[REVIEW] FUTURE STATE: WONDER WOMAN #1

With the good guys emerging out of Dark Nights: Death Metal victorious, their win comes with an added perk: A glimpse into the possible future of the multiverse. With this week’s Future State: Wonder Woman #1, we’re introduced to a new character who may very well become DC’s next big breakout: Yara Flor, the next Wonder Woman.

Future State is speculated to be a retooled version of the rumored “5G” initiative, which would have apparently implemented multiple timelines running concurrently throughout the slate of DC Universe titles. While Future State doesn’t seem to be as extensive and long-term as what 5G might’ve been, it’s no less ambitious or exciting. The overall ethos of Future State seems to be giving creators a license to try out bold new ideas with existing concepts and explore the idea of “legacy” in a superhero universe (see also: The Next Batman. Guess what that’s about). It also seems that many—if not most—of the incoming creative teams will return when the regular line resumes in March, hinting that DC is betting big on these new takes.

But DC seems especially confident about Yara Flor, who is not only getting her own Wonder Girl title within the year but is also currently set to star in her own live-action series on The CW as well. Planning a multimedia empire around a character who has only just barely made their debut in the source material is unheard of, but our first impression of Yara in this issue makes a pretty good argument for her viability. 

Written and drawn by Joëlle Jones, Future State: Wonder Woman #1 is exceedingly fun and zippy, while also giving readers a clear idea of her personality and what she’s about. Not quite as regal or elegant as Diana but every bit as fierce and driven, she already has all the makings of a superstar character. According to the official Future State timeline, the Yara we see here is arguably in her prime, and that vibe comes across. I’ll be interested to see how her characterization varies throughout the event across other titles she appears in; is she always this confident or did she have to develop it? 

As for the story itself, it follows Yara into the Underworld, where she seeks to rescue an unknown Amazon from Hades. We’re very much dropped into the middle of things in this issue, and it’s unclear how or why she’s decided on her mission, meaning it’s up to writer-artist Jones to fill in the blanks as best as she can with a limited amount of space. I’ve been a fan of her work for a while—particularly her art—and she more than delivers on the visuals. Jones’s clean, dynamic style works well for the material here; it allows for color artist Jordie Bellaire (another heavyweight in her own right) to set the mood and delineate the focal points of each scene. On the first page alone, there’s a gorgeous bit of lighting on Yara’s face as she looks up at the sun from behind some foliage that really highlights Bellaire’s expertise with her craft. Having glanced at all of this week’s Future State offerings, I definitely think Wonder Woman is the strongest of them all, and that bodes well for Yara’s future in the DC Universe. 

Future State: Wonder Woman #1

7.9

Premise

7.0/10

Execution

8.0/10

Script

7.5/10

Art

9.0/10

Credits

• Writer: Joëlle Jones
• Artist: Joëlle Jones
• Color Artist: Jordie Bellaire
• Letterer: Clayton Cowles
• Cover Artists: Joëlle Jones, Jordie Bellaire

Credits (cont)

• Editor: Brittany Holzherr
• Publisher: DC Comics