February is the second, and sadly final, month of the ‘Future State’ event. Instead of focusing exclusively on those titles, as I did last month, I’m only going to highlight three titles, all with significant developments in them, and see what else DC is publishing with the other seven titles. March is likely to be a really interesting month for DC, but let’s not ignore what’s coming in the shortest month of the year.
10. Deja vu?
This may look familiar, as it was originally solicited for May 2020, and then delayed indefinitely in June. The series seemed significant at the time as it seemed a continuation of Ram V’s “Justice League Dark,” or at least an acknowledgement of the import of those characters after a long absence from the spotlight. It now looks slightly different, with talk of a less-continuity driven DC Universe coming in March. In addition to being a spotlight for the character, it shifts from being one of DC’s perennial minis that don’t really affect the greater DCU to something of an example of what the entire line may begin to look more like.
MAN-BAT #1
written by DAVE WIELGOSZ
art by SUMIT KUMAR
cover by KYLE HOTZ
variant cover by KEVIN NOWLAN
RESOLICIT | ON SALE 2/2/21
$3.99 US | 32 PAGES | 1 of 5 | FC | DC
For years Kirk Langstrom has struggled with his monstrous alter ego, Man-Bat, and the serum that transformed him. But he’s finally hit rock bottom following a devastating setback, and he’s going to take his anger out on every single citizen of Gotham City. Will the combined might of Batman and the GCPD be enough to stop Langstrom once and for all? Or will this just be the start of Man-Bat’s devastation?
9. A third trip
While Grant Morrison’s time at DC appears to be coming to a close at the end of “The Green Lantern” in March, he has one last bit of unfinished business, which will see release in February. Morrison joins J. Michael Straczynski as the only writer, thus far, to see three volumes of the “Earth One” series released, though reports say that Geoff Johns and Gary Frank’s third “Batman: Earth One” volume is finished. While neither Morrison or Yanick Paquette are known for their incredibly quick work, they’ve release three OGNs in just over 5 years, which for the “Earth One” series is relatively quick. Morrison often talked about this series as a trilogy, so I don’t think we’ll be seeing volume 4 anytime soon.
WONDER WOMAN EARTH ONE VOL. 3 HC
written by GRANT MORRISON
art and cover by YANICK PAQUETTE
ON SALE 3/9/21
$29.99 US | 136 PAGES | FC | DC
HARDCOVER
ISBN: 978-1-77950-207-0
The epic conclusion to the New York Times bestselling original graphic novel series from the critically acclaimed superstar duo of writer Grant Morrison and artist Yanick Paquette is here!
Diana, now queen of the Amazons, must assemble the disparate Amazonian tribes for the first time in a millennium. Maxwell Lord’s assault on Paradise Island with his destructive A.R.E.S. armor is on the horizon, and in order to weather the war that is coming, Wonder Woman will need the full might of her sisters by her side! Can Diana finally bring her message of peace to Man’s World, or will Max Lord’s war burn the world and the Amazons to ashes?
Continuing the tradition of the critically acclaimed Earth One tales that challenge the status quo of DC’s greatest heroes, Wonder Woman: Earth One Vol. 3 is Grant Morrison and Yanick Paquette’s final installment of this visionary graphic novel series.
8. Metropolis Grove
DC has really leaned into their young adult and middle grade projects as of late, but it is especially cool to see them get a little weird with those titles. Having a jaded Metropolis suburb, where no one believes in Superman, is a really clever idea, and giving Bizarro a role is a twist I would never have seen coming. I’m not personally familiar with Drew Brockington’s work, but bringing in celebrated creators from realms outside of the traditional DC talent pool is especially good for books like this.
Continued belowMETROPOLIS GROVE TP
written by DREW BROCKINGTON
art and cover by DREW BROCKINGTON
ON SALE 5/4/21
$9.99 US | 152 PAGES | 5.5″ x 8″ | FC | DC
ISBN: 978-1-77950-053-3
The big city is full of Superman sightings, but here in Metropolis Grove? Every kid in this suburb knows that he’s not real…except newcomer Sonia Patel, who convinces her friends Duncan and Alex to believe. When the trio discovers a mysterious cave full of Super-memorabilia, they can’t keep it to themselves—and that sets off a school year full of drama, adventure, and more than a few opportunities for a newfound friendship to test its limits.
