Comics Reviews

Futures End #18 review

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It’s amazing how varied each issue of Futures End can be. Even within the same issue, one section can bring you up and another will bring you down. Last week was a good week for the title. This week, being the start of Futures End month, you’d think DC would hit hard like last week to hopefully snag a few curious readers on the off chance they would want to see what Futures End is all about. DC doesn’t drop the ball completely here. I, being vested and up-to-date on what’s going on, enjoyed some of the plot furtherance here. Go ahead, look up “furtherance”, it might be the most memorable thing you’ll read here. It’s a real word.

  1. The Horn of Africa — Last week Kal-El erupted through the desert floor in a geyser right in front of Constantine and pals. It looked great too. This week, more time has lapsed and instead of the strange yet amazing scene of water geysers in the desert, Kal-El is tilling some dirt while Constantine drunkenly explains that he should come back and fight evil. The coming evil that is soul-crushing, end of all days type of evil. Kal-El is so burdened by what he did back in the Earth-2 war that he doesn’t want to come back to society. Constantine says Brainiac has awoken an avatar (that death dealing purple guy) to stop Kal-El because Brainiac fears Kal-El can stop it.
  2. Metropolis — A younger-than-Billy-Batson looking Lois Lane leans over an injured Billy Batson. The art here is disappointing. Some of the panels are jerky and our characters look odd. Billy is waking up and Rampage attacks again, throwing Billy who is
    Spoiler
    caught by Stormguard. Thank you Lois! You successfully name Billy, Rampage, and Stormguard for us! Glad you’re there. Stormguard proceeds to knock Rampage out and take Billy and Lois up to the Justice League Defense Station Omega out in space. This is where we learn that the League decided Superman needed to exist even if Clark didn’t want to be Superman anymore. Lois asks what she’s already suspected, “Where’s the real [Superman]?”
  3. Emiko and Barda — Riding a boat to an unspecified location in the Pacific ocean, Diggle, Emiko and Barda are headed to and arrive at the island Oliver Queen became Green Arrow. Green Arrow prepared for a secret war and this island was where he made contingency plans. Some of those include:
    Spoiler
    Green Arrow and Speedy? He’s alive? It would appear so…unless this is E2 Green Arrow or some other junk. Big teaser there.
  4. Cadmus Island — E2 superheroes are running amuck on the island killing people everywhere. We see this as we listen to Faraday’s side to much of a conversation between him and Brother Eye. Long of the short of it, Brother Eye may need Faraday’s assistance in the future and will hold Faraday’s family and more as ransom if he doesn’t assist Brother Eye when told to. Across the island, Slade, Lana Lang, and an unconscious Grifter hide in a cave of sorts. They discuss how they don’t have much time to live with all the E2 superheroes going nuts on the island. We learn that
    Spoiler
    Fifty Sue was Cadmus’s first attempt at growing a super human. So she is created.
    Power Girl sees them with her x-ray vision. She doesn’t act and I can’t tell if she’s about to blast them with heat vision or not, but the scene changes to another part of the island. Fifty Sue is talking to Brother Eye about what’s going on.
    Spoiler
    Fifty Sue doesn’t appreciate Brother Eye and is going to stand against it. Brother Eye, however, has control over the island’s “purge option” which would wipe out the whole island if it had to. Stubborn Fifty Sue says she’s going to make demands regardless of what Brother Eye says. She even taunts Brother Eye’s “lamest name ever.” I did laugh at that.
  5. Terrifitech — Key will get them in Terrifitech. Coil will keep them there with assistance from Terry. Plastique will get terrified or screw up because her mind is clearly on the cyborg she saw with Terry several issues ago that looked just like her. Her goal is to get them out. And…scene.

Recommended if:

  • You want to see at least one interesting reveal.
  • You’ve been waiting for some info on Fifty Sue.
  • You’d like to pick up on small details that will likely be featured in future issues.

Overall:

There are a couple good nuggets in this issue but nothing to go wet your pants over. The plot is continually getting thicker with each issue, though I wish it would happen quicker. This being the start of Futures End month, I thought this would have been a better comic but I can’t complain when I look at the series as a whole.

SCORE: 5/10