The New 52: Futures End #10
Written by Brian Azzarello, Jeff Lemire, Dan Jurgens, and Keith Giffen
Illustrated by Jesus Merino (#12), Patrick Zircher (#13), Aaron Lopresti (#14), and Scot Eaton (#15)(Futures End #12)
With Grifter still missing, his partner turns to the only person on Earth who may need more help than Cole! And 35 years from now, Brother Eye has conquered all of humanity – but what does it have planned?
(Futures End #13)
Five years from now, the world turns against Batman Beyond! Plus, Barda and Emiko must face off against the NEW Secret Six!
(Futures End #14)
Cadmus Island turns against itself as the Earth 2 prisoners break out!
(Futures End #15)
Constantine realizes he’s on to something much bigger than he thought as the events of five years from now begin to collide!
Notes, news, and debuts
The mystery surrounding the destruction of Stormwatch thickens in “Futures End” #12, as the Stormwatch signal leads Frankenstein and the gang to a planet inhabited by robots bearing the Brainiac-esque symbol seen in previous issues. It turns out the robots are lead by a drastically upgraded Engineer, and she’s not too excited to see her ex-teammate.
This issue also features one of the biggest developments of “Futures End” to date. The issue jumps back to Brother Eye’s dystopic future for the first time since #0. We learn that not only is Bruce Wayne still alive (just barely), but someone else close to Batman has been kept alive by Brother Eye, for a very special occasion.
If there was any doubt at all (there wasn’t) that Cal Corcoran is in fact Tim Drake, issue #13 puts that to rest. The guy puts a full on beat down on a couple of street thugs, one that would surely make Papa Bats proud.
Far more importantly, this issue gives us the first true glimpse at the events of Earths War. While we the reader know that many of the heroes of Earth 2 are alive on Cadmus Island, Barda doesn’t. The fugitive heroine recounts how she saw a gunship containing various Earth 2 heroes destroyed by an Apokoliptian fleet, as well as her exodus as a refugee from Earth 2. This is the first indication that Apokolips was involved in the war. Could this be the “Darkseid War” that Geoff Johns is currently building to in “Justice League”?
Issue #14 demonstrates yet another of Fifty Sue’s expansive power set, the ability to exist in two places at once. And people say Superman is overpowered. While one Fifty Sue goes after Emiko and Barda with Deathstroke, the other eavesdrops on a sub-basement lab in Cadmus with Grifter. The duo come across a couple of “collaborators,” the term attributed to defected Earth 2 natives. One of these collaborators is a red-head named Lana. Things that make you go hmmmm…
Speaking of ladies with close ties to Superman, this issue also features a major payoff for Lois and her mysterious box of trinkets. While pondering the items she received earlier in the serious, the small green pyramid reacts, relaying a sort of visual message from none other than the Red Tornado, a.k.a. Lois Lane of Earth 2.
In issue #15, Lois brings new of her “vision” to Superman, who is thoroughly uninterested. He also thinks Green Arrow’s death sucked, so there’s that.
The most noteworthy development in this issue is that the Earth 2 heroes have been tagged with implanted sensors, and the sensors are growing…
Five Burning Questions:
1. What plans does Brother Eye have for Batman and the Joker?
It was super surprising to see “Futures End” shift back to the 35 years later timeline, but even more surprising to see that the Joker is still alive, non-cyberized and with face intact. Just what purpose Eye could have for keeping either Joker or Batman alive is anyone’s guess. Regardless, how cool were those final panels?
2. How awesome is Emiko?
Granted, this is pre-New 52, but if Deathstroke can do this:
And this:
Continued below
And Emiko can do this:
And I was just starting to think Fifty Sue was overpowered.
3. Is “Futures End” taking place in real time?
In issue #14, Lois mentions that it has been 13 weeks since the death of Green Arrow. It just so happens that Arrow’s death in issue #1, was 13 issues ago. Later, in issue #15, Hawkman exclaims that their group has been imprisoned on the robot world for weeks, which is quite true for the reader, who last saw Frankenstein’s gang back in issue #12. None of DC’s weekly series since “52” have occurred in real time, with books like “Countdown” and “Brightest Day” progressing in vague comic book time. While these may just be coincidences or teases from the creative team, it’s certainly an interesting possibility. “Futures End” seems to be trying to recreate the success of “52” in every way, why not incorporate its most defining feature?
4. Are the sensors the start of the “Age of Brother Eye”?
Creepy implanted sensors that itch like chiggers and are growing? Yeah, that totally doesn’t sound like the precursor to the insectoid cyborg people that inhabit the earth 30 years into the future. Great idea, Cadmus.
5. Are you an Angel?
“I hear the deep space pilots talking about them. They live on the moons of Iego, I think.” Sorry, I can never resist a good Jake Lloyd quote. Anyway, the lone survivor of the ship seen a few issues back describes the vicious robotic attacker as an “angel,” one that comes from “races long dead from before the beginning.” This raises so many questions. The beginning of what exactly? The New 52? Is this thing pre-New 52? Because that would be absolutely bonkers.
Also, Constantine intuits that the “angel” is on earth to find “the alien.” Rumors have swirled that Brainiac is the spark for DC’s big April moving event, and Brainiac is most certainly an alien…
