I wasn't going to review this issue, since I had already decided to drop this series based on its FCBD preview. But, I will say that it has potential. First, it's nice to see Terry McGuinnis in action, particularly given how poorly the various "Batman Beyond" series have fared over the years. Second, the authors do a good job of building the drama, particularly the tense Stormwatch segment. The problem is that it's going to be hard to know how to emotionally engage with the series, given the sheer number of likely deaths (or, at least, unhappy endings). For example, the authors seemingly wipe out the entire Stormwatch team (including Apollo, Hawkman, and Midnighter) in the first half of the issue, but we're supposed to be shocked to discover that Green Lantern is dead. Given the fact that death might actually be a welcome option over becoming one of Brother Eye's minions, the authors are going to struggle, I imagine, to keep the emotional pitch constant. Bendis actually did a decent job of that early in "Age of Ultron," but it would be a challenge to maintain that over 52 issues. If I wasn't already committed to another weekly series ("Batman Eternal"), I'd consider getting it, but a guy has to draw a line somewhere, particularly given the upcoming Earth 2 weekly series.
*** (three of five stars)
Showing posts with label The New 52: Futures End (2014). Show all posts
Showing posts with label The New 52: Futures End (2014). Show all posts
Sunday, June 1, 2014
Tuesday, May 27, 2014
The New 52: Futures End FCBD Special Edition #0 (HERE BE SPOILERS!)
Meh. I've been on the fence about this series since it was announced, and I can't say anything here sold me on it.
Batman and Plastic Man apparently built the computer that evolves into Brother Eye, which has assimilated most of the Earth's humans (and its heroes) by the time of Batman Beyond's future. Bruce sends Terry into the past to prevent Brother Eye's rise, but they misjudge the time and he winds up arriving five years into our future, when Brother Eye has already begun consolidating his power. Essentially, it's "Age of Ultron," except the "past" is still our future.
The problem is that the author of this issue (whoever it is) falls into the same traps as Bendis did with the Ultron story, relying too much on the shock value of seeing how the heroes have been victimized (e.g., Black Canary's head becoming part of Frankenstein's torso) and focusing too little on the emotional impact that these changes had on the heroes themselves or on the philosophical implications of the choices that they're forced to make (e.g., Bruce condoning the murder of a mysterious person in the past, seemingly the point of Terry's mission). Given that we all know the conclusion of this story before it happens, as we did with "Age of Ultron," it's only the emotional and speculative parts of these stories that matter. The authors would be wise to take a page from Remender's current run on "Uncanny Avengers," rather than trying to shock and awe with violence. Either way, I won't be here much longer.
** (two of five stars)
Batman and Plastic Man apparently built the computer that evolves into Brother Eye, which has assimilated most of the Earth's humans (and its heroes) by the time of Batman Beyond's future. Bruce sends Terry into the past to prevent Brother Eye's rise, but they misjudge the time and he winds up arriving five years into our future, when Brother Eye has already begun consolidating his power. Essentially, it's "Age of Ultron," except the "past" is still our future.
The problem is that the author of this issue (whoever it is) falls into the same traps as Bendis did with the Ultron story, relying too much on the shock value of seeing how the heroes have been victimized (e.g., Black Canary's head becoming part of Frankenstein's torso) and focusing too little on the emotional impact that these changes had on the heroes themselves or on the philosophical implications of the choices that they're forced to make (e.g., Bruce condoning the murder of a mysterious person in the past, seemingly the point of Terry's mission). Given that we all know the conclusion of this story before it happens, as we did with "Age of Ultron," it's only the emotional and speculative parts of these stories that matter. The authors would be wise to take a page from Remender's current run on "Uncanny Avengers," rather than trying to shock and awe with violence. Either way, I won't be here much longer.
** (two of five stars)
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