DC Comics goes into the future with a new weekly series by an all-star creative team. The New 52 Futures End by Dan Jurgens, Jeff Lemire, Keith Giffen and Brian Azzarello kicked off on Free Comic Book Day with a free zero issue.
In an apocalyptic future Bruce Wayne sends Terry McGinnis back in time to prevent the enslavement of the Justice League and most of humanity. The story picks up 5 years from the present as Batman Beyond takes the lead to reshape destiny. This is The New 52 debut of Terry/Batman Beyond.
“Really, what we’re trying to do with this book is to explore the nature of what a hero is and we’re doing that, obviously by playing with the future of the New 52 timeline,” Lemire told Associated Press . “Past present and future all colliding in this story line.”
Three prominent characters in the series with be Frankenstein in the past, Firestorm in the present and Batman Beyond in the future but as Lemire explains there’s a mandate “to create new characters and new concepts that will hopefully have a life beyond the series.”
Ethan Van Scriver, Jesus Merino, Aaron Loprestri and Jurgens are the artist on the series. Giffen worked on 52, the publisher’s weekly series from 2006 that explored a lost year without Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman that brought new and long lost characters to the forefront.
The is the second weekly series by DC coming in 2014. Batman Eternal stars the Dark Knight family with Scott Snyder in the role of show runner leading a team of writers.
Here are previews from the first four issues courtesy DC comics:
THE NEW 52 – FUTURES END #1
Written by KEITH GIFFEN, DAN JURGENS, BRIAN AZZARELLO and JEFF LEMIRE
Art by PATRICK ZIRCHER
Cover by RYAN SOOK
Five years from now, the DC Universe is reeling from a war with another Earth, leaving the world unprepared for an approaching evilthat threatens to destroy the future. Can a time-traveling Batman Beyond help a massive cast of the DCU’s finest avert the impending apocalypse? Find out in this new weekly series that will forever alter the direction of The New 52! In this debut issue of The New 52’s weekly series, Batman Beyond arrives five years later! Grifter turns against humanity! And a Justice League member DIES!
THE NEW 52 – FUTURES END #2
Written by KEITH GIFFEN, DAN JURGENS, BRIAN AZZARELLO and JEFF LEMIRE
Art by JESUS MERINO and DAN GREEN
Cover by RYAN SOOK
The entire DC Universe gathers to mourn a fallen hero! Plus the secrets of the DCU five years later arrive at Lois Lane’s door!
THE NEW 52 – FUTURES END #3
Written by KEITH GIFFEN, DAN JURGENS, BRIAN AZZARELLO and JEFF LEMIRE
Art by DAN JURGENS and MARK IRWIN
Cover by RYAN SOOK
Did Firestorm kill a member of the Justice League? Who is watching Batman Beyond? And why is Frankenstein living in an igloo?!
THE NEW 52 – FUTURES END #4
Written by KEITH GIFFEN, DAN JURGENS, BRIAN AZZARELLO and JEFF LEMIRE
Art by AARON LOPRESTI and ART THIBERT
Cover by RYAN SOOK
Where is Red Robin? Who wants to steal from the world’s most famous man? And whatever happened to Stormwatch?
The New 52 – Futures End#1 arrives Wednesday.
By Editor