CREDIT: DC Comics
Rating: 3.5/5 – Batman is Continuing Strong & Future’s End is Slowly Coming Together.
by ComicSpectrum reviewer Shawn Hoklas.
The last time we reviewed Batman Eternal and Future’s End, DC’s two weekly series, they were just getting started. Batman Eternal was for sure the hit of the two series, but slowly, Future’s End is starting to pick up as multiple story lines come together. Although still not as strong as Batman Eternal, Future’s End is starting to click with its large roster of DC’s B and C list heroes.
Batman Eternal #13 – 4/5 – Continuing Strong.
When looking at the two series, Batman Eternal is just tighter. The story reads better issue to issue, and because there is a limited amount of plot lines going on at once each issue is a satisfying read. In issue thirteen, Jason Bard continues to show that you don’t have to wear a costume to be a hero in Gotham City. As Commissioner Gordon heads to trial for his perceived role in the death of numerous Gothamites from issue number one, Detective Jason Bard is doing his part to put the heat on crime lord and returning Gotham villain, Carmine Falcone. This series continues to surprise me with it’s extremely tight pacing as the multiple writers still manage to make the book feel as though it has a singular vision. There’s very little filler aan each page feels purposeful and impactful.
In addition, although the art on the book changes every two to three issues, each artist has brought something new to the book. This issue has Mikel Janin and Guillermo Ortego handling the art chores and it’s a nice fit. They do a great job with the amount of characters out of costume in this issue, showing a wide range of facial expressions that clearly show the tension in each of this issue’s themes. Although there’s really only one scene with Batman, their portrayal of the Dark Knight is something that you’ll definitely want to see more of, and hopefully we will.
The New 52: Future’s End #9 – 3.5/5 – Slowly Coming Together.
Where Batman Eternal’s pacing is a strength, because of the amount of different story lines and characters involved, Future’s End hasn’t had the same level of consistency. Now nine issues in, you really get the sense that all the different threads are slowly coming together. Deathstroke, Grifter, Mr. Terrific, Batman Beyond and even Omacs all appear in this ninth issue. It’s a lot to keep track of, but DC made the right choice to release this series weekly. The amount going on in this series would be a challenge to the monthly reader in trying to remember what happened in previous issues. Reading this book weekly has limited the confusion, while slowly hooking me as a reader.
Azzarello, Lemire, Jurgens and Giffen are doing their best to try and make this story as cohesive as possible and although there were doubts at the beginning of this series, it looks as though over time they’ve begun to find their groove together. Frankenstein is investigating the death of the Stormwatch team while Mr. Terrific is learning that he may not be the smartest man on the planet after all. While the art isn’t as much to my liking as the art of Batman Eternal, artist Patrick Zircher does an adequate job with the huge roster of characters involved. Overall, this book is getting better with each issue and if it’s something you’ve been staying away from, it may be a book you want to give a second chance to.
Reviewed by: Shawn Hoklas
(shawn@comicspectrum.com)
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