Future State gives fans more than just a look a what’s coming in the decades ahead for DC’s greatest heroes—but it also provides a glimpse at some of DC’s up and coming talent.
Along with familiar names like Brian Michael Bendis, Mariko Tamaki, and Nick Derington, Future State includes major creative contributions from more than a dozen writers either new to DC or new to comics in general. Here’s a look at where you may have seen their work before, and why they can’t wait to reveal the near and not so near future of the DC Universe.
JEREMY ADAMSFuture State: Superman Worlds of War—“Black Racer”; Future State: Suicide Squad—“Black Adam”
PAST CREDITS: Writer on Supernatural, Justice League Action, DC Super Hero Girls, and the animated feature Mortal Kombat Legends: Scorpion's Revenge
FUTURE STATE OF MIND: “Getting a chance to explore these characters that I've spent a lifetime reading, is quite honestly, a dream come true. Through Future State, I've had the privilege of adding a few more toys to the DC sandbox, which is something my younger self (and current self) could never imagine.”
BRANDON EASTONFuture State: Superman of Metropolis—“Mister Miracle”; Future State: Worlds of War—“Mister Miracle”
PAST CREDITS: Comics and animation veteran who’s worked on Thundercats, Agent Carter, and Transformers: War for Cybertron
FUTURE STATE OF MIND: “Never in my wildest dreams did I believe I'd be contributing to such an awesome project, and I truly cannot wait until DC fans see what we've developed for our classic heroes. The creative teams and editorial crew are a collection of ridiculously intelligent and talented folks who have helped me craft an action-packed, but thoughtful, series of challenges for Mister Miracle.”
MEGHAN FITZMARTINFuture State: Robin Eternal
PAST CREDITS: Writer on Supernatural and DC Super Hero Girls
FUTURE STATE OF MIND: “I'm so excited to be playing in the sandbox with characters I've read about since I was little and I'm incredibly honored to work with the amazing team at DC to create a story I love. Future State features so many cool new visuals to play with, but at the end of the day, the heart of these characters continues to inspire me.”
SEAN LEWISFuture State: Superman of Metropolis—“Superman of Metropolis,” “The Guardian”
PAST CREDITS: Co-creator of comics series Coyotes, The Few, Saints
FUTURE STATE OF MIND: “I still remember buying multiple bagged copies of ‘Death of Superman’ and being crestfallen he was gone. So, getting to play with the idea of what it is to be Superman, especially now, was so important. A character who is everyone's friend, who is the ideals of truth, justice, and compassion.”
L.L. McKINNEYFuture State: Immortal Wonder Woman
PAST CREDITS: Author of A Blade So Black, writer of DC Young Adult graphic novel Nubia: Real One (on sale in February)
FUTURE STATE OF MIND: “The chance to bring Nubia back to the main continuity. This is all I and other fans have been asking for, for years. Like, being able to write that graphic novel was some bucket list type stuff, but this? This has taken that over the top. All my words turn to tears. I’m that thrilled.”
STEPHANIE PHILLIPSFuture State: Harley Quinn
PAST CREDITS: Writer of comics including The Butcher of Paris, Red Atlantis, and stories in DC Cybernetic Summer and DC Crimes of Passion
FUTURE STATE OF MIND: “Future State really pushes familiar characters into unknown, unexpected, and unique situations that force them to react in ways that I don't think readers are anticipating. Working with a character like Harley, who is already so smart and creative, meant that I got to have a ton of fun helping her find new solutions to Gotham’s baddies, new and old.”
TIM SHERIDANFuture State: Shazam, Future State: Teen Titans
PAST CREDITS: Animation writer with DC experience including Teen Titans Go!, Justice League Action, DC Super Hero Girls, and the Superman: Man of Tomorrow feature
FUTURE STATE OF MIND: “Future State, and specifically Shazam and Teen Titans, is about the massive consequences that can result from the small decisions we make today. It’s been a workshop of the imagination as we try and look at established characters (plus some new ones!) across the DC Universe from very different angles.”
BRANDON THOMASFuture State: Aquaman, Future State: The Next Batman
PAST CREDITS: Co-creator of The Many Adventures of Miranda Mercury, contributor to comics including DC The Doomed and The Damned
FUTURE STATE OF MIND: “DC changed my life. One of the first comics I ever bought was Robin II: The Joker's Wild #3. Being invited to contribute to Future State is really a full circle moment for me as a writer, and I've already greatly enjoyed my time in the DC Universe, and sure this is only the beginning!”
BRANDON VIETTIFuture State: The Flash
PAST CREDITS: Animation director and producer of Superman: Doomsday, Batman: Under the Red Hood, and more
FUTURE STATE OF MIND: “After almost 20 years living the dream of crafting stories for DC animation, I was beyond ecstatic to get an opportunity to write a story for DC Comics. Writing for Future State offered an uncommon freedom to push characters way beyond their normal limits to find hidden layers that define who they are.”
JOSIE CAMPBELLFuture State: Green Lantern
PAST CREDITS: Story editor of She-Ra and the Princesses of Power, writer of Jurassic World: Camp Cretaceous
FUTURE STATE OF MIND: “I’m so excited I get to make my life-long dream of writing a comic story come true — and to be able to write one of my favorite Green Lanterns with one of my favorite new characters? It’s just a total thrill."
RYAN CADYFuture State: Green Lantern
PAST CREDITS: Writer of comics such as Infinite Dark, Warframe, and The Magdalena
FUTURE STATE OF MIND: "I've been enamored with Green Lanterns since I was old enough to flip through a comic, so writing Jessica Cruz is a dream gig—getting a chance to look at Jessica's already rich history and explore new facets. New hopes and new fears to dig deep into why she became a Green Lantern in the first place, and what that means for her future.”
PAULA SEVENBERGENFuture State: The Next Batman
PAST CREDITS: Writer of live-action Stargirl series and Catwoman #22, former MAD editor
FUTURE STATE OF MIND: “Gotham in Future State is full of dark, edgy intrigue, and ‘Gotham City Sirens’ is no exception. But, I really aimed to amuse and entertain. Poison Ivy and Catwoman set out to take down a tech mogul who's working with the Magistrate—but the hijinks turn highly dangerous when the threat of the Magistrate’s cybers loom.”
FUTURE STATE OF MIND: “Gotham in Future State is full of dark, edgy intrigue, and ‘Gotham City Sirens’ is no exception. But, I really aimed to amuse and entertain. Poison Ivy and Catwoman set out to take down a tech mogul who's working with the Magistrate—but the hijinks turn highly dangerous when the threat of the Magistrate’s cybers loom.”
