Review: Future State - Dark Detective #4

“Finale” and “Run, Red Hood, Run”

Writers: Mariko Tamaki, and Joshua Williamson
Artists: Dan Mora, and Giannis Milonogiannis
Color Artist: Jordie Bellaire
Letterers: Aditya Bidikar, and ALW’s Troy Peteri
Review by Steve J. Ray

This is it, Future State: Dark Detective #4 is the grand finale, before the regular Detective Comics returns next month… and what a great finale it is!

Mariko Tamaki has delivered a first rate four issue mini-series. We’ve met amazing new characters, had fresh and interesting takes on old ones, and seen a thrilling, intriguing and dangerous new world. This is a great take on Batman, and Bruce Wayne hasn’t felt this real, or this dangerous in a long, long time.

We also get to see beneath the mask of Peacekeeper 01, the man who “killed” Batman, and the brains behind the Magistrate. I’m not spoiling anything here, but if that’s who I think is, when Detective Comics returns we have a load of questions that need answering, in the run up to when events in that book catch up to what we’ve seen in Future State.

Dan Mora rules! Man, the art in this book has been so stellar that I have to buy it again when the trade collection comes out. This guy is a consummate storyteller, draftsman, and artist. I’ve loved his work since Klaus, but with every new book he draws, the better he gets. Of course, when partnered with the excellent colors and letters of Jordie Bellaire and Aditya Bidikar, this whole book feels like a wondrous gift, wrapped in a big, black, bat-shaped bow.

Book of Revelations

The Red Hood back up strip also shocks and surprises. I’ve had my suspicions about what Jason Todd has really been up to, and I was glad to see that I was right. What am I talking about? Read the comic, and then pick up Jason’s upcoming Future State based series.

Joshua Williamson writes an amazing Jason Todd, and please keep your eyes on the backgrounds, as Giannis Milonogiannis has hidden gems there, one of which adds a terrific twist to the tale. In my review for issue #2 I said I didn’t love his art, well I do believe that this guy’s growing on me. The look of this story (with colors completely unlike the ones that Jordie Bellaire gave us in the main strip, what a talent!), is pitch perfect. Troy Peteri, as expected, also does a terrific job with the lettering.

Conclusion

I hate that this series is over, and more questions have been raised than have been answered, but I’ve absolutely loved it.

Is Peacekeeper 01 who I think it is? If so… OMG WTF?!? How did things get from how they were in Detective Comics #1033, to what we’ve seen in Future State: Dark Detective #4? Furthermore, how does what we’ll see next month, in Detective Comics #1034, even begin bridge that gap?

I can’t wait to find out!

Images Courtesy of DC Entertainment

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Thought Bubble 2024 convention & festival dates announced

Image
Article by Steve J. Ray Thought Bubble  is, without a doubt, the UK’s best entirely comic-based convention and art festival. I’ve been fortunate enough to attend the show for the last three years, and have been anxious to see what’s in store this year. Well, the wait is over, as the team behind the event has announced the Thought Bubble 2024 convention & festival dates. THOUGHT BUBBLE ANNOUNCES 2024 COMIC CONVENTION & FESTIVAL DATES ACCLAIMED COMIC ART CONVENTION AND FESTIVAL TO TAKE PLACE ACROSS YORKSHIRE THIS NOVEMBER THOUGHT BUBBLE FESTIVAL LEEDS & ACROSS YORKSHIRE 11 -17 NOVEMBER 2024 THOUGHT BUBBLE COMIC CONVENTION HARROGATE CONVENTION CENTRE 16 & 17 NOVEMBER 2024   https://www.thoughtbubblefestival.com “Thought Bubble is the place to be. This is the show where everyone feels and is treated like family” –  Dark Knight News “Thought Bubble is the most important comic convention around” –  Popverse Returning to the Harrogate Convention Centre,...
Read more

Mystic Muses: A D&D Podcast

Image
Article by Philip Clark An all queer cast. An all femme ensemble. A non-binary Dungeon Master. Throw in some quality story-telling and role playing too, this sounds like a whole lot of fun! If any of the previously mentioned things has piqued your interests, then I implore you to check out Mystic Muses. You can find this wonderfully crafted podcast where you can find all your other favourites including Spotify. There are currently four episodes out. Episode 0 is the prologue and character introductions, and I have to say it is very well put together! The intro to each episode is cleverly crafted, with the players and DM each sounding off a sentence to bring us into the game space. Speaking of bringing us into the game space, Adam, the talented DM sets the scene for the story very nicely. A descriptive, yet concise introduction to the environment gives both the players and audience a vibe of what we're in for. Then come the delicious character introductions that give vivid descripti...
Read more

Fantastic Universes Interview: Madison, Matthew and Macsen Lintz From 'The Walking Dead'

Image
Interview panel led by Steve J. Ray, with a gathering of Comic/TV Media Journalists. I've spoken to some amazing people over the last couple of years; writers, artists, costume designers, and actors from some of my favorite TV shows. It's no secret that I'm a huge comic-book fan, and one of the TV series that's based on and inspired by a comics title - but has gone on to be so much more - is The Walking Dead . At a recent Comic-Con in London, I had the great opportunity of leading a panel where some fellow journalists and I spoke with Madison, Matthew and Macsen Lintz, three siblings who played Sophia and both iterations of Henry on the show. The eldest, Madison Lintz (born 1999) played Sophia Peletier - Carol's daughter - in the first two seasons. She's also well known for playing Maddie Bosch in the Amazon series Bosch . She started acting at the age of six, filming commercials and voice-overs. Matthew (born 2001) took over the role of Henry from ...
Read more