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Did You Spot Z For Zatanna In Absolute Wonder Woman?

Did You Spot Z For Zatanna In Absolute Wonder Woman, courtesy of Hayden Sherman? Kelly Thompson explains all...

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Article Summary

  • Kelly Thompson reveals hidden Z-panel layouts for Zatanna in Absolute Wonder Woman by Hayden Sherman.
  • Comic fans get insights into innovative visual storytelling in Absolute Wonder Woman #18.
  • Thompson discusses her collaboration with Sherman and intentional panel design in the comic.
  • Absolute Wonder Woman #18 features a showdown between Diana and Zatanna with high-stakes magic.

Kelly Thompson mentioned Peter David and Joe Quesada's X-Factor #87 psychiatrist issue as her own secret origin in writing comics, talking to friends-of-Bleeding Cool Omar and Melanie of the Near Mint Condition YouTube channel. And that era of comic books also came up when she singled out moments in Absolute Wonder Woman from Hayden Sherman, including a discussion about the visual storytelling brought to Absolute Wonder Woman by artist Hayden Sherman. Such as panels arranged to literally form a "Z" during key Zatanna sequences, calling it "the coolest thing I've ever seen…

Kelly Thompson On Writing Absolute Wonder Woman As Queer, Despite DC
Zattan in Absolute Wonder Woman #18 by Kelly Thompson and Hayden Sherman, and a Z layout to match

"It's pretty funny that Hayden and I ended up partnered on this book because, historically, I do not like weird panels, but that's because I'm traumatised from the '90s, where we broke panels all the time. We do weird panels. Panels are sliding around, and I have no problem with breaking the form and playing with it. But to just do it arbitrarily for no reason, like, oh, this is going to look cool, so his foot breaks the panel here. No, everything should have intention. So, to me, Hayden is playing a completely different game, like a game I was barely even familiar with, where the panels are telling their own story frequently."

ABSOLUTE WONDER WOMAN #18
(W) Kelly Thompson (A/CA) Hayden Sherman
DIANA VS. ZATANNA! What happens when you send a witch to kill a witch? Time to find out as the daughters of the most powerful magic users in the universe come together at last, forced into combat with devastating stakes–it's the Witch of the Wild Isle versus Zatanna Zatara, the Mistress of Magic! $4.99 3/25/2026

The full Kelly Thompson interview video can be watched above, or linked here from the Near Mint Condition YouTube channel.

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Rich JohnstonAbout Rich Johnston

Founder of Bleeding Cool. The longest-serving digital news reporter in the world, since 1992. Author of comic books The Flying Friar, Holed Up, The Avengefuls, Doctor Who: Room With A Deja Vu, The Many Murders Of Miss Cranbourne and Chase Variant. Lives in South-West London, works from The Union Club on Greek Street, shops at Gosh, Piranha and Forbidden Planet. Father of two daughters, Amazon associate, political cartoonist.
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