Absolute Wonder Woman #8: The Superman of the Absolute Universe

Absolute Wonder Woman #8 picks up back with series regular artist, Hayden Sherman, kicking off a new story arc. One of the main ideas plaguing Diana throughout the first seven issues is that she was kicked off of Paradise Island and never got to know any of her Thymescerian sisters. This arc sees Diana searching for her people, all while a mysterious force in Area 41 seeks to weaponize the destructive capabilities of the recently defeated Tetracide. Kicking off this new arc with a lot of plot right away may seem like a detriment, but Absolute Wonder Woman #8 undoubtedly contains some of the best worldbuilding that this Absolute Universe has seen thus far.

The main plot with Diana here sees her growing bonds between her new friends and family, all while looking for the past she was taken away from. In many ways, this is exemplary of the kind of story Kelly Thompson is telling, with the past colliding with the present to create an uncertain future. Even the first arc explores this with Diana attempting to embrace her present with Steve Trevor all while facing a giant monster that is part of this world she had recently escaped. This storytelling element makes this book so endearing, connecting all of these elements together in a way that just begs readers to come back each month to see what happens next.

In one of the most delightful twists in this alternate universe canon, this issue features Diana making her own home base, sort of like Superman’s Fortress of Solitude, called the Hieron. Hieron is a Greek term for holy place or sacred place and completely fits within the mythos of Wonder Woman and her place in this new universe. This is one of the few examples of how this book looks forwards, something that seems hard for Diana since she is caught up in her mysterious past. Thankfully, the book foreshadows this growth as being aided by her new found friends who want Diana to grow into this force for good that is destined to lead the heroes from this Absolute Universe.

The villainous group of this story is punctuated by the Absolute Universe introduction of Doctor Poison, who is a very different, and much more sympathetic character. What Thompson and Sherman do with this character makes for a very promising future, one that fits perfectly with the new version of Diana that exists here. With the issue concluding on a cliffhanger, this creative team does it once again, making one of the best comics on the stands even better.