{"id":21234,"date":"2021-02-13T17:00:54","date_gmt":"2021-02-13T23:00:54","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/popculturenetwork.com\/wordpress\/?p=21234"},"modified":"2021-02-13T17:00:54","modified_gmt":"2021-02-13T23:00:54","slug":"future-state-the-next-batman-1-2021-review","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/popculturenetwork.com\/wordpress\/2021\/02\/13\/future-state-the-next-batman-1-2021-review\/","title":{"rendered":"Future State: The Next Batman #1 (2021) Review"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>One of the many problems with Future State is the \u201cElseworlds\u201d dilemma. We are given a story set in a \u201cpossible future\u201d of the DC Universe and are asked to care about it, when we know that it will most likely be gone in 2 months and little, if anything, will ever come of it. Additionally, we get introduced to new characters and find ourselves reading about these strangers in place of the familiar characters we\u2019d rather be reading about it. I planned to skip Future State completely, but the lack of comics on the shelf grabbing my attention forced my hand and I eventually began to try a few comics just to see if any of them weren\u2019t so bad.<\/p>\n

Future State: The Next Batman #1 isn\u2019t so bad. The biggest problem is the one outlined above: this is a Batman comic without Batman. There is a guy in a Batman suit, but even he questions if he is the real Batman now, which just further cements in the reader\u2019s mind that this isn\u2019t really Batman. When we see who he is, teased by the story to be Luke Fox the former Batwing but previously spoiled by an overzealous PR department to be Tim Fox the\u2026 other\u2026 son of Lucious Fox, I guess\u2026 it doesn\u2019t inspire a lot of confidence in the story. The real problem is that Tim Fox has no reason to be Batman whereas Luke spent time as a costumed crimefighter in the Bat-Family. Why did writer John Ridley go with Tim over Luke? No clues are given in this story, other than the fact Luke seems to be unreliable now, so I guess he couldn\u2019t be the one. Real clear, isn\u2019t it?<\/p>\n

Future State: The Next Batman #1 isn\u2019t all bad. The story and art has plenty of throwbacks to Batman: Year One, so at least you get the feeling that unlike some other Future State books, this team is familiar with the comic books that came before. The art by Nick Derington has a somewhat simplistic feel, but it does enough to convey the dirtiness of Gotham City and the action of the fights. The colors by Tamara Bonavillain strike a good mood and a feeling of depth that the line art often lacks. The two work well together and I hope they are together on future issues, assuming that those issues also work to invoke the early years of the modern Batman mythos.<\/p>\n

Unfortunately, Future State: The Next Batman #1 is presented in DC Comics\u2019 new expanded format, meaning it comes with two back-up stories to add to the page count and raise the cover price to $7.99. The lead Batman story is the new industry standard 22 page length, while each of the back-up stories are 20 pages in length with the only non-DC advertising being on the coverstock pages. Honestly, that\u2019s a lot of story for $8.00, but if you only want the lead story and don\u2019t care for the back-ups, you\u2019ll feel hard done to shell out so much money.<\/p>\n

The first back-up story features The Outsiders (Katana, The Signal, and Black Lightning) as they attempt to rescue citizens fleeing from Gotham City and take down a former ally who is now working with The Magistrate (the overlord controlling Gotham City and outlawing all superheroes). The story from Brandon Thomas is straightforward and unremarkable, but the artwork from Sumit Kumar, Raul Fernandez, and Jordie Bellaire is fun and energetic, though it can be occasionally goofy. While it might sound like I\u2019m knocking the story and art, I easily enjoyed this entry more than the feature and found the most joy following the action as laid out by the artists. Honestly, if this was a sampler of upcoming titles, I\u2019d most likely buy only The Outsiders and skip the other two, but as an ongoing $8 series, it wouldn\u2019t be enough to get me to buy this title every month.<\/p>\n

The final back-up story is about Astrid Arkham, apparently the current head of Arkham Asylum, and vigilante known as the Arkham Knight. The character has previously been established in comics as someone who has the hearts and minds of the Gotham City underworld, so she\u2019s apparently using her talents to turn the psychologically unstable into a superhero team to fight The Magistrate. The art by Jack Herbert and Gabe Eltaeb is phenomenal and easily stands out as among the best you\u2019ll find on comic racks today, but I just can\u2019t find any way to connect to the story by Paul Jenkins. There\u2019s just not enough happening here to make me care about anything going on with these characters. Additionally, all the former villains are each wearing some sort of armor that resembles that of the Knight, making characters like Humpty Dumpty (yes, a big egg-man) look absolutely ridiculous.<\/p>\n

