By d. emerson eddy — This is it, the last week of mostly-first issues In DC Comics Future State. For those of you waiting with bated breath to pounce with an “I told you so!” after a week finally falls on its face, I can only disappoint you. Every week so far has had stellar books. Some things don't really work for me, but there have been more wins than losses. It's rare for me to be as taken by the consistent quality of an event, with this one offering up a wide array of new takes on existing properties. Normally in this kind of flash forward, I would have been beaten down by dystopias and depressing repetition, but not so here.

There are definitely some dark futures — some even darker than others — but it hasn't been the case that everything succumbs to a grimdark, everything-is-awful scenario. I appreciate that, and think that's part of what makes Future State different from a conceptual counterpart like Future's End. We're not being driven here into a bitter end for all heroes; we're being shown that in many cases, the future goes on.

Future State: Caught Up in Circles, Confusion is Nothing New

I was really surprised by Future State: Suicide Squad #1. I was expecting the lead story would have something to do with the narrative playing out through the Titans side of the event, given a mention of Task Force X in Shazam! While there may be a link somewhere, it doesn't occur here in the first issue. Instead we get a rather fascinating story starring the Justice Squad, ostensibly led by Conner Kent as Superman, and an assortment of other people playing dress-up superhero, all from creators Robbie Thompson, Javier Fernandez, Alex Sinclair, and Wes Abbott.

This is almost one that you want to go into blind. Don't even read the solicitation. It's kind of difficult to talk about one of the things that makes the story so great without spoiling the surprise — or rather surprises — but I can say it really opens up the possibilities for the wider Future State event. The story makes it clear that this isn't necessarily a singular flash forward future, but that there may be more worlds than these. What I can say, is that some of these Justice Squad members are going to be familiar when Robbie Thompson launches the new Suicide Squad book. Also, there are other implications for another title in Infinite Frontier. I quite like all of this, and the ending turns everything further on its ear.

There is also great art here from Javier Fernandez and Alex Sinclair. The future that the Justice Squad inhabit is dark and violent, fitting the rather dangerous motif you'd expect for a Suicide Squad book, with some very nice action and a rather disturbing explosive death partway through. Yes, this is a violent book. Wes Abbott also provides an interesting “replicate” narration box as one of the characters uses their powers.

Then there's the “Black Adam” co-feature from Jeremy Adams, Fernando Pasarin, Oclair Albert, Jeromy Cox, and Abbott. I wouldn't be able to tell you why it got packaged along with the Suicide Squad, as there doesn't seem to be any link whatsoever, but that doesn't diminish the quality.

The art from Pasarin, Albert, and Cox is superb. Pasarin, Oclair, and Cox have been doing some great work on the end of their recent Hawkman run with Robert Venditti, and I think they manage to outdo themselves here. There's a nice, clean sheen to their interpretation of the 853rd Century, and it really pops to life in the form of the golden god, Superman Prime. Abbott also gives us a different approach to the narration boxes and headings, brighter and a bit more futuristic, fitting well with the tone and time period of the story.

It takes place in the previously established era of the 853rd Century of the DC One Million event from back in the late '90s. Although it really does help if you're at least passingly familiar with the story and the Justice Legion A, I think you'll still be able to follow along, just not necessarily with as much emotional resonance as if you've read the prior story. Due to a lack of magic, basically, the universe is unprepared for an attack by The Unkindness, which features a motley crew of existing characters — including the Seven Deadly Sins — and they pretty much punk out the universe's strongest superhero in Superman Prime, immediately. This more or less sets the stakes for revealing that everybody's screwed right off the bat, but maybe Wonder Woman's secret lover, Black Adam, can save everyone.

He's not much help, actually, but that's part of the fun surprise that I think will play out even more in the concluding issue. The surprise might actually be why this is being presented here in the Suicide Squad book, rather than say Shazam!, because there's a thematic link.

Overall, Future State: Suicide Squad #1 is an interesting package that may divide people over whether they want both tales in this book due to their unrelated nature. I quite enjoyed both, and I'm excited by where this is going to lead in Infinite Frontier.

