By d. emerson eddy — I've been around for a good number of DC Comics reboots, rejiggerings, rebirths, and reimaginings. From big things like Crisis on Infinite Earths through to more personal, intimate ventures like Realworlds. Some of them I've liked, others not so much, but for almost 35 years, DC has shown that it’s regularly willing to rethink its entire universe. I think this is largely to be expected, since other than their Trinity of Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman, DC's Silver Age resurgence in the 1960s was founded on rethinking existing properties, setting up a precedent for the idea of legacy heroes that has permeated the publisher's efforts.

This week, DC launched its latest initiative, Future State, which apparently gives a tease to where the full-on present day refresh, Infinite Frontier, is going to lead when it starts in earnest in March. The new blitz of future-themed books spins out of the Dark Nights: Death Metal event that saw a reorganization of the DC Multiverse, including the revelation that Earth Prime is no longer the sole nexus of reality, but a binary with the new “Elseworld”. What that ultimately means, I have no idea, but it seems like multiple alternate realities, alternate timelines, and alternate universes are back on the menu. Thematically, there also seems to be a bit of fallout from the recent Endless Winter crossover that ran through December, mostly in the form of the increased prominence of Hippolyta, Black Adam, and Swamp Thing (I also highly recommend checking out that crossover, it was well done). Though I think this will manifest more in the forthcoming Infinite Frontier.

Reading the first week of the Future State books, it's somewhat unclear as to what the ultimate remit or cohesive structure of this event is really supposed to be. Like The New 52 before it, it feels like there are a few different approaches that might either be consistent or at odds with one another. It's somewhat hard to tell. They may all take place in the same future, or they may take place in alternate realities altogether. Some go to great lengths to change everything. Others give a kind of natural progression of current states. And one just feels like a new take without any kind of radical overhaul. All of which are valid approaches, don't get me wrong, there's just not an apparent, logical throughline for all of it. It is only week one, mind, so there's a lot of time to see what else comes out of this and how the pieces fit together.

What DC gives us in all of the books are variations on this little blurb:

| The Multiverse has been saved from the brink of destruction! With victory comes new possibilities, as the triumph of our heroes shakes loose the very fabric of time and space. From the ashes of Death Metal comes new life for the Multiverse—and a glimpse into the unwritten worlds of tomorrow...|

There's a bit of a feel to this of DC's last dystopian future shock, Future's End, but — though we do get some dark visions of the future under jackbooted heels — most of this first wave of books don't feel nearly as oppressive, nihilistic, or grim as some of the emotional blackholes that I read out of that earlier run. It does largely feel like something to shake things up, bring in some new and vibrant creators that mostly haven't worked with these characters before, and give us something new-ish for a change.

Future State - Something Old

In creating a structure for this first sprawling exercise in trying to understand the Future State and possible Infinite Frontier, I kept coming back to the other major launch this week that also deals with the multiverse, worlds ending, and potentially setting up a new status quo, Generations: Shattered #1. The Generations event was supposedly going to be a reorganization in itself of the DC timeline that was really meant to launch whole hog back at Free Comic Book Day 2020. That got scuppered by the pandemic and its primary editorial architect leaving the company. What we get instead is a condensed two-part mini-series that to me with regards to Future State feels a bit like interplay of Death of the New Gods and Final Crisis. Basically, two different ideas on the same theme that don't necessarily cohere with one another.

That being said, this feels like old school DC event storytelling. It builds out of established time periods and takes on characters across the DC timeline, giving distinct real world times and dates to these eras, rather than attributing an alternate Earth designation. We get a 1930s Batman, a pre-Crisis Teen Titans at the height of their popularity from Wolfman and Perez, a classic representation of the Legion of Super-Heroes that I think is meant to represent Paul Levitz's era, and so on and so forth. The characters are all being gathered together by Kamandi and sent forth by a future Booster Gold to stop “the Goneness”, an erasure of universes reminiscent of the white nothingness of the antimatter wave from Crisis on Infinite Earths.

Other than a brief glimpse on one page of some of the new Future State characters, how this fits in to anything is unclear. It's much, much more meta than what we get in the other event, through simply dealing with the existing DC histories, which I think will appeal to old school readers. Whether it's a last hurrah for those histories remains to be seen, but it's an interesting alternate to what's going on elsewhere. It may just be a curiosity, but it's fun to see the creators play with the existing variations on DC's characters in a familiar, but different, way. And there is a veritable murderers' row of artistic talent on display.

