As anticipation builds for the next major phase of DC storytelling, Absolute Wonder Woman creators Kelly Thompson and Hayden Sherman have discussed their upcoming iteration of history’s most iconic female superhero and the world she will inhabit. Part of DC Comics’ All-In Initiative and the new Absolute Universe, Absolute Wonder Woman #1 arrives in October.

In an interview with AIPT, series writer Thompson discussed how she initially had trouble figuring out how to approach Wonder Woman, revealing she nearly exited the project. “I almost quit because I couldn’t figure it out. I was days away from calling Scott (Snyder) and being like, ‘I’m sorry. I know this is really going to screw you up, but I can’t figure it out,” she said. She explained that the challenge lies in reinventing the character without abandoning Wonder Woman’s core principles. “God of War Wonder Woman doesn’t really work for me. I keep running into that wall of, ‘How do you change her without changing her? How could we change all these things around her and still let who she is be the Wonder Woman people will always recognize.”

The Absolute Wonder Woman writer found the breakthrough when she stumbled upon a question in her own notes: Witch Wonder Woman! Diana’s magical heritage will be a big part of the upcoming series. “She’s 100% a witch. This is how she was raised. This is in her,” Thompson said. The Absolute Universe, as with other characters, places the icon in a more challenging environment where she grows up without her sisters and warrior culture, making her more aggressive and less accommodating. The new iteration of Wonder Woman will also be the first superhero the public will encounter in the new universe.

Also key to the storytelling is Diana’s appearance in Absolute Wonder Woman, with series artist Sherman’s unique style meshing well with Thompson’s fresh take on Wonder Woman. “I’ve always loved Wonder Woman, but seeing this version, I was like, ‘Oh, this is the one that I’ve been waiting to get into. I just gotta, like, not drop the ball,” he said. Sherman was open to Thompson’s ideas, including giving Diana tattoos with a story purpose despite the artistic challenges. “Like, ‘Yep, if you have a great idea, let’s do it. If it’s a good idea, like, it’s gotta be in there,” the artist said.

Wonder Woman’s new home, Gateway City, will play a major role in Absolute Wonder Woman, with Thompson teasing their larger-than-life approach to the mythology of the new world. “We’re starting with bigger, more monster vibes. I’m a firm believer that Diana deserves her own city, just like Superman has Metropolis and Batman has Gotham,” she said. “A lot of the people in Diana’s world are villains or could become villains. So we’re sort of playing that out a little more slowly.”

One ally Wonder Woman will have in her Absolute Universe reinvention is her magical steed, Pegasus. “Pegasus is her pal, her partner, and her ally. He’s not just a tool or a one-off trick,” Thompson said about the mystical skeletal creature. Pegasus represents Diana’s journey through a darker hellish world, with Sherman happy to draw the fantastical animal. “I’m a sucker for a really good idea. Even when Pegasus isn’t in the main issue, I have this urge to add him, like, flying around in the background,” he said.

Absolute Wonder Woman #1 arrives in comic book shops on October 23, 2024.

Source: AIPT