Future State: The Next Batman #1 is not the worst comic book in the Future State line-up, but with only one story that actually seems to succeed with the correct mixture of writer and artists, the $7.99 price tag makes it an expensive experiment. The lack of a \u201creal\u201d Batman in a Batman comic book is the book\u2019s biggest fault. With no real connection to Batman, Bruce Wayne, or the 80 year mythos readers have come to expect, I can\u2019t say that I\u2019ll miss this \u201cpossible future\u201d when it goes away in the coming months.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

One of the many problems with Future State is the \u201cElseworlds\u201d dilemma. We are given a story set in a \u201cpossible future\u201d of…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":21236,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"image","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"cybocfi_hide_featured_image":"","_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_is_tweetstorm":false,"jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","enabled":false}}},"categories":[18,16],"tags":[54,885,1574],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/popculturenetwork.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/0-1-e1613257237521.jpg?fit=899%2C636","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":21249,"url":"http:\/\/popculturenetwork.com\/wordpress\/2021\/02\/17\/future-state-batman-superman-1-2021-review\/","url_meta":{"origin":21234,"position":0},"title":"Future State: Batman\/Superman #1 (2021) Review","author":"DiRT","date":"February 17, 2021","format":"image","excerpt":"Unlike other Future State comics that have been set in the far future where things are radically different, Batman\/Superman is set at the beginning of the massive upheaval that changes the DC Universe. On the one hand, it\u2019s a sad moment of the last gasps of a DC Universe that\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Comic Book Reviews"","block_context":{"text":"Comic Book Reviews","link":"http:\/\/popculturenetwork.com\/wordpress\/category\/i-need-comics\/comic-book-reviews\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/popculturenetwork.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/7779855-01-1-e1613583889513.jpg?fit=832%2C521&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/popculturenetwork.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/7779855-01-1-e1613583889513.jpg?fit=832%2C521&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/popculturenetwork.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/7779855-01-1-e1613583889513.jpg?fit=832%2C521&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/popculturenetwork.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/7779855-01-1-e1613583889513.jpg?fit=832%2C521&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":21290,"url":"http:\/\/popculturenetwork.com\/wordpress\/2021\/03\/03\/future-state-dark-detective-3-2021-review\/","url_meta":{"origin":21234,"position":1},"title":"Future State: Dark Detective #3 (2021) Review","author":"DiRT","date":"March 3, 2021","format":"image","excerpt":"Well, that was... nothing. This issue of Dark Detective advertised the meeting of the original Batman and the Next Batman, and their face-to-face meeting turned out to be a whole lot of nothing much at all. In all, they stared at each other, exchanged a few words, then turned away\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Comic Book Reviews"","block_context":{"text":"Comic Book Reviews","link":"http:\/\/popculturenetwork.com\/wordpress\/category\/i-need-comics\/comic-book-reviews\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/popculturenetwork.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/fs_ddet_cv3-1-1-scaled-e1614786277764.jpg?fit=899%2C602&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/popculturenetwork.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/fs_ddet_cv3-1-1-scaled-e1614786277764.jpg?fit=899%2C602&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/popculturenetwork.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/fs_ddet_cv3-1-1-scaled-e1614786277764.jpg?fit=899%2C602&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/popculturenetwork.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/fs_ddet_cv3-1-1-scaled-e1614786277764.jpg?fit=899%2C602&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":21245,"url":"http:\/\/popculturenetwork.com\/wordpress\/2021\/02\/16\/future-state-the-next-batman-3-2021-review\/","url_meta":{"origin":21234,"position":2},"title":"Future State: The Next Batman #3 (2021) Review","author":"DiRT","date":"February 16, 2021","format":"image","excerpt":"Issue #3 once again shows how quickly the overall quality can shift in DC\u2019s new publishing format that combines a 22-page feature story with two 20-page back-up stories. While the feature that should be drawing me in has left me underwhelmed, again, the two back-ups have proven that there are\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Comic Book Reviews"","block_context":{"text":"Comic Book Reviews","link":"http:\/\/popculturenetwork.com\/wordpress\/category\/i-need-comics\/comic-book-reviews\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/popculturenetwork.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/future-state-the-next-batman-3-1-e1613541582979.jpg?fit=899%2C650&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/popculturenetwork.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/future-state-the-next-batman-3-1-e1613541582979.jpg?fit=899%2C650&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/popculturenetwork.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/future-state-the-next-batman-3-1-e1613541582979.jpg?fit=899%2C650&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/popculturenetwork.