Warning: Spoilers for Absolute Wonder Woman #4Wonder Woman’s desire for peace is one of the most fundamental facets of her characterization, but DC’s latest re-imagining of her is much more violent than the original. The Absolute Universe’s darker Wonder Woman deals with her foes in gory fashion, leaving them beaten and bloody in a way that the classic version seldom does. However, there’s more to this new Diana than the blood on her hands, according to her creators.
In aninterview with AIPT,Absolute Wonder Womanco-creators Kelly Thompson and Hayden Sherman discuss the relationship between their take on Diana and the violent deeds she commits against the various nightmarish enemies she’s encountered. Thompson offers the following insight into this hardcore Wonder Woman’s motivations:
“It can’t just be violence for violence’s sake. It has to come from something authentic, or it feels unearned. Diana’s reluctance and the emotional stakes behind her battles make the violence impactful rather than gratuitous.”
In theAbsolute Universe, Diana doesn’t deviate from her standard portrayal for the sake of catching readers off guard.Wonder Woman performs such drastic measures in combat out of obligation, not desire, alluding to her true nature being less savage than it might seem on the surface.
Absolute Wonder Woman Is More Violent Than Her Original Counterpart
DC’s New Wonder Woman Fights Brutally - But For Good Reason
The Absolute Universe’s rendition of Wonder Woman may draw more blood than her predecessor, but her acts of violence are always earned in some way.For instance, when Diana battles the Harbinger inAbsolute Wonder Woman#2, herNemesis Lassodeals brutal damage but only as a thematic symbol of justice. The damage it deals increases with the victim’s sins, so the harsh attacks drive the narrative forward. She could slay her opponents with minimal bloodshed, but that would diminish the impact of the lasso and thereby squander Wonder Woman’s image as a warrior for good.
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Hayden Sherman also weighs in on the discussion of Absolute Wonder Woman’s more fierce inclinations, saying,“When we push the intensity, it’s about making sure the focus remains on the emotional and narrative impact rather than the shock factor.”Diana’sbattle with the Tetracidein later issues illustrates this idea, as she is pushed to her limits, and the gory defeat of the creature is meant to be emotionally cathartic instead of a needless bloodbath. The brutality displayed by Wonder Woman in this series is never without a deeper purpose, as she herself doesn’t actually seek out conflict.
The Absolute Universe’s Wonder Woman Prefers Peace to Violence, Surprisingly
Despite Her Bloody Actions, Wonder Woman Only Fights Because She Must
Wonder Woman’s exemplary prowess on the battlefield doesn’t necessarily indicate that she enjoys crushing her foes. In Sherman’s words,“Diana doesn’t want to fight; she does it because she has to. That reluctance and resolve are key to making the action meaningful.“Readers see this in her encounters with the monstrous foes who challenge her in Gateway City, with Diana prefacing every fight with a plea to resolve the situation without violence. In any continuity,Wonder Womanwill always retain her desire for peace above all else, and even her wildest iteration in DC history holds true to this core principle.
