A truly gorgeous and energetic action-packed issue is somewhat marred by a few ill-conceived story bits not hitting in the way the writer likely hoped that they would. At the same time, quite a number of elements developed through the previous ten issues begin to reveal themselves even more as the final issue is coming up. Despite some stumbles, there is a lot that this series is saying about the real world through the lens of Gotham that are worth checking out. Read Full Review

Felt a little sparse but I'm still with it.

This was a really quick issue, and I hope the crazy fast pacing isn't indicative of this story being prematurely wrapped up. Also, Bats20832 doesn't seem to understand what nuance is... Or what the act of redemption is, conceptually? I swear, he sounds like a more unhinged Steve Ditko.

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Bats20832 - May 21, 2021

Psycamorean - I have ignored you, but you bring me up. You could have replied to my comment, but decided this approach. Yes I understand what Justice is. The foundation of Justice is Equality, not "nuance." We rightly have Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin in jail. We rightly have Loveland police officers in jail for assault on woman with dementia. Hitting a person is a tragic accident. Leaving them to die is murder. Justice punishes criminals, does not give them costumes as heroes.

Amazing Psycamorean - May 21, 2021

I actually couldn't respond directly, idk why. But ummm, we've seen countries that adopt rehabilitative justice systems thrive much better than countries with punitive ones. So I would say real, true justice aims to rehabilitate and redeem these people so they can come back and be a benefit to society. Nuance should be infused with pretty much everything, else you come across as a crazy person. I guess you don't like Spider-Man, huh?

Bats20832 - May 22, 2021

We all know Spider-Man didn't run over an innocent man with a car, and while the victim was dying on the ground, walked away and let him die and not even calling for help. Under New York law, it is a felony for both fine and JAIL time. There is no "nuance" about letting someone literally get away with murdering an innocent person. And worse, rewarding such criminals with either a badge or a costume as a "hero." Rehabilitation begins after punishment, not as an alternative to punishment.

Bats20832 - May 22, 2021

When you reject a so-called "punitive justice system" for actual homicide, you are basically saying that those who kill other fellow beings should face no consequences. That is the foundation of a broken value system. You choose a level of maturity to call me names like "unhinged" for respecting our shared law respecting human life. If we even deny the need to set a standard to punish those who kill, we abandon standards of justice in every other part of the law. Then we guarantee Injustice.

Amazing Psycamorean - May 23, 2021

Spider-Man didn't do that, but he did punch a woman once, killing her then and there. No one is saying anything about letting someone get away with murder. Here's a fun fact: we know that punishing for these crimes does not actually deter people as much as one would think. This is the flaw with the Death Penalty, for instance. So, I think the justice system should be reoriented to focus on rehabilitation, like it has been in many countries, with success.

Amazing Psycamorean - May 23, 2021

The current system in America is so focused on punishment that criminals, even non-violent ones, are made worse by it instead of better. That's why there are so many repeat offenders. I think you're unhinged because you can't see the nuance here, either due to lack of education on the topic or a deeper black and white morality system. There are many good laws, but some of them definitely don't respect human life or our rights, so maybe some laws should be changed.

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DC Comics has "killer" heroes unite, in what it views as its "Future State."

Amazing how criminals with knives, and criminals with swords look so much alike. But in other comics, this is probably why John Ridley tried to express that Katana was justified as a "killer," based on her associations with the Bruce Wayne Batman. As if Katana's history as murderer was not well documented. And of course, the Bruce Wayne Batman **WAS** wrong to ever work with her. We knew this last century. Wrong=Wrong.

Edgar Acevedo about killer Jace Fox (the "Next Batman"): "I swear on my dad's grave you just bought yourself a world of hurt." You could imagine it being Bruce Wayne talking about the criminal Joe Chill. But in this perversion of justice, here it is about the killer, Jace Fox, who DC Comics seeks to portray as the "Next Batman" in "Future State." The idea that murdering an innocent Hispanic minority man can be ignored by Gotham Police and explained away by the powerful and those seeking to manipulate a story based on race is seen is a way to motivate a kiler to be a "hero."

Later in the story, the "Next Batman" Jace Fox and Katana share notes about killing. Killer "hero" Katana (also name of a sword type), Tatsu Yamashiro, uses her sword "Soultaker," to capture the souls of those she murders. The Katana character was a corruption of DC Comics characters, just like killer "hero" The Punisher (Frank Castle) was for Marvel comics. It led to an era of increasing ultra-violent, psychologically-troubled "anti-heroes" in the 1980s - with very limited popularity. Parents don't want their children to grow up to be killers. While Marvel and DC decided to make such criminals as "noble," in our real life world, they would be put in prison where they belong. So of course, Katana is the "trainer" for Jace Fox. Naturally.

The trend for "killer" heroes is an ethical choice. The individual reader needs to decide why they choose to read stories about costumed heroes. The character of Katuna has always been a "fringe" character and really questionable in past. In other DC Comics storylines, as animated stories, the Katana character was seen as "ruthless vigilante" stealing the souls of criminals and the innocent, including trying to "steal the soul" of Wonder Woman. And this is our inspiration for Jace Fox, the "Next Batman."

(And of course, it was not the role of "The Outsiders" to lead insurrection in Markovia, right or wrong. Never the place for foreign costumed heroes, but for real men and women who take accountability for their actions.)

In this chapter, Katana praises her acts of killing others, and the "Next Batman" Jace Fox describes her killings as "people who deserved it." They claim to have "regrets," but someone attacking police officers with a sword would be viewed as a "criminal," in pretty much every city and nation around the world, except for DC Comic's "Future State," where Katuna is a "hero." And Killer Jace Fox is "Next Batman."

(Note: look up any news story of anyone with a sword attacking police in any city, any nation, any language, and tell me what you read. But it is being a "hero" here.)

And John Ridley writes that Killer Katana tells Jace Fox, the "Next Batman," to "get rid of your guilt" over killing an innocent man and leaving him to die in the street. After all, it is no "big deal" to be a murderer of the innocent.

And THOSE are the DC Comics values now. This is not just writer John Ridley urging "the Next Batman" to "get rid of guilt" over killing an innocent man, this is really the DC Comics value statement. These stories are not being published by John Ridley's private company. They are published with the label of "DC Comics." DC Comics owns this - both the story they sell for profit, and values they promote.

The true "Future State" of DC Comics.

And where do we go with DC Comics from there?

We will have those praising the plot, the action, the art. But the morality?
Well, we just don't talk about that. We just need to "get over" actual Justice.

As for me, well, I am cheering for Edgar Acevedo... for the same reason we have cheered for Bruce Wayne for 80+ years and all of those victims who fought back against those who were above the law. People above the law like Jace Fox.

Criminals are a cowardly lot, especially those who pervert the costume (or as we see TOO OFTEN "the badge") of justice to cover up their own unpunished crimes against the innocent. In an age of too many "killer cops," DC Comics and John Ridley introduces a killer "Next Batman."

Criminals are a cowardly lot.

PS - Note on page 19, Jace Fox is referencing Katana's "kills" saying that they were for "people who deserved it." This is NOT the quote that some other reviewers are attributing to Jace Fox. See page 19 for yourself.
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