FUTURE STATE: WONDER WOMAN #2, out now from DC Comics, is the last issue of a miniseries by writer/artist Jöelle Jones, colorist Jordie Bellaire, and letterer Clayton Cowles. This final issue leaves a bittersweet taste in the reader’s mouth. Its story is underwhelming but it still explores the medium beautifully through the art.
Writing
Writing a 2-issue miniseries is hard. It’s harder when it features a character no one knows yet. This is not to say there aren’t any redeeming qualities about Future State: Wonder Woman #2’s story. The reader does get a better sense of Yara Flor’s character. Jones explores the history of storytelling and what it means to be a hero wonderfully, and some of the jokes land great. But the entire issue feels a bit unfocused. The ending, especially. The way in which the story progresses, it seems like Jones expects us to feel for Yara and her soldier’s relationship. We are expected to care when not enough was given for us to do so.
But even after saying all of this, what the reader still truly cares about is Yara and how different she feels from any other DC Comics’ superhero we’ve seen before. I, for one, am still excited to see on which adventures Jones is going to take this character on next.
Art
In this issue, Jones experiments boldly with the artform. In a flashback sequence, she changes styles completely and draws entire panels with red, harsh pencils. The flashback sequence and the scenes taking place in the present interact flawlessly with each other. In addition, the usual positives about Jones’ art style continue to appear in their full glory. They make the reader get lost in Future State: Wonder Woman #2’s enchanting world. The facial expressions are highly expressive, but never to the point of unnecessary exaggeration. Whenever Jones draws backgrounds, they’re well-detailed and gorgeous, and whenever there’s action, those pages get filled with liveliness.
Coloring
Bellaire continues to knock it out of the park with her incredible coloring skills. Each page conveys true emotion through the colors. There are specifically a few pages where Yara Flor needs to find her lost soldier in a sea of lost souls, and the way Bellaire decides to color those pages is truly unique. Bellaire colors the souls in pretty much the same gray color and Yara in her usually bold, energetic colors. This obviously makes Yara pop a lot more on the page and distinguishes her. Great work from Bellaire.
Lettering
Cowles goes all out with his sound effects in Future State: Wonder Woman #2. The sound effects are big, stylistic, and experimental, using a lot of unique techniques to convey the feeling or sound Cowles is going for. This manages to elevate the artwork’s energetic look and compliment it. The way Cowles draws his balloons never feels out of place. Even the dialogue balloons are not perfect circles and it all feels very hand-lettered. Without any actual words, each reader can see this as clear as day. Cowles was having incredible fun lettering this issue, and we’re all thankful for it.
Conclusion
Future State: Wonder Woman #2 is visually stunning. Its artwork is bold, energetic, and mesmerizing. I just wish the story was more up to par with the rest of this comic’s ingenious elements. With that being said, it’s still very much worth picking up at your local comic book shop!