Future State: Suicide Squad #1
“Suicide Squad”
Writer: Robbie Thompson
Artist: Javier Fernandez
Colorist: Alex Sinclair
Letterer: Wes Abbott
The Suicide Squad enters the Future State era as Amanda Waller uses Task Force X to save the world and remake it in her image-but what happens when the team shows up to stop her?
Buy It Digitally: Future State - Suicide Squad

“Black Adam”
Writer: Jeremy Adams
Penciller: Fernando Pasarin
Inker: Oclair Albert
Colorist: Jeromy Cox
Letterer: Wes Abbott
Publisher: DC Comics
Price: $5.99
And in the second story in this extra-sized issue, Black Adam, the immortal one-time champion of the wizard Shazam, rules the planet Kahndaq in the 853rd century. Can he save the future from a threat rooted in the past?
Buy It Digitally: Future State - Suicide Squad

Sometimes You Picture Me, I'm Walking Too Far Ahead

Now, this one I expected to like. I like Mark Russell's work. I like Steve Pugh's work. And I have loved what they've done together with both The Flintstones and Billionaire Island. Future State: Superman vs. Imperious Lex #1 by Russell, Pugh, Romulo Fajardo Jr., and Carlos M. Mangual meets those expectations, and in some cases even exceeds them.

Set sometime after Earth has finally managed to settle down a bit and the United Planets has firmly established a headquarters here, we get an elder Lois Lane serving as representative of Earth and a quandary over an application from Lexor, a planet ruled through manipulation, guile, deceit, and other words that are ultimately synonyms by Lex Luthor. Or I should say, the nefarious cake thief Lex Luthor, as Russell keeps that running gag from Luthor's dastardly exploits in The Super Dictionary.

What we get is an interesting — and sometimes humorous although the story is pretty much played straight — reflection of much of the political climate for the United States from the past four years. It's a mix of commentary on what happens to a people when their news media deceives them, on complicity when you've lived your life benefiting from the fruits of evil actions, on how easy it is to prop up a dictator in such conditions, and, in a sense, even on the idea of stolen land. The set-up here is wonderful, and as the tales of Superman's experience visiting Lexor pretty much cement Luthor's status as a villain, he does what Superman should always do and thinks about the citizens of Lexor.

Personally, I think that's brilliant, because there are two more issues. It would be rather difficult to continue on if Lexor's application to join the United Planets was summarily dismissed and the next two issues were about shuffling paperwork, or Lois & Clark sneaking off to the broom closet…again. Also, or perhaps actually, it doesn't take the easy way out and provides a foundation for conflict and exploration of trying to solve the problems presented.

Political intrigue and themes aside, this is also a damn nice book to look at. Pugh and Fajardo do an incredible job of capturing the more alien nature of the United Planets and the universe beyond, with some new and familiar cosmic species. Mangual's letters also work in tandem with the story through a variety of word balloon styles and Superman-themed dialogue boxes. Yet, there's an overall wholesomeness to it that evokes both The Flintstones and the brighter — “simpler” for lack of a better term — Golden and Silver Ages of Superman. This feels like one of those “Imaginary Stories”, or at least the fuzzy nostalgic memory of them, that we would have seen back before Crisis on Infinite Earths brought red skies across the DCU.

I quite like this and am excited to see where it goes.

Future State: Superman vs. Imperious Lex #1
Writer: Mark Russell
Artist: Steve Pugh
Colorist: Romulo Fajardo Jr.
Letterer: Carlos M. Mangual
Publisher: DC Comics
Price: $3.99
Buy It Digitally: Future State - Superman vs. Imperious Lex

The Second Hand Unwinds

Similar to last week's second issue of The Next Batman, Future State: Dark Detective #2 continues on with a second installment of the lead tale, “Dark Detective” from Mariko Tamaki, Dan Mora, Jordie Bellaire, and Aditya Bidikar, and within that, it introduces us to a new co-feature, this one focusing on “The Red Hood” by Joshua Williamson, Giannis Milonogiannis, Bellaire, and Troy Peteri.

The lead story gives us Bruce as he navigates the new world of Gotham after his “death”, and it is even better than the first issue. The art from Mora and Bellaire continues to reach those incredible heights of the first part, but there's more depth, reflection, and introspection in the narration from Tamaki. This is an interesting world that's being built across the Batman line and we're getting even more substance to how Bruce is living in it.

