“That is no Amazon.”
Coming off the heels of an unusual few years, a lot has happened in the world of Wonder Woman as a brand, whether it’s the less-than stellar first issue of Trinity, the daughter of Wonder Woman’s new solo, or the recent whispers from DC Film’s James Gunn as he teases that Wonder Woman is coming back to the big screen. It’s safe to say that Wonder Woman is making a comeback, even if her place in main continuity is somewhat awkward at the moment.
As for Absolute Universe’s Kelly Thompson and Hayden Sherman, Diana continues to rush full speed ahead into the mythological mysteries afoot in Absolute Wonder Woman. This newest installment, “As My Mothers Made Me, Part 2”, continues just that as the creative duo dives into the political horrors of the United States Military and their obsession with this mysterious “Wonder Woman” and her connections to Greek society.
DC
What struck me with this issue was how Thompson’s vibe feels heavily inspired by the Sam Raimi classic Xena: Warrior Princess, namely in how it’s framed more as a traditional adventurous fantasy with an urban twist. In a funny light, that would be what Wonder Woman would be famously known for but given the unusual publication history with Diana, it can’t exactly be said as such.
Every writer has a unique vision with her, but none of them stick as much as Thompson’s modern revision, especially with the classical flair with the cast of characters that follow the Absolute rendition of Wonder Woman. In short, this arc’s best strengths come from the series’ continuous revision of the original Marston mold given to them.
A weakness I’ve noticed with Thompson’s character work thus far has to do with Steve Trevor’s build. Now on one hand, he and the rest of his cast haven’t been properly explored yet. However, in this arc especially, Steve’s dialogue has been falling into the trap of feeling a lot like his counterpart in main continuity. It serves as a reminder that he and the rest of the side cast, while fun, are currently underdeveloped.
Furthermore, I feel that Thompson’s script is somewhat weaker than usual as it feels more so a traditional superhero story compared to the previous two arcs. However, Thompson manages to follow through and deliver two new characters and further push the ongoing mystery at hand.
DC
As for Sherman’s art on this issue, they go above and beyond with the panel work. Sherman’s call to stardom comes from their unorthodox panel arrangement, opting to work with more shapes and panel sizes that would’ve been deemed unusual at the time. What makes that work especially is that it feels like Sherman takes heavy inspiration from Greek art and statues to help design each cast member and deity.
Ultimately, Absolute Wonder Woman #9 is a stellar book with some weaker aspects. Thankfully, unlike the rest of the Wonder Woman line of books (which there aren’t many), Absolute Wonder Woman is able to take these falls compared to other titles. Not to mention, Thompson and Sherman remain one of the best superhero duos we have currently at DC and their Absolute line. I can’t wait for more.
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