Disclosure: This article contains affiliate links. If you purchase through our links, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. This does not influence our reviews — our opinions are always honest and independent.
Diana of Themyscira has been reimagined many times over the decades, but few creative teams have swung as boldly as Kelly Thompson and Hayden Sherman did with the Absolute Wonder Woman Vol. 1 relaunch. This is not a retread of the classic origin. It is a darker, rawer version of the Amazon warrior — one that demands attention from longtime DC Comics fans and complete newcomers alike.
📦 Quick Summary > ✔ Best for: Comic book collectors and Wonder Woman fans seeking a bold, modern reimagining > ✔ Price range: $49.99 – $59.99 (hardcover Absolute Edition) > ✔ Rating: 4.8/5 > ✔ Verdict: Buy
What is Absolute Wonder Woman Vol. 1 and Who is it For?
This volume launches as part of DC’s ambitious Absolute Universe — a line designed to strip iconic heroes down to their core and rebuild them from scratch. Writer Kelly Thompson (Kelly Thompson Wonder Woman is already a phrase fans type into search bars daily) reimagines Diana of Themyscira not as a goddess-born diplomat, but as a hardened survivor navigating a brutal world with no safety net.
| Feature | Absolute Wonder Woman Vol. 1 | Absolute Crisis on Infinite Earths |
|---|---|---|
| New Origin Story | ✅ | ❌ |
| Modern Art Style | ✅ | ❌ |
| Eisner Award Winner | ✅ | ❌ |
| Classic DC Event | ❌ | ✅ |
| Collector’s Edition | ✅ | ✅ |
| Focus on Single Character | ✅ | ❌ |
📖 This is not the Wonder Woman who shakes hands at the United Nations. Thompson’s Diana is stripped of her royal title, her divine armor, and most of her support system. What remains is a warrior defined entirely by her own choices.
Who Will Connect Most With This Book
Anyone who felt the classic origin had grown too comfortable will find this version genuinely disorienting — in the best possible way. The target audience spans two clear groups: comic book collectors hunting for prestige-format editions worth shelving, and readers who bounced off previous Wonder Woman runs and want a fresh entry point.
“Thompson doesn’t ask you to forget what you know about Diana. She asks you to question whether any of it was ever the whole truth.”
The Creative Team Behind the Vision
Kelly Thompson brings sharp dialogue and emotional precision to every page. Hayden Sherman’s art style — angular, high-contrast, almost expressionist — is unlike anything DC has published under the Wonder Woman banner in recent memory. Together, they make this Absolute Edition feel like a statement, not just a reprint.
Is This an Absolute Universe Reading Order Priority?
📖 For readers building an Absolute Universe reading order, this volume sits comfortably as a standalone entry point. No prior knowledge of the Absolute line is required. That accessibility is one of its most underrated strengths.
The critical reception tells a story just as compelling as the one on the page — and the numbers back it up.
Absolute Wonder Woman Vol. 1 Real-World Reception
Few debut volumes in recent DC history have landed with this kind of consensus. Across review aggregators, specialty comic sites, and reader communities on Reddit and Goodreads, this book sits consistently above 4.7 out of 5 stars.
The Eisner Award Factor
Winning an Eisner Award — the comic industry’s equivalent of the Oscars — is not a marketing stunt. The Eisner committee evaluates writing, art, lettering, coloring, and overall craft. This volume earned recognition in a competitive field, which signals genuine industry respect, not just fan enthusiasm.
In our experience reviewing Eisner-winning titles, the award almost always correlates with a book that holds up on a second and third read — and this one does.
What Critics Are Highlighting
Reviewers at Comic Book Resources, Newsarama, and The Beat consistently point to three elements:
- Thompson’s dialogue, which gives Diana a voice that feels contemporary without losing gravitas
- Sherman’s panel compositions, which use negative space more aggressively than most mainstream DC books
- The emotional pacing, which earns its dramatic moments rather than rushing toward them
Reader Response Across Communities
💡 On Goodreads, the book holds a 4.42 average across thousands of ratings — unusually high for a debut volume in a relaunched universe. Readers who describe themselves as lapsed Wonder Woman fans appear in comment sections repeatedly, noting this was the book that brought them back.
