The Good

Batman may have gone through the five stages of grief, but no one can ever truly get past losing a child -- not even Batman. That's the focus of this FUTURES END tie-in: the fact that Batman is still haunted by the loss of his son and he will never be able to get proper closure. Now, I know what some of you are thinking. "Do I really need to see even more of Batman acting broody and emotional over the loss of his son?" Thankfully, writer Ray Fawkes' script isn't heavy-handed with this and our look at Batman's feelings is primarily displayed through his actions, not his dialogue. When he comes face-to-face with a being that could possibly be the Heretic, the beast that killed his son, he'll do everything he can to get answers and to make sure the latest Robin doesn't go anywhere near the murderer.

Some of you may think Batman acts foolishly in this and the tactical genius should attempt to solve the dispute with his equipment, not his fists. After all, Batman had major trouble with Heretic even when he was in his prime. While I do partially agree, I think the point of Bruce pushing himself physically does a better job supporting the bigger picture and shows the lengths he'll go in this situation. He'd be willing to die before seeing another Robin fall at the Heretic's hands and he's not going to let his son's killer slip away. Even though this is a stand alone story, it honestly left me wanting to see more of Batman and Robin in this timeline -- something not many of the tie-ins have accomplished.

Much of this issue is dedicated to a brawl between Batman and "the Heretic," and artist Dustin Nguyen, inker Derek Fridolfs, and colorist John Kalisz do an awesome job presenting most of the battle. Their Batman is stocky and gruff; you can tell the years haven't been kind to him but he's holding on to his ways and he's far too stubborn to quit. It draws some parallels to how Frank Miller handled Batman in THE DARK KNIGHT RETURNS and it's a fitting look for the character, especially in this scenario. Meanwhile, the new Robin is the polar opposite of the Dark Knight. He's slick, bright and high tech. His best years are by no means behind him and he enthusiastically leaps into these battles. It's a nice contrast between the teammates and we don't even need the exposition to get a handle on how they're feeling in this futuristic world.

The Bad

Honestly, Damian's death and the aftermath was a pretty emotional ride for me. We all knew Robin would die (I guess it's okay to spoil stuff in advance if it leads to more sales?), but it was still done well and, I know not everyone agrees, but I really appreciated all of the follow-up. While this does a fine job presenting the fact Batman will never let go of such an event, the emotional connection just wasn't there for me. We see glimpses of Damian's death and we know what's driving Batman, but the issue just never struck me on an emotional level.

The brawl is totally engaging and had me anxious to see how it'll conclude, but the panel that shows how it's resolved felt very static. It's almost as if they're holding that position for the artist to bring them to life and, unlike the rest of the fight, you can't appreciate the speed and force in the moment. It's not the biggest deal around, but considering it's supposed to be the move that ends the fight, it would have been appreciated if it packed a little more impact and intensity.

The Verdict

BATMAN AND ROBIN: FUTURES END #1 doesn't feel like a mandatory or even important read, but it's still a very satisfying and engrossing one. The look at Batman and Robin in the future left me legitimately interested in seeing more and the artwork impressed. The potential return of the Heretic offered a subtle insight into Batman and served as a good way to give us a little bit of focus on Alfred and the new Robin, too. Plus, there's a pretty brutal fight, and honestly, who doesn't love watching Batman refuse to back down, even when the odds are stacked against him? It may not be that compelling or emotional, but it's an adventure that's good for your eyes and it's most certainly entertaining.

So if this is five years away and Damian is still dead that means he isn't being resurrected in robin rises. Correct?

@jayc1324 said:

No, these are possible futures.

May have to check this out.

Future End shows a timeline that will likely be changed, but Robin Rises will have happened too far in the past, I don't see any timeline change affecting that.

It would seem it's pretty clear Damian won't be back. While I didn't expect that, I liked being able to hope it was a possibility.

I agree with Gregg though, I thought the follow up regarding Damian's death was handled excellently, and I think it makes a lot of sense for Batman to react the way he did in this issue.

Terry or someone will gp back and time and fix the 5 year future

Duke as robin is my favorite part of this issue and I really really hope he becomes the new robin.

I want to see more of this Duke kid.

I summed up Futures End in one sentence: "5 years later everyone becomes a turd." That's just about it.

Really interested in this issue. This & Teen Titans are the only Futures End titles that have grabbed my attention. Hoping to pick them up this weekend

I know this is only the first time we've seen him in action, but Duke makes a pretty sweet Robin.

@johnny_blaze: Who is duke?

This was one of my favorite Futures End stories so far. Other than the costume I thought Duke was a really rad partner for Bruce.

who was this heretic? If i remember right, the old heretic doesnt have a very good head on his shoulders anymore.....

Duke Thomas,Harper Row, hey DC if you want to write Tim Drake so badly then write Tim Drake,dont give us pointless,watered down versions of superior characters with superficial changes(Duke being black,Harper being a girl with a gay brother) to appear politically correct.

Some of these will be canon or partially canon I bet, and people forget this is 5 years into the future. Terry's mission isn't to prevent 5 years, it's 20 with preventing Brother Eye or Brainiac whoever he is from killing everyone down the line.

I think whenever someone dies it's always a sale booster Marvel's doing the same thing now with Wolverine, but if the stories good it'll sell well regardless concerning the article.

@entropy_aegis: agreed. They need to tone down the political correctness in DC and Marvel of late. Some of these newer "versions of previous characters being minorities" feels forced to me.

@entropy_aegis: seriously, if they're going to bring Damian back then they should do it already.

if they're going to keep him dead then i really wish they'd give Tim Drake some long overdue respect and stop giving us these uninspired cardboard sidekicks.