REVIEW: ‘Future State: Teen Titans,’ Issue #1

After the events of Dark Knight: Death Metal, which saw a new start (again) for the DC Multiverse, Future State: Teen Titans #1 shows readers the future of our heroes in this new reality. While it is shown that the Titans have suffered many losses and much has changed for them, they remain the heroes we all know and love at their core. Future State: Teen Titans #1 is written by Tim Sheridan, with pencils by Rafa Sandoval, colors Alejandro Sanchez, inks by Jordi Tarragona, and Rob Leigh doing letters.

It is a grim time for the team. In a post-apocalyptic New York City, Nightwing, Starfire, Raven, Cyborg, and Beast Boy (for those last two, as you’ve never seen them before), and their allies must regroup and contend with new threats, while mourning their losses. For any Titans fan, this will be a tough issue to read. We love these typically jubilant heroes, who, while they have plenty of dramatic periods, they always bounce back. But the stakes are much direr here. The writing by Sheridan is excellent, as he gives equal emotional weight to all the Titans, especially with the judicious use of flashbacks in the issue before the cataclysmic event. Additionally, fans of the Teen Titans animated series will find several callbacks and easter eggs to enjoy in this issue.

The fundamental question for all the Titans is how far they’re willing to go to defeat their villains, especially for Dick Grayson/Nightwing who finds himself increasingly tempted to take drastic measures. And it very much fits in Dick’s character, who is always cognizant of not becoming like his mentor Bruce Wayne/Batman. Nightwing always does things his own way, and even while he may make some misguided decisions, they remain his own. For him, Raven, Starfire, and the others, there’s great character work that is rooted in who the Titans are.

The only downside is that the issue might seem a bit scattered with characters and references that new readers, and even some older, may be unfamiliar with. While it still keeps focused on the main Titans team that most people are familiar with, some more context and explanation of past events may have been helpful. It is very likely we’ll find out more in the second issue, so perhaps we need to be patient as readers for that. Thankfully, this doesn’t detract too much from the enjoyment of the issue and may just be a mystery for readers to solve later.

The art by Sandoval, Sanchez, and Tarragona is amazing. The colors by Sanchez are particularly vibrant and he makes rich use of shading and textures on every panel. The contours by Sandoval are striking, vividly complimenting the rich textures by Sanchez. Tarragona’s inks are the sleek finishing touch emphasizing their great artwork. The lettering by Rob Leigh is well done and dynamic, letting you be easily immersed in the Titans’ thoughts and actions throughout the issue.

Future State: Teen Titans #1 is overall a great issue. While we find our heroes in rather dire circumstances, they still press diligently forward to still save the day. Sheridan tells a great story rooted in the Teen Titans’ rich characterization, supplemented by tremendous artwork from Sandoval, Sanchez, and Tarragona that will immerse you in this new world the team finds themselves in. If you’re a Teen Titans fan, you should pick this one up.

Future State: Teen Titans #1 is available wherever comics are sold.