Absolute Wonder Woman #1— Mini review

Absolute Wonder Woman #1 may be best defined by what it’s not. It’s not a reboot. It’s not about building a better Wonder Woman. It’s not even a reimagining of the Wonder Woman story as all of the traditional elements are still somewhat present, just shuffled around a bit. But it is the ways that Kelly Thompson, Hayden Sherman, and Jordie Bellaire shuffle the deck here that define this Wonder Woman, the elements they remove from her life, and the mythology of the character that they recontextualize in this new and darker world. 

This isn’t about a warrior raised in Paradise but about a miracle child raised in Hell. This relocation is another defining piece of this Wonder Woman as it shows the goodness and strength inherent in the character even as her circumstances change. Thompson writes a m This isn’t quite the Wonder Woman you know but it is the Diana you do. other/daughter relationship that sings with truth and honesty in Diana’s relationship with her adopted mother Circe. 

Sherman and Bellaire draw this harsh world with so much warmth. Sherman captures the power, majesty, and fierce compassion of Diana. Her life may be different but she isn’t. And Bellaire colors each page as if a fire burns beneath its surface. Sometimes that fire is just embers, projecting warmth and light against the darkness. But on other pages, that fire is a raging inferno, burning down everything in its path.

Thompson, Sherman, and Bellaire remain faithful to Diana’s story through the changes that they make as those changes are built on top of a faithful understanding of the character’s core.