Future State: Justice League #1 – Joshua Williamson, Ram V, Writers; Robson Rocha/Daniel Henriques, Marcio Takara, Artists; Romulo Fajardo Jr, Marcelo Maiolo, Colorists
Ray – 8.5/10
Ray: One of the few quirks of Future State that throws me off a little is the way it seems to jump around in timelines. Many of the titles are showing the future heroes’ growing pains as they settle into their new roles, but this one takes place years later. The new Batman has saved Gotham, Jon Kent and Yara Flor are established heroes, and Andy Curry is an adult. Along with multiversal Flash Jess Chambers and leader Jo Mullein, they’ve formed a new and very different Justice League—a powerhouse strike team that eschews any personal connections to avoid a repeat of the tragedy that happened years in the past. But that doesn’t mean they don’t still have enemies—a new Legion of Doom is making a move against them.
That is, until that motley crew of villains turns up dead, and the core mystery of the story begins. With only six members, it feels like every member of the team gets to shine, but Andy and Jess probably stand out the most while Jo gets little to do besides be strict and businesslike. Things get thrown for a loop when doppelgangers of the League show up, targeting other members, and the ending twist brings the return of some of the best one-off villains in League history. Overall, this is maybe a bit busy for a new status quo we’ve barely been introduced to, but Williamson knows how to write a great Justice League action set piece. This maybe would have been stronger released on the last week of the month when everyone had a spotlight already.
Next up, it’s a Justice League Dark backup from Ram V and Marcio Takara. Set in a future where Merlin has returned and his puritan army is carrying out a ruthless campaign of terror, only a few JLD members remain. Zatanna and Detective Chimp are waging a lonely fight, although Bobo is carrying an unexpected ally along the road. Ragman is retired and terrified of his own suit, and Constantine and Doctor Fate are missing in action. This first chapter is mostly a mission to recruit as many heroes as they can, and there are some clever twists along the way. We know very little about the villains yet, but their attacks provide some strong horror visuals. It’s a good follow-up to Ram V’s usual run, although like many of the Future State series it just drops us into a complex status quo and lets us figure out our own way.
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GeekDad received this comic for review purposes.