Generations: Shattered #1
Writers: Dan Jurgens, Andy Schmidt, & Robert Venditti
Artists: Ivan Reis, Joe Prado & Scott Hanna, Fernando Pasarin & Oclair Albert, Aaron Lopresti & Matt Ryan, Emanuela Lupacchino & Wade Von Grawbadger, Bernard Chang, Yanick Paquette, Kevin Nowlan, Dan Jurgens & Klaus Janson, Paul Pelletier & Sandra Hope, John Romita Jr. & Danny Miki, Doug Braithwaite, and Mike Perkins.
Colorist: Hi-Fi
Letterer: Tom Napolitano
Publisher: DC Comics
A threat of cosmic proportion to DC’s newest (and oldest) universe compels one of the most unusual groups of heroes ever assembled to take on the most mysterious foe they have ever encountered. What started in Detective Comics #1027 explodes out of Dark Nights: Death Metal to tell the story of the generations-spanning history of the DC Universe! Join the original Batman, Kamandi, Starfire, Sinestro, Booster Gold, Dr. Light, Steel, and Sinestro in their quest to save the universe before time runs out…
Price: $9.99
Read It Digitally: Generations Shattered #1

Something New

I find it kind of funny that both of my favorites from this first week of Future State essentially do the same thing: they forge their own identities in a time frame that seems wholly unrelated to much of what else is out there. They set up a new status quo that isn't necessarily tied to the other books. My favorites from week one of Future State are Swamp Thing and Wonder Woman.

Future State: Swamp Thing #1 is easily my favorite of this week, and it has the potential to be my favorite of all of Future State, but I am hopelessly biased when it comes toward mud-encrusted muck monsters. Ram V, Mike Perkins, June Chung, and Aditya Bidikar toss us into a world that seems to be long past the time of heroes, after a war where nature (in the form of a horned Swamp Thing) rose up and slaughtered the people who were causing harm to the planet. 

It picks up with an elder Swamp Thing (he seems to be Alec Holland, both through Aditya Bidikar using the standard word balloons and speech patterns established by Gaspar Saladino and the content of his dialogue and narration) and his rag tag group of plant people, trying to find any possible remnants of human society. Whether it's out of remorse, guilt, or simply want for companionship is unknown. The plant people themselves are wholly fascinating. Throughout the issue, V & Perkins essentially give us an anatomy lesson on how Swamp Thing created them, which I think is endlessly clever. It's not explicitly stated if they're wholly autonomous or simulacra, but it is mentioned that they are their own selves, which would suggest the former. It's interesting to see a humanity that fled all of nature by going north, and a confrontation on a Canadian island completely barren of plant life (though this might be changed in this world, since there looks like conifers through the snow), that tease us with a couple familiar faces for the next issue.

The artwork from Perkins and Chung balances a perfect mix of horror and desolation, encapsulating the monstrosity of Swamp Thing's plant people with both the emptiness of the world left behind by humans and the cold, quiet dark that beckons only death in the extreme north. Bidikar again proves that he's an incredible letterer, beautifully continuing on the established style of Swamp Thing's dialogue and branching out with unique appearances for the other plant people and our sole human.

Likewise, Future State Wonder Woman #1, by Joelle Jones, Jordie Bellaire, and Clayton Cowles, creates something new. Probably even more than Swamp Thing, since this one introduces an entirely new Wonder Woman in Yara Flor. It's also probably the funniest and most joyous entry into this first week books. There's an entirely different tone and approach here as the new Wonder Woman attempts to rescue one of her sister warriors from the Underworld. And it's incredibly refreshing.

The artwork from Jones and Bellaire is also probably the best of the week, but it's an incredibly high bar when you include the work of Perkins and Chung; Nick Derington and Tamra Bonvillain; Sumit Kumar, Raul Fernandez and Bellaire; Simone DiMeo and Bonvillain; and, well, I could probably include everyone from this week, really. If anything at all, DC didn't skimp when it came to impressive visual storytelling on Future State. The panel transitions, layouts, and character designs that Jones puts into this new Wonder Woman story are superb. Gorgeous action sequences and character work that just fully immerses you into the worlds that are present in the story, from the Amazon Rainforest to a very unique interpretation of the Underworld. It’s all elevated further by the lush color work of Bellaire. The rainforest is vibrant and there's a creepy, uneasiness to the green glow of part of the Underworld. 

