BATMAN/SUPERMAN: FUTURES END #1 Review

Can Batman get a hold of the wayward Superman? Or is this truly the end of Batman/Superman? Read on to find out.

The official description from DC Comics:

A new super beings seeks out Batman: a creature born of hate who the broken Bat may not last long against!

The premise of Futures End month has been to show us what the characters from each series are getting up to in the Futures End timeline, which is set five years into the future. This issue however goes in a slightly different direction, as though connected to Futures End, it’s only four years into the future opposed to five, showing Batman try and mend a broken bond between him and Superman.

Greg Pak does a brilliant job of teasing the events that lead to Superman abandoning the world, and ultimately distrusting Batman. Being mainly Batman focused, with Superman only appearing in a brief flashback, it’s easy to question the connection to this team book. It is however the powerful narration, and deep character development that shows firmly that both characters are thought of, with Bruce showing a shred of guilt for the bitterness between him and Clark. In addition to all this, Pak also allows the story to work wonderful as a one-shot tale, with there being a clear beginning, middle and end.

The artwork on this issue was divided between Cliff Richards, Jack Herbert and Vicente Cifuentes, with the similarity in styles allowing for a much more fluent finish. The detail of all three artists work, along with the striking inks and dynamic layouts also allows the art to standout, with the explosive action adding much needed energy and excitement. Helping to make the transition between artists that bit smoother, we get vivid colours from Hi-Fi, with the mixture of light and dark tones allowing a sense of atmosphere.

Batman/Superman: Futures End #1 proves to be a deep look into the breakdown in partnership between the Word’s Finest, with Greg Pak delivering a powerful script that comes highly recommended.