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!
Aquaman and the Others – Futures End #1
Written by Dan Jurgens
Illustrated by Sean Chen
Review by Zach Wilkerson
The follow up to the story Jurgens began at the beginning of the month, “Aquaman and the Others” is a cliche ridden denouement to particularly problematic Aquaman tale. The story is so ham-fisted and contrived that it is impossible to place any investment in the proceedings. The overstuffed cast of characters is thrown around with little regard or differentiation. The issue’s abrupt climax and subsequent cheesy finale are par for the course. Sean Chen does a respectable job on art, but in the end, this would be future is best left forgotten.
Final Verdict: 3.0 – A bland and disappointing use of the Aquaman cast.
Is this better than the average issue of “Aquaman and the Others”? Unfortunately, no.
Booster Gold: Futures End #1
Written by Dan Jurgens
Illustrated by Moritat, Dan Jurgens, Will Conrad, Steve Lightle, Ron Frenz, and Brett Booth
Reviewed by Brian Salvatore
Caveats time: if you didn’t read the New 52 “Justice League International,” you probably won’t get a large chunk of this issue. If you don’t know who Kamandi is, or have a real affection for Ted Kord, you probably won’t enjoy this issue as much as I did. This issue, both in practice and conceptually, is sort of a mess – but, oh, what a mess.
Booster Gold is one of the characters that has no real analogue in Marvel, or anywhere else in comics – a time traveling liar, a coward, a great friend, a thief, and an occasionally truly great hero. This issue doesn’t quite give him his total due, but it was a great reminder of what the character can be, both on the page and as an actionable item within the fictional universe. Booster is the ultimate proxy for the reader here, trying to figure out where (or when) he is, and it was that guessing game that made this issue so much fun.
The plethora of artists here bring a fun twist to the issue, too. Some, like Moritat to the “Gotham by Gaslight” Earth, are a perfect fit. Others aren’t quite as inspired, but all of them work well, and bring that same, free-wheeling feel that the Earth-hopping plot does.
As I said earlier, this is not a book for a casual fan – you need to have a long history with DC to fully appreciate all that is going on here. But if that doesn’t scare you away, this does a really nice job of setting the stage for whatever DC has coming up, as well as provide a walk down memory lane.
Final Verdict: 8.0 – More than just a “Five Years Later” title, but a potential glyph for what DC has to come.
Is this better than the average issue of “Booster Gold?” – Well, there isn’t a Booster series right now, so since something is better than nothing, yes?
Catwoman – Futures End #1
Written by Sholly Fisch
Illustrated by Pat Olliffe
Review by Vince Ostrowski
This particular installment of “Futures End” is a tale of two issues: one rather boring, and the other filled with great payoff. Unfortunately, the slow-moving and tiresome gangland act takes up most of the page count. The story is set with Selina atop the underground crime scene of Gotham City. It’s an awful lot of dry buildup, but its truly surprising double (triple, even?) twists occurring near the end of the story kind of make the whole thing worth it. Actually, taken as a whole and with the spirit of the month’s event in mind, “Catwoman” has one of the more fascinating arcs of the whole thing. It’s just literally all at the backend of the story. Pat Olliffe’s art is solid as ever, and he’s no stranger to the world of “Catwoman” in The New 52. His biggest asset to the story is in the way that he paces the twists and turns in the plot, enhancing them with growing anticipation, but without telegraphing them. The final pages of the issue are so well-executed that you’ll forget that the issue limped to that point.
Continued belowFinal Verdict: 7.0
Is this better than the average issue of “Catwoman”? Yes
The Flash – Futures End #1
Written by Robert Venditti & Van Jensen
Illustrated by Brett Booth
Review by Vince Ostrowski
I’ll give “The Flash – Futures End” #1 this: it weaved the “5 Years Later” timeline into its regular ongoing story better than any other “Futures End” issue did this month. Well, I’m guessing that it did, because it treats the ending of the issue as a cliffhanger point for a future issue of the ongoing “Flash” series, so it looks like the writers are folding it in to their intended storyline. That said, it’s not all that intriguing of a story to begin with. It’s Future Flash vs. Reverse Flash vs. Regular Flash, and it’s a variation on a story that seems rather familiar. In fact, Geoff Johns did a similar thing during his stint with Barry Allen and co, pre-“Flashpoint.” And though it technically follows the rules of “Futures End” month, its setting doesn’t seem to matter much more than being a plot device. Brett Booth’s art is well-suited for “The Flash”, being kinetic and carrying with it a sense of fun. Booth takes some crap for his art, and while it doesn’t suit everything DC Comics puts out, it feels just right for “The Flash.” Unfortunately, the story itself kind of just goes through the motions.
