Comic Review: Future State: Superman/ Wonder Woman #1

DC Comics

Writer: Dan Watters

Artists: Leila Del Duca & Nick Filardi

Letters: Tom Napolitano

Future State is going into its second week with another wave of new debuts. Some of the #1s bring new heroes to the panels, while others build on the books from last week. Future State: Superman/Wonder Woman #1 is one of these books. It brings together Jonathan Kent as Superman and Yara Flor as Wonder Woman for a team-up book. This new pairing is brought to us by Dan Watters on the script, with Leila Del Duca‘s art colored by Nick Filardi. Tom Napolitano covers the letters in this issue.

While this a team-up book, most of the first issue features the two heroes by themselves. The heroes are still new in these roles, so it isn’t surprising that Watters’ script spends panels developing them. Watters’ Jonathan is warm and feels much more deserving of the Superman mantle than he did in his Future State title last week. His solo segments aren’t always compelling, but the character is solid.

Yara’s debut last week was stellar, and it’s comforting to know that it wasn’t just because of Joëlle Jones’ script. The character is simply fantastic, giving us a fresh version of Wonder Woman. Watters keeps the hype train going with another solid script for the character. More of her supporting cast is introduced in this issue, and they are just as entertaining as their hero.

While this issue is enjoyable, the storytelling does feel a bit disjointed at times. At times this issue feels like it’s actually two different books.  The Superman chunks are good, while the Wonder Woman segments are excellent. When the characters do collide, it makes for some fun banter and promises exciting moments for the future. Their common villain is a little cheesy, but still a solid entity for the two to rally behind.

Watters’ script is brought to life by Leila Del Duca’s art. Del Duca’s style has always been great for drawing things that aren’t mundane. Her art complements Wonder Woman and her colorful support cast well. Jonathan looks great here too, giving him a feel that defies the way that Superman comics are usually drawn. The facial expressions are over the top and fantastic, giving everything a comical feel when it’s needed.

Nick Filardi’s colors are bright and suit the lighthearted tone of the book well. The sun and moon gods shine due to their coloring. Every panel with outer space is fantastic, with some of the best colors I’ve seen over the last few years. Tom Napolitano gets to play with some great fonts to fit the two characters, making this book an even more immersive experience.