Becky Cloonan, Michael Conrad, and Jen Bartel paint a bleak fairytale for Diana in Future State: Immortal Wonder Woman #1.
Written by Becky Cloonan, Michael W. Conrad, and LL McKinney
Art by Jen Bartel, Alitha Martinez, and Mark Morales
Lettering by Pat Brosseau and Becca Carey
Published by DC
'Rama Rating: 8 out of 10
Bartel's digital paints are a kaleidoscope of light and energy. Her Diana is beautiful yet imposing, her Darkseid a smug lump of stone, and she renders the starry sky and verdant greenery in picturesque fashion. Feast for the eyes aside, Cloonan and Conrad's script is yet another against all odds 'Future State' tale, complete with a defeated Superman, fleeing Amazons, and a drained Swamp Thing.
LL McKinney's Nubia sees the abandoned Amazon thwart a museum heist, stumbling into an ancient evil in the process. Nubia's hair dominates the page as she establishes herself firmly as the Wonder Woman left behind, escaping the shadow of her sister to forge her own path. A nightclub populated with mythical creatures adds a dash of whimsy to an opening chapter filled with foreboding visions of a haunting past and a foreboding future.
Immortal Wonder Woman #1 offers vivid artwork and high stakes, but it begs the question… why is 'Future State' so miserable? The future seems unendingly bleak for the entire DC Universe, and after the hopeful end of Death Metal, it's starting to put a dampener on the whole initiative.
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