Future State: Dark Detective #3

Writer: Matthew Rosenberg, Mariko Tamaki Artist: Carmine Di Giandomenico, Dan Mora Publisher: DC Comics Release Date: February 10, 2021 Cover Price: $5.99 Critic Reviews: 18 User Reviews: 49
8.4Critic Rating
7.1User Rating

In this issue, Bruce Wayne meets the next Batman! As the dark detective makes his move to put an end to the villainous Magistrate once and for all, the man who once wore the cowl encounters the next Batman-and these two have some questions for each other! Fists will fly as this explosive meeting erupts in the skies over Gotham...but with the clock ticking, can Bruce finish what he started and unlock the secrets of the fascist surveillance that plagues his city?
And in “Grifters” part two, the lucky streak that Cole Cash and Luke Fox have enjoyed just hit a brick wall in the form of the Huntress! The over-the-top adventure in th more

  • 10
    DC Comics News - Seth Singleton Feb 20, 2021

    Likewise, Matthew Rosenberg's Grifter is a glimpse into how the underbelly of a broken city thrives. The morals are loose but the loyalty is for life. Antonio Fabela's colors bring out the light in Carmine Di Giandomenico's art and plunge the darkest moments with shadow. Andworld Design's letters are textbook and methodical. Read Full Review

  • 10
    ComicBook.com - Nicole Drum Feb 10, 2021

    Every Batman story should be this good. Period. Read Full Review

  • 9.6
    Forces Of Geek - Lenny Schwartz Feb 11, 2021

    Overall, this is another solid entry into the Future State line of books. Read Full Review

  • 9.6
    Comic Watch - Cody White Feb 9, 2021

    Future State: Dark Detective #3 (#DCComics @marikotamaki @ashcanpress @Danmora_c #CarmineDiGiandomenico #JordieBellaire @Andworlddesign @adityab) continues to set the high water mark for the exciting Future State project! Read Full Review

  • 9.5
    AIPT - Dan Spinelli Feb 9, 2021

    Writer Mariko Tamaki, artist Dan Mora, and colorist Jordie Bellaire are perfectly in sync on what kind of story they want to tell and what visual language they need to express it. Read Full Review

  • 9.5
    GWW - Joseph Gilmore Feb 9, 2021

    Also, featured in Future State: Dark Detective #3 is Future Past part 2 by Matthew Rosenberg (writer), Carmine Di Giandmenico (illustrated by), Antonio Fabela (colors), Andworld Design (letters). This continues the story of Grifter, Huntress and Luke Fox. Future Past has been one of the better smaller stories featured within the Future State titles. Future Past part 2 is the end of this sub-story " and it closed with a few nice twists and some decent action.   Read Full Review

  • 8.9
    The Super Powered Fancast - Deron Generally Feb 9, 2021

    Dan Mora's art is always vibrant and beautifully detailed and this story was no different. Carmine Di Giandomenico delivers some beautiful, gritty and action packed imagery as well. Read Full Review

  • 8.5
    Batman-News - Casper Rudolph Feb 10, 2021

    This is another good Dark Detective issue. The art is excellent throughout the whole book, and both stories are well worth a read. The main feature still has some issues with regards to how the story is being told, but Grifter's tale is solid and offers a very satisfying read. All things considered, I definitely recommend this issue! Read Full Review

  • 8.5
    Geek Dad - Ray Goldfield Feb 9, 2021

    With this issue being a wrap for this storyline, it's a case that two issues just isn't enough for many of these stories. Read Full Review

  • 8.0
    The Comicbook Dispatch - soycornholio Feb 10, 2021

    These two stories are the latest in an amazing set up for the DC Universe. My main question is how. How did we get here? What is the full story that leads us down this path? Maybe this is taking place in one of the numerous multiverses, but either way, I am ready for the ride. I would 100% recommend you pick up this issue, sit back, and enjoy it. Read Full Review

  • 8.0
    Henchman-4-Hire - Sean Ian Mills Feb 13, 2021

    This is the sort of alternate take I like to see in an event like Future State. New ideas, new status quo, but same classic, awesome character at the heart of it. Read Full Review

  • 8.0
    Dark Knight News - Steve J Ray Feb 9, 2021

    Future State: Dark Detective #3 is a winner, from cover to cover. I will be grabbing this from my local comic-book store the day it comes out, and adding it to all the other Future State books I've picked up. I'm sad that we're already three quarters of the way through this event, but the doors it's opening, and breadcrumbs it's dropping, are enticing, indeed. Read Full Review

