Steve Long 
Steve takes a detour to explore Superman Worlds Of War. The new issue from the DC Comics Future State initiative
Superman: Worlds of War takes place in the distant future as part of DC’s Future State project. The main story is written by Phillip K. Johnson, who will soon be taking over the Superman titles from Brian Michael Bendis, and drawn by Mikel Janin.
Superman: Worlds of War #1 | DC Comics
After having read a couple of lackluster and disappointing entries into the Future State lineup, I dove into this one. And it turned out to be a bit of a surprise. This book, based on a few things I had heard about it, was the one that I had the lowest expectations for. As it turned out, this one was fairly inspiring and gave me hope for Johnson’s future Superman titles.
SMALLVILLE
The story starts in Smallville, which has turned into a sort of religious site for those that worship Superman. There are marketplaces where cheap Superman trinkets are sold. And there are even preachers reading the words of a young Clark Kent from his school papers. As if trying to decipher some sort of hidden meaning out of them. A young girl named Sadie has entered the town and makes her way to a nighttime vigil where folks are crowded around telling stories about when Superman saved them.
We are not told what happened to Superman or where he went. We are told that at this point, Superman’s son Jonathan had already taken over as protector of Metropolis.
SADIE
What I really liked about this story is the discussion Sadie has with this group about how Superman is not a hero because of his powers. Instead, he is a hero because of the hope that he inspired in people. At the end of the main story, we find Superman in some sort of gladiatorial arena about to begin a fight. Why is he there? How did he get there? Why can’t he leave? We are left with many unanswered questions.
VERDICT
Overall, I enjoyed both the writing and the artwork of this book and am very much looking forward to, not only what the rest of this Future State story has to tell us, but also what Phillip K. Johnson has in store for Superman going forward.
Future State: Superman Worlds Of War #1 is published by DC Comics and is available to buy NOW!
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Steve Long is a new addition to the Future of the Force roster. Aside from being a passionate Star Wars fan, he also co-hosts the Rogue One Radio Podcast. Follow him on Twitter where he channels his passion frequently!
