People who pick up the first issue of Future State: Justice League are in for a real treat, as you not only get one great Justice League story, but you get another, as we get to see a new version of the League, as well as finding out what happens to the Justice League Dark.
The first half of the book is given over to the new version of the Justice League, a new team for a new age, made up of brand new members. There's Jon, the new Superman who's stepping into his father's shoes; Yara Flor, the Wonder Woman from Brazil; Green Lantern Jo Mullien, the intergalactic cop who fans will have been enjoying in Far Sector; Tim Fox, the first Black Batman, and the man who 'saved' Gotham; the new Aquawoman, the daughter of Aquaman and Mera; and a non-binary Flash, Jess Chambers, from Eath-11.
It's nice to see a team that on first glance is the Justice League that people know, before you realise that despite having a Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, and GL, it's a whole new team. We get to discover these characters for the first time, though some have appeared in other books. We get to see them interacting as a team, and get to see how their interpersonal relationships operate, which is something that I always like with team books.
However, there are new rules for this Justice League. The old League go too big, and too intimate, and were betrayed from within. So, this new League keep their identities a secret, and don't see each other outside of missions. They keep each other at arms length so as to best protect the world that needs them. However, these are still people, and relationships form, and not every member of the league seems to be happy with the 'no friends' rule, and we get to see some really sweet interactions between some of the members. The scene where Flash and Aquawoman hang out together was a particular favourite.
Unfortunately, this can't just be a book about the League hanging out together and breaking their own rules, as there's a murder to be solved. After seeing the new Legion of Doom plotting to take down the Justice League they're found dead, and it's down to the League to figure out who could have killed all of these heavy hitters, and why.
The answer to this mystery gets revealed in the last few pages of the story, and I have to say I really liked who Joshua Williamson picked as the villains. It's a group that will be recognisable to some who've read some older League books, and I loved that it was something from the history of the Justice League rather than something new. And I'm excited to see how things will shape up in the next issue, and if the League will be able to take down the bad guys.
The second story in the issue shifts to a very different type of future, one that sees the members of the Justice League Dark fighting for their lives in a world at war with magic. Written by Ram V, who also did an amazing job on Future State: Swamp Thing, it's pretty clear that he's a writer who not only works really well in these future settings, but is able to bring horror into the DC Universe in great ways.
The issue opens with Zatana and Detective Chimp in the Mojave Desert, searching through the remains of several people who fell victim to the forces of Merlin, who's trying to claim all of the magic on Earth for himself. The pair find the burnt and crucified remains of the angel Zauriel, who holds a clue that sets them off on a cross country journey.
Along the way we discover a little more about this dark new future, and discover that a lot of changes have taken place, one in particular was really surprising yet brilliant addition; Detective Chimp as the new host for Etrigan. Just the changing of the phrase to 'Gone, gone the simian, rise the demo Etrigan!' brought a huge smile to my face. And it didn't end there, as we also get to meet a few other fan favourite mystical characters along the way. Some, like Constantine, were to be expected, but I adored the fact that Ragman was included, especially given the changes he's gone through here too.
My biggest complaint about the Justice League Dark half of this book is that this isn't part of an ongoing series. I love the mystical side of the DC Universe, and the JLD are a great team, but the changes that Ram V has made to them here, the new directions the characters have been taken in, are simply wonderful. Even if the slate had to wiped clean at the end and things 'reset' to normal I'd love to have seen this setting explored over a full run over several issues. As it is, I'm just going to have to make the best of it whilst it lasts, because this is brilliant.
If it's not clear already, I really enjoyed both of these stories. The writing and art on both were superb, and they make for some of the most interesting stories in Future State so far, and ones that I think would easily have made for great ongoing stories in their own right. I don't know what lasting effects Future State is going to have on the universe yet, but hopefully some of the stuff from this issue will be brought across.
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