There’s a reason Absolute Wonder Woman managed to quickly become the book I look forward to most almost every week, with each issue reinforcing that faith in new and wonderful (pun intended) ways. Issue #23 continues that excellent trajectory by expanding this universe’s Greek lore, with a few very familiar godly faces showing up to complicate matters, while Diana herself decides to play offense against perpetual pain-in-the-butt Veronica Cale.
There’s so much to look forward to and enjoy with this issue, with action and character beats both balancing each other out beautifully as Kelly Thompson, Hayden Sherman and Jordie Bellaire continue to build a world and a host of characters in it that blend familiarity with some truly exciting character explorations – even if sometimes a few side characters are starting to fall by the wayside. That being said, there’s still a lot to love and go around here in this week’s issue, as several past threads begin to converge as the world of Gods and Mortals starts to blur ever more.
When an Amazon Gets to Cut Loose
Issue #23 already has Diana escaping the Underworld after rescuing her mother, but now she’s more determined than ever to make up for the time she was missing on Earth. In her absence, her friends are off doing their own work however they can, while others like Barbara are facing mortal peril of their own. But the source of all their problems is the same: one Veronica Cale and her meddling actions. And Diana’s quite frankly had enough of that. Assembling some new weapons and a swanky new robot arm-type thingy, Diana drops herself right on Cale’s doorstep, confronting her tormentor once and for all.
It’s a good verbal back-and-forth, and Diana definitely manages to come across as intimidating enough, though Cale’s cool and calm approach is also laudable in the face of a pissed-off war goddess like her. But this confrontation ends with some unexpected revelations about Cale’s motivations as well. And as if that wasn’t enough to worry about, the Greek Gods have also made themselves known to Diana in the mortal world, with Zeus himself showing up to cause who knows what kind of trouble.
The Gods Must Be Crazy
One of the hallmarks of this issue in particular is just how well it balances both a larger mythical world in the background with Diana’s focus on her own present goals. There’s definitely a foreboding sense of dread as more godly figures – including the biggest one of them all – start to make their plans known. It’s something readers are always looking for with this series, but Kelly Thompson always manages to keep the focus where it’s needed the most with Diana. There’s no give and take here, with both aspects working really well in this regard to tell a truly compelling story that functions really well as the start of a new chapter arc.
Diana herself is as resolute as ever, powered by guilt and determination in equal measure following her abrupt trip to the Underworld. Thompson never tries to brush aside the whole matter of Diana having been missing for nearly a month, with the consequences for it being very front and center. We already know about Barbara’s fate in the previous issue, but Diana obviously doesn’t, which makes sense. And that determination to save her friend who was in peril is what drives Diana to really take things up a notch with some fancy new toys and a bit more aggression than we’ve normally seen her exercise. And that’s really explained beautifully by Thompson: Diana’s attention may have been diverted while she was sorting out her personal issues in the Underworld, but that simmering rage at Veronica Cale’s actions and the harm it caused her friends only grew brighter and brighter, and now it reached a breaking point. There’s certainly some great tension watching Diana come close to cutting completely loose and still holding herself back when facing Cale for the first time, despite all the taunts and jabs and faux outrage. And the best part is that despite all of that, Diana still manages to be true to her compassion when the situation warrants it, even against her greatest enemy in this situation. It’s great seeing so many of Diana’s character beats from previous arcs, some going as far back as the first few issues, finally play out like this, where the toll of her compassion does lead to outbursts, but there is never any compromise when it comes to being true to herself.
On the other end of the spectrum, Veronica Cale finally gets to really play out her character beyond being the “figure in the chair” that she’s been since the beginning. This time in direct confrontation with Diana, she definitely manages to hold her ground – trying to play the tried-and-tested “you’re an unknown metahuman threat” card to throw Diana off her game. It doesn’t work, but there are certain truths Cale shares that do hit the mark, namely Diana’s existence putting her friends at risk. It's honestly a very interesting back-and-forth that Diana and Cale engage in, and it’s great to see the latter evolving into a more fleshed-out character, especially when you consider the backstory we get a glimpse of here. But even then, Thompson does remind readers that whatever tragedy Cale faces with her personal situation was caused by her own actions: namely, trying to use Zatanna’s father as leverage against her. Those consequences obviously came back to bite her, and I like how, despite the magnitude of those actions, there’s a small little parallel between how Diana and Kale are both, in one way or the other, facing the repercussions for their respective actions.
