Absolute Wonder Woman #1

by Kelly Thompson

Absolute Wonder Woman #1

Illustrated by: Hayden Sherman

Cover art by: Hayden Sherman

Written by: Kelly Thompson

Release date: October 23rd, 2024

DC Comics

*Minor Spoilers ahead

EISNER WINNER KELLY THOMPSON AND BREAKOUT ARTIST HAYDEN SHERMAN REINVENT WONDER WOMAN FROM THE GROUND UP! Without the island paradise… without the sisterhood that shaped her… without a mission of peace… what’s left is the Absolute Amazon!

I just got my hands on “Absolute Wonder Woman #1” and I have to say, this issue blew me away. Writer Kelly Thompson, along with artist Hayden Sherman, colorist Jordie Bellaire, and letterer Becca Carey, really knocked it out of the park here. It follows in the footsteps of Absolute Batman but brings its own unique spin, and I’m loving this fresh direction for Wonder Woman.

Right off the bat, what grabbed me was how seamlessly Thompson and Sherman wove Greek mythology into Diana’s new backstory. We get a completely reimagined version of Wonder Woman, and her new look? It’s something else. There’s power and intensity in her new design that really makes you feel like you’re seeing a version of Diana who’s both familiar but totally fresh.

This version of Diana isn’t just another Amazon warrior; she’s the last Amazon, raised as the princess of Hell by Circe, who starts out as a reluctant, almost unwilling mother figure. The whole setup flips everything we know about Wonder Woman on its head. No island paradise, no sisterhood, no mission of peace. Instead, it’s this gritty, darker version of Diana fighting to reclaim her heritage and figure out what’s been taken from her.

The storytelling here is top-notch. The pacing felt nearly perfect to me—Thompson does a great job switching between intense, action-packed moments and quieter, more introspective scenes that flesh out Diana’s backstory. And when those two threads start to come together later on in the issue, it’s such a satisfying payoff. The art style by Hayden Sherman really sells the mood of the story, especially during those backstory sequences. There’s something raw and captivating about it that fits this new, darker tone for Wonder Woman.

One thing I really appreciated was how the narration is handled. The way Thompson tells the story from an observer’s perspective makes it easy to relate to the events unfolding, while still feeling like we’re getting a personal connection to the characters. It’s a neat trick, and it worked really well in drawing me into Diana and Circe’s relationship.

I’m genuinely excited to see where the Absolute Universe goes from here. If you’re looking for something different with Wonder Woman, this is it. I felt for both Diana and Circe, and by the end of the issue, I was completely hooked. And the art? Couldn’t have been a better fit for the tone and style of the book.

“Absolute Wonder Woman #1” is available now on the new comic book wall, and you can definitely add it to your weekly pull list. Trust me, this is a series you don’t want to miss.