Following a tumultuous 2020, DC Comics entered 2021 with a genuinely exciting look to the future in a two-month linewide takeover known as DC Future State. Through January and February 2021 all DC in-continuity books were part of Future State, with a literal jump ahead to a future of the DC Universe where creators can reimagine iconic characters.
Previously: Death Metal
By: Nathan Payson
Future State focused on teasing the direction of the upcoming Infinite Frontier books. It loosely spins out of the events of Dark Nights: Death Metal. Some books teased events that will happen in upcoming comics runs like the rise of the Magistrate in Batman. Other books act as tone pieces like Superman: Worlds at War to show who Superman is and how people view him. Others are wild stories trying to tell stories that could probably never happen in normal continuity like Jeremy Adam’s Black Adam. Others have moments that take place in the present to tease the writers upcoming Infinite Frontier run like Tim Sheridan’s Teen Titans.
Regardless of the goal of each of these books, Future State manages to craft a cohesive narrative across families. The best way to read Future State is to read each family of books as their own bigger story. Read all of the Batman Family books together like 1 story. Though there is some crossover between different families, you will enjoy the series most by reading the families in groups.
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For stories with a colon after the book title, the story being referenced is a back-issue which is a smaller story following the title story. For example The Next Batman: Outsiders Story (#1 and #3) means to read the Outsiders back-issue of The Next Batman which is only in The Next Batman #1 and #3. If it says to read the main series, I’m referring to the first story (the main story) of the issue.
Future State: Batman Family
The Batman Family is focused heavily on the future consequences of the election of Mayor Nakano in Detective Comics Vol. 6 (Detective Comics #1028-1033) as the Magistrate comes into power. The world is very fleshed out and introduces major storylines like The Next Batman. Multiple writers including Stephanie Phillips (Harley Quinn), Gene Luen Yang (Batman/Superman), and Mariko Tamaki (Dark Detective) wrote books that tease the upcoming direction of their Infinite Frontier stories. Every book can be read in any order, but I believe this order will maximize enjoyment of the event. Future State Batman is full of little teases that make the universe feel more full if you notice how the books connect. Future State: Batman is collected in two series.
Collects: Future State: The Next Batman #1-4; Future State: Dark Detective #1-3; Future State: Nightwing #1-2
Collects: Future State: Dark Detective #1-4; Future State: Catwoman #1-2; Future State: Harley Quinn #1-2; Future State: Robin Eternal #1-2; Future State: Batman/Superman #1-2
Future State: Batman/Superman #1-2
Consider this a prequel story. It is the only book where Bruce Wayne is Batman before everything fully falls apart for him.
Future State: The Next Batman (Main Series) #1-4
This story is your introduction to the world as it introduces the magistrate and the introduction to the new Batman. This is probably the most essential book of the Future State: Batman family because it really introduces the threat of the magistrate, and shows off the next Batman.
Future State: The Next Batman: Outsiders Story (#1 and #3)
This story focuses a lot on the characters and ideas of Bryan Hill’s run on Batman and the Outsiders and includes a villain from that run.
Future State: The Next Batman: Arkham Knights Story (#1 and #3)
This story follows up on the Arkham Knight arc in Detective Comics in a surprisingly very well written way. Events from this book also are referred to in Nightwing (although it’s somewhat subtle)
Future State: Harley Quinn #1-2
Written by the Infinite Frontier Harley Quinn writer Stephanie Phillips, this is a fun diversion and interacts with the first arc of Infinite Frontier Batman (The Cowardly Lot) in some really fun and interesting ways. The art is also very different from the rest of Future State and well worth checking out.
Future State: Dark Detective: Red Hood (#2 and #4)
Based on the Cover of the upcoming Future State: Gotham, I’m pretty sure that this is one of the most important stories of Future State.
Future State: Dark Detective: Grifter (#1 and #3)
Grifter is receiving a lot more prominence in DC comics. Matthew Rosenberg will continue writing this character in the upcoming Batman: Urban Legends. Cole Cash is a really interesting character, and this story is one of the few times I’ve really enjoyed him. It also looks at Luke Fox a little more closely.
Future State: Robin Eternal #1-2
It’s been 10 years since Tim Drake had a solo book, and thankfully, the story does a great job capturing Tim Drake. It also sets up the Batgirls story with Spoiler.
Future State: The Next Batman: Batgirls Story (#2 and #4)
This story is very important for a bunch of different reasons, and Vita Ayala wrote one of the best stories of Future State too. There’s an answer on what happened to some of the Arkham Knights (though it’s subtle), events that lead into Nightwing, and more.