And when they finally figure out the resident of the cave is Bizarro, things get even more out of control!
Join Drew Brockington, author and illustrator of the IndieBound bestselling graphic novel series CatStronauts and the picture book Hangry, for this thrilling new tale!
7. New Batman, who dis?
There’s been a lot of speculation as for who the ‘Next Batman’ is in the ‘Future State’ titles. This solicit gives more information that can either be seen as a confirmation or a misdirect for the longstanding rumor that it was to be Luke Fox. Fox is mentioned in the solicit for “Grifters,” but it is unclear if he is being mentioned as Luke Fox, civilian, or Luke Fox, the man under the cowl. It seems like Tim Fox may be Batman, based on some other clues, so what I’m saying is who knows?
FUTURE STATE: DARK DETECTIVE #3
“Dark Detective” written by MARIKO TAMAKI
“Dark Detective” art by DAN MORA
“Grifters” written by MATTHEW ROSENBERG
“Grifters” art by CARMINE DI GIANDOMENICO
cover by DAN MORA
card stock variant cover by LEE BERMEJO
ON SALE 2/9/21
$5.99 US | 48 PAGES | 3 OF 4 | FC | DC
CARD STOCK VARIANT COVER $6.99 US
In this issue, Bruce Wayne meets the next Batman! As the dark detective makes his move to put an end to the villainous Magistrate once and for all, the man who once wore the cowl encounters the next Batman—and these two have some questions for each other! Fists will fly as this explosive meeting erupts in the skies over Gotham…but with the clock ticking, can Bruce finish what he started and unlock the secrets of the fascist surveillance that plagues his city?
And in “Grifters” part two, the lucky streak that Cole Cash and Luke Fox have enjoyed just hit a brick wall in the form of the Huntress! The over-the-top adventure in the gutters of Gotham City concludes in the most bone-crushing fashion possible!
6. Future State bleeds into “Black and White”
The “Batman: Black and White” series is always exciting for its creative pedigree, and this issue is no different, with Nick Dragotta (!) writing and illustrating a Mecha-Batman story. But it is also notable that John Ridley is writing another ‘Next Batman’ story for this issue, illustrated by Olivier Coipel to boot. This is a hopeful sign that we may get more stories set in this timeline in the future.
Plus, Tim Seeley and Kelley Jones is a match made in heaven!
Continued belowBATMAN BLACK AND WHITE #3
written by BILQUIS EVELY, NICK DRAGOTTA, TIM SEELEY, JOHN RIDLEY, and BENGAL
art by BILQUIS EVELY, NICK DRAGOTTA, KELLEY JONES, OLIVIER COIPEL, and BENGAL
cover by JOSHUA MIDDLETON
variant cover by SANA TAKEDA
Poison Ivy variant cover by KHARY RANDOLPH
PRESTIGE FORMAT | ON SALE 2/23/21
$5.99 US | 48 PAGES | 3 of 6 | FC | DC
The mythology of Batman continues to expand in this issue of Batman Black and White as we explore alternate takes and possible futures for the Caped Crusader from the minds of comics’ most innovative and creative thinkers!
• Academy Award-winning writer John Ridley and iconic Thor and Avengers artist Olivier Coipel reteam to dip into the world of Future State and expand the legend of the next Batman and introduce us to his new—well, she’s not exactly Robin!
• Bilquis Evely, Eisner Award-nominated artist of The Sandman Universe’s The Dreaming and Wonder Woman, writes and draws a tale that takes the myth of Batman to a medieval realm of knights and sorcery. In this vision of Batman, the Dark Knight is a real knight—and he must save a community from a dryad known as Ivy!
• Nick Dragotta, co-creator of East of West, makes his DC writing debut with a tale that looks at a post apocalyptic future where a giant Batman-like robot rampages through what’s left of Gotham City.
