Absolute Wonder Woman #16 – Kelly Thompson, Writer; Hayden Sherman, Artist; Jordie Bellaire, Colorist
Ray – 10/10
Ray: Fresh off a battle against the dark energy within her and a team-up with the dark knight, Diana is ready to reap the rewards of her new fame – but something much darker is looming. Wonder Woman’s journey in the labyrinth gained her several new allies, as well as a unique opportunity to connect with her culture, and her efforts in saving Gateway City has made her the most popular and beloved hero in the Absolute Universe. Now, the Gateway City Museum is opening a new exhibit that will celebrate the culture she comes from, and she’s the guest of honor. But her presence is increasingly causing more conflict, as the government continues to view her as a hostile force, and Steve Trevor actually goes so far as to resign his commission in protest. All this is looming over her head as she attends the museum as the guest of honor – and Veronica Cale is almost ready to make her move.
There are some brilliant flashback segments in this issue, dealing with Diana’s visits from the Gods when she was growing up in Hell. There’s a haunting opening segment involving the innocent but slightly eerie affection Aphrodite gave the young princess, only for the Goddess to disappear later in Diana’s life and be replaced by Artemis, who taught her how to fight but didn’t give her the answers she was seeking. And when it’s time for the real battle to begin, things get scary in a hurry. Zatanna, who is a prisoner of Cale and being forced to attack, may be the deadliest enemy she’s faced yet – because she’s ready to turn Diana’s own magic against her. We also get our first look at Cale’s full team, with a familiar name and a completely new roster – and it asks some very big questions about one of the members of Diana’s friends. This continues to be one of the best books on the stands every issue.
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GeekDad received this comic for review purposes
