Absolute Wonder Woman Was Already Great And It’s Only Getting Better

The enthralling roller coaster of DC’s Absolute Universe kicks off the next chapter of Wonder Woman’s story in it with Absolute Wonder Woman #8, itself part one of the book’s new story “As My Mothers Made Me”. While not as action heavy as Diana’s literal emergence from Hell itself in the beginning of Absolute Wonder Woman, that’s by design with Diana finding her footing in mankind’s world in the aftermath of her first big battle. The issue’s biggest asset, however, are the multiple twists it introduces that set up Diana’s journey in the Absolute Universe as one that is just getting started.

When “As My Mothers Made Me” begins, Diana has made a new home for herself in Gateway City after here defeat of the monstrous creature, the Tetracide, but while she has several new human friends including Steve Trevor, Etta Candy, and Barbara Minerva, Diana still yearns to find her Amazonian sisters from her homeland of Themyscira whom she never got to meet due to her upbringing in Hell. Meanwhile, the sinister director of Area 41, Veronica Cale, prepares to throw a curveball in Diana’s direction with help from the captive Doctor Poison, the two having both a secret weapon and a tool of enticement to catch Diana off guard.

Absolute DC has excelled as a collective Elseworlds story for all of DC, and Absolute Wonder Woman #8 picks up the ball from Diana’s Absolute debut in both an understated and impactful way. If the first seven issues of Absolute Wonder Woman placed great emphasis on Diana as a warrior, the eighth is all about achieving peace in her new home as she primarily focuses on finding the sisters she never met in the home she’s building for herself.

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While Steve, Etta, and Barbara don’t have a big role to play other than being impressed by Diana’s big magic trick of the issue, the villainous cabal that Veronica Cale and Doctor Poison more than makes up for it. Re-imaging Doctor Poison as a sentient cloud of gas assuming a rough human form through a containment suit is just the latest brilliant DC character makeover the Absolute Universe has treated readers to, while Veronica’s role in the story shows her with a surprisingly Amanda Waller-esque persona in her talent for pulling strings to make villains into her pawns.

Hayden Sherman and Jordan Bellaire’s artwork keeps the cave painting-like quality that has been Absolute Wonder Woman‘s visual bedrock enthrallingly vivid, but like any great part one of a comic book story, “As My Mothers Made Me” saves its strongest punch for its last couple of pages. Suffice it to say, Diana being called upon to face an old enemy is just the appetizer to the real shocker of the twist in its final panel. An absolutely splendid cliffhanger is how Absolute Wonder Woman #8 chooses to wrap up part one of “As My Mother Made Me” – one that sets the stage for Diana’s new big challenge and that reminded me of how and why DC’s Absolute Universe has been consistently knocking it out of the park from day one, as it is sure to do for millions of other readers.

Rating: 4 out of 5

Absolute Wonder Woman #8 is on sale now from DC.