Of all the Absolute DC titles that have been released so far, Absolute Wonder Woman still manages to hold a special place in my heart. I figure it’s the same for many other readers as well, since the compelling mix of Greek mythology with gritty action and a genuine sense of awe and wonder really manage to scratch that itch that stuff like God of War or Percy Jackson might’ve left for so many. Diana’s new story has definitely been one with a ton of heart and mystic mytho-magic to boot, a ship that’s been kept consistently steady and entertaining by Kelly Thompson’s deft skills.
However, recent issues that are concluding shorter story arcs before the much promised Absolute Justice Trinity team-up comes into play feel more rushed than usual. And it’s this rushed nature that has seemingly affected the conclusion to a two-part short story arc in issue #14. And the insane way in which some plot points get resolved in the latest conflict plaguing Diana feel a little too overly convenient (and creatively lazy) to ignore. Does this mean Absolute Wonder Woman is a bad book now? Absolutely not. But there is a lot to talk about when you consider the sheer heights where this book started and where we are with this week’s issue. So let’s just dive right into it.
A World Out of Balance
Absolute Wonder Woman #14 starts exactly where the last issue left off, with Diana facing her darker magical entity – the product of her having supposedly thrown man’s world into imbalance. Having been unable to beat it on her own, Diana lies defeated and has her defeat compounded by the much-awaited appearance of this universe’s Zatanna who attempts to add insult to injury by binding Diana with her magic. While Diana is seemingly able to avoid this fate (or does she?), she finds herself confronted with uncomfortable fact that maybe her presence really is having an adverse impact on the world. That maybe this attempt at destroying her is a course correction – that the magic she’s wrought in her adventures so fast has led to this moment.
However, her friends pull her out of this spiral of self-judgement, reminding her that the world is already imbalanced – that with the poison of pollution greed and the million other horrors that humanity inflicts on the earth – that maybe Diana IS the balancing force for good instead. Her confidence rekindled, Diana decides to take the most dangerous approach to beat her seemingly unstoppable darker half – she must confront the earth itself to redeem this so-called imbalance. She must face Gaia herself.
Great Character Moments Marred by a Rushed Finish
Kelly Thompson has been running a tour de’ force with this series right from issue #1, establishing Diana’s world with so much pathos and grandeur in such a relatively short span of time. Her work has definitely cemented this as one of the most fun Absolute titles. And with the tantalizing conclusion that issue #13 had – the promise of both a physical and existential battle with Diana’s darker self, issue #14 promised to fill some major boots. However, the execution leaves a little to be desired in that regards. While Diana being beaten to submission in their initial encounter does make sense narratively, what does not make sense is Diana’s ability to so easily convince Gaia of all beings to accept that Wonder Woman is not the problem.
To be very clear, Gaia here is the personification of the earth – the very earth that everyone lives on and where all this conflict is currently happening. For Gaia to decide that Diana is the biggest threat, the greatest source of imbalance AND to then have Diana convince Gaia to actually look outward and see that human devastation is the real threat seems more than a little absurd. So far, every cosmic or mythological being introduced in the series has always had a sense of omniscience when it comes to their specific domain, even if they have their own unique biases.
However, Gaia – an entity that is older than even the gods – being this aloof and unaware of her own domain’s problems to the point of assigning blame to one sole amazonian for all of the earth’s woes seems a little too farfetched. Even farther fetched seems to be how quickly Gaia is ready to accept Diana’s terms to help her destroy her darker shadow-self following these revelations. It all seems a little too convenient and rushed, which is unusual for Kelly Thompson who has so far been very precise with how each conflict has been resolved in a manner that does offer genuine reflection for both Diana and her foes, rather than having something so quickly resolved simply for the sake of the plot.
On the far more positive side though, Diana and her world is as wonderful as ever (puns away). The little tease of Absolute Zatanna who tries her best to stir the pot with a brief little appearance has me hyped for their inevitable full-fledged meeting, since this is version of Zatanna just seems to ooze the kind of unhinged energy that puts your teeth on edge. On the other end of the spectrum, Diana’s close coterie of friends like Eta, Gia, Barbara and Steve also manage to make their presence warmly felt and how. Their reaffirming friendship, their confidence in Diana even at her lowest moments of self-doubt and Diana’s willingness to lean on them for support has been a great hallmark of her time in this new Absolute DC world.
And Kelly Thompson just excels at writing these small yet meaningful interactions between the entire cast of characters. In particular I was very fond of the entire notion that while yes, Diana and her magical antics might be a destabilizing force in this world – to her friends and the world at large, Diana’s so-called “imbalance” is one of that brings genuine hope to a world that seems to be devoid of it (* cough Darkseid shenanigans * cough * cough *). There’s a cute pay off to this moment, when Diana sees her friends sleeping and lovingly calls them “her tiny amazons” out of genuine gratitude.
With such a great handle on these kinds of character dynamics already so firmly in place, I’m more than a little excited to see how Diana’s meeting with Batman will unfold in the near future, because the possibilities are simply mouthwatering.
Godly Splendor Across Every Page
Issue #14 does not slouch one bit in the art department, with Matias Bergara firing on all cylinders. Every action sequence and electrifying (literally) battle hits readers like a mack truck (kind of like the effect Zatanna thinks Diana’s eyes have on everyone hehe). Diana is a warrior goddess personified – weaving sword and sorcery with supernatural vigor that is captured incredibly in ever line.
Bergara’s work has really solidified his place in the pantheon of great artists who have already worked on this book so far, bringing a genuinely visceral edge to moments of battle while also playing up the darkly mythical angles of domains like Gaia’s realms in equally epic manner.
On that same note, Gaia’s domain of earth and vines feels like a green hell: a dark inversion of what you’d ordinarily expect when “mother nature” comes to mind, but perfectly encapsulates a primal entity more akin to the nastier aspects of The Green than anything else. And Jordie Bellaire’s impeccable colors brings scenes of light and dark to even greater focus. Whether it’s the darker earthen hues of Gaia’s domain, the azure lightning filled battles against her darker half or Zatanna, or the warm green and fiery glows of her sanctum – Diana’s world is one that is full of colorful life (and death).
An Absolute Team Up Beckons
Issue 14’s rushed storytelling leaves far too many unanswered questions that genuinely feel like they deserve more time than a lazy “the plot demanded it” approach to resolving the latest conflict. It’s still wild that Diana was so easily able to expose all of Gaia’s weaknesses and the fallacy in her logic, and Gaia just…took it. Which just feels like a bit of a cop out in the moment, and I’m hoping the many loose threads left behind here hold up in the future to scrutiny. And with the series set to detour more towards the inevitable team up with Superman and Batman, one can only hope those questions are answered sooner rather than later, if they ever are at all.
None of this takes away from the sheer fun, the sheer spectacle, and the immense heart that this series continues to carve out for itself under the loving guidance of Kelly Thompson and co. The only wish that remains is for this amazing team to get the time and pages to tell their story to their fullest, because this certainly has so much potential to continue the fun journey it’s established so well so far.
Score: 7/10.
A rushed ending and lazy plot contrivances do not detract from the godly amounts of fun and action as Diana gears up to meet the rest of her super friends in the near future.