There's a wonderful, almost effortless interpretation of numerous branches of mythology, from the traditional Greek gods through to Caipora, a somewhat puckish entity out of Tupi/Guarani mythology native to Brazil. Complete with a humorous aside about a foul mood when she was forced to quit smoking, a reference to some traditional depictions of the entity that would have been completely lost on me had I not looked it up. I like that kind of humor. Caipora is also an opportunity for Cowles to flex a bit, with a unique white text on a red background, for her word balloons. 

Wonder Woman is a beautiful, beautiful book that gives a window into a character I hope will become one of the new DC Universe's stars. I wholeheartedly recommend both it and Swamp Thing, even if you're not sold on the overall Future State event. These are simply the beginnings to what feel like good, solid stories. This is kind of what I hoped for with regards to how the event would roll out: new characters and new directions that present discrete stories building on the existing themes and ideas of the properties they grow from, all in exciting, unexpected ways.

Future State: Swamp Thing #1
Writer: Ram V
Artist: Mike Perkins
Colorist: June Chung
Letterer: Aditya Bidikar
Publisher: DC Comics
From the ashes of a terrible war, life blooms anew in Swamp Thing’s image. The remnants of humanity lie in hiding, forever in the shadow of the green god who now rules the planet. When the new avatar of the Green uncovers a stray human, a rebellion is revealed! But this Swamp Thing is no stranger to violent ends, and neither are his creations. If it’s war humanity wants, it will be at their doorstep-and Swamp Thing will never be the same!
Price: $3.99
Read It Digitally: Future State Swamp Thing #1

Future State: Wonder Woman #1
Writer & Artist: Joelle Jones
Colorist: Jordie Bellaire
Letterer: Clayton Cowles
Publisher: DC Comics
Deep in the heart of the Amazon rainforest lies a hero of mythic legend...Wonder Woman! But in the absence of Diana, Yara Flor has risen out of obscurity to protect Man’s World from the magic that lies within it. Along with her trusty steed, she journeys to the Underworld to rescue one of her Themysciran sisters from the grasp of Hades. Will she unleash the wrath of this god in the process? You won’t want to miss this first appearance of a character who will change the history of Wonder Woman forever!
Price: $3.99
Read It Digitally: Future State Wonder Woman #1

Something Borrowed

The next batch of books all kind of play on the same variation of a theme with how they approach the new world of Future State. These books are Superman of Metropolis, Harley Quinn, and The Next Batman, and each one of them takes a step forward from current events to elaborate further on what might happen to our characters. There's a mention in Superman of Metropolis that it's been 10 years since events that kicked off the new status quo, but it's not explicit as to whether this is supposed to be exactly ten years in the future or just since the instigating events. It's really the only story that gives any indication of a timeframe at all.

The future status quo for both Metropolis and Gotham City are somewhat similar, at least initially. Metropolis has been suffering under the digital heel of a Brainiac clone, while Gotham is under the more literal jackboot heel of The Magistrate. There are interesting parallels between the two cities, but they drastically diverge as Gotham continues under its oppressive state, while something radical happens to Metropolis.

Superman of Metropolis #1 features three stories, one a lead that introduces the new status quo and two back-ups that elaborate on the setting with secondary characters. The lead is the titular Superman of Metropolis, who turns out to be the former Superboy, Jonathan Kent, older and not necessarily wiser, as told by Sean Lewis, John Timms, Gabe Eltaeb, and Dave Sharpe. While it's definitely one of those stories where the intervening events from the time between the present and the future are sorely missing — enticing readers to want to fill in the blanks for the full picture — there's still something fascinating about what Jon does to Metropolis that raises some intriguing questions and puts the entire city in danger.

Basically, he shrinks the city and puts it under a dome, taking the Brainiac approach to protect the city from both the U.S. Military and BrainCells (that aforementioned Brainiac clone). This new status quo is what the back-ups play off of, but, personally, I think that it presents a compelling take on the actions of good and evil. Especially as it supercharges Supergirl (who is referred to as Supergirl here, though she's Superwoman in that title. I hope we'll find out why there….) as a somewhat incensed antagonist for part of the story.