  • 8.0
    Newsarama - Oscar Maltby Feb 9, 2021

    This reviewer is turning around on Tamaki's Dark Detective. Bruce Wayne as an isolated tech guy, collecting intel while working out of a dingy room with only a conspiracy theorist as company, comes together this issue as a strong new vision for the character. Let's see if the finale sticks the landing. Read Full Review

  • 7.8
    Monkeys Fighting Robots - Zac Owens Feb 9, 2021

    DC Comics' Future State: Dark Detective #3 is another thrilling issue of a great new series. It has a brilliant and terrifying new chapter of Bruce Wayne's days in a new Gotham and features the explosive conclusion to Grifter's partnership with Luke Fox. Read Full Review

  • 7.0
    Comic Book Revolution - Kevin Lainez Feb 13, 2021

    Both stories in Future State: Dark Detective #3 drive home how what happened to Gotham City under the Magistrate regime has been the most fascinating story in the entire Future State direction. The developments involving Grifter and Huntress continued the trend of back-up stories in Dark Detective and The Next Batman stealing the show. In stealing the show the back-up story for Future State: Dark Detective #3 helps strengthen what we see Bruce Wayne do to combat the Magistrate. So at the end of the day, it all creates a much better reading experience that makes you looking forward to what happens next. Read Full Review

  • 7.0
    Lyles Movie Files - Jeffrey Lyles Feb 9, 2021

    Grifters fails to meet the high expectations set from its first installment but Dark Detective advances Bruce Wayne's story enough to make this worth grabbing for Batman fans. It just feels like this issue could have been so much stronger leading to the Dark Detective finale later this month. Read Full Review

  • 7.0
    The Batman Universe - Scott Waldyn Feb 9, 2021

    Future State: Dark Detective #3 rushes towards a final showdown just as Bruce Wayne begins making headway into unraveling the Magistrate. The noir atmosphere is top-notch, but the story comes across as sparse and trite, as if we're missing a middle section somewhere. Read Full Review

  • 6.8
    Weird Science - Gabe Hernandez Feb 9, 2021

    We end with Grifter in cuffs, on his knees, and smiling all the way.Bits and Pieces:Future State: Dark Detective #3 gives us a Bruce Wayne that thinks a lot, does little, and learns almost nothing. On the other hand, Grifter fights, wins, gets double-crossed, and gets captured. And he looks like he's loving every minute of it. Read Full Review

  • 9.0
    cincyfan Mar 9, 2021

    Both stories were very good I've really been enjoying the dark detective stories I think they are well written and very interesting. I'd say 9 for the Batman story and 8.5 on the grifter story

  • 8.5
    Spacey Medicine May 27, 2021

    Cool.

  • 8.5
    EDiakota Feb 15, 2021

    " Always a new hero to replace the old one. Because it's about a symbol, not a person. Batman is dead. Long live Batman."
    - BATMAN (BRUCE WAYNE)

  • 8.5
    Amazing Psycamorean Feb 10, 2021

    I thought the Dark Detective story was pretty good. I'm worried about the pacing at this point. What could issue 4 do to make this story worthwhile? I like how Tamaki writes Bruce, but that only goes so far. The art is great still. The Grifters story was a lot of fun. I really enjoyed how Rosenberg wrote the characters. If you liked the Grifters backup, I suggest you check out the Hawkeye: Freefall miniseries from last year that Matthew Rosenberg did.

  • 8.5
    GEEKYTIME! Feb 9, 2021

    8,3!

  • 8.0
    DDJamesB Feb 14, 2021

    The grifter story wasnt too great but I really have been enjoying the main story throughout these 3 issues. Great art and the story is pretty solid.

  • 7.5
    mrDovydas Mar 9, 2021

    Still really enjoying this one, even if it was a bit weaker than the previous issues. The backup story bumps the score down a bit, but even it was pretty good.

  • 7.0
    TheKize Feb 15, 2021

    The meeting between the Batmen was an uneventful let down, but the Grifter backup story had some nice twists.