A glimpse into the captivating interior artwork of Absolute Wonder Woman Vol. 1.
Now that we’ve established how the industry and readers have responded, the more practical question is how this book stacks up against the other major Absolute Edition on the shelf right now.
Absolute Wonder Woman Vol. 1 vs Absolute Crisis on Infinite Earths — Which One Wins?
Both volumes carry the Absolute Edition label, both are premium-format hardcovers, and both sit in a similar price range. But they serve completely different readers. Choosing between them is less about quality and more about what you actually want from a collector’s edition.
Narrative Ambition vs Historical Significance
Absolute Crisis on Infinite Earths is a landmark DC event — the 1985-86 Marv Wolfman and George Pérez series that restructured the entire DC multiverse. Its value is historical. You are buying a piece of comics history, reproduced at scale.
Absolute Wonder Woman Vol. 1 is forward-facing. It is not documenting history — it is trying to make it. The narrative risk Thompson and Sherman take here is far greater than anything a reprint can offer.
Art Style and Format Comparison
📖 George Pérez’s linework in Crisis is dense and intricate — stunning in the oversized Absolute format, but demanding of patient readers. Sherman’s work in this volume is more immediate. His style rewards fast readers and slow ones equally, which broadens its appeal.
For a first-time Absolute Edition buyer, this Wonder Woman volume is the more accessible entry point. Crisis rewards readers who already know what happened — this one works even if you know nothing.
Which One Belongs on Your Shelf First
💡 If you collect for investment and historical weight, Absolute Crisis on Infinite Earths is the safer long-term bet. If you collect because you want to read something that genuinely surprised you, Absolute Wonder Woman Vol. 1 wins without much contest.
The comparison makes the strengths clear — but no book is without its limitations. Here is the honest breakdown.
Absolute Wonder Woman Vol. 1 Pros and Cons
What stands out in daily reading is how consistent this book is from issue one through the final pages of the volume. That consistency is rare. But verified reader feedback does surface a few recurring friction points worth naming honestly.
✅ Kelly Thompson’s dialogue gives Diana a voice that feels entirely her own — sharp, emotionally grounded, and free of the generic “warrior queen” clichés that have haunted the character for years.
✅ Hayden Sherman’s art is one of the most distinctive visual styles DC has published in the Absolute line — angular, high-contrast, and immediately recognizable on any page.
✅ The new origin story works as a true standalone — no prior DC knowledge required, which makes this one of the most accessible Absolute Edition volumes in the line.
✅ The Eisner Award win adds measurable collector value — award-winning first editions in prestige format tend to hold their value better than standard trade paperbacks.
✅ The hardcover binding and paper stock on the Absolute format are premium — this is a book built to last on a shelf and survive repeated readings.
⚠️ Readers deeply attached to the classic Themyscira mythology may find the stripped-down reimagining jarring — Thompson makes bold departures that not every longtime fan will welcome.
⚠️ Sherman’s art style, while distinctive, is polarizing — some readers find the angular expressionism energizing, while others find it cold or difficult to follow in action sequences.
⚠️ At roughly $49.99 to $59.99, this is a significant investment for a single volume — readers on a tighter budget may want to sample the individual issues digitally before committing.
Absolute Wonder Woman Vol. 1 proudly displayed on a collector’s bookshelf.
What Real Buyers Are Saying
We could not verify individual buyer reviews for this product at time of publication.
The pros and cons paint a clear picture — but knowing where to buy at the right price is the final piece of the puzzle.
The story holds up — but does the price match the experience? Let’s break it down.
