At FAN EXPO Boston yesterday, Eisner Award-winning artist Hayden Sherman took the spotlight for a career-spanning conversation with IDW editor Heather Antos, and the talk dove deep into DC’s ambitious Absolute Universe, Sherman’s acclaimed Absolute Wonder Woman, and their love for designing in a brand-new continuity.
Antos kicked things off by noting the runaway success of the Absolute line. DC’s new continuity has been such a hit that every single issue so far has gone back to press seven and even eight times. A rarity in modern comics. Sherman admitted they hadn’t fully grasped the scale of that success but credited the freedom of the Absolute sandbox for helping the line resonate so strongly.
Sherman also revealed that their path to Absolute Wonder Woman began with Scott Snyder. After the two collaborated on IDW’s Dark Spaces: Wildfire and Dungeon, Snyder, who had discovered Sherman’s work thanks to a recommendation from a local comic shop owner, casually floated the idea of a Wonder Woman reboot. While Sherman initially questioned whether such a leap from their horror collaborations was realistic, a year later, Snyder brought the opportunity to DC, ultimately leading to Sherman’s role on the flagship Absolute Universe title.
“Maybe intimidating at first,” Sherman said of the task, recalling the high-pressure one-month turnaround to design Absolute Wonder Woman before San Diego Comic-Con. But once the design hit with readers, including the now-iconic sleeve tattoo on Diana’s magic arm, Sherman felt more comfortable “playing” in the space.
The tattoo, Sherman revealed, went through multiple iterations before settling on a clean, geometric look that would scale well in comics. While early concepts drew from ancient pottery patterns and goddess imagery, they simplified it for clarity, but they’d still love to see a more intricate version if Wonder Woman ever makes it to live action.
When asked whether DC might produce an “Absolute Absolute Wonder Woman” edition, Sherman laughed at the wordplay but admitted it would be “kind of absurd,” and something they’d love to see happen.
Sherman spoke about the joy and challenge of designing for an entire shared universe, even beyond the issues they draw themselves. They’ve created key characters set to debut in Absolute Wonder Woman and beyond, teasing that “prominent DC characters” are coming soon, some that they designed in an upcoming issue by artist Matías Bergara. The collaborative process with writer Kelly Thompson, colorist Jordie Bellaire, and letterer Becca Carey was another highlight, with Sherman calling it an “all-star team” where feedback, vision, and trust run deep.
The panel also touched on Sherman’s broader DC work, including Batman: Dark Patterns, a noir-inspired miniseries set in a retro-future Gotham. Designing the Bat-suit, Alfred, and a new Batmobile for that project was a dream for the lifelong Bat-fan. In fact, Sherman shared the first comic they ever created was in collaboration with Sherman’s mom when he was very young.
When asked about drawing Absolute Batman for Absolute Wonder Woman, Sherman noted the challenge of keeping him shadowy and grounded while fitting the brighter, more open tone of Wonder Woman’s book.
Sherman also revealed they’ve recently started working much larger, drawing on massive 15-by-72-inch boards rather than the standard 11-by-17, which allows for greater control over small panels and more room for expressive linework, even though the final art is scaled down for print.
Outside of DC, Sherman reflected on their path from creator-owned projects like Wasted Space to collaborations with Scott Snyder on Dark Spaces: Wildfire and Dungeon. They also touched on Marvel credits, from early work on Wolverine to writing and drawing a Spider-Man short, with dream projects ranging from Swamp Thing and Superman to Star Trek.
The biggest surprise Sherman wants to tackle? Adam Warlock.
For all the career milestones, Sherman remains grounded and grateful. “It’s pretty surreal… I get paid to do this,” they said.
And with Absolute Wonder Woman #1 already headed to a seventh printing, Sherman’s place in shaping DC’s new continuity is, well, absolutely secure.
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