FCBD 2014: The New 52 Futures End #0

By Brian Azzarello, Jeff Lemire, Dan Jurgens, Keith Giffin & Ethan Van Sciver

Happy Free Comic Book Day, everyone! If you’re a long time reader, then good for you! If you’re a noob, then welcome to the fascinating world of comics. You know, those pictures with word balloons that are the basis of all of your favorite movies. Today, let’s look at one of the most important free books of the day: The New 52 Futures End #0

As far as substance and depth go, this issue is severely lacking. However, there is more than enough to get everybody excited for DC’s new weekly series. Issue #0 acts as a prelude for the things to come. Details are still a little hazy, but we are still able to put a few things together. Apparently, Earth is now a post-apocalyptic wasteland, under the control of Brother Eye. Older DC fanboys will have some very fond memories of the Brother Eye/OMAC. Now, after the brutal death of countless heroes, it’s up to Batman Beyond to save the day by going back to the past. Wow, this is heavy.

Futures End is a very violent comic, meant to show readers just how bad things have become. Luckily, DC has a FCBD alternative that’s a little more appropriate for children. Older fans should love the material presented, but any newcomers walking in the comic shop for the first time will be completely lost.

As usual, the art of Ethan Van Sciver is wonderful. From a bearded old man Flash to Frankenstein with Black Canary’s head stitched to his chest, the visual presentation is phenomenal. The action is violent, but it never goes overboard. Overall, this is some of the best art from FCBD 2014.

The New 52 Futures End #1 is coming to shops on May 7th, so the time to get on board is now. DC has a tradition of high quality titles that release weekly and this series should be the same. This is going to be a fun ride.