Future State: Wonder Woman #1: Future Shock(ingly Good)

Future State: Wonder Woman #1 is a winner. Period. It’s a clean and fast-paced introduction to a new world, it’s got snappy and witty dialogue that doesn’t grate, it’s lavishly illustrated and laid out beautifully, and it’s got an undeniable sense of FUN that permeates the entire issue.
Joelle Jones and Jordie Bellaire take us to a more overtly mythological world than the one we know, showing us what this possible future could entail. In this Conan-like world, we are introduced to Yara Flor, this story’s new Wonder Woman. As a character, she’s another winner. While Diana is an implacable, honorable warrior, Yara owes more to Conan: a little more wild, prone to violence, willing to be a bit underhanded and devious to get what she wants—but still (mostly) an honorable warrior, and shares her low tolerance for nonsense.
Reading this issue, even after Mariko Tamaki’s excellent run, feels like a breath of fresh air. A tightly-plotted globetrotting thriller is a genre that Wonder Woman is particularly suited to, but seeing the character, even if it’s not Diana, throw down with mythical beasts and ancient deities feels much more natural. We get her motivation—she wants her sister-warrior back, and she’s willing to venture to Hades to get her—and then the story moves to its next destination.
And Yara clashes beautifully against the staid, rule-bound Underworld, showing off her hot-headedness in an orderly world. And the depiction of the Underworld itself is a slightly off-kilter place, presenting a place beyond life as something that isn’t too different from the monotony of the world above.
The snappy dialogue and easy humor really makes the issue overall. Jones has a great command over dialogue without making it sound like irritating Whedon-esque patter, party achieved through her inventive layouts breaking up characters speaking to one another. She makes talky scenes feel dynamic!
Really, this comic deserves to be picked up. It’s definitely the best intro to Future State as a concept, wonderfully written, lavishly illustrated, and expertly lettered (by Clayton Cowles, who is consistently one of the best in the biz). A burst of Conan-like fantasy action with heart and humor, Future State: Wonder Woman #1 posits a future that *crosses fingers* hopefully comes to pass in some form or another.