Review: Absolute Wonder Woman #1
[Editor’s Note: This review may contain spoilers]
Writer: Kelly Thompson
Art: Hayden Sherman
Colors: Jordie Bellaire
Letters: Becca Carey
Reviewed by: Matthew B. Lloyd
Summary
Sent to be raised in Hell (an island called Hell?) by Zeus, Diana of Themiscyra is given to Circe. Diana emerges into the world as Gateway City is attacked by…?
Positives
Hayden Sherman has an interesting style that fits the “otherness” of this book. It definitely feels more Fantasy driven than “super-heroes,” and Sherman’s style works well with that. Kelly Thompson uses the Greek Mythology associated with Wonder Woman as her starting point for the character and that merges nicely with the Fantasy aspects. It’s always refreshing to have different genres represented in the publications of the Big Two comic companies, Marvel and DC. In the mid 70’s Marvel had great horror books with Tomb of Dracula, The Monster of Frankenstein and Werewolf By Night. DC explored the fantasy genre with books like Beowulf and Stalker and other genres with books like Rima, the Jungle Girl and Starfire (not the New Teen Titans character).
Negatives
There are times when you read a comic, watch a tv show or movie and you know that you are not the intended audience. Such is the case with Absolute Wonder Woman #1. As I try to analyze why it becomes clear that with these Absolute titles, DC is trying to make their familiar characters appeal to other readers. Maybe you like DC Comics, but not Wonder Woman. It’s sort of the equivalent of launching a whole universe around Superman: Red Son. Of course, in that case, the story works because of the differences, but it’s not a story that really calls for a sequel or continuing adventures.
As promised, this is Diana without the island, without the Amazons…. Unfortunately, those are the essential elements of the character that define who Diana is and why she does what she does. If you remove those is it really Wonder Woman? The Amazons have a presence in this issue, but they do exist. They aren’t removed in the sense that they don’t exist in this universe. So, Thompson’s challenge for herself is whether or not she can present a Diana with those same core elements without being raised, nurtured and loved by Hippolyta (her mother) and the other Amazons.
The purpose of Diana coming to Man’s World in her original story was to be an ambassador for the Amazonian Philosophy (William Moulton Marston’s Philosophy) that women are stronger, more powerful and better leaders than men. That philosophy is rooted in an approach centered on love and compassion over force and violence and rehabilitation over punishment. Marston’s original vision has been muddled in the ensuing 83 years, but at her core this is still her defining motivation. It seems it will be difficult to infuse Absolute Wonder Woman with this given the nurturing she is receiving. She isn’t raised with the philosophy (though Circe does clearly love the child she’s been given to raise). She isn’t raised with the love of the Amazons as a way of life, thus learning to love others the same way.
Negatives Cont’d
Over the years, Wonder Woman comics have focused more on the warrior aspects of Diana’s Amazonian culture. To be sure, that’s been there since the Golden Age. In mythology, the Amazons were warriors and Marston utilized that as part of their aspect in his comic book interpretation of the myth. The recent run by Michael W. Conrad and Becky Cloonan did a lot with the original philosophical themes in Marson’s stories, but most modern iterations focus on the warrior aspects, which is what Thompson is doing here.
Thompson gives a hint that the core philosophy will be internalized by Diana by something magical/ miraculous. There is potential that it will leave the reader with a Diana that knows the Amazonian philosophy but retains the visual appearance of the child raised in Hell. Thompson’s DC work on Birds of Prey has been very superficial and that superficiality is seen at times in this issue. Is it really possible that Thompson will build a convincing and substantial character? Based on Birds of Prey, I’m not hopeful.
Negatives Cont’d
A character who is just different a different character would be more interesting than trying to make this a version of Wonder Woman. There’s more freedom with doing that than trying to adhere to the traditional tropes for a character that presents so differently. It just reinforces the notion that this series attempts to have a character called Wonder Woman that isn’t really like Wonder Woman, they just share the name. Can it really be Wonder Woman if that underlying philosophy isn’t present?
Story wise, Absolute Wonder Woman #1 has a weak start. There may be too much divulged in the first issue about her past whilst not making the current threat to Gateway City seem that interesting. In that sense it tries to do too much despite there being 2 pages. There should be balance, but this issue needs more on the threat. There’s plenty of time to explore this Diana’s past, but to really get the reader excited about WHY Absolute Wonder Woman has appeared to face this invasion, the script needs to make it clear.
Verdict
Absolute Wonder Woman #1 is better as a comic than a Wonder Woman comic. It really feels like this is a comic for readers who don’t like the traditional Wonder Woman. Thompson has (in story) removed all the essential aspects that define Wonder Woman. That leaves Diana as a shell in this issue with a lot to be filled in. Thompson could rise to the occasion and do this, but like Absolute Batman #1, the overall concept is not that compelling. Unlike Absolute Batman, it’s genuinely more interesting as a new unique character than an Elseworlds version of Wonder Woman.
