Graphic Novel Review - 'Absolute Wonder Woman Vol. 2: As My Mothers Made Me' by Kelly Thompson (Writer), Hayden Sherman (Artist), Matías Bergara (Artist), Jordie Bellaire (Colourist), Becca Carey (Letterer)

I loved 'Absolute Wonder Woman Vol. 1: The Last Amazon' that much to want to pick up the sequel less than a year later.

It is as full of fantastic, breathtakingly gorgeous artwork, and brutality, blood, and well written drama, as the first volume. It continues to be a gut-puncher of a character arc for, and study of, this unique take on Wonder Woman - a witch, and a lost warrior princess, on a quest find her gods-forbidden Amazon origins, and her Amazon sisters. And herself.

Saving man's mortal world unflinchingly in the process, she is constantly moving between worlds, not knowing which one she truly belongs. Yet no matter how much tragedy, horror and evil - manmade and god-spawned - seeps through and blights her journey, and she desperately tries to fight it all off, Diana remains kind, benevolent, compassionate, and merciful; as a writer who knows and respects her character should let her be.

Now more than ever. In a man's world that is woefully, shamefully, depressingly unbalanced in favour of evil over good.

No matter what is obfuscated from her, and how many times she will have to face her deepest, darkest fears - in the form of monsters both literal and emblematic - Diana, champion and hope of the Greek goddesses, will never give up. She will sacrifice anything for others, including herself...

I personally don't find 'Absolute Wonder Woman Vol. 2: As My Mothers Made Me' to be as great as the issues of its predecessor, mainly because it is still an incomplete story (it feels very much like middle book syndrome), and I don't quite understand the volume's subtitle, as neither of Diana's mothers, Circe and Hippolyta (wow wouldn't they make an iconic pair of two gay mums bringing up Wonder Woman?), appear much, and they don't make that effective an impact in this chapter of the Amazon princess/goddess's life (as an adult, anyway, and not in the flashbacks to her childhood). But in a sense, they do. Subtly. I won't reveal more due to spoilers, but I'll say that the witch of the Wild Isle seems to be doing very well on her own, without either mummy. She's busy finding her exiled and trapped Amazon sisters at the moment...

Once again, Steve Trevor is the only human male in the whole story, and he is staunchly not Diana's love interest. Brilliant.

In conclusion, continue to read 'Absolute Wonder Woman', and continue to love this variant version of the world's most famous superheroine. It is darkness - and dark, ethereal beauty and mystery - with heart.

Modern, mid-2020s DC might win me over yet.

For my review of: 'Absolute Wonder Woman Vol. 1: The Last Amazon'.

Final Score: 4/5