Comic of the Week: “Absolute Wonder Woman” #5

Welcome back to G33k-HQ’s Comic of the Week! If you’ve been following us for the past few weeks, then you know the drill: every week (give or take) we pick one comic that came out and take a look at what it’s about, what makes it work, and any constructive critiques we may have. This week, we’re looking at the exciting conclusion to the first arc of “Absolute Wonder Woman,” written by Kelly Thompson, illustrated by Hayden Sherman, and colored by Jordie Bellaire.

DC’s “Absolute” line of comics is a relatively new endeavor, introduced as part of the “DC All In” initiative. These comics give us new takes on classic DC superheroes, where familiar characters have been changed in one major way. We have a Batman without the wealth, a Superman who grew up on Krypton, and of course, a Wonder Woman who wasn’t raised in paradise, but rather in the underworld.

Yes, the Wonder Woman we meet in “Absolute Wonder Woman” is a fair bit different in many ways. She rides a skeletal pegasus, wields a massive sword (picture the Buster Sword from “Final Fantasy 7” and that’ll do it), not to mention her awesome tattoos. Yet at the same time, this is still very much the Diana readers know — her caring heart that shows compassion even for her enemies, her steadfast determination to protect people, and all those elements that make Wonder Woman the enduring character she is still remain. This is a Wonder Woman who can and will sacrifice her arm to help a friend without hesitation, and growing up in hell only made her more sympathetic to the monsters that lurk there.

In short, writer Kelly Thompson has an excellent grasp of the character, and presents us with a Diana that’s both unique and familiar at the same time.

This issue picks up as we near the end of Wonder Woman’s first big battle. Her enemy? A gargantuan monster called the Tetracide, which, as the name suggests, brings mass death. While issue #4 ended with Diana dealing a devastating blow to Tetracide, it’s a big enough threat that she still needs to use a last resort to stand a chance of defeating it.

However, this issue’s story spends some time focusing away from the fight and instead looking at the last resort itself. While the “classic” Wonder Woman has a lasso that compels people to speak the truth, what kind of lasso would Circe (best known for turning men into pigs) equip her with? This turns into a good character moment for both Diana and Circe, as it explores their relationship as adoptive mother and daughter, the lengths Circe will go to in order to protect Diana, and Diana’s own stomach for cruelty.

Without spoilers, the choice Diana makes is one that is very much true to Wonder Woman’s core traits and values. As an added bonus, it ties into a well-known figure from Greek mythology and the cruelty of her fate.

So story-wise, it’s a solid end to a great introduction to the Absolute version of Wonder Woman, Thompson’s writing is top-notch, and she shows that even a Diana raised in hell still has her indomitable heart and spirit.

On to the artwork, we have Hayden Sherman providing the illustrations and Jordie Bellaire on colors. Sherman’s artwork captures a style that feels like illustrations from a story book or other traditional mediums, with curved shapes and wavy lines adding form and detail, but with a more flat feel to the designs that doesn’t rely heavily on shadows or volume to add depth to the imagery. Instead, it gives the comic a feel that’s less modern comic book and more classical mythology, which is appropriate for the character.

Sherman’s artwork really shines with the designs for monsters and other inhuman characters. The Tetracide, for instance, is a truly terrifying, otherworldly behemoth, with massive spindly limbs and writhing tentacles emerging from its body. Other monstrous forms we see are covered in detail, like Medusa’s writhing scales or the skeletal form of Wonder Woman’s pegasus. Diana’s meeting with a goddess gives us a glowing deity unlike traditional interpretations of the Greek gods, but still stunning and overflowing with power.

Another aspect that really stands out is the panel designs and layout. Rather than rely on traditional rectangular panels, Sherman relies primarily on unorthodox designs, with semicircles, curves, and triangular or oblong shapes throughout. They create a great frame for the story without interrupting the flow, making the pages feel more connected or mirroring themselves while allowing each moment to stand out either on its own or as part of a series of connected panels within a larger design.

If I had to critique one thing about the art, it would be the characters’ faces, which can often feel flattened or inconsistent. There’s little to no volume or shading to them, making them sometimes feel like flat shapes with eyes, a lengthy nose, and a mouth placed on. However, I have to stress that, while this is a point that stood out to me, it did not detract from the overall quality of the art; one stylistic choice that’s not my preference does not make the artwork bad.

Jordie Bellaire’s color work is well-suited for Sherman’s illustrations, adding solid shades to the designs but often using a watercolor-like effect that adds shading and enhances the mythological or storybook stylings of the illustrations. The skies and backgrounds carry shades of red, gray, or green, controlling the atmosphere and making the characters in the foreground stand out all the more. There’s a darkness to the colors, but it contrasts well with the sources of light, making them all the more illuminated.

The color work is most striking when there’s a glowing effect, especially from Wonder Woman’s lasso, which casts a green glow across the panel and draws the eye to its source. We get similar effects with Diana and Circe around a red fire, or the light of a goddess illuminating the panels in a blinding, pure white, which contrasts the pitch-black shadows that create her face.

So while the artwork is certainly different from what you’ll typically see in a modern comic book, that’s a point in its favor. “Absolute Wonder Woman” stands out with a new take on the character in every way, and the artwork matches that nicely.

So far, each of DC’s “Absolute” comics have been engaging and exciting new takes on classic characters, and “Absolute Wonder Woman” stands among them as a must-read for longtime and new fans of the character. It leans into the mythological elements of Wonder Woman’s history and uses them to great effect, with artwork that captures the atmosphere and top-tier writing.