Future State: Batman/Superman #1 Review

Writer: Gene Luen Yang

Artist: Ben Oliver

Rating: 5 of 8

Future State

Batman/Superman #1

 'To thine own self be true'. Many years ago, that's what the Bard wrote in Hamlet - and though both the line and play themselves are a lot older now than they once were, it's meaning is still as relevant today as it's ever been. You've got to be true to who you are, even if everyone doesn't really like who that is.

It's a lesson the Caped Crusader definitely takes to heart, even if that has some decidedly deadly consequences for the people he loves most. Though the question is, is that the case because of who he is - or because those who hurt them have learned that lesson too? 

Sadly, who he is could be the very thing that gets him killed, as he faces off against the Magistrate - and more - in the early days of their totalitarian regime. Fittingly, he and Superman encounter a group of people trying to hide their identities in order to fight this regime and, for one, save someone they love. It brings up an interesting counterpoint to what Clark said earlier, as he feels immense relief after revealing who he really is to the world.

But, as Batman posits, 'Not everyone can be like you, Clark. Some of us need masks'. It's something another character puts into practice as, he, too, uses his anonymity to fight against the oppressive force that surrounds them. If there's anything Oliver does well, it's in the dynamism he brings to the art. Throughout, he brings us some pretty dynamic art, like a brief fight between the Man of Steel and Magistrate robots, the above scene and the ending itself. It definitely helps to add some punch to the issue, which is definitely fitting for a comic like this.

Overall, it's a pretty good issue, though not as good some other Batman/Superman tales, or ones from their respective titles. If there's just two things I'd criticize, it's just how unwise Superman acts at times, which would make sense if it was a younger Superman like Conner or Jon, but it's not, so it doesn't really fit. Oliver also makes the hero look a little younger than he should, given just how old the character is now. Otherwise, Yang does pretty well in capturing the hero's voices, especially Batman's stoicism and Superman's endless compassion.