Free Comic book day is upon us and DC has decided to take advantage of it by releasing a zero issue of their new weekly series Futures End. The series starts with a glimpse of the future, 35 years into the future to be exact. In this timeline Brother Eye has corrupted most of Earth’s heroes and malformed them into his personal robotic drones. Things seem so bleak that some heroes are forced to work alongside their former villains as part of the last resistance for humanity. This book really sets the stage for what appears to be the start of truly exciting story.
Positives
This issue is exactly what a zero issue should be. It sets up the story to come, but doesn’t include large amounts of
information that would otherwise make it a vital part to the story. The bleak future shown here really does a good job of creating a sense of urgency. By showcasing this incredibly dark future, the reader can truly appreciate the need to go back in time and prevent the events that lead to this post-apocalyptic nightmare.
If you love cameos you’ll also love this book. While a lot of fan favorite characters make an appearance, most of them have already been transformed into deranged cyborgs. This obviously leads to plenty of action though as Earth’s resistance fights against Brother Eye’s hordes.
For fans of Batman Beyond this issue is especially special since it marks the first NEW 52 appearance of Terry McGinnis in continuity. Seeing Bruce and Terry interact with one another is pretty rewarding for any fan of the animated series. Believe it or not though Terry’s appearance isn’t the highlight of the issue. I won’t spoil things too much but I will say that it involves a fan favorite occult character with another character’s head sewn into their chest.
Negatives
I personallyam not a fan of Ethan Van Scriver’s art. Though I believe I am in the minority here so this shouldn’t be an issue for most people. Ethan isn’t the only artist on the issue however and the shift from one artist to another can be slightly distracting from the story. While there were many future designs I liked in the issue I found that the Flash looked a little silly with a beard. It didn’t
look natural at all and seemed like a lazy way to showcase that this flash is from the future.
When it comes to stories like these it’s hard not to make the robotic enemies sound generic and repetitive. I often found myself just skipping over their dialogue since it added no value to the overall story.
Verdict
Overall this issue did exactly what it was supposed to do as a zero issue. While not a lot of important information is shown enough is given to create interest in the upcoming issues. If you’re a fan of time travel stories or stories with a large cast than this is a perfect issue for you. Though this issue isn’t without its faults I still highly recommend it, and can guarantee that this comic is more than worth the price.
(4/5)