As for other aspects of this book, things are definitely getting more interesting. While it’s only approximately 2-3 pages, we finally get to see Ares for the first time, probably one of the single most important gods in Wonder Woman’s pantheon. And while he’s presented with similar beats to his traditional counterpart, Ares’ presence in the Absolute Universe is framed very interestingly so far. He obviously patronises Diana, because he sees the potential in her bringing one of the greatest wars imaginable to the mortal world, and there’s also his unique fondness for the Amazons as a whole – adding another layer to that mystery of Diana’s kin that is still hanging around in the background too. What really caught my attention was how Ares is also presented as a figure that is containing the “chaos” of war – as he puts it – with his very body creaking and cracking against the strain of the metaphysical aggression he’s holding back. I love how the gods in the Absolute Universe continue to buck the trend of their more well-known representations and really lean so heavily into these more abstract and wilder designs. And that’s never more true than with Zeus, who also shows up in this issue as nothing more than a booming voice and a massive floating eyeball. It’s a wildly different interpretation but certainly fits the patronizing, controlling nature of a Godly Patriarch who only seeks total dominion and obedience over his children. And it’s definitely going to be really wild to see how it pans out as both Ares and Zeus are positioned to be larger parts of this latest story arc.
Absolute Wonder Woman #23 does a great job with all of these above-mentioned aspects, but if there is one problem I do have, it’s that Diana’s other extended supporting cast is still kind of floundering a bit. We get a bit of a mini crossover of sorts with Etta Candy off in Gotham and catching up with Barbara Gordon, but it’s just one page that only exemplifies that she and everyone else who doesn’t get page space are simply floating around while Diana’s off on her own adventures. This is a problem that will certainly need to be addressed soon, but for the most part I’m confident that Thompson has something meatier planned for them.
The Boundaries Be Pushing Beyond the Panels
One area that simply is beyond reproach is the continued excellence of the art that Hayden Sherman and Jordie Bellaire keep putting out. Issue #23 is a very kinetic issue in that regard, with Diana getting to tear loose and the art team having a blast showing that with complete gusto. And of course, you’ve got some wild panel work at play alongside the kind of colors that really liven up the frantic, yet very measured nature of this issue in particular.
Hayden Sherman’s non-traditional paneling style gets to really push boundaries in this issue, along with the art in them. His latest representations of the Greek Gods with Ares and Zeus are so incredibly wild, it’s hard not to enjoy how the designs convey so much. Ares with his armor cracking at the seams and finally giving way to the chaos a war god is expected to contain. Zeus as an ever-seeing, all-encompassing eye in the sky that patronizes and torments everyone in his domain. And finally, Diana getting to play with some new toys like her latest arm guard with its own built-in voice command. It’s a wild new mix of tech with magic that the series hasn’t really done before, but it definitely works out like something out of Devil May Cry 5 – with all the action and forward momentum that comparison entails as Diana busts through walls and barriers and finally confronts Kale with the kind of quiet menace you can scarcely imagine from her. It’s truly a sight to behold as Sherman continues to really go wild with each new issue, and the anticipation I get about what he’ll pull next is something that keeps me hooked on this book.
Not to be outdone, Jordie Bellaire’s color work also shines so well in this issue alongside Sherman’s linework. There’s so much contrast play with light and dark from various shades of natural, man-made, and magical energy that it’s kind of insane. From greens of eldritch fire against night backdrops to the red warning lights of military-grade bunkers against Diana’s face as she bulldozes through buildings with sparks flying are a feast for the senses. A lot of times when Diana is being more imposing than usual, she’s intentionally cloaked in shadow with only her eyes visible or no expression at all. That kind of shadow play really speaks to Bellaire’s impeccable grasp of situational presentation and makes for a truly fun read all around.
A New Chapter Worth Picking Up
The creative team for Absolute Wonder Woman continues their tour de force with another spectacular issue, and I always love it when new layers and dimensions of this world are slowly peeled away over the course of this unfolding story. The machinations of the Gods and the consequences of their actions is a powerful throughline, and you get to regularly see that play out in subtle and overt ways.
When classic figures like Ares and Zeus get to show up in some truly unexpected forms, and Diana manages to have even her worldviews surprised by the villains and friends surrounding her, you know you’ve got a good time on your hands. What I do hope for, however, is a bit more of a better rotation of Diana’s supporting cast, since balancing out everyone’s stories is important, and I fear that people like Steve Trevor, Etta, and the others back at the homestead are losing out on some of the immaculate story work that makes this book such a treat. So here’s hoping that changes sometime in the near future.
Final Verdict: Absolute Wonder Woman #23 is another exciting chapter in this on-going Greek saga that once again manages to blend excellent lore building, breathtaking visual action and some genuine character moments into its ever-expanding mythology.