All of the Absolute books are great, but there’s something special about Absolute Wonder Woman, by Kelly Thompson and Hayden Sherman. Wonder Woman stories have always been grounded in mythology. This new version of Wonder Woman is still related to the Greek Pantheon, although there are differences in her relationship with them. The look of the gods have changed in different comics — for example, George Perez’s version of the Greek gods are different from Bernard Chang’s New 52 versions of them — and it’s become something of a right of passage for each new Wonder Woman artist to tweak their looks, something the new issue indulges in. Absolute Wonder Woman #6 is a gem, and it revolves around Diana visiting the Underworld, meeting the Absolute version of Hades, and it’s definitely different from any other version of the dark god.
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Hades has always been different from what everyone thought an underworld god would be, his love for his wife Persephone making him quite rare in the Greek Pantheon. Over the years, multiple versions of Hades have been seen in Wonder Woman comics and beyond, but Sherman’s newest version is the most unique of them all. Absolute Wonder Woman has been killing it, and this change to Hades is yet another interesting interpretation of the character.
Hades’s New Look Is Completely Different than What Came Before
Hades has had a certain look over the years, one that fits the more stereotypical view of an underworld god. Most artists give Hades something of a scary, goth look. He is usually represented as dark, with black and grey being his main colors. That’s what makes Sherman’s newest conception of Hades so interesting. Instead of the dark god of the underworld readers would expect, with black and grey robes and accoutrements, the book opens with this more abstract version of Hades. Hades is made from blue flame, with a smaller red crown made of flames above his head. There’s a fluidity to Hades that is missing from other versions of the god. It’s an astounding design choice, but it’s also one that blends in with the new Underworld. Instead of the black and greys used for the Underworld from other works, this Underworld is very blue, even down to the coloring of the columns, showing the relation between the god and his home.
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Of course, most readers have definitely seen a blue Hades before — the Disney Hercules version of Hades is cool and blue until he gets angry — and it feels right for this new Hades. Hades has never been one of the more bombastic gods, and making him blue gives him something of a calm feel. However, blue flames are some of the hottest flames of them all. Hades isn’t going to yell and carry on, but he’s going to burn anyone who messes with him. It’s a foreboding look, one that seems okay — no one is scared of anything colored bright blue — but hides immense power and rage. It’s visual storytelling at its finest. This version of Hades is a completely new vision of the God of the Underworld, one that will stay with readers for a long time.
Wonder Woman Will Have Her Work Cut Out for Her Against this Hades
Absolute Wonder Woman #6 is a masterpiece of tense pacing. Hades immediately makes an impression in the issue. He is the king of his realm and demands that Wonder Woman disarms herself, his voice dripping with danger. There’s an arrogance to Hades, and his new look plays into all of this. Hades as a being of fire makes whatever battle against him that Wonder Woman will fight very different. He’s not an enemy that can be battered into submission, but a being of fire and power. He isn’t just powerful, he is power itself. It’s a simple change to the character, but it speaks volumes about him. When the book gets to the last page, we see his chains holding Circe, made from the same blue energy that he is. This gives readers an idea of the kind of being that Hades is and how his powers work.
Hayden Sherman has so far shown that he is a master of design. This new Hades is one of the best things he’s created for Absolute Wonder Woman so far. Absolute Wonder Woman #6 has a lot of amazing art in it — the colors are especially good in this issue, giving it the kind of hyper real feel that one imagines is how it feels to be in presence of gods — but this simple design is the best.
Absolute Wonder Woman #6 is on sale where ever comics are sold.
