The New 52: Futures End #9 Review

By Harrison Rawdin on Thursday, July 3rd, 2014

We’re about to enter yet another release in this post war New 52. But should you care what happens next? Read on to find out.

The official description from DC:

Can the Masked Superman stop a Rampage in Metropolis? Plus, Batman Beyond must figure out what to do after a startling revelation threatens to change his entire mission.

I have one word to describe the ninth issue of this weekly series: development. That’s right my fellow fanboys and fangirls the creative team has delivered a romp that feels like honest to goodness forward progression. Nothing gets resolved but all the various plot threads garner attention as a few more questions get raised. I can report that the people behind this did enough right that I’m actually looking forward to the tenth outing.

Brian Azzarello, Jeff Lemire, Dan Jurgens and Keith Giffen continue to work together as they slowly but surely unwrap this gift featuring advanced technology and just a pinch of Batman Beyond. I have to admit that I found the sequence involving S.H.A.D.E. and what remains of Stormwatch to be the most intriguing, while a couple laughs eased the end of the world tension that’s sort of building. Add in the continuing mystery of the masked Superman and the potential for a team-up and I’m ready to see what happens next.

I think Patrick Zircher is my favorite illustrator among this rotating pool of talent. He effortlessly captures the look of this iteration of the storied universe without yielding panels that are boring. Usually in massive arcs like this talents can get buried under the weight of an expansive cast but each pencil stroke proves that this is one drawer of comics you can rely on. Add in the colors by Hi-Fi and the entire package shines with ease. In short: the visual component seamlessly supports the text with slight set-ups for what’s to come.

The New 52: Futures End #9 is not perfect by any stretch of the imagination but it feels like a step in the right direction, especially as this narrative gets meat and even picks up speed. Recommended.