The Next Batman #1 on the other hand, continues to operate under its oppressive regime, where masks have been outlawed and both heroes and villains have been put at odds with The Magistrate. This comic features three tales as well, although with a higher page count. The lead story — from John Ridley, Nick Derington, Tamra Bonvillain, and Clayton Cowles — follows our titular next Batman, growing out of the tease that we saw throughout the Joker War arc. I do have questions about how this fits in with the overall timeframe, since it feels to be very closely related to where we left off in Peter Tomasi and Brad Walker's Detective Comics run, as well as what Ridley and Olivier Coipel delivered in the Joker Warzone Special, but it's a minor point that doesn't really influence enjoyment of the story. Likewise the back-ups build off of fairly recent events.

And I do really quite like this one. There's a gritty, street level feel to it, of a new Batman without the benefit of technology or experience that echoes some of the qualities that made Year One special. I love what Ridley is doing with the character growth of the Fox family. As far as the art from Derington and Bonvillain, I don't know what to say. It's great stuff. Really great stuff. I really hope that once Future State has run its course, we see more of this somewhere. I like how Ridley is telling the Fox family's story and his approach to grounded street level superheroics is compelling. Especially when he's accompanied by artists as incredible as Derington.

What I think elevates both Superman of Metropolis and The Next Batman further is the return of back-ups and the anthology format. I know that anthologies, and their increased price, are not for everyone. In an increasingly budget-conscious time, I fully respect that, and understand why people would be reticent in purchasing extra content they perhaps don't want from a series wherein they'd otherwise support the lead. Here, the back-ups really enhance and deepen the overall setting and impression of the brave new worlds of Gotham and Metropolis. None of them feel like filler or wasted space and I welcome this approach going forward. Especially since it looks like the back-up format is going to replace what had been twice monthly titles when Infinite Frontier starts (for Batman and Detective Comics at least).

And then there's Harley Quinn #1 from Stephanie Phillips, Simone DiMeo, Tamra Bonvillain, and Troy Peteri. Although it does take place in the same Gotham under the watch of the Magistrate, and their agents do take a direct and prominent role in the new status quo for Harley, I weirdly almost completely missed their presence as the backbone to this story. Which, I'm sure if you've already read this issue, will have you wondering how that's even possible.

It's odd. Although this story absolutely works within the framework of the new Gotham lain out, this book feels mostly like a new take by an incoming creative team than specifically a Future State story. That's not a negative or a knock on the book at all, and bodes well for when Phillips and Riley Rossmo take over the ongoing series in Infinite Frontier, but it does make for an interesting story for Harley's future situation. We've got a Harley who's caught, forced to work for the Magistrate alongside Jonathan Crane to bring in other fugitive villains. It's a nice twist on Harley's previous stint as a psychiatrist, getting inside how the other villains think, and it sets up a possibly explosive confrontation for the second issue.

Also, this is the one that I think gets that retro future '80s vibe right. The neon glow of Tamra Bonvillain's colors are perfect for Harley Quinn in general, I think they would fit any time period with the character, but when combined with DiMeo's minimalist designs and action sequences, it captures the almost-Blade Runner aesthetic nicely.

Overall, for the first issues Superman of Metropolis, The Next Batman, and Harley Quinn, I'm on board for what comes next. Each of these builds on threads that we've seen from the present day titles, in some cases to the point where it seems like the timeframe between the two is negligible, and feel like logical next steps for what's coming.

Future State: Superman of Metropolis #1
“Superman of Metropolis”
Writer: Sean Lewis
Artist: John Timms
Colorist: Gabe Eltaeb
Letterer: Dave Sharpe

“Mister Miracle”
Writer: Brandon Thomas
Artist: Valentine de Landro
Colorist: Marissa Louise
Letterer: Dave Sharpe

“The Guardian”
Writer: Sean Lewis
Artists: Cully Hamner & Michael Avon Oeming
Colorist: Laura Martin
Letterer: AndWorld Design
Publisher: DC Comics
Price: $5.99
Read It All Digitally: Future State Superman of Metropolis #1

Future State: The Next Batman #1
“The Next Batman”
Writer: John Ridley
Artist: Nick Derington
Colorist: Tamra Bonvillain 
Letterer: Clayton Cowles

