Absolute Wonder Woman (2024): Diana, Raised in Hell
Absolute Wonder Woman (2024): Diana, Raised in Hell
What if Diana never saw Themyscira? We looked through the series that sent Wonder Woman to Hell and came back with an Eisner winner.
Wonder Woman has been reinvented many times, but rarely this boldly. In Absolute Wonder Woman there is no island paradise and no sisterhood of Amazons raising a princess. Diana grows up in Hell, raised by the sorceress Circe, and what makes the book so interesting is how kind she still turns out to be.
We have a solid run of recent issues at Siomic Comics, so here is our guide to the series: the idea behind it, the creative team, the arcs so far, and the issues that people are hunting for.
Absolute Wonder Woman at a glance
- Publisher: DC Comics, as part of the Absolute Universe
- First issue: Absolute Wonder Woman #1, cover-dated December 2024
- Writer: Kelly Thompson
- Artist and cover artist: Hayden Sherman
- Colourist: Jordie Bellaire
- Guest artists: Dustin Nguyen, Mattia De Iulis, Matías Bergara, Dillon Snook
- Key characters: Diana, Circe, Etta Candy, Steve Trevor, Barbara Minerva, Zatanna, Ares
- Awards: 2025 Eisner Award for Best New Series
A Wonder Woman from the underworld
The Absolute Universe takes DC's best-known heroes and rebuilds them from scratch. For Diana, that means leaving out Themyscira entirely. She is raised in Hell by Circe, and she comes to the surface to fight a monstrous threat that has attacked Gateway City. The tone is dark and fairy-tale strange, but Diana's compassion and faith in people stay at the heart of it.
The first issue, cover-dated December 2024, introduces her with an eye-catching look from Hayden Sherman. It keeps the W crest but drops the traditional silver bracelets, and it gives her a big sword that suits the size of the monsters she faces.
The creators
Kelly Thompson
The writer. Thompson is an Eisner-winning author known for her work at Marvel and DC, and she sets the warm, hopeful tone of the book.
Hayden Sherman
The artist and cover artist for the series. Sherman has talked about drawing on 1970s and 80s European comics, with Moebius and Philippe Druillet among the influences.
Jordie Bellaire
The colourist, who won the 2025 Eisner Award for Best Coloring for her work on the series.
The guest artists
Dustin Nguyen and Mattia De Iulis on #6 and #7, Matías Bergara on #13 and #14, and Dillon Snook on #21 and #22.
The story so far
| Issues | What happens | Collected as |
|---|---|---|
| #1–5 | Diana arrives in Gateway City and takes on the Tetracide | The Last Amazon (#1 to #7) |
| #6–7 | Hades interrogates Diana, with guest art revealing the origin of her weapons | The Last Amazon |
| #8–14 | Diana enters Area 41 and the Black Box Maze; Barbara Minerva and Etta Candy step forward | As My Mothers Made Me (#8 to #14) |
| #15 | First meeting with Absolute Batman, in The Mark of Hecate | Season of the Witch |
| #16–20 | Diana faces Zatanna in the Season of the Witch arc | Season of the Witch |
| #23 onwards | Absolute Ares and the Heretic arc begin | Heretic (later volume) |
Characters worth knowing
Circe
Diana's mother figure in this version, and the reason Hell is such an important setting.
Etta Candy and Gia Candy
Diana's friends and allies on the surface, and a big part of the supporting cast.
Barbara Minerva
Debuts in #3 and becomes one of the book's most important characters. By #17 the story turns toward Cheetah.
Zatanna
Appears as a spirit in #14 before taking centre stage in Season of the Witch.
Ares
The villain of the Heretic arc, which begins in #23.
Steve Trevor
Appears early in the series as part of Diana's world on the surface.
The Batman crossover
The first meeting of Absolute Batman and Absolute Wonder Woman happens in #15 (February 2026), titled The Mark of Hecate. A strange symbol at a crime scene in Gotham brings Diana into Bruce Wayne's world, and the story carries on in Absolute Batman #16. If you collect both titles, these two issues belong side by side.
