Absolute Wonder Woman #19 // Review
Diana is wielding a powerful weapon. It’s known as theTroika. As she prepares to strike, she invokes the names of Scylla, Cereberus and Styx. She’s attempting to free a magician from the crossroads. If she doesn’t keep her head together, she won’t need the magician to defeat her. The Troika will do it for her. It’s a very difficult time for everyone involved in Absolute Wonder Woman #19. Writer Kelly Thompson continues to render one of the most captivating stories on the current issues rack today with artist Hayden Sherman and colorist Jordie Bellaire. It’s remarkably sophisticated stuff that still manages to be quite exhilarating as well.
The Troika wraps around Zatara channeling right into the crossroads in which he’s imprisoned. The flaming skeletal prison that walks the Earth is being confronted by Diana, but she’s also confronting the man within through the Troika. She’s trying to get him to understand the truth that he’s been avoiding. He mistakenly thinks that she’s giving him a choice to make. In truth, he made his decision long ago. It’s just a matter of accepting it. Diana isn’t working alone, though. Things could get complicated when his daughter Zatanna reaches out to him.
Thompson does a beautiful job of framing the story between Zatanna and Zatara while still managing to make the entire issue about Diana. There’s really no Earthly reason why this should be possible, but somehow she’s managed to pull it off. This is a staggeringly impressive thing given Diana’s history. Over the decades, she’s selflessly faded into the background of her own title to allow the extended ensemble of characters to do their ow thing. Thompson allows her own sacrifice this issue to feel monumentally heroic while also allowing the center of the plot to fall on the father/daughter magicians.
Sherman once again does an impressive job of rendering the visuals. The magic in the foreground. The architectural work i the background. It all feels so sharply-defined. Danger and drama hit the page in equal measure. The line work is impressive. This might be some of colorist Jordie Bellaire’s best work in recent memory. The visual effect of the Troika looks absolutely gorgeous. The script allows her to work with a wider color pallet than she’s been able to use on the series in the recent past. She’s bringing quite a range of color to the page that gives an immersive mood to the page.
The whole issue quite casually opens-up with a jaw-droppingly deep look at one of Diana’s most overlooked powers: her beauty. It’s mentioned at the beginning of ever Golden Age Wonder Woman story: she is as beautiful as Aphrodite. Thompson does a clever bit of background at the opening of the issue. Aphrodite’s feelings on this are registered for what might be the first time ever. There’s a curse that comes along with htat power and Aphrodite never had the occasion to have it turned back on her...until she started spending time with Diana. It’s a deeply moving 4-page opening scene. Wow.
