Absolute Wonder Woman: Everything We Know So Far

What is the Absolute Universe?

DC’s All In Special shook things up after Darkseid fused with Spectre to reach new levels of cosmic power. In a desperate attempt to eradicate the Justice League, Darkseid lets out a blast of energy that creates the Absolute Universe in his image. With Darkseid energy fueling the existence of the Absolute Universe, many of the world’s most iconic superheroes are not who we normally know them as. Wonder Woman, Batman, and Superman have all been stripped of essential parts of their characters, making drastically altered versions of themselves. But even with parts taken away, what remains are the absolute essences of what makes them superheroes.

The Absolute Universe is primed to push readers’ perceptions of these heroes. Who is Superman without the Kents? Who is Batman without his money and status? And who is Wonder Woman without the Amazons? That question and more is what I’ll dive into in this article as I give a rundown of what to expect from Absolute Wonder Woman.

Who is Absolute Wonder Woman?

Image: DC Comics

While her compassionate spirit still shines through her, Diana’s upbringing is what’s fundamentally different in the Absolute Universe. Instead of growing up on the island of Themyscira alongside her Amazon sisters, Diana is raised by Circe on a small, secluded island in Hell. That is because Zeus imprisoned the Amazons in the Absolute Universe in a fit of vengeful rage, banishing Diana as part of the punishment. 

With Circe as her mother, Diana is exposed to the ways of dark magic. She grows up learning about all kinds of mystical creatures and sorcery, making her more akin to a witch than an Amazonian. But her innate warrior spirit still flows through her, and she continues to hold her powerful tendencies to fight for justice. Except this time, she has a full arsenal of magical weaponry and spells at her disposal. 

The Amazons and the Apocalypse 

Image: DC Comics

The story begins with a swarm of demons attacking Gateway City. With the Amazons gone from the Absolute Universe, Earth essentially no longer has its first line of defense against such mystical creatures. That leaves it all on Diana’s shoulders to stop the beasts from instigating an apocalypse. Despite all her years living in solitude in Hell, she still has the urge to save the world because of her Amazonian heritage. With demons bearing down on Earth, it leads to a fascinating new challenge for Diana as she needs to pull out every ounce of magic and power to make it out alive. 

A Bold New Look 

Image: DC Comics

One of the most striking visual changes in Absolute Wonder Woman is how she’s now rocking some killer ink on her arm. But more than being just a slick change-up, this is an evolution of Wonder Woman’s iconic costume. Kelly Thompson and Hayden Sherman have talked about how this new costume is packed with subtle nods to Wonder Woman’s history to give her the look of a seasoned warrior. And as if the giant sword wasn’t a giveaway enough, her helmet and plated armor also bear a resemblance to Guts’ iconic armor from Kentaro Miura’s Berserk. 

Like everything that we’ve seen from the Absolute Universe so far, these changes and variations were made with meticulous thought in mind. The moment you see Diana across the page in this new comic, you can already tell that she is an all-new character before she speaks a word. It’s a testament to how carefully crafted DC’s new initiative is, and how it could shake up the comic book landscape for years to come.