Future State: Wonder Woman #1
- WRITER
- Joelle Jones
- Artist
- Joëlle Jones
- Letterer
- Clayton Cowles
- Cover Artist
- Jenny Frison, Joëlle Jones, Jordie Bellaire, Adam Hughes
- Publisher
- DC Comics
- Price
- 3.99
- Release Date
- 2021-01-05
- Colorist
- Jordie Bellaire
One of the most buzzed about developments abut DC's new publishing initiative Future State was the introduction of a new Wonder Woman. Launched by writer/artist Joëlle Jones, the Amazon superhero Yara Flor boldly takes up the iconic mantle while quickly proving to be her own kind of hero in the miniseries opening issue. And with a tight focus, Yara's introduction is off to a strong start as she leaps headfirst center stage in an adventure that blends humor and fantasy action as a figure worthy of the mantle she has inherited in one of DC's new alternate future timelines.
As part of the lost tribe of Amazons hidden deep within the Brazilian rainforests, Yara wastes no time jumping into action on her own wild hunt for dangerous mythological beasts before venturing deep into the depths of Hades to rescue one her Amazon sisters from the underworld. In her full-fledged debut, Yara finds herself on an odyssey that blends not only the classic, Ancient Greek mythos that has long served as hallmarks for the Wonder Woman line but also elements of Brazilian folklore and culture as Yara continues to make the superhero role decidedly her own.
Jones' narrative literally hits the ground running, not wasting any time to get this daring, new protagonist in action. The issue's overall tone is more action-packed and playful than Jones' previous run on Catwoman, with the story packed with enough youthful, exuberant energy to match Yara's grand debut. A lot of Future State titles have a tendency to dwell on the darkness of a DC Universe gone wrong but the opening issue of the Wonder Woman tie-in miniseries is one of the lighter, fun-filled issues to come from the publishing initiative so far. The issue hits a bit of a snag in regards to pacing during its first major exposition sequence when Yara first descends into Hades but Jones keeps the action moving and the readers' attention beyond this momentary stumble.
And, joined by colorist Jordie Bellaire, Jones' delivers bombastic, mythologically tinged action sequences and fantastical designs to Yara and her supporting cast to great effect. Much of the issue is rendered in a verdant backdrop, with the Amazonian rainforests and surreal vision of the underworld while the behemoths that Yara finds herself hunting are dispatched with a crimson fury. That sense of fun and effervescent energy really elevates the entire issue and these mythic fights are where those sensibilities are the most evident. Yara Flor is not Diana Prince or Donna Troy or like any Amazon has seen before and this is conveyed in the kinetic flow; Yara is a character who speaks more loudly with her actions than she ever does with her words.
After months of anticipation, Yara Flor is finally here for the spotlight, saving the day as a new kind of Amazon in the worlds of Future State. The opening issue of her miniseries works best when the new Wonder Woman is in action, highlighting the fun, dynamic possibilities of the character as she faces down a whole host of fantasy threats as she travels from her Brazilian homeland right into the depths of the underworld. Joëlle Jones and Jordie Bellaire continue to be a strong collaborative team, wasting no time in showcasing their new superhero as Wonder Woman is poised to become the breakout character from Future State before transitioning to the main DCU in the upcoming Infinite Frontier era.