The DC3 decided to take on the Herculean task of covering DC’s weekly books! Our coverage will rotate between creator interviews, issue reviews and annotations, and long-form pieces on featured characters. This, friends, is the DC3kly!
All this month, the DC3 (with some help from our regular review crew) will be covering every single “Futures End” issue released, covering all of DC’s ongoings and recent cancellations.
Let’s get to it!
Action Comics: Futures End #1
Written by Sholly Fisch
Illustrated by Pascal Alixe & Vicente Cifuentes
Review by Vince Ostrowski
Back when Grant Morrison was writing “Action Comics” at the dawn of ‘The New 52’, Sholly Fisch was doing some truly inspiring scripting of the back-up stories that would pad out the issue. If Morrison’s was a hyperkinetic grab bag of Superman arcana, Fisch’s approach was to get to the core of the man raised by an incredible couple in Smallville. While Morrison’s run was definitely fascinating, Fisch’s stories were – at times – the more emotionally stirring and compelling work in the issue.
Fisch takes a similar approach here, 5 years into a fictional future where Superman has given up the mantle and now helps the world on a smaller, more localized scale. The shrouded figure you see on the cover of the issue has a mysterious tie to Superman, which Fisch uses to examine a variety of Superman’s core traits. Through an at-risk boy being raised in a troubled home, a man with a gambling debt, and what appears to be an unnamed, unannounced ‘New 52’ 1st appearance that’s sure to muck up some Teen Titans timeline down the road, Fisch attempts to explain the gifts that Superman possesses. On an emotional level, the story definitely works, but the fiction of it is a little strange. Unless I’ve missed something, this mystery man has no tether to anything we’ve seen in the ‘New 52’ yet. We’ve no idea where he’s come from or how anything that occurs in the issue is possible other than the fact that it’s some 5 years in the future and, I don’t know, anything can happen?
Pascal Alixe and Vicente Cifuentes combine to create the dusty, lonely world that Clark has resided himself to and sell the variety of emotional cores to Fisch’s story Particularly strong are the bookended moments where Clark confronts the mysterious being, realizing something about the world he left behind. The themes of “inspiration” come full circle and manage to work, thanks to strong writing and impactful pacing from the artists, even if the fiction is left up to us to explain or disregard. The only real complaint I have in regards to the art is the heavy use of what appears to be digitally applied crosshatching or some sort of weird, crosshatched filter. At times, the images get muddy. A strange choice for a book that otherwise looks wonderfully naturalistic.
Final Verdict: 6.9 – the emotional core is strong, even if there are strange choices made with the art and the fiction.
Is this better than the average issue of “Action Comics”? No, not since Greg Pak and Aaron Kuder started their run, but fans of Fisch’s earlier work on “Action” should at least give this consideration.
Aquaman: Futures End #1
Written by Dan Jurgens
Illustrated by Alvaro Martinez
Review by Zach Wilkerson
I had somehow forgotten that this issue was written by Dan Jurgens, rather than regular series writer Jeff Parker, and can’t help but be a bit disappointed that the writer wasn’t able to present his own vision of Aquaman five years later. As it stands, Jurgen’s story has much in common with his work on “Aquaman and the Others.” The plot is standard fare, heavy on exposition. The series of mini history lessons successfully catch the reader up on pertinent events since the war, though they feel extremely out of place in the context of the book. Do the characters really just sit around and talk about past events as if they hadn’t actually experienced them?
Scripting problems aside, the new status quo Jurgens presents is an interesting one. Aquaman’s uncomfortable love triangle makes for great soap operatics, and hints at unseen events leave wishing to learn more about the events of the five year gap. Artist Alvaro Martinez does a strong and respectable job on art, with particularly detailed panels and strong character design. While the book has its merits, its ultimately held back by jilted and repetitive dialogue.
Continued belowFinal Verdict: 4.5 – Best suited for hardcore fans of “Aquaman and the Others.”
