The New 52: Futures End #19 Review

This franchise represents a steep investment for any fanboy or fangirl. And at nineteen issues is it still worth the cost? Read on to find out.

The official description from DC:

It’s now or never for Batman Beyond and the heist team to make their move on TerrifiTech.

For the first time this weekly series elicited an emotional response from me. No I didn’t cry. But what Lois Lane decided to do in this outing made me verbally react, even though admittedly it was a bit predictable. I guess I just didn’t believe she’d actually go through with it as the creative team once again threw a few narrative curve balls mixed in with the weight of an impending doom. Dire times are certainly here but worse ones are quickly approaching as the heroes of the New 52 just don’t seem ready yet.

Brian Azzarello, Jeff Lemire, Dan Jurgens and Keith Giffen deliver a script that’s rousing enough to hold my attention, but I can’t help and feel the absence of both Superman and John Constantine. As the plot surrounding our masked iteration continues to unfold, it made me wonder what made Clark Kent turn in his cape but there aren’t any real answers to that within this release. Even so the author give us more time with Batman Beyond, what remains of Stormwatch and all the crazy on Cadmus Island. In short: there’s plenty going on but I left this wanting more.

The illustrations by Scot Eaton do enough to compliment the core components of the literary work. Each page is given just enough detail to allow the renditions therein to carry some weight, especially when Plastique comes face to face with the robotic version of herself. There were a few pages where I felt that the finalized pictures needed a bit more layering as they lacked consistency but for the most part these didn’t do enough to hinder the experience. Add in the colors by Hi-Fi and the look for this book stands on solid ground.

The New 52: Futures End #19 continues to deliver its weekly blows but after nineteen issues there are certain questions I want answered. And in my opinion it’s time for the series to take a chance and actually explain what happened during the war these icons keep talking about. But, as individual outings go this one managed just enough progression to keep me around. Recommended.