DIANA LIVES!
Coming hot off the heels of Absolute Wonder Woman #11 (an issue that my glorious overlord decided to take care of for me), Kelly Thompson and Hayden Sherman throw readers back into Area 41, the government sanctioned prison maze as Wonder Woman fights Clea, an Atlantean with a taste for blood for the Trident of Poseidon, a powerful relic belonging to its namesake.
What I have loved about this series is how Thompson handles her world building. She presents slices of the larger universe while perfectly maintaining focus on Diana and her powerful story of searching/fighting for her long-lost culture and sisters. I find what this series does is often handled better than how the rest of the Absolute line chooses to flesh out its universe. Don’t get me wrong, I love seeing Batman go up against big buff monster guys, but there is a more careful way that Thompson goes about her business compared to the rest of the core trinity. That alone shows why the upcoming crossover with Absolute Batman (starting issue #15) is happening in Diana’s title and not Bruce’s.
DC
Following from this tangent, Thompson’s use of Atlantis, albeit small, is a taste into the sea aspect of this current universe that isn’t yet very fleshed out. She perfectly plants the seeds to continue the story at a later time but also creates space for writers who come after her. Whether DC chooses to play with concepts such as Aquaman is up to the editorial body, but the lore is appreciated.
Speaking of Thompson’s writing, her script continues to have an action-heavy foundation but allows for strong emotional elements, whether it’s the flashbacks we see of Diana in her youth or between her newfound ally Io, an Amazonian that was trapped within the maze. She wants to dig into the heart of Wonder Woman and the readers and does so brilliantly. With this, Sherman is allowed to go as wild as possible on the paneling and dynamism in the book’s overall action with this issue being no exception.
DC
Speaking of Sherman, their inking has improved a lot as this series has gone on as there is a much thicker line throughout this installment compared to the previous issues. I’m not sure if it’s a new technique or fountain head change, but it creates a unique layer that complements their style for this title. Additionally, Sherman does a lot to make the maze setting interesting despite the overall setting feeling somewhat uninteresting as the main arc went on; they do their best to ensure that every environment in this title feels full of life.
To go back onto the discussion of Thompson and Sherman’s storytelling and world building, with the conclusion of “As My Mothers Made Me”, the two creatives ensure a jaw-dropping introduction and setup for the upcoming arc and it is one that I feel will make several readers excited for the future of this series.
In conclusion, Absolute Wonder Woman #12 is a blast and a brilliant conclusion to the book’s third arc with some of the most dynamic action and storytelling seen in this series thus far. Thompson and Sherman continue to contextualize Wonder Woman in a proper modern light and I can’t wait to see what they do next.
You must be logged in to post a comment.