Final Verdict: 6.5
Is this better than the average issue of “The Flash”? This is the average issue of “The Flash”, and feels like a required issue for those reading the ongoing.
Harley Quinn: Futures End #1
Written by Jimmy Palmiotti and Amanda Conner
Illustrated by Chad Hardin
Reviewed by Brian Salvatore
Once upon a time, I “got” Harley Quinn. I understood the appeal of the character, and thought she was an interesting and unique addition to the DCU. However, as her popularity has grown, my tolerance has shrunk. Add the New 52’s attempt to sex her up, and I’m just about out on all counts. This issue did absolutely nothing to convince me that I had made a mistake in writing her off.
This is a painfully annoying comic – the weird hypersexuality, mixed in with clear mental illness, makes for a comic that almost seems like it is making fun of people with disabilities. I don’t think that is intended in the slightest, but the subtext is there, and Conner and Pamiotti have been pros long enough to avoid insulting passages like certain ones found in this issue.
Hardin’s art helps the book a little, if only because his draftsman skills are well tuned, and he is able to capture the madness behind both the Joker’s and Harley’s eyes, but the script doesn’t give him too much to work with at all.
Final Verdict: 4.4 – Oh yeah, the Joker is back with a stitched on face – hopefully that means Joker’s Daughter isn’t long for this world?
Is this better than the average issue of “Harley Quinn?” – About the same, I guess.
Justice League Dark – Futures End #1
Written by J.M. Dematteis and Len Wein
Illustrated by Andres Guinaldo
Review by Zach Wilkerson
The creative team certainly took the “Dark” in the title quite seriously, exiling the league to a dimension of isolation and misery. Zatanna, acting as the book’s lead protagonist, takes a particularly dark turn. It seems she’s taking a bit of a liking to Etrigan over the past five years, and I promise you’ll never be able to forget the searing image of the demon straddling her in the sack. The issue’s plot is convoluted and nonsensical, looping back to the beginning of the issue with no resolution whatsoever. Penciller Andres Guinaldo and colorist Chris Sotomayor stand as the issue’s saving grace. The art team’s bright colors and softly rounded pencils act as a shining bulwark, staving off the encroaching grim dark of the issue’s proceedings. Guinaldo has been doing a strong job as one of DC’s “second stringers” for some time now, but his work here shows some fantastic growth. Still, even his strong contribution can’t stop this one from being a real downer.
Continued belowFinal verdict: 4.0 – Strong art can’t save the book’s depressing and tangled plot.
Is this better than the average issue of “Justice League Dark”? About the same?
The New 52: Futures End #21
Written by Brian Azzarello, Keith Giffen, Dan Jurgens, and Jeff Lemire
Illustrated by Cully Hamner
Review by Zach Wilkerson
We’ve just about reached the half-way point of “The New 52: Futures End” (which is absolutely bonkers to contemplate), and as such we’re finally starting to see the curtain pulled back. Issue #21 acts as the foundation for next week’s debut of “Earth 2: World’s End,” revealing the circumstances leading to the Apokolips War and the subsequent fall out. While it’s great that the details are finally starting to get fleshed out, with quite a few interesting teases thrown in along the way, the issue ultimately boils down to one big exposition dump.
Perhaps due to this being a somewhat pivotal issue for the series, DC redesign extraordinary Cully Hamner makes his debut on the series. His contribution is certainly refreshing, falling a bit outside of the book’s usual artistic tone. Still, this is far from Hamner’s best work, as at several points throughout the issue the art feels scratchy and rushed.
This is not quite the revelatory mind-eff that some (myself) may have hoped for, but in revealing a bit more of its hand “Futures End” feels somewhat rejuvenated. Hopefully the book will be able to ride this momentum as it intertwines with “Worlds End” and that particularly interesting last page of “Superman: Doomed” #2.
Final Verdict: 7.5 – Not perfect, but a much welcome issue nonetheless.
Is this better than the average issue of “Futures End”? Moderately above average.
