The multiverse has been saved from the brink of destruction! With victory comes new possibilities, as the triumph of our heroes shakes loose the very fabric of time and space. From the ashes of Death Metal comes new life for the multiverse — and a glimpse into the unwritten worlds of tomorrow…
Future State: Dark Detective #1
Publisher: DC
Writers: Mariko Tamaki, Matthew Rosenburg
Artists: Dan Mora, Carmine Di Giandomenico
Colors: Jordie Bellaire, Antonio Fabela
Letters: Aditya Bidikar, Andworld Design
Cover: Dan Mora
Where only hints and teases were dropped in The Next Batman, the mystery surrounding the whereabouts of Bruce Wayne begin to unravel right here in Dark Detective, fast paced tale that sees Bruce Wayne shot by a Peacekeeper and presumed dead. Tamaki’s time hopping tale lays out a well-crafted story that not only elaborates on the chokehold the Magistrate has on Gotham, but a desperate Batman on the run. All of this is illustrated with some wonderful artwork by Mora and Bellaire. Their visuals transform Gotham into a Blade Runner-esque type world and the new design for Batman’s costume is also a solid look. From the dynamic layouts to the kinetic feel of the action, it’s a story done right. 4/5
Then Matthew Rosenburg hits us with a follow-up story which spotlights Grifter and Tim Fox that immediately has me wanting more! Rosenburg makes this a buddy adventure that isn’t too cheesy and has the perfect balance of action, comedy, and suspense. Add to this Di Giandomenico and Fabela’s fabulous artwork and you end up with a great cliffhanger to another stacked issue! 4.5/5 – IS
Future State: Justice League #1
Publisher: DC
Writer(s): Joshua Williamson, Ram V
Artist(s): Robson Rocha, Marcio Takara
Inks: Daniel Henriques
Colors: Romulo Fajardo Jr., Marcelo Maiolo
Letters: Tom Napolitano, Rob Leigh
Cover: Dan Mora
The Justice League of Future State is a group of legacy heroes determined to be better by not repeating the mistakes of their predecessors. One way they figure is to keep it strictly professional with no fraternization outside of work. Williamson’s approach has them feeling more like co-workers and just like co-workers, there’s several members that just won’t abide by the rules. This is used as a nice introduction to the members since the only one you may know aside from John Kent is Green Lantern Sojourner “Jo” Mullein. From here, this leads to a devastating blow and a twist you don’t see coming from Williamson and it makes for a cliffhanger worth coming back for. The art team not only gives us some great redesigns for classic characters but also moves the narrative along pretty well. 3/5
The next story is a crazy Justice League Dark tale from Ram V that paints a horrible picture for the DC magic users. Seriously, if you thought things were bad in the other stories with the Magistrate, just wait till you see what Merlin has been up to. However, as bleak as the story begins, Ram V does offer some hope with some appearances from some magic faves and a cliffhanger that raises several more questions. 3.5/5 – IS
Future State: Suicide Squad #1
Writer: Robbie Thompson, Jeremy Adams
Artist: Javier Fernandez, Fernando Pasarin
Colorist: Alex Sinclair, Jeromy Cox
Inks: Oclair Albert
Letterer: Wes Abbott
Cover:
Continuing in the Future State, we have the Suicide Squad! Thompson opens us with a fight that features the Justice League… or is it? We quickly are pulled into the goings on of the Justice Squad and their behind the scenes leader who is only ever called “her” or “she.” When we are shown her backup plan to the Justice Squad that involves some criminals and a sinister piece of equipment, we know things are about to go from being a little off to being real bad. At last we see the Suicide Squad about to face off with the Justice Squad!! Fernandez and Sinclair’s artwork is the perfect complement to Thompson’s story. Their details really add to the visual differences between the Justice League and the Justice Squad. Though this off-brand Justice League is interesting, I do wish that the Suicide Squad was featured more given that it is supposed to be their comic and we only had a glimpse of them, but I can’t wait to see what happens next anyway! 2.5/5
Also in Suicide Squad Issue 1, we are brought Black Adam. Adams transports us to the 853rd century and gives us another alternate Justice League: meet Justice Legion-A! We also meet some villains, The Unkindness, Seven Deadly Sins, and the Lords of Chaos. What is with all these new teams? We clearly are in for quite the show! Through the Justice Legion and Black Adam teaming up against this seemingly stacked villain team, we see a bunch of twists, including one gigantic surprise! The art team here also did an excellent job using subtle details to showcase the differences between the actual Justice League and this new Justice Legion. Their artwork blends super well with the style of the art team from Suicide Squad, and the writer makes the story seem almost like a continuation, which makes it the perfect duo to share a book. I am definitely looking forward to the next part! 4/5 – AC
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Anna Copp
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