I recently picked up the DC Finest: Wonder Woman: Origins & Omens compilation. These are the first stories mainline WW stories I've read. Absolute WW was my first real introduction to the character, and as I love that story — her hopeful outlook, the humour, & the kaiju fight with a massive sword hooked me — I wanted to dive into the OG flavour. I am only a few issues in (literally just reached #21) and I am.... completely enamoured with her.
I know different writers will have different takes on her character but the way Gail Simone writes her, as someone who enjoys battle for the challenge it poses — for the opportunity to test herself and her skills — but who HATES unnecessary bloodshed, who is always, always, ALWAYS looking for an opportunity to stop fighting and resolve things peacefully.... it honestly makes me emotional.
She stops mid-battle with Tolifhar to try to convince him that he's meant for more than waging war. She shows compassion to a man who calls himself CAPTAIN NAZI even while he's sending an invasion force to wipe out Themyscira; "Punishments for the adult, empathy for the child. Even for him." She gives those invaders a chance to surrender, and when they inevitably don't, she prays that they choose the path of peace — "To those above from those below, I ask that my enemy surrender, or failing that, that he fall in battle, without further bloodshed and grieving from his loved ones." When she beats them and they ask for mercy, even though they'd shot down her mother, she grants it to them. She forgives Alkyone for trying to kill her and her mother. She stops in the middle of a fight that the Khund started to talk things out peacefully when they call for a ceasefire.
My absolute favourite moment so far is the one above, where she reaches a hand out to a grieving GL after she beats him and steadfastly refuses to retract it, even when he continues to lash out. That scene made me tear up.
There's a lot in this run I'm a bit confused by (why did the Amazons attack humanity? Why does Diana have a secret identity? Why is she some kind of SpecOps agent? Who the hell is Tom Tressor?) but man, there is nothing confusing about the kind of person Diana is. Every opportunity she is given to try to understand rather than fight — to hold out an open hand instead of a fist — she takes. When she fights, she anticipates the end of the fight. She is ready and willing to drop her sword the minute her opponent says, 'Stop.' She sees the worst, most cruel people the universe has to offer and loves them anyway, because she understands that saving the world means changing it, and that change begins with love.
That's my favourite theme from Absolute Wonder Woman: "Love is transformative." I think I'm starting to see where Kelly Thompson got her inspiration from...
I apologize for rambling. There's not much point to this post lol. I just wanted to say, as someone who's relatively new to comics, I absolutely fucking love Wonder Woman
