Future State: The Next Batman #4
DC Comics
Written by: John Ridley
Art by: Laura Braga
Breakdowns by: Nick Derington
Colors by: Arif Prianto
Letters by: Clayton Cowles
John Ridley and Laura Braga ended the four-issue run of Future State: The Next Batman well. But, there is so much more to this story. Family drama is going to play a huge part in Jace Fox’s story. Though, there’s more than one way Ridley can approach that as the story goes beyond DC Comics’ Future State event.
What may be most surprising about the Fox family dynamic is how little Lucius Fox has to do with the family’s tension. By no means is a victim or anything, Ridley has simply push the most well-known character of this bunch to the back and allow readers to get to know his dysfunctional family better. Perhaps Ridley will utilize the character more as everyone gets more comfortable with the rest of the Fox family — this could be an effort to not overshadow his children and wife.
After all, this is a story about Jace above all else; he is the one who learns the valuable lesson in this story: just because you may be doing “the right thing” doesn’t mean everyone is going to be OK with it.
Future State: The Next Batman #4 also features Batgirls Part Two by writer Vita Ayala, artist Aneke, colorist Trish Mulvihill and letterer Becca Carey, along with Gotham City Sirens: Ladies’ Night Out Part Two by writer Paula Sevenbergen, artists Emanuela Luppacchino (pencils) and Wade von Grawbadger (inks), colorist John Kalisz and letterer Becca Carey.
I stand by what I said in my Future State: The Next Batman #2 review: Batgirls is outstanding. Definitely one of the best sub stories Future State has produced.