Red Lanterns – Futures End #1
Written by Charles Soule
Illustrated by Jim Calafiore
Review by Zach Wilkerson
Perhaps of all the books this month, the “Green Lantern” titles have done the best job of using the 5 year time jump to put the characters in fresh, surprising, or interesting new situations. “Red Lanterns” is no exception to this trend. In the far future, Guy has donned a blue ring and taken on a Marvel-esque motto of “no more reds.” Soule makes great use of Guy, Bleez, and Rankor, arguably the book’s strongest and most resonant characters. Like the other Lantern books, “Red Lanterns” works as a fan-servicey coda, as well a strong launching point for brand new stories. Calafiore’s work is strong, with unique character designs and slick sequential storytelling. The issue’s resolution is a tad on the abrupt side, and uncharacteristically saccharine for a book about folks who vomit volatile blood, but overall it’s one of the month’s better reads.
Final Verdict: 7.8 – A delightfully happy ending for these troubled characters.
Is this better than the average issue of “Red Lanterns”? About the same, which is just fine.
Sinestro – Futures End #1
Written by Cullen Bunn
Illustrated by Igor Lima
Review by Vince Ostrowski
Cullen Bunn sure is good at writing villains, isn’t he? “Magneto” is one of Marvel’s most fascinating solo titles, where he’s kind of course-correcting for a Magneto character whose true motivations have been all over the place the last several years. With Sinestro, he hasn’t had to do any course-correcting, as he basically inherited the character from Geoff Johns – who had the strongest feel for that character out of basically any writer ever. Instead, Bunn continues to revel in Sinestro’s ability to be a bad, yet noble guy – carrying that dichotomy with pride, to a fault. 5 years into the future, Sinestro is imprisoned for a set of circumstances that made him a wanted man in a pitch-perfect backstory that demonstrates Bunn’s understanding of the complicated nobility of his character. As the issue unfolds back in the future time, Bunn uses the opportunity to show a potential version of the Sinestro’s Corps that draws on the history of the Lanterns going back to Geoff Johns’ run. It’s quite possibly the most satisfying arc in a “Futures End” issue yet.
Couple that with the highly refined and detailed art of Igor Lima and “Sinestro – Futures End” #1 is an issue that has the potential to actually blow by your expectations. I’m not sure I’ve ever seen something by Igor Lima before these “Futures End” issues, but without hyperbole I can say that his art approaches Ivan Reis levels of refinement. His layouts are magnificently staged, with a grandeur that most artists aren’t aiming for. The opening page is an exterior establishing shot of an alien ultra-max prison, and Lima puts so much detail and flare into this page alone that it immediately excites the reader for what is to come. And he’s that careful with every page, every layout, and the grand pacing of every sequence. If DC or Marvel brass are smart, someone will scoop Lima onto an ongoing book, if not prepare him to start drawing event books. He’s the real deal when it comes to detailed, attractive, and dynamic art for cape comics.
Continued belowI can’t say enough about the art on this one, or Bunn’s characterization, which extends pretty flawlessly from Johns’ classic take. One of the best issues of the month.
Final Verdict: 9.0 – This is how you take your core character and apply him to the “5 Years Later” concept.
Is this better than the average issue of “Sinestro”? It’s even better than the average issue, and “Sinestro” has been a solid book.
Star-Spangled War Stories Featuring G.I. Zombie: Futures End #1
Written by Jimmy Palmiotti and Justin Gray
Illustrated by Scott Hampton
Reviewed by Brian Salvatore
This, more than any other “Futures End” issue, feels entirely disconnected from the rest of this month. Outside of a few mentions of Gotham City, there is nothing about this story that references anything else going on in DC’s world. There’s not even a “Five Years Later” text box to fill us in on the time frame. This is, no more, no less, a zombie outbreak story.
That said, it’s not an entirely bad one – there is some fun imagery, and for those who have been reading the book thus far, a few nice (and I use this term as loosely as a moo moo on a grasshopper) payoffs from what we’ve seen thus far. Hampton’s art, as always, sets the book apart from just about everything else DC does. His work has just enough grit to make the zombie angle feel truly scary, and not just overplayed and silly.
Final Verdict: 5.4 – The fun of this month is the wackiness, the weirdness, and the what the fuck moments – and this issue has none of that.
Is this better than the average issue of “Star Spangle War Stories Featuring G.I. Zombie?” – No, but not much worse – it just didn’t fit with this month’s tone.
