Future State: Immortal Wonder Woman #1 [Spoilers]

[Nyssane]

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?

[PopQuezy]

Immortal Wonder Woman

It had a magical sombreness that I truly loved. The world feels so sad, yet everyone believes there is still something to die for and something worth living for. I liked the Wonder Woman vs Darkseid battle, and I love the colors of Themsycira. As you said, they are majestic.

I'm interested in the Undoing, and I have complete confidence in this creative team. I love what I read so far.

Nubia

I liked this story, too. I absolutely love the look of Nubia, and the golds really bring out her complexion in a gorgeous way. I liked the Nubia vs. Grail fight, and since the issue started so action-packed, I didn't mind a more dialogue-heavy issue to balance it out. I actually really like the Nubia/Aunt Nancy dynamic, and Aunt Nancy's seeming resentment of Diana. I also thought the overall plot was straightforward enough for a two-issue arc.

I'm looking forward to both next month.

[Hypo]

Jen Bartel was the star of this issue, there's a noticeable difference between her art here and on her creator owned series Blackbird, as here she did everything as opposed to Blackbird where another artist was doing layouts. She took it to the next level.

Cloonan/Conrad have a good handle on Diana's voice but I did think the dialogue got a little clunky at times - still looking forward to their run on the main series based off of this though.

The Nubia story was fine over all but the comixology version of the book has a lettering mistake, all the writing from page 25 appears on page 30, write down to the speech bubbles being in the exact same place the location being repeated. Super annoying considering this was a $6 book, anyone know if the physical versions have this issue?

[Gaius]

Agree with the stuff on Bartel's art, best a WW book has looked since the Scott/Sharp days.

I enjoyed the melancholic tone of Immortal Wonder Woman, Conrad/Cloonan have a good handle on Diana and I like how they handle how Diana's immortality would have an effect on her. Reminds me of some of the bits I like from WW84. I'm looking forward to their main book tenure much more now.

I enjoyed the Nubia story also. Had an interesting urban fantasy/American Gods kind of feel to it. Though it's a bit hard to understand what exactly is the status quo of this world.

The Nubia story was fine over all but the comixology version of the book has a lettering mistake, all the writing from page 25 appears on page 30, write down to the speech bubbles being in the exact same place the location being repeated. Super annoying considering this was a $6 book, anyone know if the physical versions have this issue?

I see I wasn't the only one who had this. Had to re-read a few times to see if I was missing something before I realized it was an error.

[Nyssane]

I see I wasn't the only one who had this. Had to re-read a few times to see if I was missing something before I realized it was an error.

I noticed that too and didn't know what to think of it so I ignored it. And completely forgot about it until y'all pointed it out. That's a pretty bad mistake...

[Avi]

Diana's story was pretty much what I expected it to be. I hope we'll learn some more about the fate of the world and even when Diana got the GL ring. Bartel's art is a good choice for the setting. The atmosphere was great throughout the whole book. I too like that the art is so bright and colorful. That said it's noticeable that she doesn't have that much experience with interior art. The action panels showed that quite a bit. That said I still hope she'll do more interior art.

Nubia's story is a little more intriguing, imo, while I don't care for Grail, I very much care for every other plot point.

I noticed that too and didn't know what to think of it so I ignored it. And completely forgot about it until y'all pointed it out. That's a pretty bad mistake...

Same. I just accepted it when I read it but... yeah.

[GeekSlop]

Agree, it was a bit dark but the Nubia storyline seems interesting. I'm glad we get to see her again and hoping we see more of her.

[Nyssane]

Agree, it was a bit dark but the Nubia storyline seems interesting. I'm glad we get to see her again and hoping we see more of her.

Welcome to CBR! You're in good company, we're all Nubia fans here.

[SiegePerilous02]

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.

I loved this scene! I'd be down for more Diana and Bruce interaction if he was written like this and they focused on them as friends with no ship teasing. I HATE the ship, but love them as friends.

Kind of like in a Brave and the Bold issue written by Gerry Conway, where Bruce bumped into Diana Prince at a party and they were casually going to get drinks or something after. It's much easier to buy Diana being close to Bruce when he's written like his Bronze Age self. I'd rather not see him written into the books too much, but if he shows up, better to do it this way than basing it off the post-Frank Miller models.

[Koriand'r]

Somehow Diana fighting Darkseid was not as exciting as Nubia fighting Grail. The second story was better to me overall.

[Koriand'r]

Somehow Diana fighting Darkseid was not as exciting as Nubia fighting Grail. The second story was better to me overall.

Mostly that was because the first one was too melancholy and monologue heavy. Then after Diana clearly wanted the Amazons to escape, she acquiesced and decided to fight with them, however that required yet another page long rallying speech from her that rang hollow, because it was the opposite of what she wanted to do in the first place. She basically was contradicting herself.

[Mel Dyer]

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?

Sadly, Grail's motivation has rarely been articulated by WW writers, since her inception in Darkseid War. According to her mother Myrina, she is the living embodiment of the Anti-life Equation, the terminal end of all free will in the Universe. Conceivably, she should have the power to control the minds of sentient beings or turn people into zombie armies, like another WW super-villain, who is totally wasted in the WW comic, ..Bushmaster. However, since most writers just make her a silver-skinned Super-Woman.

As Wonder Woman is an Amazon, foresworn to fight for freedom and peace of all mankind, Grail is her perfect nemesis, ..a natural enemy for a superheroine with no natural enemy. I can't help, but think, what a perennial enmity between Grail and Diana might have been like, ..if only the writers bothered to read or understand Grail's backstory and motivation. I guess she'll do, as well, for Nubia, under the circumstances.