To be honest, I'm not that invested in Future State. I prefer focus on the present day. But I really liked the preview pages and I wanted a taste of what we can expect for the main title post-Future State in terms of writing.

Luckily, it's pretty great.

I'll get the gushing for the art out of the way very early. Jen Bartel is just... on a completely different level. I was blown away by her art. Everything is so colorful and majestic, which balances out the incredibly dark, apocalyptic story that is being told. I love it, I love it, I love it.

The story opens with Diana visiting the Batcave and speaking to the "ghost" of Batman. What I loved about this scene was that it portrayed them as friends and equals, no romantic interest whatsoever. Diana puts on the utility belt in Batman's memory, which I thought I'd hate... but it was very well done.

Anyway, there's an "undoing" heading towards Earth, but it makes a pit stop at Apokolips where it gobbles up Orion and Big Barda. Darkseid seems disinterested at first, but then heads off to Earth where he fights Superman. Also, Swamp Thing (who is planted on Themyscira) is dying. The Amazons also know they'll die, but want to stay for the honor. Diana reluctantly joins them until she sees Darkseid and Superman fighting. She and the Amazons join in the fight (the poor Amazons don't fare well). Darkseid is about to win, but Swamp Thing gives up his life so that Diana can live and continue to fight.

My only complaint is that there felt like a lot of inner dialogue, like, maybe too much? But Diana felt very much like Diana.

As for the Nubia backup, she fights Grail who has been stealing various magical artifacts, and later goes to her aunt for assistance. It ends with Nubia getting teleported away by an unknown force.

I didn't love the Nubia stuff as much as I'd hoped. The art was pretty good, and watching Nubia as the star of her own story is a dream come true. I just wish the pacing had been a little faster since it is a backup story. She spent a LONG time talking to her aunt. I don't mind Grail being shuffled over to Nubia's rogues gallery, though. It's a good repurposing since I don't think she fits as a Diana foe.

What did everyone else think of these two stories?