Is this better than the average issue of “Aquaman”? No
Batwing: Futures End #1
Written by Jimmy Palmiotti & Justin Gray
Illustrated by Eduardo Pansica
Review by Vince Ostrowski
Always game for a fun concept, Palmiotti and Gray take a light approach to “Futures End”, creating a weird ensemble in “Future Batman Inc” for Batwing to team up with and perhaps an even weirder group of villains to tee off against. As has been the case since its inception, nothing about “Batwing” is particularly earth-shattering, but with a twisting-turning plot and a willingness to play straight with some very absurd ideas, “Batwing” manages to be one of the more entertaining, if not ultimately disposable titles in week 1. Best of all, you don’t need to understand anything about “Futures End” or “Batwing” to appreciate it. It plays more in Grant Morrison’s “Batman Inc” world, and there’s a better chance that you’ve read that stuff, than either of the other aforementioned titles.
Eduardo Pansica does a fine, workmanlike job on rendering the cast of characters. His work is the sort of standard fill-in stuff that DC Comics has been employing frequently in ‘The New 52’. There’s nothing offensive about it, aesthetically, but other than some really great anthropomorphic design-work, there isn’t much to write home about.
Final Verdict: 6.7 – “Batwing” is just a decent book all around, but not one you need to go out of your way to read.
Is this better than the average issue of “Batwing”? It’s essentially the same quality in every way.
Detective Comics: Futures End #1
Written by Brian Buccellato
Illustrated by Scott Hepburn, Cliff Richards, and Fabrizio Fiorentino
Reviewed by Brian Salvatore
One of the nice things about these hypothetical future stories is that you can take a weird tangent to its furthest conclusion, or reference an old story, or just try something nuts. Buccellato goes the middle route, and tells a story not all that dissimilar (except in one way) to Paul Dini’s run on “Detective,” where the Riddler goes straight and starts working as a private investigator. The story isn’t similar in circumstance, but the idea remains the same: the Riddler has gained the public’s trust, and looks, to outsiders, to be reformed.
But Buccellato then takes the story in a way that seems completely out of line with Batman as a character. Without giving the ending away, Batman essentially allows one of his core beliefs (echoed in another book this week) to be compromised, but not directly by his hand. This is the comics equivalent of “I promised my wife I wouldn’t take the last cookie, so I had my kid take it and put it in my mouth.”
Outside of that one major point of weirdness, the book is oddly illustrated (Fiorentino draws a whopping one page), goofy in ways that were almost, but not quite, charming, and generally forgettable. This is, essentially, the problem with doing 52 of these in a month – an unnecessary story without much focus becomes the norm, because hitting the quota is more important than putting out a good story.
Final Verdict: 5.5 – Meh
Is it better than the average issue of “Detective Comics?” Not since Buccellato and Francis Manapul took over – this is definitely a step down from their usual work.
Earth 2: Futures End #1
Written by Daniel H. Wilson
Illustrated by Eddy Barrows
Reviewed by Brian Salvatore
So, this is the start of Wilson’s handling of the Earth 2 characters – he is the “showrunner” on “Earth 2: World’s End,” which starts next month, and hasn’t had much experience in comics thus far. Let’s start with what was good about this issue: Eddy Barrows does some fine work here, especially in the middle sequence, which could have really been a mess, with two “dupes” talking to each other. Wilson has a nice handle on Michael Holt as a character (especially vis a vis his intelligence), perhaps better than anyone in the New 52 thus far, and he manages to bring in some minor Earth 2 characters as fun/interesting players, like Judomaster and Jimmy Olsen.
Continued belowBut this is far from a perfect comic, for a few reasons. As nicely as Holt is handled, this doesn’t read, in any way shape or form, as the same Holt from “Futures End,” even though they are taking place concurrently. I had to re-read the issue to make sure that I didn’t miss an explanation, but no, this is the same guy walking around in a nehru collar in “Futures End,” slumming it in flannel here. Similarly, a character who seems like a real prick in the weekly is anything but in this issue. Don’t get me wrong, Holt is better off when he’s sympathetic, but this is a jarring reading experience for those who are reading the weekly.
