SUPERMAN: FUTURES END #1 Review

With the New 52: Futures End currently running weekly do we really need this one-shot? Read on to find out.

The official description from DC:

There’s a new, much darker Superman prowling the streets of Metropolis! But who exactly is he?

I’m a sucker for any narrative that drastically changes the norm of what many fanboys and fangirls have come to expect. So when a company throws out their “five years later” with a dystopia edge they have my attention. Add in some layers of angst and mystery to a universally accepted icon like the Man of Steel and there’s bound to be some moments of interest, at least in theory.

My biggest gripe with the narrative by Dan Jurgens is the fact that the big mystery surrounding the masked Superman has already been revealed. But to the author’s credit he uses his time wisely to fill in some gaps in Shazam‘s transition to the mantle. We see that the last son of Kypton had to do something terrible to save the world, and whatever it was his reaction and insistence was to keep Billy Batson out of it. That turning point left a mark as a sense of responsibility overwhelmed our magically inclined superhero. To sum up: the text carried some depth and a Lois Lane that didn’t frustrate me to no end, so kudos.

The visuals handed in by Lee Weeks seem tailor made for the journey, as the talent effortlessly gives this one-shot room to shine. It’s fun seeing the push and pull that this post-War era has created, and when you add in visuals that match that mandate blow for blow it’s easy to see why the heads at DC thought this illustrator was indeed the right one to tackle the challenge. Add in the colors by Dave McCaig and the whole of the book enjoys a fitting display.

Superman: Futures End #1 doesn’t really feel like it needs to exist but I’m happy it does. With a strong creative team and sturdy development for Shazam I’m just sold on this version as this comic comes recommended.