DC Weekly: Batman Eternal #7 & Future’s End #3 (DC)

Rating: 3/5 – Average.  DC Tries to Grow a Strong Weekly Readership.
by ComicSpectrum reviewer Shawn Hoklas.

DC has really embraced the weekly format again this year as not only are we currently getting two series in Batman Eternal and Future’s End, and soon DC will release their third weekly title in October titled Earth 2: World’s End. Although DC has had great success with the weekly series 52, they’ve also missed the mark with the unpopular Trinity series. As DC tries their hand at it again, it seems as though so far DC has one hit and one miss, but which one is the hit and which one is the miss…

Batman Eternal #7 – 3.5/5 – HIT: A Must Read for Batman Fans.
Although Batman Eternal number seven may be the weakest issue in the series so far, the series as a whole has been plenty strong with tight pacing and storytelling despite all the creators involved. Commissioner Gordon has been arrested for a crime that he’s not sure how he committed which has plunged Gotham’s police department into a wave of corruption. Meanwhile, an old crime boss returns to Gotham which is causing all sorts of problems not only for Batman, but for the Penguin as well. Add in the complexity of Professor Pyg and things are becoming difficult in Gotham City. This issue deals mostly with Penguin and Professor Pyg, and explores how the above mentioned crime boss is affecting their lives and their business.

The art by Emanuel Simeoni is a step back from previous issues, but it’s still solid. Batman has a more unique look to him since Simeoni’s work is a bit more stylized. This series has been extremely enjoyable as the story isn’t branching off in so many directions. Instead it remains focused and clear by not adding so many different characters and plot lines. The writing by Scott Snyder and James Tynion is making this weekly even a must read for Batman fans.

The New 52: Future’s End #3 – 2.5/5 – MISS: Lacks the Excitement of the FCBD Opener.
Future’s End takes place in a DC Universe five years from now. At the end of the zero issue of Future’s End given away during this year’s Free Comic Book Day, Terry McGuiness or Batman Beyond is transported back in time to DC’s near future as he looks to prevent the horrendous future that’s to come from the assimilation of DC’s heroes by Brother Eye. Although that first issue was an exciting yet unoriginal opening, these first few issues have lacked that same excitement. Firestorm, Mr. Terrific and Grifter have been the stars of this series, and unfortunately none of them have been all that compelling, or likable. Brian Azzarello, Jeff Lemire, Dan Jurgens and Keith Giffen are all credited writers for this issue and although it flows together well, there’s just an overall lack of fun to the book.

On top of that, although Dan Jurgens provides the layouts for this third issue’s art, Mark Irwin’s finishes don’t positively add to the overall look. You can tell that this is a weekly series with the art, as it looks rushed and inconsistent. These characters have proven in the past that they’re unable to hold a series of their own so it’s smart for DC to try and shine the spotlight on them in hopes of boosting their popularity and showing how interesting they can be, but unfortunately their efforts are so far going to waste.

Reviewed by: Shawn Hoklas
(shawn@comicspectrum.com)
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