There is an interesting thread here, though, about the Magistrate. For one, despite having seen the face of Peacekeeper-01 in last week's Nightwing, we're back to a fully masked identity. Not that he was anyone recognizable to begin with, but it once again feels like it's being played for a mystery. Although, he is referred to as the leader of the Magistrate, which makes me wonder overall about its organizational framework. He was seen in Nightwing crushing the nameplate of Commissioner Montoya, which suggested a takeover of her office, but not necessarily as the overall brains behind the entire operation. We also get an investigation into the resources and corporations that worked to fund the Magistrate.

Part of me wonders if when we get back to the present, the overall arc in Tamaki and Mora's Detective Comics is going to be preventing this future from occurring. That could be interesting.

The “Red Hood” second story, meanwhile, gives us a look at what Jason Todd has been up to under the Magistrate. By and large, nothing good really. He's basically a traitor to the heroes and vigilantes, working with the Magistrate to bring in people violating the anti-mask laws. I do find it somewhat weird that he's still in his own costume, rather than making him wear some Peacekeeper approved gear, but I suppose we're going for brand recognition. Also, Ravager.

The story's not bad, with a twist that's going to make the conclusion in the fourth issue possibly complicated, but what's really damn good about this story is the art. Milonogiannis normally has a style that's highly influenced by Japanese artists, and he's channelling all of that here with layouts, character designs, and vehicles that just scream Katsuhiro Otomo's on Akira. It's filtered through his own refinement of that style, with a result that's just gorgeous. It's grittier than what we've seen of other areas of Gotham, with a similar simplification of color scheme from Jordie Bellaire, muting colors for backgrounds and highlighting more of the red of Jason and his bike, which further differentiates the atmosphere from the other aspects of Gotham. Peteri also uses an interesting grawlix in his lettering that further enhances this visual style.

Future State: Dark Detective #2
“Dark Detective”
Writers: Mariko Tamaki
Artist: Dan Mora
Colorist: Jordie Bellaire
Letterer: Aditya Bidikar
Bruce Wayne is supposed to be dead...but this Dark Detective is on the run and shining a light on the mystery of his own “murder”: How did the killers know Bruce Wayne was Batman? As the forces of the Magistrate zero in on Bruce’s location, it’s a race against time to unlock the secrets of their surveillance tech and take the fight to the very top! But is the knowledge that Bruce’s own legacy helped to enable the greatest authoritarian force the city of Gotham has ever seen too much to bear?
Buy It Digitally: Future State - Dark Detective #2

“The Red Hood”
Writer: Joshua Williamson
Artist: Giannis Milonogiannis
Colorist: Jordie Bellaire
Letterer: ALW's Troy Peteri
Publisher: DC Comics
Price: $5.99
Also in this issue, Jason Todd is a haunted man. He’s working a job he hates on the violent streets of Gotham City as a mask hunter for the Magistrate! He takes contracts to catch villains-or heroes-and brings them in alive-mostly. But when the Red Hood gang reemerges, Jason must solve a mystery that could doom the city.
Buy It Digitally: Future State - Dark Detective #2

If You're Lost, You Can Look and You Will Find Me

Future State: Batman/Superman #1 takes us back to one of the earliest points on the Future State timeline, showing the early days of The Magistrate's occupation of Gotham in a story from Gene Luen Yang, Ben Oliver, Arif Prianto, and Tom Napolitano. We start somewhere near the end of what appears to be Batman's investigation of the disappearance of Superman, with some rather disturbing apparent attempts to replicate his powers, but most of this story is a flashback, looking further in the past to the time of the Magistrate’s rise.

Superman has discovered a new drug on the streets — or rather the elevated trains — of Metropolis that enables the user to change their appearance to a more beastly visage. It leads him to Gotham, which he doesn't quite realize has deeply fallen under the Magistrate's draconian measures when it comes to Masks. This causes problems as he and Batman attempt to get to the source of the drug. It's an interesting way to show that Superman's bright, forthright presence doesn't work within the new order of Gotham. There is also a great use of a villain that popped up during Morrison and Quitely's Batman & Robin, kind of, as well as a new interpretation of the False Face Society.

I really like how Gene Luen Yang presents the narration and actions of both Batman and Superman. He gets how ideologically different they are, but he also understands that despite their differences, they are still one hell of a team, a team taht will go to extreme lengths to guard one another. It bodes well for when he takes over the ongoing series.