  • 7.0
    C.V.R. The Bard Feb 12, 2021

    A satisfying conclusion to the Grifter jawn, accompanied with the latest inclusion of the chronicles of modern- L.A. - living Bruce Wayne. I want the person to set him up be the daughter of his landlord so bad ! That storyline aside, the big Bruce meets Fox was flat as a pepsi left out for too long. The first couple of issues were explosive but this one was the definitive bridge to what is building up to be a glorious finale.
    -
    Audiomack.com/cvrthebard

  • 6.0
    DiRT May 13, 2021

    Well, that was... nothing. This issue of Dark Detective advertised the meeting of the original Batman and the Next Batman, and their face-to-face meeting turned out to be a whole lot of nothing much at all. In all, they stared at each other, exchanged a few words, then turned away and walked off. That was it. Mariko Tamaki should be ashamed.

    The terrible inner monologue Tamaki seems to think Bruce Wayne would be speaking to himself takes on a new voice this time. This issue, Bruce is no longer the moody teenager he was in previous issues, but he has somehow become the voice of the “eat the rich” proletariat who hates the rich because they do whatever they want and play by their own rules and never pay their taxes. What...?! H more

  • 6.0
    Afre Feb 9, 2021

    Bruce's story is not bad. The art is nice and the writing solid so it's worth the read. But I don't see myself ever coming back to read it. I have no problems with it, but I don't care enough about it to read it ever again.

    And that is my problem with Future State. These stories can be good at best, but not so good I want to read them again.

    As for the Grifters -story, I just don't care. About anything in it really. So pass for me.

  • 4.5
    Nihilist Feb 9, 2021

    I'm getting really tired with this comic, I swear. Three issues in, and the plot is being unraveled so sluggishly and uneventfully, I begin to think it may not lead anywhere... oh, wait, I take it back, because of course it doesn't. Future State is just a short event, so the least I could expect from it is a bunch of self contained straight-to-the-point mini stories. This one isn't one of them. It's a drag that feels like it intentionally wants to avoid making a point.

    Unlike the supplementary story with Grifter, which ends on a strong note and easily overshadows the titular Dark Detective tale. It's good. So much so, I actually care what happens to Cole now. I want to know what happens to him in this timeline, seriously. Where M more

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  • 4.0
    Onomatopoeia Feb 12, 2021

    In the first issue, I said that they wrote Bruce Wayne like he was an idiot, if anything this comic is consistent. The beginning wasn't all bad, the mention of how more 'good' could be done if the rich paid taxes is accurate, but the irony of Wayne being the one saying it is not lost on me. I have no idea why the new Batman was in this comic, he served no purpose and drove the story nowhere, which begs the question, where is this story even meant to go? Bruce has devolved into a rogue shell of a man who lives with a mentally disturbed man. He comes across as jealous of the Magistrate for doing a better job than him, and I'm honestly just bored of it all at this point.

    That said, Grifter was the saving Grace. He's like Constantine more

  • 4.0
    Bats20832 Feb 9, 2021

    Grifter/Huntress Issue #2. That's what the title SHOULD be, because the Dark Detective story tells us that Bruce knows that there are Magistrate nanodrones everywhere, which we pretty much already KNEW. The Dark Detective plot of the story is about one page of plot. Some handwringing. A currently pointless crossover of Tim Fox as The New Batman having a cameo meeting; hopefully in issue DD Issue 4 there is some point to this, other than to sucker readers to pay $6 for this issue.

    But SURPRISE, Grifter/Huntress Issue #2 does have a story, a plot, action, and actually moves the story forward. After lots of boredom about Tim Fox as The New Batman (why, exactly?), we now can clearly surmise WHY Tim Fox became The New Batman. That more

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  • 3.0
    SenpaifenixJäger Feb 9, 2021

    Honestly this fell like a block of concrete from a tenth floor. The encounter between the Batmen was completely bland, with a Covid pandemic-like stay-at-home tip that made me laugh at the ridiculous comment between the two. It all felt so stagnant and a Bruce not being Bruce.
    Then we have Lucius' situation where he decides in a very macabre game to betray Grifter and Huntress is the only thing that raises this number even though it is leaving the Fox family very badly off, possible breach of trust, perhaps theft (resources, technology together with a cloak that has not shown to have actually earned it, the only thing that leaves good is that he is trying to help people but putting aside the Batclan does not look good or maybe they wil more

  • 1.5
    Merlyn Feb 9, 2021

    Aaand eventually the story goes into classic Tamaki territory with cringy dialogue, super boring exposition and huge plotholes. It was a matter of time, as always when it comes to her. Rosenberg's story is not good either.

    + LikeComments (2)
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  • 10
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