Absolute Wonder Woman #25 — Kelly Thompson and Hayden Sherman Unleash the Absolute Cheetah
The Heretic arc reaches a pivotal moment as Diana’s hunt for Barbara Minerva concludes. With Hayden Sherman’s cover art promising a gatefold triptych, issue #25 introduces a Cheetah who defies expectations in this oversized milestone.
There is a specific kind of gravity that comes with a #25 issue. It is the moment where the long game pays off, where the slow-burn tension of an arc snaps into something immediate and visceral. Kelly Thompson’s Absolute Wonder Woman has been building toward this convergence for months, drawing Diana into a personal war that feels less like superheroics and more like a reckoning. And now, with an oversized format, Thompson and artist Hayden Sherman are handing the reader a weighty, immersive experience that demands attention.
At the heart of this issue is the collision between Diana and Barbara Minerva. The Heretic arc has been a shadowy pursuit, a chase that has taken the Amazon through layers of deception and danger. But here, the search for Barbara comes to a bloody, definitive end. What follows is not just a confrontation, but a revelation. Thompson has crafted a Cheetah who is not quite what you think she is, subverting the classic villain trope in a way that feels both fresh and deeply rooted in the Absolute Universe’s darker tone.
Hayden Sherman’s art is the engine that drives this issue forward. If the cover—a gatefold triptych—is any indication of the visual scale within, you are in for a treat. Sherman’s linework has a kinetic energy that makes every panel feel like it is moving, whether it is Diana in motion or the creeping dread of the jungle closing in. The oversized page count gives him room to breathe, to let silence hang in the art, and to make the action hit with real impact. This is comics storytelling at its most cinematic.
The debut of the Absolute Cheetah is the hook, but the execution is the prize. Barbara Minerva has always been a complex figure, a peer and rival to Diana who represents what the Amazon could have been under different circumstances. Thompson is leaning into that psychological complexity, turning the physical battle into a clash of ideologies. Sherman’s design work supports this, giving us a Cheetah who feels dangerous in a way that is intellectual as well as physical. It is a twist on a familiar face that rewards long-time fans while remaining accessible to anyone picking up the thread.
As for the variant, the Hayden Sherman gatefold triptych cover is the one you want. It is a showcase piece, designed to be framed on a shelf or viewed in person. These versions tend to move quickly, not just because they look stunning, but because they represent the culmination of the creative team’s work on this arc. If you have been riding this journey with Diana, this issue is the payoff you have been waiting for. Trust me on this one—it is a standout moment in the Absolute Universe.