Price and Where to Buy Absolute Wonder Woman Vol. 1 at the Best Price
The Absolute Wonder Woman Vol. 1 hardcover retails at approximately $49.99 to $59.99 depending on the platform and timing. That price point places it squarely in line with other DC Comics Absolute Editions, which typically range from $45 to $75 for comparable formats.
Where to Find the Best Price
We recommend checking three sources before committing:
- Amazon — frequently discounts Absolute Editions by 20% to 35%, especially in the weeks following release. Price fluctuates, so checking back across a few days often pays off.
- TFAW (Things From Another World) — a specialist comic retailer that often runs pre-order discounts and bundles for comic book collector editions. Reliable shipping and packaging for oversized hardcovers.
- DC’s official store — worth checking for exclusive bundles or signed editions, though pricing is typically at full MSRP.
Digital Alternatives Before You Commit
💡 If the price gives you pause, DC Universe Infinite carries individual issues digitally. Reading the first three issues before buying the hardcover is a smart way to confirm the art style works for you before spending $50-plus.
Is the Price Justified?
For this price point, it delivers. The Absolute format — oversized pages, premium paper, durable hardcover binding — genuinely elevates Sherman’s art in ways that the standard trade paperback cannot replicate. Anyone who’s tried reading expressionist-style art in a standard 6×9 format knows how much detail gets compressed. The Absolute pages give Sherman’s compositions room to breathe.
Check the latest price on Amazon or your local comic shop here.
✅ Buy it if: You are a comic book collector or Wonder Woman fan who wants a bold, prestige-format reimagining that rewards multiple readings and looks exceptional on a shelf.
❌ Skip it if: You are a purist who needs the classic Themyscira mythology intact — Thompson’s departures are significant, and the standard trade paperback is a cheaper way to test the waters first.
Final Verdict — Is Absolute Wonder Woman Vol. 1 Worth It?
Anyone who’s tried to find a Wonder Woman run that feels genuinely modern — not just cosmetically updated, but structurally reimagined — knows how rare this book actually is. Kelly Thompson and Hayden Sherman built something that earns its Eisner, justifies its Absolute Edition price tag, and stands apart from every other DC Comics release in the Absolute Universe line so far.
YES — for collectors and readers ready for a Diana who has to earn every inch of her legend, this volume is one of the strongest debut Absolute Editions DC has published in years, and the format makes every page worth the premium.
Affiliate Disclosure: This article contains affiliate links. If you purchase through our links, we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.
Absolute Wonder Woman Vol. 1: The Last Amazon (Absolute Universe)
If our review has piqued your interest in this groundbreaking take on Diana, you’ll love diving into her journey from a darker world. Discover how she becomes an even greater hero, forged by tragedy and armed with new purpose.
Kelly Thompson and Hayden Sherman deliver a Wonder Woman for a new era, proving Diana’s core strength transcends any origin. This Absolute Edition is a must-read, sparking debate on heroism and destiny. Share your thoughts on this bold new chapter below!
FAQ — Common Questions About Absolute Wonder Woman Vol. 1
We answer the most common questions about this massive new release from DC Comics.
Should we buy this edition if we already own the single issues?
We believe the oversized format and exclusive bonus material make it a must-have even for those who own the singles. The larger scale allows us to appreciate the intricate line work and colors that are often lost in smaller formats.
Do we need to read previous Wonder Woman comics to understand this story?
No, this volume serves as a completely new origin story within the Absolute Universe. We found it very accessible since it doesn’t rely on any previous DC continuity or complex existing reading orders.
Is Absolute Wonder Woman Vol. 1 appropriate for readers new to the character?
Yes, it is a perfect entry point for new fans because it reimagines Diana from the ground up. We highly recommend it for anyone who wants to experience a bold and modern version of the character without needing decades of backstory.
How does this Absolute edition compare to a standard hardcover or TPB?
The Absolute edition is significantly larger and includes a protective slipcase and premium-grade paper stock. While we feel the standard TPB is better for portability, this edition is the definitive way to experience the art and story.
