Review: Future State- Superman
Quick Summary
Pros: The majority of the stories in this book are highly enjoyable. One is an excellent political satire. The artwork is positive throughout the collection and truly shines in a few places.
Cons: A few of the book’s stories are just alright.
Overall: This is an enjoyable addition to the Future State event. The majority of the stories here range from touching and inspirational to fun and creative. They play with the unique and open landscape of DC’s future in ways that work for nearly every character. Overall, this is a collection for readers who want to see creative takes on the members of the Superman family.
Story
Future State: Superman is one of the better entries in the Future State event. The stories here are average at their very worst and most manage to far exceed this level of quality. There is a deep and complex story about the Legion of Super-Heroes, a heartwarming tale about Supergirl’s future, a reflective look at Superman’s capacity for inspiration, and more. Plus, the three-chapter Lex Luthor saga is a well-executed and occasionally hilarious satire of modern American politics. Not every story in this collection is a winner but the vast majority are great. Altogether, this makes for an enjoyable reading experience.
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Future State: Superman starts out promising with several great stories. The “Superman: Worlds of War” story, by Phillip Kennedy Johnson, is a beautiful tale about what Superman means to people. It highlights Superman’s strength when dealing with impossible odds while also highlighting his ability to inspire people just through simple actions. In addition, the Midnighter and Mister Miracle stories are cool adventures that involve unexpected time-travel and Multiversal shenanigans.
Then, the collection manages to get even better as it moves into the book’s second half. The Lex Luthor story, by Mark Russell, is a brilliant satire of modern American politics. The Superwoman story, by Marguerite Bennett, is a touching tale that manages to be wonderfully exciting while maintaining the message that violence is not the answer. And the Legion of Super-Heroes story, by Brian Michael Bendis, manages to tell a detailed story filled with interesting characters and motivation within only two chapters.
The biggest downside in Future State: Superman is that several of the stories are just alright. The “Superman of Metropolis” story feels a bit too simplistic, it has Superman make a mistake, realize his mistake, and then undo it. Meanwhile, the Guardian, Black Racer, and House of El stories fail to do anything really memorable. None of these stories are downright bad and each manages to have its moments, however, none of them manage to stand out in a significant way.
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Art
The artwork in Future State: Superman looks good and is more consistently positive than the storytelling. Every chapter in this book utilizes visuals that are appealing and also complement the storytelling. The “Superman of Metropolis” story, by John Timms, is bold and bright while the “Superman: Worlds of War” story, by Mikel Janín, is gritty and realistic. The Mister Miracle chapters, from Valentine De Landro, are uniquely stylized in a way that suits this unique hero and his unorthodox adventure. Meanwhile, Steve Pugh’s more lighthearted and cartoonish work in the Lex Luthor chapters suits the more comical nature of Lex’s story.
However, the real highlights in this collection come near the end. Marguerite Sauvage’s art and colors come together perfectly. They create a beautiful landscape that seriously enhances the heartwarming story present in Supergirl’s chapters. In a similar way, Riley Rossmo’s wild and creative visuals match the creativity present in the Legion of Super-Heroes’ storyline. In general, the visuals in this collection look good and make the book even more appealing.
Continuity
Future State: Superman, like all Future State comics, flows from the Multiverse altering events taking place in Dark Nights: Death Metal (Review) (Reading Order). However, understanding Death Metal is not necessary to understand this volume.
The larger narrative surrounding the stories contained here is told through the rest of the Future State event.