Superman: Futures End #1
Written by Dan Jurgens
Illustrated by Lee Weeks
Reviewed by Brian Salvatore
Perhaps more than any other issue, this book requires you to be reading “Futures End” weekly – if you’re just a regular reader of “Superman” and picked this up, you’d be utterly confused at just about everything happening here. However, if you’re reading the weekly, this is one of the most satisfying books of the month.
Dan Jurgens manages to write his finest single issue in years here, and Lee Weeks knocks it out of the park with his subdued, cinematic approach to this story. The combination of Weeks treating Billy Batson (spoiler alert if you’re not reading the weekly, I guess?) and Lois Lane as equal subjects, and Jurgens providing a simple and competent origin for Shazaman (my portmanteau of Shazam and Superman) leads to a page-turner that is equal parts reveletory and inspiring.
Final Verdict: 8.8 – One of the strongest issues of the entire month
Is this better than the average issue of “Superman?” – Yes, and that is shocking.
Vince’s Thoughts: Another gimmick month comes to an end. I think this final week was stronger than week 2 & 3, but still didn’t reach the heights that week 1 did. Or maybe the month just wore on me, week after week. One thing I think is interesting to point out is that despite the fact that the “Futures End” ongoing has been running for over 3 months now, and they dedicated an entire month to it, and yet the most important feeling occurrence seemed to have happened in the conclusion of “Superman: Doomed” this week. Maybe I should have realized this sooner, but it would be impossible for all but a handful of issues from these themed months to actually be very important to the overall canon of DC Comics. Sometimes, it feels like the writers are just either trying to side-step or navigate around the concept – these are usually the most disappointing issues. Other times, the normal ongoing writers of really great ongoings continue to be great because they just play off of their already ongoing story. But most of the time, these “Futures End” issues played out like elseworlds stories with mixed results that were both good and bad. Trust the creators you like, and don’t worry about the rest. Don’t feel like you’re missing out on anything, because ultimately most of the events in these “Futures End” issues will not come to fruition.
Continued belowZach’s Thoughts: I was pretty excited by the “5 years later” concept, but that excitement was tempered by the lackluster presentation of the previous years’ gimmick months. While this month certainly had its stinkers, “Futures End” won me over, thanks to some unique and refreshing story choices. With few exceptions, the books with continuous creative teams (i.e. “Green Arrow” and “Swamp Thing”), the Batbooks and the Green Lantern line stand out as the month’s shining successes. This is a marked improvement over the dubious track record of previous years.
This week stands out as the best week since the first, and is arguably the most important week, with some very interesting revelations coming out of “Futures End” proper, “Booster Gold,” and surprisingly “Superman: Doomed.” I have to say that these books have retroactively enhanced my enjoyment of not only the month, but “Futures End” as a whole.
Critically, that may seem s little disingenuous. Is it really fair, or even acceptable for a single idea or moment to redeem a rather lackluster endeavor? I’m not sure I have the answer. However, I think everyone in the DC3 would agree that DC has crafted an extremely clever ploy for stringing fans along, stirring up a seemingly paradoxical level of excitement for their line.
So, I guess I’m trying to say that, for me, the month was a very surprising success.
Brian’s Thoughts: This is definitely the most satisfying week since the first, but this also had its share of clunkers. To me, the most successful books of this entire month have been the ones that had a set purpose that allowed the creators to achieve. The Lantern books, for example, all had specific stories to tell with beginnings, middles, and ends, and overall, they were among the best of the titles. The ones that struggled were the ones that, for whatever reason, cared more about a silly gimmick or were so bogged down in meaningless minutia that the creative teams forgot to make compelling comics.
Of the three gimmick months since the start of the New 52, this is undoubtedly my favorite, but that is the faintest of praise. But, like Vince said, the biggest reveal of the entire month came in “Superman: Doomed,” which was a month late, so really should have been the biggest reveal of August. And maybe that would have helped this whole month: if we went in knowing that, perhaps, a book might have taken place in the pre-Flashpoint universe, it would’ve made each one more exciting to pick up. Regardless, I think I can speak for all three of us when I say that we are all happy to be done with these special issues, but haven’t been more jazzed to be the DC3 in quite some time.
Next week, the DC3kly’s format will shift yet again, with the release of “Earth 2: World’s End” #1, the third weekly series. We will be posting one big post a week, covering all three weeklies, with the occasional interview or character spotlight.
We are also planning to do a special podcast that wraps up the last month and looks forward to what is coming up in the DCU, so look for that in the coming weeks as well.
As always, let us know what you think in the comments!