“Outsiders”
Writer: Brandon Thomas
Penciller: Sumit Kumar
Inkers: Sumit Kumar & Raul Fernandez
Colorist: Jordie Bellaire 
Letterer: Steve Wands

“Arkham Knights”
Writer: Paul Jenkins
Artist: Jack Herbert
Colorist: Gabe Eltaeb
Letterer: Rob Leigh
Publisher: DC Comics
Price: $7.99
Read It All Digitally: Future State The Next Batman #1

Future State: Harley Quinn #1
Writer: Stephanie Phillips
Artist: Simone DiMeo
Colorist: Tamra Bonvillain
Letterer: ALW's Troy Peteri
Publisher: DC Comics
Price: $3.99
Read It Digitally: Future State Harley Quinn #1

Something Blue

I hate to end on a downer, but I'd be remiss if I didn't at least touch on the one misfire I felt came out of this first week. It would probably be fair to say that Wally West fans haven't had the greatest of times since at least the New 52, when Wally was erased entirely, and probably before then when he got shuffled off to pasture around Final Crisis and Flash: Rebirth. Wally taking on the mantle of The Flash, being inspired by the death of Barry Allen, and running as the poster child for DC's legacy characters post-Crisis was probably one of the defining aspects of the 1986-2011 DC Universe.

Since then, he's been erased from the universe, replaced at least temporarily by a new version (in Wallace West, later revealed as a different relative. I actually quite like Wallace, so I don't really consider that a negative and would have been fine if he was the “real” Wally, but I digress), brought back as the linchpin to what “went wrong” with the DC Universe in DC Rebirth – only to mostly have that thread minimized, ignored, and shuffled off, had him repeatedly at odds with the “true” Flash in Barry Allen, had him outright murder an assortment of heroes, try to cover it up poorly, cause more chaos, and then try to “fix it” by stealing infinite cosmic powers to rewrite reality because all he really wants are his kids. It's been a rough run.

Now he's a murderous death entity stealing the Speed Force from speedsters and just killing other heroes in general. I'm sorry, but Future State: The Flash #1 is mean-spirited, grim, and depressing. The story pretty much embodies everything that I don't like to see in these future visions, turning everything into an oppressive zero sum game. There's no hope here, no real reason to carry on, and a feeling that the only natural conclusion to the story is the further death of our heroes, possibly Barry, but definitely Wally. I'm tired of this kind of storytelling.

It's not even saved by the artwork from Dale Eaglesham, who I think was a poor choice for this title. Do not get me wrong, I love Eaglesham's work, but I don't think that it's a fit for The Flash. There's a weight and a gravity to Eaglesham's characters that make them feel iconic, feel heavy, which is at odds with the movement and actions of the Flash Family. Instead of seeing kinetic motion come alive with the art, this feels static and stationary. You could well argue that this is an appropriate thing, given that the Flash Family have had their speed stolen, but it just reinforces to me that the story is running through a miasma of sludge.

For one of the symbols of hope across the DC Universe, this one feels a bit hopeless. If you like your futures grim dark, your heroes turned in evil murder machines, and death, lots of death, you might like this one. It's not for me.

Future State: The Flash #1
Writer: Brandon Vietti
Artist: Dale Eaglesham
Colorist: Mike Atiyeh
Letterer: Steve Wands
Publisher: DC Comics
With no powers, no backup and no other choice, Barry Allen and the other former Flashes face the deadliest threat they’ve ever encountered-Wally West. Possessed by an evil force trapped for thousands of years inside the Speed Force, Barry turns to his greatest foes’ weapons to save the young man he loves like a son. In the end, how much will Barry sacrifice to save the former Kid Flash?
Price: $3.99
Read It Digitally: Future State The Flash #1

And I thank anyone who actually got to the end of this. I was originally going to do something much more...concise, but I think the events of Wednesday just put me into some kind of trance to put thoughts to form to escape, even just a little bit. I'm still excited for what's to come in Future State and Infinite Frontier, looking forward to next week and beyond, to see how the pieces fit together.

NEXT: Dark Detective, Green Lantern, Justice League, Robin Eternal, Superman/Wonder Woman, Superwoman, & Teen Titans

d. emerson eddy is a student and writer of things. He fell in love with comics during Moore, Bissette, & Totleben's run on Swamp Thing and it has been a torrid affair ever since. His madness typically manifests itself on Twitter @93418.