| Absolute Wonder Woman | |
|---|---|
 Textless cover of Absolute Wonder Woman #1 by Hayden Sherman. | |
| Publication information | |
| Publisher | DC Comics (Absolute Universe) |
| Schedule | Monthly |
| Format | Ongoing |
| Genre | |
| Publication date | October 23, 2024 – present |
| No. of issues | 16 |
| Main character(s) | Wonder Woman Circe Steve Trevor Barbara Minerva Etta Candy Gia Candy Veronica Cale |
| Creative team | |
| Written by | Kelly Thompson |
| Artist(s) | Hayden Sherman Mattia de Iulis (6−7) Dustin Nguyen (6−7) Matías Bergara (13−14) |
| Letterer | Becca Carey |
| Colorist | Jordie Bellaire |
| Editor | Chris Conroy |
Absolute Wonder Woman is a superhero comic book series published by DC Comics, based on the character Wonder Woman. The series is written by Kelly Thompson and illustrated by Hayden Sherman. The series focuses on a version of Wonder Woman who was raised in Hell rather than Themyscira as in most depictions of the character. This Diana is less a symbol of peace and more a mythic warrior-queen struggling between compassion and conquest.
It began publication on October 23, 2024, as part of DC's Absolute Universe (AU) imprint.[1]
The comic has received critical acclaim due to its characterization of Diana, reinvention of the Wonder Woman mythos, and the artwork by artist Hayden Sherman.[2][3][4]
Publication history
By July 2024, a Wonder Woman-focused comic book series titled Absolute Wonder Woman, written by Kelly Thompson and illustrated by Hayden Sherman, was in the works as part of DC Comics Absolute Universe (AU) imprint.[5] Absolute Wonder Woman began publication on October 23 of the same year.[6]
Plot
The Last Amazon / The Lady or the Tiger (#1–7)
On the Wild Isle of Hell, Apollo leaves the infant Diana with Circe, forbidding her from learning of the Amazons. Though Circe initially plans to let her die, she raises Diana instead, who grows strong and compassionate. As an adult, Diana learns of the Amazons’ banishment and enters the world to fight evil.
An upside-down pyramid appears over Gateway City, unleashing Harbingers. Diana battles them on Pegasus using the Athena Blade and Nemesis Lasso, reunites with Steve Trevor, and faces the monstrous Tetracide. Unable to stop its mind-compelling “Death of Fear,” Diana magically deafens the city to save its people. She adopts the name Wonder Woman after rescuing Barbara Minerva.
After restoring her magically replaced arm, Diana defeats the Tetracide by transforming into Medusa using the Lasso of Sacrifice, then shattering it. She is pulled into the Underworld, where Hades forces her into combat and holds Circe hostage. Recalling the tale of The Lady or the Tiger, Diana chooses freedom, accepting partial bondage to the Underworld by eating a pomegranate seed. She returns Circe home, parting from her at last.
As My Mothers Made Me / The Price (#8–14)
Veronica Cale and Doctor Poison experiment with the Tetracide’s sound while Diana establishes the Hieron as a refuge. Investigating Area 41, Diana enters a submerged maze rumored to hold a lost Amazon.
Flashbacks reveal Diana’s divine training under Artemis and Hecate. In the maze, she befriends Ferdinand the minotaur and Petra the siren, learns of Queen Clea’s rule, and discovers the trapped Amazon Io. Diana floods the maze, frees its denizens, and restores the Trident of Poseidon. Io escapes to Themyscira, revealing Diana is alive to Queen Hippolyta. Enraged, Veronica plans to unleash Zatanna against Diana.
A lightning creature attacks sites tied to Amazon research, driving Diana into uncharacteristic violence. She learns the creature is the “price” of her magic—an embodiment of balance that ultimately mirrors herself. Believing her death is the solution, Diana is persuaded otherwise by her allies.
Seeking answers, Diana appeals to Gaia, who acknowledges the world’s imbalance toward evil and destroys the creature. Back at the Hieron, Diana learns of other heroes like Batman and Superman. News breaks of a murder in Gotham marked with the sigil of Hecate.
The Mark of Hecate / Season of the Witch (#15–)
Veronica lures Diana to Gotham using Hecate’s mark. Diana allies with Batman to investigate occult murders, uncovering a cult attempting to create a golem. A spell briefly overtakes Diana but is broken by Batman using her talisman. After the church explodes, Diana gives Batman evidence of other heroes, urging him to seek them out—starting with Superman—if they are to save the world.
Collected editions
| # | Title | Material collected | Format | Pages | Released | ISBN |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Last Amazon | Absolute Wonder Woman #1–7 | HC | 176 | Aug 12, 2025 | 978-1799505297 |
| TPB | 978-1799505303 | |||||
| 2 | As My Mothers Made Me | Absolute Wonder Woman #8–14 | HC | 208 | Feb 17, 2026 | 978-1799507536 |
| TPB | 978-1799507543 |
Reception
![[icon]](/wiki/File:Wiki_letter_w_cropped.svg){kind=small} | This section needs expansion with: reviews. You can help by adding missing information. (May 2025) |
All 12 currently released issues of the comic book series have gotten a collective positive review form the review aggregator website Comic Book Roundup, holding a strong average critic rating of 9.1 out of 10 for 146 reviews, and a slightly lower average user rating of 8.9 out of 10 for 474 reviews.[7]
Absolute Wonder Woman won "Best New Series" and Jordie Bellaire won "Best Coloring" at the 2025 Eisner Awards.[8] Additionally, multiple members of the creative team were nominated for their work on Absolute Wonder Woman and other series: Kelly Thompson for "Best Writer", Hayden Sherman for "Best Cover Artist", and Becca Carey for "Best Lettering".[9]
References
- ^ Johnston, Rich (September 30, 2024). "3 Spoilers for Kelly Thompson & Hayden Sherman's Absolute Wonder Woman". Bleeding Cool. Archived from the original on October 15, 2024. Retrieved October 21, 2024.
- ^ Whitaker, Piper (October 23, 2024). "'Absolute Wonder Woman' #1 shows readers how to rebel against Gods". AIPT. Archived from the original on June 22, 2025. Retrieved March 10, 2025.
- ^ Gibson, Avi (November 17, 2024). "I Wasn't Excited for DC's New Wonder Woman, But One Moment Totally Won Me Over". Screen Rant. Archived from the original on January 18, 2025. Retrieved March 10, 2025.
- ^ Cronin, Brian (October 27, 2024). "Absolute Wonder Woman #1 Review: A Bold New Take on Wonder Woman Has a Tremendous Opening Issue". CBR. Archived from the original on January 18, 2025. Retrieved March 10, 2025.
- ^ Cronin, Brian (July 18, 2024). "DC Reveals First Three Absolute Universe Titles". CBR. Retrieved October 21, 2024.
- ^ Terror, Jude (October 20, 2024). "Absolute Wonder Woman #1 Preview: Amazon Unplugged". Bleeding Cool. Archived from the original on December 19, 2024. Retrieved October 21, 2024.
- ^ "Absolute Wonder Woman review". Comic Book Roundup. Archived from the original on September 20, 2025. Retrieved September 18, 2025.
- ^ Puc, Samantha (July 26, 2024). "SDCC '25: Announcing the 2025 Eisner Award winners". The Beat. Retrieved July 26, 2025.
- ^ MacDonald, Heidi (May 15, 2025). "2024 Eisner nominations announced, led by Fantagraphics and Tom King". The Beat. Archived from the original on May 15, 2025. Retrieved May 15, 2025.
