I am completely blown away by what this creative team has pulled off. Month after month, Kelly Thompson, Hayden Sherman, Jordie Bellaire, and Becca Carey have been delivering one of the absolute best books on the shelves, and issue #20 just brought the “Season of the Witch” arc to a spectacular, epic finish. After last month’s heartbreaking bombshell about Aphrodite’s gift, this finale takes all those raw feelings and smashes them right into a giant mechanical nightmare. The result is pure adrenaline, cementing this series as one of the most compelling books on the stands today.
Title: Absolute Wonder Woman #20
Creatives: Kelly Thompson (Writer), Hayden Sherman (Artist), Jordie Bellaire (Colorist), Becca Carey (Letterer)
Characters: Wonder Woman (Diana), Zatanna, Giovanni Zatara, Dr. Poison
Villain: Veronica Cale
Format: Ongoing Series
Our Rating: 9.9/10 Stars
The Brutal Defense of Gateway City
First of all, I continue to praise the decision to put Diana in Gateway City instead of the usual Washington, D.C. setup we see in the prime universe. Giving her a distinct city of her own builds such a unique atmosphere, even if that city is currently completely in ruins. Following the chaotic rumble with the Absolute Suicide Squad, Diana gets some backup from freed Giovanni and Zatanna Zatara, but there’s no time to breathe. A giant mechanical spider robot called the Iron Maiden is actively ravaging the streets.
Hayden Sherman completely outdid himself with this monster’s design. It’s massive, terrifying, and totally adaptable, sporting a distinct glowing red eye and clutching hydra-legs. It honestly gives off major Omnidroid vibes from The Incredibles. Also, the amount of detail poured into the gears, mechanisms, and internal parts of this machine is insane; Sherman absolutely ate this entire sequence. Matching that energy, Jordie Bellaire’s colors are incredible. The cold, gray mechanical look of the machine clashing with the radiating, crimson fiery red of its attacks looks absolutely gorgeous on every single page.
The Petty Brilliance of Veronica Cale
Even with all her peak Amazon power, Diana gets overwhelmed and captured. What follows is a painful torture sequence where Veronica Cale drains her blood for whatever nefarious plot she’s cooking up next. I absolutely love the sheer pettiness of villains like Cale and Lex Luthor. They know they can’t win a fair fight against a hero with god-like powers, so they use every underhanded, clever trick available.
At the end of the day, it’s all about ego. Cale wants to look a literal superhero in the eye and prove that pure human grit and wit can bring them down. It makes her so compelling to watch, even when you’re actively rooting for her to fail.
The art team makes you feel every bit of the agony. The torture scene uses a cosmic blend of black, deep blue, and purplish-blue tones. We’ve never seen this version of Diana make faces like this before. It’s stunning to look at, but genuinely brutal.
Creative Visual Storytelling at Its Best
Even with the heavy drama, this book never stops having fun with the medium. Sherman and letterer Becca Carey drop a massive, stylized BOOM action effect right at the jump that practically shakes the page. It’s exactly the kind of creative visual identity this team has been knocking out of the park since issue one.
We also get a hilariously funny tonal shift mid-issue when Dr. Poison finally lands in the Bonneville Salt Flats of Utah (after being thrown by Diana in issue #17). She drops into the panel like a meteorite, and then just keeps bouncing and bouncing in this ridiculous, bright pink magical clown ball. Carey’s onomatopoeia effects add so much comedy to the moment, and you really feel how perfectly in sync and fun Thompson, Sherman, Bellaire, and Carey were on this page.
That Stunning Final Panel
Just when things look entirely hopeless, unexpected aid arrives from the depths. Diana is rescued by a giant god-like hand coated in blue flames, looking unbelievably cool by Sherman. But it’s the very last panel that cements this book’s greatness. It manages to capture regret, misunderstanding, abandonment, and a massive reckoning all in one single, incredibly powerful image. It plays out like a classic Greek tragedy right in front of your eyes.
Verdict: Should you buy Absolute Wonder Woman #20?
I can’t sing enough praises for this creative team. Watching this whole arc unfold has been absolute wild ride, and you can bet the “Season of the Witch” trade paperback is going straight onto my watchlist the second it drops. It’s the kind of epic story you just know you’ll want to sit down and reread the moment you finish it.
‘Absolute Wonder Woman’ #20 Review: The Stunning, Tragic End to Season of the Witch
I can’t sing enough praises for this creative team. Watching this whole arc unfold has been absolute wild ride, and you can bet the Season of the Witch trade paperback is going straight onto my watchlist the second it drops. It’s the kind of epic story you just know you’ll want to sit down and reread the moment you finish it.