Also, this plays with the multiverse in a pretty lazy way, as it introduces a mystery that (hopefully) will be address in “World’s End,” but still feels like a weird decision to make, given that character’s history in this book. This very much reads as a prologue to “World’s End,” and while that isn’t a bad thing, it makes for a less than compelling issue.
Final Verdict: 6.6 – A nice prelude, but the differences in Holt’s tone make for a really weird experience for “Futures End” readers.
Is this better than the average issue of “Earth 2?” No – even since Tom Taylor came onboard, the stories have had more internal logic than this one had.
Grayson: Futures End #1
Written by Tom King
Illustrated by Stephen Mooney
This issue begins in a way that seems very “New 52” in terms of its darkness, but then, things get really interesting. Tom King, doing his first scripting on an issue of Grayson, instead of just co-plotting, then builds the issue into a puzzle, with certain pieces being easy to identify, with others being considerably trickier, and a few loose threads left hanging for good measure.
Essentially, the issue plays in reverse, with each page or two jumping backwards in time, all the way back to the death of Dick’s parents, but this isn’t Dick’s origin being retold. The first page sets up the whole issue, and then each subsequent “flashback” explains a piece of that page through 2-3 other scenes. This is, hands down, one of the most masterful pieces of writing in the entirety of the New 52. When you finish the issue, the first thing you do is jump back to the start to see if you, indeed, figured it all out.
Stephen Mooney does some really fine work on the issue, even managing to make the New 52 Dick Robin suit look not as terrible as it has in the past, as well as managing to not let the “future” versions of the character spoil what happens in the past – he does a great job drawing spies, because he never really shows his cards – he just lets you think what you are seeing is legitimate until the rug is pulled out from under you.
King also deserves credit for, thus far, having the most fun with the hypothetical future. We see the new president of Russia, the KGBeast, for instance – that is a hilarious, fun idea that would probably make for a really dull storyline, but a great throwaway gag here. There is one piece that I still have no idea about (unless I missed some big clue), but I don’t even care – this is, thus far, the issue to beat, in terms of sheer quality, for this entire month.
Final Verdict: 8.8 – A superb spy story that leaves you wanting more
Is this better than the average issue of “Grayson?” “Grayson” has been pretty great thus far, but this is, hands down, the best issue.
Green Arrow: Futures End
Written by Jeff Lemire
Illustrated by Andrea Sorrentino
Reviewed by Matt Dodge, Honorary DC3 Member
The ending of this creative team’s last issue of “Green Arrow” will surely leave fans wanting more, and that’s a good thing. While some will surely decry the “Future’s End” tie-in, upon further study Lemire has actually crafted a fitting end for Oliver’s time as the Green Arrow. Expanding on the nature of identities becoming symbols and commenting on the everlasting nature of superhero comics, Green Arrow lives on even without Olivier Queen, and now without Jeff Lemire, Andrea Sorrentino, and Marcelo Maiolo.
Continued belowFinal Verdict: 9.0 – Jeff Lemire and Andrea Sorrentino has become the definitive “Green Arrow” storytellers of this generation, and this issue is an appropriate conclusion to their run, while also setting the course for the future.
Is this better than the average issue of “Green Arrow?” If the reader is strictly as a “Green Arrow” fan with no event interest, this issue will not be better than the average Lemire/Sorrentino installment.
Green Lantern: Futures End #1
Written by Robert Venditti
Illustrated by Martin Coccolo and Aaron Lopresti
Review by Zach Wilkerson
“Green Lantern: Futures End” is a great spiritual sequel to last year’s September special, “Relic” #1. That particular issue launched the “Lights Out” crossover, a story that dramatically altered the landscape for the various Lantern books. This particular issue acts as a culmination of not only those particular plot threads, but as an end to Hal Jordan’s story as well. The issue sees Hal team up with Relic, who has somehow escaped the Source Wall in the past 5 years, to face down a host of classic and modern Green Lantern villains. For a single issue story, Venditti manages to pack in a who’s who of Hal’s most prominent foes and allies. While some might decree the return of recent badies like Krona and the Black Lantern Corps, the story certainly feels like a “Green Lantern” story I might be reading 5 years from now, something other “Futures End” issues have failed to accomplish. It’s also great to see Relic once more. The character showed great potential when originally introduced, but he was quickly disposed of. Seeing him play the role of reluctant companion to Hal overs a fun change of pace from last year’s cold Galactus-esque portayal.
