Review: FUTURE STATE: SUPERMAN/WONDER WOMAN #2
[Editor’s Note: This review may contain spoilers]
Writer: Dan Watters
Artist: Leila Del Duca
Colours: Nick Filardi
Letters: Tom Napolitano
Reviewed By: Derek McNeil
Summary
Future State: Superman/Wonder Woman #2: Our heroes have challenged the gods themselves to a test of bravery for the fate of the Earth. But gods are notorious cheaters, and with Superman’s powers in flux, it falls to Wonder Woman to face down the sun itself! A utopian future awaits-but only if a Kryptonian peacemaker and an Amazon warrior can put aside their differences to become the World’s Finest Heroes!
Positives
The cover of Future State: Superman/Wonder Woman #2 bears the text: “Meet the new World’s Finest!”. The solicitation text speculates if Superman and Wonder woman will “become the World’s Finest Heroes”. And finally, the story’s title is “The Planet’s Finest”. It seems clear that DC wants us to see them as the two foremost heroes of the next generation.
It’s interesting that while Jon inherits his father’s role in the World’s Finest pairing, Batman’s successor doesn’t. In fact, the only book where we have seen the Next Batman working with contemporary heroes is in Future State: Justice League. It seems that Jace Fox is more of a lone wolf than Bruce Wayne ever was.
In the story, Superman and Wonder Woman each are faced with a challenge from a solar-based enemy. Superman must beat Solaris in a contest of strength, while Wonder Woman has to win a race against the sun god Kuat. The two heroes co-operate in their preparations and hatch a plan to win their challenges by trading places.
I like the irony that as well as trading foes, the science-based Superman and magic-based Wonder Woman also trade methodology. Jon borrows a moon-god’s mount to race Kuat, while Yara uses a scientific device as a weapon against Solaris. And when Kuat proves to be a sore loser, Jon defeats him with the deliciously unscientific tactic of literally punching the sun.
Positives Cont.
I also loved to see the ending, where both heroes express their growing friendship. Yara agrees to give Jon a rare day off from his duties as Superman by tackling his daily chores for him. And Jon reciprocates by bringing breakfast for them to enjoy together.
The one thing I like about this title, is that it is the most upbeat of any of the Future State books. In the Batman books, Gotham has become a dystopian nightmare. Many of the other books show the protagonists dealing with some tragedy or disaster. But in this title, the heroes have established a brighter tomorrow for humanity. There are still foes to fight and other lurking dangers, but on the whole, the world is a better place.
And I think that’s why the future Superman and Wonder Woman are the World’s Finest of the future DCU. Batman at his core is about responding to the darkness of today, while Superman and Wonder Woman are more focused on building a brighter tomorrow. I hope that DC will give us a chance to explore this future by revisiting Future State again at some point.
Negatives
The only real drawback of this story is its brevity. Unfortunately, the format of the Future State event only allows each title to give us a brief glimpse into the particular future it features. I’d love to see a continuation of this title in a future miniseries or special.
Verdict
I wouldn’t want to see Jon Kent and Yara Flor supplant Clark and Diana in the regular monthly titles. However, I would love to see more of this pair in the future. I would love to see them in another Future State story or in a modern day Superboy/Wonder Girl miniseries.
