Funeral for a hero.
Writers Brian Azzarello, Keith Giffen, Dan Jurgens, Jeff Lemire; penciler, Jesus Merino; and inker, Dan Green journey into another issue of the Futures End! This time, we see the funeral for Green Arrow and a diabolical plan that is a mystery to most.
The Good
If you didn't know already, Green Arrow is dead. He died in the last issue; this, is now the time of mourning the emerald archer. And man, is it really engaging!
While superhero deaths are a normal cliche in comic books; and, very rarely do I actually care when a hero dies, this is different! Green Arrow's death is a small part in a larger story. And I really enjoyed how the writers used Arrow's death to really propel the story to an interesting place, and introduce [to me] the reader a very complicated and immersive world.
The writers accomplished that said goal by giving us one character; Mr. Terrific! Mr. Terrific, to me at least, didn't necessarily interest me. I knew who the guy was and what his role is, in this series. However, he never struck me to be a character that was really complex! And I loved how the writers introduced his character. Utilizing Green Arrow's funeral, the writers gave us a situation that allowed us to get a small, but very interesting, glimpse of Mr. Terrific and how he thinks/operates. They showed that Mr. Terrific is probably the best hero, or even superhero, solely because he is cocky enough to reject being a member of the Justice League. Not only did Mr. T reject joining the League; he's also a better superhero and public success than the League! That was really amazing to see how; in, a very limited time frame, Mr. Terrific became the most interesting character.
Another wonderful aspect about, Futures End, is that it has it's own little world. Futures End is a small part in the New 52 universe. Granted it's not in the New 52 continuity, but to me, that's for the best! Being mainstream with New 52; means, that the writers would have to play by the New 52's rules -- it's stories. However, the writers for Futures End they can pick and chose what stories they want from the New 52 to create this world. I like how in this issue they talk about Darkseid wars and stuff like that. It's really amazing! Plus, I like how Batman Beyond is the center of this universe; it's really just a very immersive world!
What's a great story without great artwork? The art team did a really amazing job on the artwork and at making it as good as the story!
The Bad
No complaints, I love this world and its story!
The Verdict
If you are interested in this series, starting here probably won't make you want to pick up this series on a weekly bases. This issue purely focuses on those that are 100% dedicated to the story and want to know how it'll end. If you are skeptical about the series; I suggest that you read the free #0 from Free Comic Book Day 2014. It'll get you acquainted with the characters, and story, while teasing an immersive world. This second issue was amazing! It made me love this world even more because of how unique it is from the current New 52 stories. The artwork that went along with this issue was perfect as well! 5 out of 5.
Futures End Reviews -