Martin Coccolo has worked on “Green Lantern” previously, filling in for Billy Tan as needed, but in this issue he really comes into is own. The opening sequence with an older Hal feels particularly well compassed, and the issue’s final climactic beats are perfectly paced. Aaron Lopresti lends a hand in the middle, drawing an emotionally driven scene between Hal and a significantly special character. This issue is far from perfect, but it does a great job of delivering on the “Futures End” premise; delivering a solid one-off issue in the far-flung future. More than anything, I’m left wanting more, and would love to see Venditti and company return to expand upon this future.
Final Verdict: 8.3
Is this better than the average issue of “Green Lantern”? About the same, if not just a little better.
Swamp Thing: Futures End #1
Written by Charles Soule
Illustrated by Jesus Saiz
Review by Vince Ostrowski
Charles Soule had the unenviable task of following a Scott Snyder run on “Swamp Thing” which, while riding some on the coattails of his superlative “Batman” work, was a pretty good little book in its own right. He’s put Swamp Thing into a completely different playground, as a character, and may have even gotten a more robust set of stories out of it, with his “Futures End” installment acting as a stellar and fitting capper. As Swamp Thing gathers the avatars of the Earth together against the ultimate foe of anything living, Soule gets to flesh out a lot of what he’s already teased and hinted at along the way. The emotional impact of the final confrontation will definitely stick with you long after you’ve closed the cover. You can probably guess what Swamp Thing is up against for this ultimate battle, but the true reward is in the telling, where Soule is allowed to use DCU lore and core concepts to deliver his climax.
Jesus Saiz, one of DC Comics’ best secret weapons, delivers a gorgeous issue that offers him the opportunity to do a lot of different things with avatar designs and variations on the established “Swamp Thing” visual language. His designs for the Metal, Rot, and Red aspects of the fiction are worth the price of admission, and are overall helpful in a script that is more than a little experimental on Soule’s part.
Final Verdict: 8.5 – A strong thematic cap to Soule’s “Swamp Thing”, even as it continues on in the present timeline.
Continued belowIs this better than the average issue of “Swamp Thing”? It hypothetically “closes off” Soule’s run pretty strongly, which I would say earns it additional props. It’s really just as good as anything Soule has done already.
The New 52: Futures End #18
Written by Brian Azzarello, Jeff Lemire, Keith Giffen, and Dan Jurgens
Illustrated by Georges Jeanty
Review by Zach Wilkerson
After last week’s bombshell of an issue, #18 feels disappointingly tame. Outside of one particularly noteworthy reveal (one that illicit an audible “AW YEAH” from this reader) most of the issue’s pages are spent following up on the big points from last issue. That means lots of talking, lots of exposition. The issue’s problems are compounded by Georges Jeanty’s artwork. Jeanty is normally a strong and very competent artist, but his work in this issue is surprisingly uneven. Some segments seem hurriedly rendered, lacking in detail. The character’s facial features feel particularly off, especially in the case of John Constantine. The Barda/Emiko segment fares best in the issue. Both ladies are well designed and realized, and the aforementioned reveal is terrifically timed and executed. Perhaps the oddest part of the issue is its abrupt ending, as Terry and crew prepare to infiltrate Terrifitech. The note that the issue closes on feels feels unfinished, like a melody cut short before it is allowed to resolve. I flipped through the issue several times to make sure I wasn’t missing a page. It’s probable that the next issue could pick up from that very moment and provide resolution, but as it stands, it’s a dissatisfying way to close the issue.
Final Verdict: 5.5 – A particularly weak issue for the series.
