Absolute Wonder Woman #12

After a thrilling last issue, it’s finally time for Absolute Wonder Woman #12 to wrap up the labyrinth story arc, an arc that has been a bumpy ride to say the least. This arc went from having me questioning if I ever liked Absolute Wonder Woman at all, to loudly proclaiming that it is easily my favourite series in the Absolute universe. While it’s had its ups and downs, I commend Kelly Thompson for sticking to her guns, and diving headfirst into the mythological aspects of a Wonder Woman story, for better or for worse.

Today, we’re reviewing the twelfth issue of Absolute Wonder Woman, with spoilers included! So, let’s get into it! It’s time to dive into our Absolute Wonder Woman #12 review!

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Absolute Wonder Woman #12 Review

Image by DC Comics

Absolute Wonder Woman #12 was tasked with concluding the labyrinth arc, which put a lot on its plate. Not only do we need to deal with Clea herself in this issue, but we also need to find a way for Diana to escape the labyrinth, as well as set up the next arc of the story. Somehow, Absolute Wonder Woman #12 does manage to cover all of these bases, even if they have to cut a few corners along the way. The issues opens where the eleventh issue left off, with Wonder Woman wielding Poseidon’s trident, and all I could think of as I read these pages was; ‘I wonder if we’re going to get Absolute Aquaman soon?’. He’s really one of the only major DC heroes left to receive an Absolute iteration, so I wouldn’t be surprised if this whole trident sequence was a hint that we may be seeing Arthur Curry enter the Absolute universe in the near-future.

However, this trident sequence also served to make far more immediately relevant connections than just a potential Aquaman teaser – Diana’s use of Poseidon’s trident shines a light on Clea’s Atlantean connections, which certainly help to justify her use of Men-Fish as minions. However, no amount of lore will make me enjoy the Men-Fish as background villains. They’ve done some serious damage to this arc’s suspense purely by looking and acting so ridiculous. At least their presence with Clea sets up future exploration of Atlantis in the Absolute universe, but their departure from the story at the end of Absolute Wonder Woman #12 is welcomed by this reader.

Somewhat underwhelmingly, we don’t get much of a major battle between Diana and Clea. In fact, their showdown feels more like a heated discussion than a climactic face-off between foes. I understand that this version of Wonder Woman loves to see the purpose behind her enemies’ actions, but at some point, I would like for her to go all-out. Clea is responsible for a ridiculous amount of suffering in this labyrinth – talking it out with her doesn’t feel like the appropriate response, especially when you consider how brutally Wonder Woman usually dispatches of threats to peace. There’s a worrying trend emerging where it feels more likely that we’ll see Absolute Batman kill someone before Absolute Wonder Woman ever does.

Image by DC Comics

Clea, however, does land a few blows of her own, which once again calls into question Diana’s power-level in Absolute Wonder Woman. The main reason I question her strength is because, in this same issue, Diana reveals that she has created a tunnel out of the labyrinth into the Pacific Ocean, so everyone inside the labyrinth can escape. Diana has a way of pulling off miracles in Absolute Wonder Woman, to the point that it’s starting to be unbelievable that anyone could even consider landing a punch on her. I appreciate how grandiose Diana’s feats make her feel, but if Clea can land a devastating right hook on a woman that can dig a tunnel out of a hellish labyrinth into the Pacific Ocean, what does that say for Clea’s power? As always, the action in Absolute Wonder Woman #12 does raise some eyebrows, but there’s a lot to be said for suspending disbelief when it comes to this series.

With the latest of Diana’s miracles, however, we finally escape the labyrinth for good, as we leave it behind, flooded. If I haven’t made it clear, this entire, lengthy section was easily my least favourite segment of Absolute Wonder Woman. Seeing the ‘As My Mothers Made Me’ arc finally conclude at the end of Absolute Wonder Woman #12 gave me an unnecessarily impactful hit of dopamine. Finally, we can return to the rhythm that the series had found before we took this dramatic detour.

However, with the latest development in the labyrinth arc, we now have Clea out in the world of Absolute Wonder Woman as a rogue element. Personally, I really like this decision. There’s really nothing that would imply Clea plans to do any good with her newfound freedom, so I’m hoping this is not the last we see of her. Here’s hoping she’s not forgotten about as the series moves forward, and perhaps she’ll even make an appearance in another Absolute universe comic down the line. There’s a lot of potential with this character, and I don’t think we’ve even scratched the surface – don’t let her down DC!

Image by DC Comics

It’s not only the escape from the labyrinth and the introduction of Clea to the world of Absolute Wonder Woman that marks greener pastures for the series. In fact, the final pages tease a long-awaited stage of Wonder Woman’s story with the introduction of Themyscira. This is the real new frontier that Absolute Wonder Woman #12, promising that the thirteenth issue will take the series to its most interesting, and typical lore-accurate places yet. Personally, I’m extremely excited to see this version of Wonder Woman finally truly connect with her Amazonian roots. Here’s hoping this isn’t a teaser for the distant future, and we get to explore Themyscira very soon, perhaps as early as the next issue.

Ultimately, Absolute Wonder Woman #12 had a lot to work through as the final issue in a lengthy story arc, and to be fair, it manages to conclude everything it sets up fairly satisfactorily, even if some elements feel rushed. Where it succeeds the most is in its ambitious promises for the future of Absolute Wonder Woman, as we may finally see Diana experience the world that we’ve all associated with the character throughout her depictions across the years. There are a lot of questions to be answered, and though I’m more focused on the future ahead, the groundwork laid in this issue is certainly respectable.

What are your thoughts on Absolute Wonder Woman #12, and the entire Absolute universe so far? Be sure to share them with us in the comment section of this article, and thank you for reading!

See also: Absolute Batman #12 Review

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