Each Friday, we'll be letting a different DC.com writer share what they'll be reading over the weekend and why you might want to check it out. Here's this week's suggestion for a perfect Weekend Escape!
 

The Absolute Universe has redefined the Trinity in an incredibly exciting and relevant way. You know the drill: Batman isn’t a billionaire, Superman doesn't embrace a human identity and Wonder Woman was raised in Hell. Their differences are darker, grittier and reflect the needs and struggles of the modern reader. Absolute Wonder Woman, in particular, is everything I want and need in a superhero comic. It’s got magic, evil billionaires, tall ladies, a fantastic Scooby gang, lovable characters and queer undertones. This series is one of the best characterizations of Wonder Woman out there and I cannot get enough of it. Vol. 1 has previously been the subject of a Weekend Escape. Now, the riveting second volume, Absolute Wonder Woman: As My Mothers Made Me, is getting its time in the spotlight. Buckle up for a wild ride…
 

The Premise:

Collecting issues #8-14, As My Mothers Made Me follows Wonder Woman’s new life in the human world as she faces off against Veronica Cale, the evil billionaire who runs Area 41, a secret black site government facility tasked with studying and containing powerful beings and supernatural “threats.” Hearing whispers of a possible second surviving Amazon, Diana investigates, only to find herself trapped in a labyrinth below Area 41 known as the Box Maze. Within its depths, she’ll uncover more evil atrocities committed by Area 41, meet some new faces and be challenged like never before.
 

Let's Talk Talent:

As in Vol. 1, we have Eisner-winning writer Kelly Thompson on words, the perfect voice to bring Absolute Wonder Woman to life. Thompson is known for titles such as Black Cloak, Captain Marvel, Jem & The Holograms and DC’s most recent run of Birds of Prey. Thompson crafts a dark world full of magic and whimsy here, one where the hero’s physical strength is just as important as her compassion. One of my favorite aspects of Thompson’s Absolute Wonder Woman is her voice. Diana has a powerful moral compass, yet still acknowledges and honors the darker and angrier aspects of herself.

The main artist of the series continues to be the Eisner-winning Hayden Sherman, known for titles such as Batman: Dark Patterns and the recently launched Legion of Super-Heroes with Joshua Williamson. From her hellishly cool black and red armor to her deadly arsenal of lassos and weapons, Sherman has designed one of DC’s most badass and distinct characters in their Absolute Wonder Woman. I love that Diana is tall, strong and has a beautiful Roman nose—all things that I believe define Wonder Woman but aren’t always represented in Wonder Woman media. Sherman’s use of contour lines adds so much depth and texture to this world, which lends to the magic of it all. Oh, and their designs of the gods and goddesses? Literally out of this world! They are terrifying and beautiful, like I imagine Greek gods would be!

Artist Matías Bergara is a guest artist in this volume, known for titles such as Step By Bloody Step, A Mischief of Magpies and Coda. Bergara’s artwork is airy and light, and full of so many details. I especially love how they draw Diana’s wavy-curly hair and the way they render action sequences, and I am obsessed with how they draw scenes from ancient Greek mythology. Their work blends fantastically with Sherman’s, yet both artists have their distinct styles.

Finally, the entire book is fleshed out by the Eisner-winning colorist Jordie Bellaire, known for titles such as The Nice House by the Sea, Assorted Crisis Events, Detective Comics and much more! Bellaire is essentially the GOAT of colorists, as the kids say. When I close my eyes and think of Absolute Wonder Woman, one of the first things I envision is Bellaire’s incredible color palette—full of vibrant reds, oranges and blues. It adds to the whimsical nature of Absolute Wonder Woman and only furthers my personal obsession with the world this creative team has brought to the page!
 

A Few Reasons to Read:

• The labyrinth AKA the Box Maze under Area 41 brings more Greek mythology to the modern world. The lore behind this maze will hook you as this prison also has become a hellish home and community for its inhabitants. And if you are familiar with the concept of the labyrinth in Greek mythology, you’ll appreciate it even more. In this maze, Diana meets many new characters including a misunderstood minotaur, a young siren, a lost Atlantean and…well, that would be telling.
   
• Diana’s many mothers take center stage in the second volume. Diana was raised not only by Circe, but several powerful goddesses like Athena, Aphrodite and Persephone. As My Mothers Made Me introduces several of these goddesses and we get to see their relationships with Diana, both as a young child and in the present day. Her connection to each of them reveals a greater conspiracy as to why Diana is being trained as a warrior. And quite simply, who doesn't love Greek mythology and heartfelt moments with Baby Diana?

• The Scooby Gang, AKA Team Wonder Woman, is so lovable. Steve Trevor, Barbara Minerva, Etta Candy and Gia Candy are Diana’s found family in the human world. Introduced in Vol. 1, they play a bigger role here in Vol. 2 as they grow closer to Diana. They aid Wonder Woman in her hero's journey and even though they are human, they share Diana’s morals and are just as brave as the Last Amazon. With all of its dark magic, powerful gods and secret government facilities, it’s the characters of this series that ground the story and make it incredibly human.
   
• Absolute Zatanna enters the villa. I became obsessed with Zatanna’s redesign in this series from the first time we see her locked up in Area 41. Zatanna might be the only woman we’ve met so far who can go toe-to-toe with Diana in the human world, and their first time meeting was electric, literally! It’s exciting to think what will become of Zatanna in the next arc (assuming you haven’t yet read it). Will she remain a weapon of Cale’s, or will she break free from her imprisonment? Will she be an enemy, a lover, an ally or something else entirely? 
   

Why It's Worth Your Time:

As a series, Absolute Wonder Woman is an incredibly accessible way to discover Diana as a character and the Absolute Universe as a whole. As we see our Amazonian hero settling into her new life in the human world, Absolute Wonder Woman: As My Mothers Made Me dives deeper into the world Thompson, Sherman and Bellaire have created. The mythology and world-building across these seven issues is unmatched as the stakes get even higher. You will fall in love with Diana and how she sees the world before you’re through and may just find yourself rushing to your local comic shop to pick up the recently released Vol. 3.
 

Absolute Wonder Woman Vol. 2: As My Mothers Made Me by Kelly Thompson, Hayden Sherman, Matías Bergara and Jordie Bellaire is available in bookstores, comic shops, libraries and digital retailers as a softcover graphic novel. It can also be read in full on DC UNIVERSE INFINITE.

Sami DeMonster writes about superheroes, horror and sci-fi for DC.com and is the author of our Absolute Universe column, “Thinking in Absolutes.” Follow her at @samidemonster on Instagram and Substack.

NOTE: The views and opinions expressed in this feature are solely those of Sami DeMonster and do not necessarily reflect those of DC, Warner Bros. or Skydance, nor should they be read as confirmation or denial of future DC plans.