The Absolute Universe thrives on tearing up the rulebook. Absolute Wonder Woman #21 by Kelly Thompson and guest artist Dillon Snook proves exactly why this line is working so well right now. Look, the last story arc was easily my absolute favorite of the entire series so far, so the bar was sky-high for me coming into this issue. Thompson does not disappoint, immediately forcing Diana to deal with a massive loss. Coming straight off her brutal defeat in issue #20, our hero starts this issue stranded in the Underworld, and she is visibly hurting.
Title: Absolute Wonder Woman #21
Creatives: Kelly Thompson (Writer), Dillon Snook (Artist), Jordie Bellaire (Colorist), Becca Carey (Letterer)
Characters: Wonder Woman (Diana), Steve Trevor, Etta Candy, Gia, Barbara Ann, Priscilla
Villains: Manticore, Urzkartaga, Veronica Cale
Format: Ongoing Series
Our Rating: 8.5/10 Stars
Tracking Down Circe in the Underworld
Diana is sad, but there is zero time for a pity party. Someone snatched Circe straight from their home, and Diana has to grab her giant axe and hunt down the culprits. I love how Thompson continues to make Diana feel completely larger than life here. Even while mourning, Diana immediately assumes her mother was taken by legendary monsters. She starts tracking down heavy hitters plucked straight out of myth: like the Manticore, Harpies, Scylla, and Echidna.
The absolute highlight of her Underworld trek is a fierce brawl with a Manticore. This beast loves to talk trash, but Diana handles it well. She has no interest in executing the creature because it didn’t actually take Circe. Instead of a bloody execution, Diana neutralizes this giant douche of a monster using sleep magic, showing again how clinical and focused she can be when she’s on a mission.
Earthside Chaos and the Rise of Cheetah
While Diana is handling business downstairs, her supporting cast holds down the fort back on Earth. It’s incredibly refreshing to see these characters act like genuine friends instead of a standard superhero fan club. We get great moments of Steve Trevor defending the Hieron from Veronica Cale’s aggressive mercenary goons while Etta Candy and Gia have their own missions brewing.
The most fascinating subplot, however, belongs to Barbara Ann. She’s undergoing a horrific transformation courtesy of the plant god Urzkartaga, who’s looking for a fresh host to possess. I always love it when this total bastard of an entity shows his face. How a plant god connects to cheetah women is beyond me, but hey, that’s comics for you. The book also weaves in Priscilla’s story, mirroring her classic main-universe trajectory. The narrative moves at a breakneck pace here, essentially skipping the exact details of how the initial possession went down. Instead, it drops us right into the aftermath, where Priscilla gets possessed and Veronica Cale gets pulled in to manage the magical fallout. It’s a fast-tracked way to build out the Absolute Cheetah mythology, and it keeps the momentum moving.
Indie Aesthetic Meets Big Two Scale
Guest artist Dillon Snook brings a completely unique flavor to this book. His art style looks like it belongs on an indie comic, which perfectly matches the creator-driven spirit of the Absolute line. His simplistic yet grand designs sell the massive scale of the Manticore, complete with its classic creepy human face and lethal scorpion tail. Snook also draws an incredibly expressive, contemplative Diana that lets the character’s exhaustion shine through.
Jordie Bellaire’s colors completely steal the show. Pervasive red and orange backgrounds dominate the panels, making the entire Underworld environment pop with bold intensity. The color palette makes the Manticore look like a standard lion with a haunting human face, proving that a minimalist approach can deliver maximum dread. Letterer Becca Carey ties the visual package together seamlessly. Diana’s narration is housed in clean, single white square boxes, allowing the stylized sound effects to explode off the page during the axe throws and monster roars.
The Verdict: Should you buy Absolute Wonder Woman #21?
While it has a lot to live up to following my favorite arc of the series, Absolute Wonder Woman #21 delivers a rock-solid transition issue filled with action, mystery, and the messy machinations of the gods. When mortals and immortals meddle like this, it never ends well, but it makes for a fantastic comic.
‘Absolute Wonder Woman’ #21 Review: Dives into the Underworld and a Fresh Cheetah Origin
While it has a lot to live up to following my favorite arc of the series, Absolute Wonder Woman #21 delivers a rock-solid transition issue filled with action, mystery, and the messy machinations of the gods. When mortals and immortals meddle like this, it never ends well, but it makes for a fantastic comic.