• Celebrated co-writer of Grayson and writer of Nightwing Tim Seeley returns to his horror roots with one of comics’ most legendary Batman and horror artists, Kelley Jones, to show us a Gotham cursed to be forever haunted by Batman!
• Bengal, international comics luminary and co-creator of Death or Glory, returns to DC to tell a story expressing Batman’s admiration for his father and how he once protected Gotham City.
5. Family Tradition
This is the sort of stuff that DC absolutely excels at, allowing a creator to take a look into the future, and mixing in so many fun ideas. So, let’s run it down: Superman teams up with ‘descendants of Jonathan Kent,’ otherwise known as his grandkids or great-grandkids, or great-great…you get the idea. One of those kids is a Blue Lantern (!) and one is the Superman of Earth. Plus, we get a half Tamaranean half Kryptonian. This is the sort of fun, cosmic Super stuff we don’t get enough of year in and year out. If this is any good, I want an ongoing ASAP.
FUTURE STATE: SUPERMAN: HOUSE OF EL #1
written by PHILLIP KENNEDY JOHNSON
art by SCOTT GODLEWSKI
cover by YANICK PAQUETTE
card stock variant cover by JAY ANACLETO
ONE-SHOT | ON SALE 2/23/21
$5.99 US | 48 PAGES | FC | DC
CARD STOCK VARIANT COVER $6.99 US
Centuries into the future, the bloodline of Kal-El, the hero we know as Clark Kent, continues. Meet a new generation of Kryptonian heroes as they stand against one of the greatest threats they’ve ever faced: a diabolical foe called the Red King. Get ready for the unexpected debuts of the twins known as Rowan and Ronan Kent, descendants of Jonathan Kent. Rowan is the new Superman of Earth, while his sister is a Blue Lantern. Also on board are Theand’r Ban-El, whose mother was Tamaranean, and other heroes—all led by the original Man of Steel himself! Plus, don’t miss an appearance by the Black Racer!
See how the future of the Superman Family comes together in this wild, extra-size special!
4. While you work
As I mentioned earlier, there’s a lot of promise in DC’s OGNs, especially those targeted at younger readers. I know very little of “Whistle,” but the idea of a book about Gotham focusing on the city’s underlying problems gets my attention. For all the ‘good’ Batman has done in Gotham, there aren’t enough characters who see his example and try to make the city better in ways that aren’t so vigilante. Plus, more young heroes are always appreciated.
WHISTLE: A NEW GOTHAM HERO TP
written by E. LOCKHART
art and cover by MANUEL PREITANO
ON SALE 5/11/21
$16.99 US | 208 PAGES | 6″ x 9″ | FC | DC
ISBN: 978-1-4012-9322-2
Sixteen-year-old Willow Zimmerman has something to say. She advocates on the streets for her community, works nights at the local dog shelter, and tries to help all those in need, even the local stray dog she’s named Lebowitz. And most importantly, her mother, who has brain cancer.
When she reconnects with estranged family friend E. Nigma, he opens the door to an easier life. Through her new job hosting his private poker nights with Gotham’s elites, Willow is able to afford critical medical treatments for her mother. Then one day, Willow and Lebowitz collide with the monstrous Killer Croc and get injured, waking up able to understand each other.
But when Willow discovers that E. Nigma and his friends are actually some of Gotham’s most corrupt criminals, she must make a choice: remain loyal to the man who saved her mother’s life, or use her new powers to be a voice for her community.
3. Moar lanterns!
Last month’s “Future State: Green Lantern” had backups focusing on Jessica Cruz and Guy Gardner. This month sees two different Lanterns get the spotlight: Teen Lantern of “Young Justice” and Hal Jordan. Normally, a Jordan story would go unnoticed by me, because Hal is boring and played out, but then I saw the creative team: Christopher Priest and Dexter Soy. This gives Soy a chance to return to his cosmic roots of “Captain Marvel,” and gives Priest a return to a character he wrote 30+ years ago.
