Big Time Smash Em’ Up — Reviewing ‘Absolute Wonder Woman’ #17

For months, Wonder Woman has been dealing with threats connected to a mysterious group led by the malicious Veronica Cale. Tired of the more subtle approach, Cale has unleashed a squad upon the Princess of Hell.

Beware the Suicide Squad as they put Diana and her allies to the absolute test in Absolute Wonder Woman #17 from Kelly Thompson, Hayden Sherman, Jordie Bellaire, and Becca Carey.

It goes without saying, this series absolutely rocks.

Just a pure delight to gaze upon and take in at every conceivable level, providing one of the purest feeling Wonder Woman type stories with a dynamic new world feeling at all times. It embraces the darker edge of the Absolute Universe without losing any of the hope the character embodies. In fact, the wrap of this world actually heightens and celebrates that lighter hope in spectacular ways.

Sherman and Bellaire are a dynamic duo of creators, wielding their creative weaponry with such precision it would make Diana grin with deep pride. Sherman takes the storytelling portion of artistry to heart and really goes outside of any known box and creating panel layouts that go beyond the normal square or even some of the standard different shape situations.

All of it is maximized with potential as it really creates a vivid dynamic for the characters and the setting, slipping, sliding, and connecting over and with one another in a rapid-fire manner. It grabs the reader from page one and not letting go till the final page flips into existence.

Mood is tense and bold with the bright and saturated palette Bellaire is working with. She gives every space their own unique energy with the colors that are chosen, such as the harsh reds of the lighting in Cale’s bunker versus the more blue and cooler coloring found in the museum scenes.

There are various magic users going at it in this story arc, and they feel like a variety, because different colors are chosen to highlight their abilities and their moves rather than just picking one standard magic sort of color. Bright flashy greens, yellows, blues, and so much more are running amok gloriously.

This seeps into the lettering work that Carey lays out upon the page. She gives dialogue some of those same highlighting colors among other smart font choices. All of that helps craft more uniqueness to the lettering but also the characters that are uttering the words, rather than everything feeling static or too similar to one another at times.

There is nothing wrong with that type of lettering, but going bolder helps a book carve out even more of a unique space in the publishing world.

What Thompson has woven these past seventeen issues is something worth applauding at full standing ovation level. Hell, a standing ovation might not be enough.

Wonder Woman has had many great and notable runs over the years, but as a character she often gets sidelined compared to the rest of the so-called Trinity. She’s relegated to a type of story that doesn’t often break through the barrier setup by her friend counterparts. Not in the case of the Absolute line.

Thompson takes full advantage of the unique landscape this universe provides at every opportunity, utilizing characters from the DC Universe that tend to cross paths with Diana in very inspired ways. Here, some of Diana’s rogues who feel unheralded in the main line feel rejuvenated and full of invigorating potential.

I have my suspicions about the identity of the new magician that is coming for Diana, but I’m fine with the mystery here. We get so much in one issue and the way that each arc has delivered on what has come before without losing itself fits with the strength of Thompson as a writer.

Absolute Wonder Woman #17 is now available form DC Comics.