Absolute Wonder Woman Issue 8 is published by DC Comics. Written by Kelly Thompson, art by Hayden Sherman, colors by Jordie Bellaire, and letters by Becca Carey.
Wonder Woman establishes a home as a new villain designs a trap for her.
Absolute Wonder Woman Issue 8 takes a big step forward. It’s a brand-new arc with a completely fresh approach. The world is expanded beyond Death, not just in Greek mythology and the realms of immortals and the dead. The first half of the issue is adventurous – really adventurous. It takes on a Tomb Raider or Indiana Jones quality, with a mysterious building appearing in the jungle. The tone and the pace early in this chapter are calm and slow. It’s establishing a support base regarding people, not just an actual headquarters. But around that, the plot is unfolding into something sinister.
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A new villain starts to make plans that draw Diana back into Gateway City and this version of monster hunting is entirely the opposite of fighting the Tetracide. They’re much smaller and greater in number. And they are man-made. Thompson does a terrific job of toying with several fears and trying to invoke them in the characters and, subsequently, the reader. The fight scene and the villain are creepy and unsettling, just as frightening as the Eldritch giant that dominated the first arc.
Thompson gathers the supporting cast beautifully. Those appearing in the first arc, whether fleeting or not, now emerge as guests in Wonder Woman’s new home. Steve Trevor, Barbara Minerva, and Gia Candy all show up in the first half. This will be Wonder Woman’s team of humans to assist her and serve as her family. They are fantastic to use as observers, eliciting a reaction of awe and bewilderment from everything they see. Diana herself has a sensational personality that is both likable and engaging.
She is gentle, kind, and compassionate to innocents and those she cares about. But she is also a fierce fighter with an unrivaled rage toward those who will cause harm. That fury made Hades shudder, so it turns humans into gibbering wrecks. The villain has been completely transformed from their counterpart on the main Earth. It’s a terrific reimagining that’s also just one piece in a much larger game.
The art sees Sherman return to the book, which continues to build a world full of surprises and wonder. Everything linked to Wonder Woman’s origin has an Ancient Greek style and architecture. Her home seems to fit her personality. It’s secluded within nature, with animals and serenity around it. It’s a more hospitable version of the isle she grew up on. The design is extraordinary and captivating.
Then Diana enters Gateway City, which is filled with blocky, modern skyscrapers. The city is under attack from tiny creatures, hundreds of the critters. Sherman creates a seemingly endless number of things, which is possibly even more difficult than the behemoth before.
The villain that created them is one of the coolest designs of the entire Absolute Universe so far. It’s a huge scientific suit, like a radiation hazmat suit. It’s big, bulky and unnerving. Think the Juggernaut, but with a mechanical twist. And that’s not all, because inside is a gaseous being. The details and ingenuity are extraordinary.
The colors are amazing inside Absolute Wonder Woman Issue 8 as Bellaire also returns. Diana stands out within nature, not just because of how fascinating she looks, but also because of her color scheme. There is so much red on her armor and skin, which is just not present in the green jungle. Green is abundant in the issue for both comforting and natural reasons and more sinister and dangerous ones. The lettering is very easy to read from start to finish.
Absolute Wonder Woman Issue 8 refreshes just the right amount. The next arc combines supervillains with monster hunting. The characters, location, and concept remain relatively similar to the first arc, but there’s a terrific energy and an entirely new set of enemies. The villain is fantastic and phenomenally designed. The interlude in Hades likely provided a break and helped build the wider mythology. But Wonder Woman is just such an incredible character, with so much variety, that it is impossible to get bored of her.
Absolute Wonder Woman Issue 8 is available where comics are sold.
