroes you thought you knew are no more. It is time for a different take… an absolute take! Wonder Woman is up next, as we look at Absolute Wonder Woman #1 from DC Comics.

ABSOLUTE WONDER WOMAN #1

Writer: Kelly Thompson
Artist: Hayden Sherman
Colorist: Jordie Bellaire
Letterer: Becca Carey
Editor: Chris Conroy
Publisher: DC Comics
Cover Price: $4.99
Release Date: October 23, 2024

Previously in Absolute Wonder Woman: Without the island paradise…without the sisterhood that shaped her…without a mission of peace…what’s left is the Absolute Amazon!

THE POWER OF LOVE

Forget what you know about Wonder Woman of Themyscira; in Absolute Wonder Woman #1, readers quickly learn that the Amazons have offended the gods, so they have taken Diana and placed her in the care of Circe on the Wild Isle of Hell to be raised – or rather die by the hands of the creepy crawlies on the island, thus absolving themselves of a child’s death. It turns out that Diana does have great power, and even though she can kill the beasties, she opts to use compassion and power to deal with the pains of growing up with a sorceress who the gods have also cast out. Initially, Circe sees Wonder Woman as nothing more than an “It,” but as the flashbacks continue, we see Crice grow to love her child and prepare her in the ways of magic and might.

While Kelly Thompson could have radically changed Wonder Woman into a dark and brooding warrior, we instead get a Wonder Woman who has magic as her primary power, with her skill with a sword coming in when needed. And while the DC’s primary Wonder Woman has been raised by an entire island of women warriors, with lessons to be learned from each, Absolute Wonder Woman leans more into a reality many readers will sympathize with – a single mother raising her child as best she can, in a world that constantly throws struggle after struggle at them. In the end, Diana claims her place in the world in a final page decree that is a perfect close to the issue.

DARK ARTS

Being raised around the dark arts, Hayden Sherman leans into the story by utilizing reds and blacks to set the tone. While panel layout and framing are great throughout the issue, I particularly love the three – THREE – double-page spreads that show Diana and Circe growing together and shaping their island from a pile of mud and rocks to a home. Of course, that can be a bit of a downside for those reading in a digital format, as they will need to pinch and zoom to really take in all of Sherman’s fine line work. The close-ups of the character’s faces are beautifully rendered, and the environments are full of life.

That being said, I have two minor complaints about the art and the lettering. I was really hoping the monsters would be a bit more sinister and creepy looking – after all, Diana does ride a skeleton version of Pegasus into battle. The creature design is fine, but with this book launching in the middle of Autumn, I am in the mood for terrifying. As far as the lettering goes, the use of “yoink” and “yeet” drew me out of what is, without a doubt, one of the more powerful moments in the issue.

BOTTOM LINE: AN INTERESTING KICK-OFF

By the time the final page and the big cliffhanger hits, we know just about everything we need to know about Diana and her desire to protect the world from evil. While we will have to wait until the next issue to see how she deals with monsters from beyond and develop relationships with the human world, this series is off to a very good start. Thompson and Sherman have done a great job in showing that, regardless of one’s upbringing, compassion and love are vital for any hero.

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