Continued belowFUTURE STATE: GREEN LANTERN #2
“The Last Lanterns” written by GEOFFREY THORNE
“The Last Lanterns” art by TOM RANEY
“Teen Lantern” written by JOSIE CAMPBELL
“Teen Lantern” art by ANDIE TONG
“Hal Jordan” written by CHRISTOPHER PRIEST
“Hal Jordan” art by DEXTER SOY
cover by CLAYTON HENRY
card stock variant cover by JAMAL CAMPBELL
ON SALE 2/9/21
$5.99 US | 48 PAGES | 2 OF 2 | FC | DC
CARD STOCK COVER $6.99 US
Outnumbered but never outwitted or outfought, John Stewart leads the last of the Green Lanterns against insurmountable odds. Facing a bloodthirsty Khund cult dedicated to the “God in Red,” the onetime Green Lantern shows that even without a ring or the Corps to back him up, he’s still a force to be reckoned with!
Plus, from the pages of Young Justice, Teen Lantern teams up with Mogo, and Hal Jordan reconnects with Oliver Queen after the power battery goes down!
2. Who even knows anymore
OK, see if you can follow: once upon a time, there was a thing called “5G,” and it was going to recontextualize the past of DC Comics while also doing stories about a new generation of heroes. Then, Dan DiDio got fired. Then, they disavowed knowledge of this project. But now, we’ve seen the project split in two: “Generations,” a series of two oversized oneshots, and ‘Future State.’ And neither appears to be quite what “5G” was supposed to be.
So, the second “Generations” one-shot is here, and while the art team is impressive, I still have no idea what the fuck is going on. The ‘team’ of the book is super fun, specifically seeing the 1939 Batman and Kamandi running around together. I wish I knew more about this, but I’m also excited to dive into this nonsense. Come get Jurgens’d with us!
GENERATIONS FORGED #1
written by DAN JURGENS, ANDY SCHMIDT, and ROBERT VENDITTI
art by BRYAN HITCH, MIKE PERKINS, BERNARD CHANG, PAUL PELLETIER, and others
cover by LIAM SHARP
variant cover by GARY FRANK
ONE-SHOT | ON SALE 2/23/21
$9.99 US | 80 PAGES | FC | DC
Dispersed through time by the villain Dominus, our ragtag team of generational heroes—featuring 1939 Batman, Kamandi, Superboy, Steel, Starfire, Sinestro, Booster Gold, and Dr. Light—must find a way to restore the timeline…and what they ultimately discover is something far, far greater. You’ll have to read it to believe it as time dies…and generations rise!
1. The real clue to the future
After the dismissal of Dan DiDio, the completion of the Warner Bros/AT&T merger, and the general insanity of 2020’s publishing schedule, DC’s path forward is murkier than ever before. But we know that digital is a big part of their plans, both for the general line of comics and also for the soon to be rebranded DC Universe (Infinite) platform. “Truth and Justice” seems like a clear indication of the plan: bring in some new writers to attempt fresh stories with some of DC’s biggest characters, and see what sticks.
Now, I’m not saying that Geoffrey Thorne is the next Tom King (Rao help us all), but I think that these types of hires/projects seem like a reasonable assumption for the future. We’ll always see Batman and Superman comics, but for anyone below that upper tier, these seem like the most logical landing spot for them. I’m not saying that’s a good thing, but rather just my reading of the tea leaves.
TRUTH & JUSTICE #1
written by GEOFFREY THORNE
art by CHRISCROSS and JORDI TARRAGONA
cover by CHRISCROSS
variant cover by ARTIST
ON SALE 2/16/21
DIGITAL FIRST
$4.99 US | 40 PAGES | FC | DC
Vixen takes center stage in the debut issue of this new team-up series! Mari McCabe is many things: superhero, model, activist, but can she add godkiller to the list? Vixen teams up with Dr. Mist and Impala of the Global Guardians to face down an ancient deity that’s taken over the body of a scientist investigating powerful magical artifacts. Vixen will need to dig deep and use all the abilities in the animal kingdom to face down this powerful primeval threat!
For the full solicitations, check out Newsarama.
