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Written by: Kelly Thompson
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Art by: Hayden Sherman
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Colors by: Jordie Bellaire
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Letters by: Becca Carey
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Cover art by: Hayden Sherman, Jordie Bellaire (cover A)
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Cover price: $4.99
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Release date: September 24, 2025
Absolute Wonder Woman #12, by DC Comics on 9/24/25, drops readers straight into Area 41’s prison maze. Poseidon’s trident goes rogue, Clea explodes with Atlantean rage, and Diana must engineer a frantic escape as water fills the corridors.
First Impressions
The plot rockets forward like a trident through water, but the art keeps tripping on shoelaces it never tied. The story’s dramatic flourishes and clever epilogues are gripping, but uneven visuals yank me out of the action every time things start to get good. This one’s got a big heart and a wobbly set of legs.
Recap
Last issue, Diana was left trapped in Clea’s hallucinogenic labyrinth, brain scrambled but resolve unbroken. She found new allies, including another Amazon, Io, and plotted an escape for every prisoner in the maze. Clea’s relentless pursuit, the ever-present threat of madness, and scenes flashing back to Diana’s formative divine training all set up a daring rescue, culminating in Diana hurling Clea’s trident and embracing self-sacrifice so others might go free.
Plot Analysis
Diana finds herself locked in the government’s underwater labyrinth, wielding Poseidon’s trident, which conveniently has its own agenda. She learns Atlantean Clea’s madness is tied to her long exile from the sea and the god-forged artifacts embedded in her staff. The need for escape becomes urgent as Clea’s wrath grows and the floodwaters begin to rise, threatening prisoners and monsters alike.
With Io, Ferdinand, and other maze survivors, Diana orchestrates a high-stakes rescue. Ingenious use of the trident smashes a path straight to the Pacific, flooding the maze and forcing Clea to confront the taste of freedom she’s long been denied. Diana offers Clea a hard-won shot at redemption but warns she won’t hesitate if Clea remains monstrous outside the maze.
Just as escape seems certain, a twist strikes: the rescued Io vanishes in a bolt of lightning as she crosses the maze’s threshold, leaving Diana reeling and Hippolyta clutching hope that her allies survive. The issue closes with new threats as Dr. Poison is assigned a fresh, hazardous project and Zatanna is given a mission: hunt down a witch, setting up the next arc.
Writing
The writing barrels ahead with relentless urgency, stitching together brazen action and well-crafted intrigue. Dialogue is sharp, with Diana’s bold optimism clashing against Clea’s desperation and Ferdinand’s sardonic asides. The pacing rarely lets up, giving every scene a sense of dramatic propulsion. Though now and then, nuance is lost in the rush for spectacle.
Art
The art, sadly, is where the trident gets dull. Despite energetic layouts and the ambition to go big, the execution flounders. Characters often look awkward, with anatomy warped and faces failing to hit the intended emotion. Fights feel more like staged wrestling than a battle for survival, and backgrounds slide into visual mush as the action heats up. Color work tries to compensate but can’t save muddied, inconsistent linework.
Characters
Diana is front and center, caught between patience and power, while Clea’s tragic villainy and Io’s stubborn loyalty give the issue its emotional punch. Supporting cast like Ferdinand, Hippolyta, and Dr. Poison flit in and out, ensuring the stakes feel personal as well as epic. There’s wit in the banter, grit in the confrontations, and real stakes as old wounds don’t simply heal in a single splash page.
Positives
Plot progression never lets up, sweeping readers from dungeon crawl to prison break with gusto. The epilogue scenes shine, laying narrative landmines that promise wild eruptions in coming issues. Diana’s moral calculus, freeing Clea despite her monstrous acts, lands with satisfying complexity, and the book’s commitment to evolving relationships (especially between Amazons) makes the emotional beats land hard.
Negatives
The ambitious art is simply kneecapped by execution, robbing dramatic moments of impact and leaving action scenes feeling static. Details are lost or distorted at key story moments, which undercuts tension and confuses the flow. Even strong coloring choices can’t mask a lack of cohesion, with panel composition working against the big, sweeping energy the story wants to deliver.
Final Thoughts
7/10
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