Future State is the name of DC Comics’ upcoming major crossover event and, by its name, takes place in the near- and distant future of the DC Universe.
“The DC Universe has always been fertile ground for new and refreshing takes on our characters, and DC Future State definitely contributes to this legacy,” said DC Executive Editor Marie Javins. “When the event begins in January, some savvy readers will not only pick up on some of the breadcrumbs that have already been tossed out in our current titles, but they will also find new hints and clues of what’s to come in 2021.”
From January to February 2021, Future State will feature a limited series that put DC’s current titles and storylines on hold until March 2021.
Don’t worry, Future State will not be a reboot. If anything, it’s quite the opposite. By publishing sets in DC Future(s), readers get to enjoy stories set in continuity but as a result of time, a number of new factors will be introduced from characters to teams to threats.
For instance, Bruce Wayne is now going by the moniker, the Dark Detective. Clark Kent has become an off-world Superman, while his son has become Earth’s Man of Steel. There’s a new Wonder Woman chosen from the Amazon rainforest, Yara Flor.
If you know me, you know that my attention is always on Gotham so I can’t wait to see what’s in store for Gotham’s future with a pseudo-retired Bruce Wayne. The Wonder Women of yesterday and tomorrow also caught my eye. Our classic Wonder Woman, Diana, can be seen with Bat-emblemed accessories in the preview images. And as a big fan of team-ups, I’ll be picking up Justice League, Suicide, and Teen Titans of course. Thank goodness Justice League is an anthology with Justice League Dark included with the book.
Read on below to learn about the different “family lines” of titles, DC will be publishing for Future State, and let us know which books and characters you’re most excited for.
Batman Family
In this future, Gotham City is controlled by the Magistrate. This villainous regime has taken control of the city, now under constant surveillance. All masked vigilantes have been outlawed and Batman has been killed. But led by an all-new Batman, a new assembly of Gotham’s guardians rise to give hope to all of those who lost it!
Future State: The Next Batman and Future State: Dark Detective are going to be four-issue, bimonthly oversized anthology series.
Future State: The Next Batman #1-4 include:
- The Next Batman by John Ridley, Nick Derington, and Laura Braga
- Outsiders by Brandon Thomas and Sumit Kunar
- Arkham Knights by Paul Jenkins and Jack Herbert
- Batgirls by Vita Ayala and Aneke
- Gotham City Sirens by Paula Sevenbergen and Emanuela Lupacchino
Future State: Dark Detective #1-4 include:
- Dark Detective by Marika Tamaki and Dan Mora
- Grifters by Matthew Rosenberg and Carmine di Giandomenico
- Red Hood by Joshua Williamson and Giannis Milonogiannis
Two-issue monthly limited series in the Batman Family include:
- Batman/Superman by Gene Luen Yang and Ben Oliver
- Catwoman by Ram V and Otto Schmidt
- Harley Quinn by Stephanie Phillips and Simone Di Meo
- Nightwing by Andrew Constant and Nicola Scott
- Robin Eternal by Meghan Fitzmartin and Eddy Barrows
Superman Family
Due to his involvement in an international crisis happening in the near future, Clark Kent has been rejected by Earth, causing him to focus his lifesaving efforts outside his adopted home. He travels to Warworld to rise through the ranks of gladiatorial combat in order to defeat Mongul with the help of some unlikely heroes. Back in Metropolis, Clark’s son Jon has taken on the mantle of Superman. After seeing the horrors that befell Gotham, he bottles Metropolis in order to keep it safe, putting him at odds with Supergirl.
Future State Superman includes three oversized anthologies: Superman of Metropolis, Superman: Worlds of War, and Immortal Wonder Woman.
Future State: Superman of Metropolis #1-2 include:
- Superman of Metropolis by Sean Lewis and John Timms:
- The Guardian by Sean Lewis and Cully Hammer
- Mister Miracle by Brandon Easton and Valentine De Landro
Connecting the two oversized Future State: Superman titles, Shilo Norman, the man known as Mister Miracle, finds himself caught between the city he grew up in and the battle-torn planet that could be his downfall.
Future State: Superman: Worlds of War #1-4 include:
- Superman: Worlds of War by Phillip and Mikel Janin
- Midnight by Becky Cloonan, Michael W. Conrad, and Gleb Melnikov
- Black Racer by Jeremy Adams and Siya Oum
- Mister Miracle by Brandon Easton and Valentine De Landro
Meanwhile, in the Amazon rainforest, Yara Flor is chosen to be the new Wonder Woman. Years later, the new Superman and Wonder Woman join forces to save their cities in a new superhero team-up the likes of which the world has never seen.
Future State: Immortal Wonder Woman #1-2 include:
- Immortal Wonder Woman by Becky Cloonan, Michael W. Conrad, and Jen Bartel
- Nubia by L.L. McKinney, Alitha E. Martinez, and Mark Morales
Limited series and one-shots in the Superman Family include:
- House of El by Phillip Kennedy Johnson and Scott Godlewski (one-shot on sale February 2021)
- Kara Zor-El, Superman by Marguerite Bennet and Marguerite Sauvage (two-issue series)
- Legion of Super-Heroes by Brian Michael Bendis and Riley Rossmo (two-issue series)
- Superman/Wonder Woman by Dan Watters and Leila del Duca (two-issue series)
- Superman vs. Imperious Lex by Mark Russell and Steve Pugh (three-issue series ending March 2021)
- Wonder Woman by Joëlle Jones (two-issue series)
Justice League Family
A thread of great change runs through the Justice League heroes: a new League is built upon secret identities (even from each other), but an old and evolved enemy will use these secrets to try and overthrow the world. For the supernatural heroes of Justice League Dark, the very fabric of reality has shifted, and heroes are being hunted.
Future State: Justice League Family include three anthologies are two-issue, oversized monthly series:
Future State: Justice League #1-2 include:
- Justice League by Joshua Williamson and Robson Rocha
- Justice League Dark by Ram V and Marcio Takara
For Flash, Shazam, and the Teen Titans, it all begins when the four Riders of the Apocalypse unleash hell in a battle at Titans Academy, Barry Allen is cut off from the Speed Force, a Famine-controlled Wally West may be beyond saving, and Billy Batson makes a deal with the devil that will change Shazam forever. Off-world, John Stewart and the remaining Green Lanterns are stranded in the shadow of a dead power battery; Jackson Hyde and Andy Curry are separated across the galaxy, and Amanda Waller executes her ultimate plan with a new but terrifyingly familiar Suicide Squad on Earth-3.
Future State: Green Lantern #1-2 include:
- Last Lanterns by Geoffrey Thorne and Tom Raney
- Tales of the Green Lanterns Corps by Josie Campbell, Ryan Cady, and Ernie Altbacker, with Sami Basri and Clayton Henry
Future State: Suicide Squad #1-2 include:
- Suicide Squad by Robbie Thompson and Javi Fernandez
- Black Adam: One Million by Jeremy Adams and Fernando Pasarin
At the end of time, Swamp Thing reveals its true intention, ruling supreme until a remnant of humanity launches a rebellion, and Black Adam looks to the past as the only way to save the future of the Multiverse.
Two-issue monthly limited series in the Future State Justice League Family include:
- Aquaman by Brandon Thomas and Daniel Sampere
- The Flash by Brandon Vietti and Dale Eaglesham
- Teen Titans by Tim Sheridan and Rafa Sandoval
- SHAZAM! by Tim Sheridan and Eduardo Panic
- Swamp Thing by Ram V and Mike Perkins
