Batman and Robin: Futures End #1 Review and *SPOILERS*

Written By: Ray Fawkes
Art By: Dustin Nguyen, Derek Fridolfs
Cover Price: $3.99
Release Date: September 17, 2014

Fight Scene

Leading up to this issue I've been getting really excited because since Damian died and this title became Batman and *Insert Name Here*, I've been patiently waiting for any sign of Damian's final fate.  So here we are Five Years From Now and we have The Heretic on the cover, so why wouldn't I just squeal like a tiny Asian girl at the prospects of seeing what became of young Damian?  So this could be the issue people that gives us the definitive answer on the fate of our fallen Robin and possibly give us some closure, or at least a bit of hope for what future stories might bring........  Oh yeah that's right this is merely a deceptive event issue and probably won't lead to anything that isn't completely vague on something that matters to so many of us.  Sorry I almost forgot how comic books work for a second.  So enough banter, let's check out what Batman and Robin holds for us Five Years From Now.

Explain It!:

So we begin this story with really high hopes as we see our Caped Crusader taking on the behemoth that is The Heretic, as he tries to determine whether this monster is actually Damian, another clone or just an impostor trying to freak out Batman by dressing as his son's killer.  

Elsewhere we see the new/current Robin of Futures End is the small boy Duke, from Batman: Zero Year that took care of Batman during Savage City when the Dark Knight was unconscious.  So somewhere between Zero Year and Five Years From Now, I guess our hero showed his appreciation for this growing boy by constantly putting his life at risk.  It doesn't matter how it really happened, because we see as he's kicking ass and taking names that Duke really enjoys being Robin.  Only problem here is that he's feeling a little under appreciated because Alfred won't tell him Batman's location because as you can imagine, Batman doesn't want another Damian on his hands.  

The comic continues and as we sit reading, wanting more and more because this is a Damian issue or possibly a Damian issue, we begin to realize that our hope and wonder is being replaced by frustration as page after page is mostly a silent fight scene.  I'm serious this fight scene goes on forever while Batman gets his ass kicked and tries to bring the monster down using sedatives.  Eventually after it looks like Batman will be killed, Alfred alerts Duke to his location and Robin comes in and saves our hero from certain death.  

In the end Robin uses two more sedatives as The Heretic grabs him and we learn that he was programmed to spontaneously combust if he was on the verge of defeat.  Yup spontaneously combusts................  WTF?  So The Heretic is defeated, Batman takes a DNA sample from the crusty corpse to see if it's Damian and Duke and Batman discuss what being partners actually means.  We're not even given the results to the DNA test!  So we get a new bad ass Robin that we'll never see again and a entire comic that was a fight scene that led to us learning nothing new.  How dare you comic, how dare you.  

Bits and Pieces:

I began this issue so pumped up to learn something new about the fate of Damian and to check out the Robin of Five Years From Now, but all I got was a slap in the face as I read a gigantic mostly silent fight scene that led to nothing.  No answers, not even any hints to who The Heretic might be and the only thing good about the issue was seeing the new Robin not wanting to take any of Batman's shit.  Just a giant disappointment to an issue I had such high hopes for.  Even the art which seemed like it was trying to convey the Dark Knight Returns style didn't stay consistent and I was left really disappointed after reading this meaningless issue.

3.5/10