Absolute Wonder Woman #11 – Kelly Thompson, Writer; Hayden Sherman, Artist; Jordie Bellaire, Colorist
Ray – 10/10
Ray: This series has only gotten better since it took Diana to the Labyrinth, and allowed Hayden Sherman to truly unleash their skill at surrealism. It’s amazing that this artist is somehow pulling off two books at the same time at DC, given how detailed their work is. Diana has chosen to stay behind in the Labyrinth, seeking to save her new friend Ferdinand. But while the mad sorceress Clea is after her, seeking to get her siren back from Diana, Diana’s mind isn’t what it needs to be in order to escape. She’s been affected by the same surrealist compound that pervades the labyrinth, and can barely make sense of what’s right in front of her. It’s a great way to raise the stakes and create a sense of uncertainty about everything in this issue – and it makes it all the more impactful when she finally snaps out of it, finding herself no longer alone, and we get the biggest twist of the series so far.
For the first time since the first issue, we wind up face-to-face with another Amazon – and she’s not alone. Io, who in another world is Nubia’s lover and one of the chief leaders of the Amazons, is now the leader of a group of refugees who wound up in the labyrinth and never made it out. This is a fascinating setting that I’d love to see explored more, but Diana doesn’t get to stay – after some of the most emotional moments of the series, she has a mission to complete. There’s a great flashback to Diana’s past training under one of her divine patrons, and how she finds a way to subvert an assignment designed to make her sacrifice her morals. It fits perfectly in with the ending of this issue. This series just won the Eisner for Best Ongoing Series, and it richly deserves it – it’s hard to say if this is the best of the Absolute Line, given how good it is as a whole, but it’s one of the best books DC has put out in a long time.
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GeekDad received this comic for review purposes