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/future-state-the-next-batman-3-1-e1613541582979.jpg?fit=899%2C650&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":21296,"url":"http:\/\/popculturenetwork.com\/wordpress\/2021\/03\/03\/future-state-dark-detective-4-2021-review\/","url_meta":{"origin":21234,"position":3},"title":"Future State: Dark Detective #4 (2021) Review","author":"DiRT","date":"March 3, 2021","format":"image","excerpt":"This is the best the issue of Dark Detective, but that\u2019s been a very low hurdle to clear. The strongest factor that helps this issue to soar above the others is that Mariko Tamaki doesn\u2019t have much story to tell or inane inner monologues to annoy us with. Instead, we\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Comic Book Reviews"","block_context":{"text":"Comic Book Reviews","link":"http:\/\/popculturenetwork.com\/wordpress\/category\/i-need-comics\/comic-book-reviews\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/popculturenetwork.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/dark-detective_41-1-e1614798447681.jpg?fit=900%2C595&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/popculturenetwork.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/dark-detective_41-1-e1614798447681.jpg?fit=900%2C595&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/popculturenetwork.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/dark-detective_41-1-e1614798447681.jpg?fit=900%2C595&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/popculturenetwork.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/dark-detective_41-1-e1614798447681.jpg?fit=900%2C595&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":21280,"url":"http:\/\/popculturenetwork.com\/wordpress\/2021\/02\/24\/future-state-batman-superman-2-2021-review\/","url_meta":{"origin":21234,"position":4},"title":"Future State: Batman\/Superman #2 (2021) Review","author":"DiRT","date":"February 24, 2021","format":"image","excerpt":"Gene Luen Yang\u2019s final chapter of this Batman and Superman team-up reads like the final chapter of Batman and Superman\u2019s friendship, strained and exhausted, before the events that lead to Superman\u2019s exit from Earth and Batman\u2019s descent into the worst version of Gotham City ever imagined. It\u2019s sad because even\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Comic Book Reviews"","block_context":{"text":"Comic Book Reviews","link":"http:\/\/popculturenetwork.com\/wordpress\/category\/i-need-comics\/comic-book-reviews\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/popculturenetwork.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/batman-superman_21-1-e1614183826947.jpg?fit=900%2C605&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/popculturenetwork.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/batman-superman_21-1-e1614183826947.jpg?fit=900%2C605&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/popculturenetwork.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/batman-superman_21-1-e1614183826947.jpg?fit=900%2C605&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/popculturenetwork.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/batman-superman_21-1-e1614183826947.jpg?fit=900%2C605&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":21331,"url":"http:\/\/popculturenetwork.com\/wordpress\/2021\/03\/21\/suicide-squad-1-2021-review\/","url_meta":{"origin":21234,"position":5},"title":"Suicide Squad #1 (2021) Review","author":"DiRT","date":"March 21, 2021","format":"image","excerpt":"It seems as if Robbie Thompson has indeed followed up his excellent Future State: Suicide Squad mini-series with a title that seeks to plant the seeds for what we\u2019ve already seen in that event. The question still remains however, if the events of that series are set in stone or\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Comic Book Reviews"","block_context":{"text":"Comic Book Reviews","link":"http:\/\/popculturenetwork.com\/wordpress\/category\/i-need-comics\/comic-book-reviews\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/popculturenetwork.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/0121DC017-1-scaled-e1616384958664.jpg?fit=599%2C401&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/popculturenetwork.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/0121DC017-1-scaled-e1616384958664.jpg?fit=599%2C401&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/popculturenetwork.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/0121DC017-1-scaled-e1616384958664.jpg?fit=599%2C401&resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/popculturenetwork.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21234"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/popculturenetwork.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/popculturenetwork.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/popculturenetwork.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/popculturenetwork.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=21234"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"http:\/\/popculturenetwork.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21234\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":21237,"href":"http:\/\/popculturenetwork.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21234\/revisions\/21237"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/popculturenetwork.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/21236"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/popculturenetwork.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=21234"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/popculturenetwork.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=21234"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/popculturenetwork.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=21234"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}