It's also nice to see Ben Oliver providing artwork for Future State. He's one of a few artists on deck for this reimagining of the DC Universe that were also around for the last big reboot in The New 52. It’s even more fitting that it's with another Bat Family title, as last time he was working on Batwing. The Gotham here doesn't quite have that same Blade Runner retro future aesthetic that we've seen in the other Bat Family books, with Arif Prianto largely choosing more natural colors, even if it's a darker color palette. I think this makes sense given that we're not quite as far in the future here as the rest of the line. Though, Tom Napolitano's letters do retain that consistent robot word balloon approach for these early Cybers.

Future State: Batman/Superman #1
Writer: Gene Luen Yang
Artist: Ben Oliver
Colorist: Arif Prianto
Letterer: Tom Napolitano
Publisher: DC Comics
Price: $3.99
Back in the early days of the Magistrate’s occupation of Gotham City, Bruce Wayne found himself pushed to the edge like never before. So calling the Man of Steel in for backup makes sense, right? Wrong. Gotham’s sinister overlords have already sprung the ultimate trap on the Last Son of Krypton...and with Kryptonian power at your command, no one can stand in your way! Plus...where on Earth did Professor Pyg get a Kryptonite scalpel? Brace yourselves, because things are going to get gross in the caverns below Gotham...
Read It Digitally: Future State - Batman/Superman #1

After My Picture Fades and Darkness Has Turned to Grey

Future State: Aquaman #1 is really freaking good. From Brandon Thomas, Daniel Sampere, Adriano Lucas, and Clayton Cowles, the focus is on Jackson Hyde and Andy Curry in more or less Andy's formative years of childhood. I think this one actually might be my favorite for the week, which might come as a bit surprising given the competition from Dan Mora, Mark Russell, Steve Pugh, and Riley Rossmo.

It's a fairly simple tale of a captured Jackson Hyde relating how he got into the predicament, of how he and a young Andy Curry found the Confluence, traveled across the worlds that the universal ocean would bring them to, and then were separated by its guardian. It’s simple, but how it unfolds is rather magnificent. The story builds on existing Aquaman mythology, taking logical next steps from Kelly Sue DeConnick and Robson Rocha's run, as well as from the idea of a singular ocean linking all bodies of water across time and space from the “Drowned Earth” crossover, firmly showing how this one is operating in the DC Universe. But what really makes this story is its pacing and flow.

There's a real tension and intrigue on multiple levels as Jackson tries to escape his predicament, fails, and then relates how he also ultimately failed Andy when they were caught by the Confluence's guardian. It’s to the point where even a rather bloody maiming can't derail the momentum (which also raises some questions about the Justice League book). Those beats are there in the content of the story, but also greatly achieved through the artwork.

Daniel Sampere looks like he's managed to level up with this first issue. Combined with Adriano Lucas' beautiful colors, this book just looks amazing. There's a real joy to be found in the pages with Jackson and Andy traveling across the Confluence, with borderless panels and bright blue colors. It's well contrasted with the heavy border, increased shadow, and extreme close-ups of the prisoner sequences, making the latter feel more constrained and claustrophobic. When you add the interesting effects that Clayton Cowles provides for the narration boxes and headings, visually this is a beautifully-told story.

Also, Thomas, Sampere, Lucas, and Cowles do something with Future State: Aquaman #1 that's been somewhat uncommon across the Future State event: they provide hope. Regardless of however dark the story may get, the cliffhanger ends with hope. It’s an assurance that something positive and affirmative is going to occur in the second part, and it feels good.

Future State: Aquaman #1
Writer: Brandon Thomas
Artist: Daniel Sampere
Colorist: Adriano Lucas
Letterer: Clayton Cowles
Publisher: DC Comics
Price: $3.99
When Jackson Hyde accepted the mantle of Aquaman, he didn’t expect to also have to mentor Andy Curry, Arthur and Mera’s teen daughter. Nor did he expect that he and Andy would get sucked into the Confluence-an interdimensional nexus that connects distant planets and galaxies through the One Great Ocean. And he certainly didn’t expect to lose Andy in the process of trying to find their way back home. Now Jackson’s not sure how long he’s been stuck in a prison on Neptune (five years?) or how many times he’s tried to escape (200 at least!). But today Jackson saw something in the water that gave him hope for the first time in a long time-and his captors have no idea what he’s got in store for them.
Buy It Digitally: Future State - Aquaman #1

