or how DC finally let Diana go full God of War and we’re all just living in her infernal runway now
Sweeties, drop everything right this second. The darkest, most deliciously metal Wonder Woman origin in eighty-plus years just crash-landed, and I’m still picking my jaw up off my oat-milk latte. Absolute Wonder Woman #1 isn’t just good, it’s 2025 Eisner-winning, seventh-printing, “I need this Diana on a throne made of demon skulls yesterday” good.
Imagine this: no sun-kissed Themyscira. No loving Amazon sisterhood. No “peace ambassador” briefing. Just baby Diana getting yeeted by Zeus straight into Circe’s arms on a literal prison island made of lava and nightmares. Kelly Thompson and Hayden Sherman looked at classic Diana and asked, “Okay, but what if we raised her in actual Hell?”
The answer? A seven-foot scarlet-cloaked sorceress-warrior dragging a jagged hellblade the size of my entire mood board. And honey, she’s magnificent.
The Cold Open That Had Me Screaming at 7 A.M.
We drop straight into Gateway City getting absolutely swarmed by winged, screeching Harbingers pouring out of a glowing obsidian pyramid. Civilians are running, cars are exploding, pure chaos couture. Then the smoke parts like the curtains at Paris Fashion Week, and SHE arrives on a flaming Pegasus, crimson cloak whipping, dragging a black sword the length of a runway. Zero dialogue for pages, just Diana carving through demons like she’s late for brunch in Hell.
When the last little monster is toast, she holds her lasso, stares down the massive Harbinger Prime that just crawled out of the pyramid, and growls one single line: “I AM DIANA OF THEMYSCIRA, LAST OF THE AMAZONS …”
End of issue. Cliffhanger so sharp it could slice bread. I actually yelped.
Welcome to Hellscyra, Babes – Population: One Very Traumatized Princess
Flashback time, my lovely geeks. Zeus, looking like he lost a bet with Hades, hands newborn Diana to Circe on a volcanic prison island crawling with serpents the size of subway cars. Bedtime stories? “The Lady or the Tiger.” Playmates? Demon snakes that try to eat you. First words? Probably ancient Greek curses. Circe raises her the only way she knows how: survival first, feelings maybe never.
By age ten, our girl is dodging hellfire, mastering blood magic, and wielding sorcery like it’s the new black. Circe’s graduation gift? A massive blade hammered into being by Hephaestus himself, god-fire forged, glory-hungry, and loud enough to demand the world look up when she draws it. A weapon so unapologetically mythic it could stop traffic in Manhattan just by existing.
That Sword Deserves Its Own Spin-Off, And Probably a Perfume Line
Fashion girl talking: this jagged, brutal, rune-glowing hellblade is Kratos-meets-Alexander-McQueen savage elegance. Every splash page makes me want to commission a replica tomorrow. Hayden Sherman draws it like he’s in love, and honestly? Same.
How This Diana Makes the Absolute Trinity Feel Like Destiny
The Absolute Universe is all about stripping the Trinity to their rawest, angriest selves after Darkseid torched everything. We’ve already watched Jason Aaron turn Clark into a grizzled Kryptonian exile with zero Ma-and-Pa-Kent therapy—just revolutionary rage and raw power (remember how hard Absolute Superman #1 and #7 wrecked us?).
Now Diana shows up as the last Amazon, forged by sorcery and serpents, wielding hell-magic and hope like twin blades. Together? They’re the most compelling DC reboot since Ultimate Spider-Man dropped in 2000. My comic crew on Discord is already crowning this Diana the queen of the line, and I’m not arguing.
Art That Looks Like Hell Threw Up and It Was Gorgeous
Hayden Sherman’s linework is sharp enough to cut glass, Jordie Bellaire’s colors are bruise-purple shadows and arterial reds (no wonder she snagged the Eisner for Best Coloring), and the whole book feels like if Mike Mignola and Tetsuya Nomura had a baby raised on Slipknot albums. Every page is a poster. That flaming Pegasus? Already my phone wallpaper.
Content Guide – How Dark Are We Talking?
Rated T+ but flirts with Mature. You’ll see civilians in peril, demonic creatures getting very sliced, and psychological torment. But Diana never goes grimdark; she’s still the protector who believes hope is something you rip out of Hell’s throat with your bare hands. It’s dark, but it’s earned.
Why This Works When Every Other “Edgy” Wonder Woman Flopped
- Keeps Diana angry but never cruel
- Doesn’t trash the classic version, just asks a better question
- Zero required reading (yes, really)
- Hope still wins, it’s just covered in blood and ash
10/10, No Notes, My Soul Is Hers
Absolute Wonder Woman #1 is the best debut issue DC has dropped in twenty-five years. Accessible, gorgeous, emotionally devastating, and instantly iconic. The 2025 Eisner judges agreed: Best New Series AND Best Coloring. Grab it before the seventh printing vanishes, my lovely geeks.
Where to Get Absolute Wonder Woman #1 Right Now
- Physical: Seventh printing in shops now (seventh!!)
- Digital: $4.99 on Comixology or free on DC Universe Infinite in a few months
- Reading order: Start here, no homework required. Then, Absolute Wonder Woman #2 (Steve Trevor swoon incoming!), and don’t miss Juan’s killer take on Absolute Batman #1 (“Broken City, Brutal Bat, Bold Reboot” – broke blue-collar Batman with zero Batcave? Yes please!), because the trinity vibes are unreal across the Absolute Universe. Check it out here: Absolute Batman #1 Review: Broken City, Brutal Bat, Bold Reboot. Then go binge my Absolute Superman reviews because the trinity vibes are unreal.
Hell didn’t stand a chance against this Diana, and neither will the rest of the DC Absolute Universe once she’s done. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to redesign my entire wardrobe in crimson and obsidian.
Stay fierce, stay hopeful, and may the gods have mercy on anyone who stands in her way.
Katrina ✨
