Last week’s FUTURES END seemed to really slow down in terms of progress. While this week’s issue is better, it’s far from being the book we want this to be. While more attention is paid to Superman, we also see glimpses of what life is like for your Earth 2 prisoners. As mysteries continue to build, the series inches closer and closer to converging its plotlines together, and revealing the threat that our future heroes must face.
Positives
Lois and Superman’s conversations aren’t overly exciting but present an interesting contrast. Almost everyone knows what kind of relationship Lois and Superman have in the present, but their interactions here appear much different. While noth
ing explicit is revealed about Superman, much a can be extrapolated from his conversations subtext. His vocabulary and demeanor are obviously different, which implies another person is behind the mask, but he doesn’t seem to be willing to openly admit such a thing to be true. Some may have minor gripes with the overall Superman plotline but the conversations with Lois remain to be a high point, especially to classic Super-fans.
Finally getting to see some classic Earth 2 characters is very rewarding. With the war with Earth 2 being brought up countless times in the past, it’s hard to believe that more Earth 2 characters haven’t popped up in the series. The series’ writers quickly address many aspects about the prison right away while also introducing a bit of mystery. At times this series has been known to introduce new mysteries before old ones are even touched. So, it’s nice to see some of our more obvious questions answered before giving us new things to think about.
Negatives
While Artist Scott Eaton does a great job overall, I do have one minor gripe. His Lois Lane has an odd looking face. I understand that it’s raining and dark out, but some panels just looked odd. Fortunately her odd facial features are balanced out by Eaton’s stunning and imposing Superman.
While some issues seem to try and build towards a common goal others seem 
to be completely content with being a set of separate storylines. While common threats are hinted at, nothing seems to ever appear and the series suffers because of it. It would be nice to see everyone slowly working towards the same thing instead on slowly working towards their own individual goals. If there is no connection to the premise of the entire series then the individual series will suffer from lacking any significance. I understand flushing out the differences between a character’s future self and present self, but when your 15 issues in its time to pick up the pace.
Verdict
I’m beginning to think I enjoy the idea of this series more than the series itself. Its premise and art have been solid but the pacing continues to remain slow. While the conversation between Superman and Lois kept me intrigued the rest of the issue fell a little flat. Hopefully as we move towards the half way point, things begin to pick up.
Rating