The Drum Beats Out of Time

Future State - Legion of Super-Heroes.jpg

I can't say that I've been a fan of Brian Michael Bendis' run on the Legion of Super-Heroes title. I really quite like the history of the DC Universe that fed into it with Legion of Super-Heroes: Millennium, but the ongoing series has been too chaotic and scattered for me. I'm too easily distracted by multiple characters shouting at one another to keep most of it straight, and if there's an engaging plot in there somewhere, I've missed it. The art was typically great, but I wound up tapping out with the seventh issue. So, I'm not coming in to Future State: Legion of Super-Heroes #1 from Bendis, Riley Rossmo, Ivan Plascencia, and Dave Sharpe with particularly high expectations or necessarily excitement.

Like the series before it, the art from Rossmo and Plascencia is gorgeous. I love how adventurous Rossmo is with his character designs and layouts, taking some risks with how things play out across the page, but never seeming to lose sight of coherent storytelling. The characters that seem to have radically-different designs from what we've seen before are mostly handled well through dialogue introductions. It's a great departure from the style of Ryan Sook before him, but I think the weirdness of Rossmo's approach fits the overall tone of the story. Plascencia's colors very nicely enhance the somewhat darker nature of what we're seeing here in the story, balancing it out with some rich purples and blues.

Future State - Legion of Super-Heroes Art 1.jpg

The story is all right. I'd put it somewhat akin to a “Five Years Later” or “Legion of the Damned” type moment for this incarnation of the Legion, not quite as complex as the former and not quite as dark as the latter, but in the same kind of mode for this jump forward for the story. There's a definite darkness to it, with a disbanded Legion coming back together for revenge against one of their own, but Bendis doesn't make it too nihilistic or depressing. If this is the status quo that we're dealing with when and if an ongoing Legion of Super-Heroes title returns, it could be an interesting one. The United Planets has crumbled, the Legion is fractured. The Science Police seem to have an enhanced role, and one of the Legion's own seems to have done something that caused universal upheaval. What exactly happened isn't clear, but it does seem to have caused some people to die and others to gain powers.

This book carries over a convention from the ongoing series that I can't say I'm fond of, with expository information often appearing in Interlac. The information isn't necessarily integral to understanding the overall story, but it does help with a couple little references. For his part, though, Dave Sharpe still makes it work visually and continues some of the more interesting word balloon designs for the various characters.

I like the parallels to other disasters in the Legion of Super-Heroes' history, and I love the artwork from Rossmo and Plascencia, but I know the darker tone and atmosphere might rankle some who prefer their Legion bright and shiny. I'm one of those, but I'm still interested to see where this leads.

Future State: Legion of Super-Heroes #1
Writer: Brian Michael Bendis
Artist: Riley Rossmo
Colorist: Ivan Plascencia
Letterer: Dave Sharpe
Publisher: DC Comics
Price: $3.99
Whatever happened to the Legion of Super-Heroes? The team is no more, and the United Planets are in total chaos as one of the Legion’s own has turned on the entire galaxy! Everyone is affected...and not everyone survived! Ultra Boy tries to put the Legion back together to face the future head on! Find out the fates of all your favorite Legionnaires like Shadow Lass, Triplicate Girl, Brainiac Five, and Bouncing Boy. Plus, a shocking twist in the Legion mythology-and a long overdue appearance by the Legion of Substitute Heroes! It’s all here in a truly way-out tale by writer Brian Michael Bendis and artist extraordinaire Riley Rossmo!
Buy It Digitally: Future State - Legion of Super-Heroes #1

Next week the really hard part begins. While the first issues have novelty on their side — allowing for audiences to be wowed and amazed by new settings and characters — the conclusions will rely on whether the creative teams can stick the landings. I'm unsure whether we're going to get definitive endings to any of these stories, but I am anxious to find out.

NEXT: The conclusions begin for The Flash, Harley Quinn, Superman of Metropolis, Swamp Thing, and Wonder Woman, as well as the third issue of The Next Batman.

Read past installments of Future State Fridays!

d. emerson eddy is a student and writer of things. He fell in love with comics during Moore, Bissette, & Totleben's run on Swamp Thing and it has been a torrid affair ever since. His madness typically manifests itself on Twitter @93418.