Future State: Catwoman #1 Review

 

The Great (Future) Train Robbery

Written By: Ram V

Art By: Otto Schmidt

Cover Price: $3.99

Release Date: January 19, 2021

Future State: Catwoman #1 follows our future feline as she kicks off a heist to rescue the "guests" of a Magistrate prison train before it reaches its destination. Some of the prisoners are innocent youths on their way to a reformatory institution, and others are high-risk prisoners, one of which has special meaning for Selina Kyle. The clock is ticking and the train isn't stopping. Can Selina rescue all the prisoners before time runs out?

It's future sleek. It's a cool suit with gadgety things. It's Future State.

Was It Good?

Yep. I liked it. Simple concept. Simple execution. Slick art and a few surprises. This is going to be a fast review because it's a fast story, and yet, thoroughly enjoyable.

Short Story Long

We begin on a snowy train platform with Magistrate officers barking orders for children, teens, and some adults to relinquish all possessions before boarding the train for "their own safety." The Magistrate Captain is explaining the boarding procedures to Ms. Canorus who's writing an inspection report as a liaison to the Peacekeepers.

The Captain explains how some of the young passengers are being sent off to a reformatory school because they have the future potential for disruption. While the boarding continues, one of the adults breaks ranks and causes a scene. The Magistrate guards shut him down with heavy-handed force.

What the guards don't know is Selina Kyle is on the platform as well, and in a fairly good Katniss Everdeen impression, raises her hand to form a cat shape and starts speaking a resistance chant. The crowd of passengers follows with the sign and the chant, indicating they're in on whatever plan Selina's got cooking.

Selina sneaks away, meets up with Cheshire, and gets their watches in sync. Selina's plan is to board the train from the outside, free all the passengers car-by car, and escape before the Magistrate can do anything about it.

Selina heads off on her Cat-cycle towards the train bridge, jumps a ramp set up by members of her gang, and uses electromagnetic wings and grips from her fancy new suit to land on the plane.

So far the art is very slick in a techno future way that still feels like Gotham. The nighttime aesthetic combined with the falling snow help make the scenery relatable without feeling you've been dropped into a Blade Runner knockoff.

With a little help from the youths inside, Selina enters the train car and takes out the first set of guards. The group moves car-by-car, taking out the guards and freeing the prisoners until they reach the high-risk compartments. The first surprise Selina finds is Onomatopoeia, who joins forces with Selina and makes quick work of the guards with an amusing bit of Kapow! Kapow! (that's what he does).

The Magistrate Captain receives the alert about the escapes and sends more guards while Ms. Canorus insists on seeing what's happening... for her report. Once Ms. Canorus gets to the next car, she kills her escort, and (surprise) it's really Talia in disguise to help with the escape. Selina, Onomatopoeia, and Talia converge on the final prisoner car to find Bruce Wayne in a holding cell.

How are they going to get everyone off the train with only a few minutes left? Why they're not getting off. They're going to steal the train, of course. And that's the setup for the next issue.

Bits and Pieces:

Future State: Catwoman #1 is a simple clean heist story that's enough in the future to explain the high tech components but not so far that our lack of backstory is a problem. Ram V's story keeps things moving at a pleasantly brisk pace, and the art is a perfect match for this story. This is s strong recommendation.

8.8/10