Key issues and firsts
| Issue | Cover date | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| #1 | December 2024 | Premiere issue and the debut of the Absolute Diana |
| #2 | January 2025 | The Harbinger-Prime attacks Gateway City |
| #3 | February 2025 | First appearance of Barbara Minerva |
| #4 | March 2025 | The Tetracide arc continues |
| #6–7 | May–June 2025 | Guest art by Dustin Nguyen and Mattia De Iulis |
| #14 | January 2026 | Second cameo appearance of Absolute Zatanna, as a spirit |
| #15 | February 2026 | First meeting with Absolute Batman |
| #17 | April 2026 | Priscilla Rich appears as Cheetah |
| #19 | June 2026 | The lasso Troika arrives |
| #23 | October 2026 | Absolute Ares and the start of Heretic |
Awards and reception
The series has been well received by both critics and readers. At the 2025 Eisner Awards it won Best New Series, and Jordie Bellaire won for Best Coloring. Kelly Thompson, Hayden Sherman and letterer Becca Carey were also nominated.
Curiosities collectors should know
Sherman on every cover
Hayden Sherman provides the main cover for every issue, even when a guest artist draws the story inside.
A sword instead of an axe
The creators have said they first thought of an axe, but when they saw one in Absolute Batman they moved to a sword.
A twisted fairy tale
Thompson wanted a twisted Snow White feeling, and Sherman filled the backgrounds with odd creatures to match.
A line of three
Absolute Wonder Woman is one of the three books that launched the Absolute Universe, alongside Absolute Batman and Absolute Superman.
Lots of variants
Like the rest of the line, it has many variant covers, so you will see several versions of one issue.
Collected editions
The first volume, The Last Amazon, collects #1 to #7.
Where to start reading Absolute Wonder Woman
- #1 for the origin of this Diana.
- #3 and #4 for Barbara Minerva and the Tetracide.
- #6 and #7 for the guest-art story of Diana's weapons.
- #15 for the Batman team-up.
- #16 to #20 for Season of the Witch.
Absolute Wonder Woman covers through the years
A look at some of the covers from the run. Tap a cover to see what we have on the shelf.
#2
#3
#4
#6
#10
#13
#14
#15
#18
#23Browse our Absolute Wonder Woman back issues
These are some of the Absolute Wonder Woman issues currently in stock. Every copy is photographed so you can check its condition before buying.
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#5
Absolute Wonder Woman #5
Diana throws everything at the Tetracide as it devours Gateway City.
View our copy -
#7
Absolute Wonder Woman #7
The second half of the guest-artist story about Diana's weapons.
View our copy -
#9
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#11
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#16
Absolute Wonder Woman #16
The start of Season of the Witch as Diana confronts Zatanna.
View our copy -
#19
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#21
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#22
We also have these issues of the series in stock:
You can also search all our Absolute Wonder Woman comics.
Frequently asked questions about Absolute Wonder Woman
When did Absolute Wonder Woman start?
Absolute Wonder Woman #1 was cover-dated December 2024 and launched alongside Absolute Batman and Absolute Superman.
Who writes and draws Absolute Wonder Woman?
Kelly Thompson writes the series and Hayden Sherman is the main artist and cover artist.
What makes this Wonder Woman different?
Diana is raised in Hell by Circe instead of on Themyscira.
Did Absolute Wonder Woman win an award?
Yes. It won the 2025 Eisner Award for Best New Series, and colourist Jordie Bellaire won Best Coloring.
Where do Absolute Batman and Absolute Wonder Woman first meet?
In Absolute Wonder Woman #15, with the story continuing in Absolute Batman #16.
Where does Barbara Minerva first appear?
Barbara Minerva debuts in Absolute Wonder Woman #3.
Where should I start reading Absolute Wonder Woman?
Start with #1, or jump in at #15 for the Batman meeting.
Condition grades on our listings follow our comic & book condition guide. Have Absolute Wonder Woman comics of your own? See how to sell your comics to Siomic Comics. Wonder Woman, Absolute Wonder Woman and all related characters are trademarks of DC. Cover images are shown for reference.