The Trinity of Sin: Phantom Stanger: Futures End #1
Written by Dan Didio and J.M. DeMatteis
Illustrated by Phil Winslade
Review by Zach Wilkerson
I’ve not been a huge fan of the current “Phantom Stranger” ongoing, but I have always thought the book was strongest when it was co-written by Dan Didio. There’s something about Didio’s earnestness that borders on camp, but makes for a surprisingly endearing, if heavy handed, portrayal of the Phantom Stranger. This issue finds the Stranger in possession of his final silver coin, prepared to face the new Council of Eternity for his final judgement. As in “Green Lantern,” the Stranger faces down a gallery of his greatest supernatural foes, several of which have played prominent roles throughout the series. As the de facto series finale, Didio and DeMatteis ties off several loose threads and provide a sense of closure for the Phantom Stranger. Phil Winslade’s artwork is technically strong, if somewhat lacking in flair. The various flashback sequences to the Stranger’s previous encounters with his rogues gallery are a great complement to the script. Also, his depiction of the ferry on the river of time as a derelict cruise ship is both bizarre and unique. I wholeheartedly believe Didio throwing Eclipso into the issue is just a giant troll after last year’s Villain’s month issue, but thankfully this particular outing is much more palatable.
Final Verdict: 6.5 – An uneven but surprisingly satisfying end for the Phantom Stranger.
Is this better than the average issue of “Phantom Stranger”? I haven’t kept up with the series since “Trinity War” ended, but this issue stacks up well with the series’ early issues.
Thoughts on the Week:
Vince’s Thoughts: The first week of “Futures End” is succeeding far more than “Villains Month” did, because of one very key, very unexpected aspect of the event: These stories are surprisingly untethered to the core plots going on in “Futures End.” Villains Month almost had a formula, of sorts. A solid majority of the titles had a sympathetic villain turn, usually caused by a spurned lover or a dysfunctional upbringing. These “Futures End” books, in contrast, seem to have the freedom to go wherever they want to and shift the focus away from the main event. You can pick up almost any one of these books and understand what’s going on without having read the “Futures End” weekly. You only need understand that they are all “5 years in the future.” There are honestly no more frills than that to most of these titles. So feel free to follow all the creators you like into this event, but even just take a chance on some of the characters too, regardless of creator. This isn’t like “Villains Month”, where the only truly worthwhile books were the “sure bets” to begin with. I’m still skeptical that the “Event Month” is ultimately a positive concept overall, but if week 1 is any indication, “Futures End” could be a fun dalliance, instead of the dour one with far less upside that we got last year.
Continued belowZach’s Thoughts:
I haven’t had the chance to wade through all of the week’s releases yet, but I feel safe in saying that, from what I’ve read so far, “Futures End” is off to a much better start than Villains Month. For one thing, I think the core concept, essentially one-shot Elseworlds where most everything goes, is much stronger to begin with. It also helps that each series is represented with single, easily traceable issue, unlike last year’s disastrously confusing titling system. The consistency of creative continuity is, for the most part, pretty strong. I believe fans of a particular series will, for the most part, be able to pick up the “Futures End” one-shot of a series they are already enjoying and come away satisfied. I’m really eager to see how these books continue to give shape and form to the 5 years later world, and how “Futures End” proper might incorporate some of the details as the series continues.
Brian’s Thoughts:
Of all of DC’s September experiments, one week in, I am willing to bet “Futures End” will be the most successful, if only because it does one thing that I wish more comics would do – it completely ignores origins. This the future, we have no need to see why X hero became a crime fighter (2012’s #0 issues), or what forced X villain to the dark side (2013’s “Forever Evil”-inspired Villains month). Sure, there is a little exposition needed to connect the dots between the present and this potential future, but most of these creators manage to weave it in without too many groans.
The other benefit here is that with “Futures End” proper, DC has laid the groundwork for this future, but the creators don’t appear beholden to it. “Swamp Thing” and “Phantom Stranger” both take place ‘outside’ the world, whereas “Action” takes on a more mystical tone than we’ve seen before. “Green Lantern” manages to show not the results of the Earth 2 war, but the results of sitting out the war. “Grayson” doesn’t even let the timeframe constrain it. This is truly creative storytelling – not perfect, but creative. And I’ll take that any day.
