Review: Future State - Teen Titans #1

"Ruins"

Writer: Tim Sheridan
Artists: Rafa Sandoval and Jordi Tarragona
Color Artist: Alejandro Sanchez
Letterer: Rob Leigh

Review by James Stone

From the Ashes of Death Metal comes new life for the Multiverse and a glimpse into the unwritten worlds of tomorrow. Teen Titans Future State #1 brings us a story which feels like a mixture of a classic Teen Titans comic, and Justice League Dark.

I love the pairing of Dick Grayson’s Nightwing and Emiko Queen’s Red Arrow, as their personalities bounce off each other so well. Writer, Tim Sheridan, blends the youthful fun personality of Emiko with the stern and serious nature of Dick to create a delightful concoction.

Considering a large proportion of this issue is characters talking, plotting and weaving their next plan, the artwork’s sublime. Every panel’s beautifully designed, and vibrantly colored down to the smallest detail, with Rafa Sandoval, Jordi Tarragona and Alejandro Sanchez making a formidable artistic team.

Standing out for me are the opening few pages, as Dick and Emiko have an exchange about previous events, but with a backdrop of destroyed wasteland. This is sensational, as it has a post apocalyptic vibe. This attention to detail continues throughout the issue, as we flash back to a party setting, which again centres around two characters talking. Once again, it’s the background antics which offer so much depth to these pages. Be it Cyborg taking a selfie, or The Flash whizzing by with a beer; it all packs the pages adding more for the reader than just two characters talking.

Conclusion

Towards the end of the issue, when Raven comes out to play, is when things turn to the darker side, and I get a real Justice League Dark vibe. It’s not just the introduction of magic which does this, but the whole issue takes a shift, as the story narrative become worryingly negative. and the color tones adopts dark, ominous purples, and greys.

As Teen Titans Future State #1 gives us a glimpse into the unwritten worlds of DC’s future, these are events that we can only hope our greatest heroes can prevent.

Images Courtesy of DC Entertainment