Future State: The Next Batman: Gotham City Sirens (#2 and #4)
While this story might take place earlier (it’s not very specific, I think it makes more sense to read it here because Batgirls introduces an important idea that would make this book weird to read earlier.)
Future State: Nightwing #1-2
Nightwing brings together a couple different stories of Future State so far, and teases a plot line for Dark Detective. It focuses on where Dick Grayson is during the Magistrate’s Reign and acts like the finale to all of the smaller bat-family character stories.
Future State: Catwoman #1-2
Ram V’s Catwoman sets up Dark Detective (which takes place 2 years after Catwoman according to the future state guidebook), but it also tells a really fun heist story!
Future State: Dark Detective (Main Series) #1-4
Mariko Tamaki’s Dark Detective is beautiful, really well paced, provides lots of social commentary and is a great finale to the Future State Batman stories as a whole.
Future State: Gotham?
It’s still unclear where this story takes place in the Bat-Family Arc of Future State but if I had to guess, it will take place either after Catwoman (and fills in the 2 year gap) or take place following the end of Dark Detective. Either way, it begins in May with Joshua Williamson.
Future State: Teen Titans Family
The Future State: Teen Titans Family, unlike the rest of the families of Future State, is a continuous story for the most part. 4 different stories all lead into the next. Between those four issues (Flash, Teen Titans, Shazam, and Black Adam) are two stories I think also fit for various reasons into this family.
The Teen Titans Family is collected across two different trades:
Collects: Future State: Justice League #1-2, Future State: The Flash: Death Race #1-2, And Future State: Green Lantern #1-2
Collects: Future State: Suicide Squad #1-2, Future State: Teen Titans: Dead Of The Class #1-2, Future State: Shazam!: The Death Of William Batson #1-2, And Future State: Swamp Thing: Obsidian Sun #1-2
Future State: The Flash #1-2
Not going to lie, this is not a great book..This story focuses on a world without the Speed Force and sets up the big bad of this arc. It’s best to think of this as a set up story more than a Flash story, and when you think about it from that sense, you will appreciate it a little more.
Future State: Teen Titans #1-2
This story is focused on exploring the aftermath of Wally’s actions and trying to end the threat from the Flash, but also gives some fun flashbacks that tease the direction of Teen Titans Academy.
Future State: Suicide Squad (Main Issues) #1-2
This serves as the interlude of the series. It focuses on the fulfillment of Waller’s life goals, and works best in the Teen Titans Family because of the inclusion of it’s Flash in Teen Titans Academy.
Future State: Shazam #1-2
Shazam continues from Teen Titans with a really interesting mystery. It’s surprisingly tragic and each issue has a really cool ending.
Future State: Swamp Thing #1-2
Generally viewed as the best story of Future State, Swamp Thing’s Post-Apocalyptic take on Swamp Thing is phenomenal and tragic. This story is included in the Teen Titans Family because this is probably one of the only periods of time where the story could fit in. It’s also included in the same trade as all of these books. You can read this anywhere though and you’ll be fine.
Future State: Suicide Squad: Black Adam #1-2
Finally, the arc ends with a grand cosmic Morrison-esque story deep into the future. The story ends with a teaser that will likely be picked up in some upcoming book in 2021.
Future State: Justice League Family
The Justice League Family is built to introduce some of the core Justice League members before they join together. This family is collected across two different trades.
Collects: Future State: Justice League #1-2, Future State: The Flash: Death Race #1-2, And Future State: Green Lantern #1-2
Collects: Future State: Wonder Woman #1-2, Future State: Superman/Wonder Woman #1-2, And Future State: Immortal Wonder Woman #1-2
Future State: Wonder Woman #1-2
Yara Flor is probably the biggest new character of Future State and Infinite Frontier. This mini shows off a very different wonder woman.
Future State: Immortal Wonder Woman: Nubia (#1-2)
Nubia hasn’t appeared in a DC Comic in a long time. This is a great introduction to the character ahead of her Infinite Frontier series Nubia and the Amazons.
Future State: Superman/Wonder Woman #1-2
This is probably the best Jon Kent story of Future State and sets up the relationship between Jon and Yara Flor ahead of Justice League.
Future State: Aquaman
After being born in Kelly Sue Deconnick’s Aquaman Run, this is the story of Andy Curry as she grows up.
Future State: Green Lantern: Jessica Cruz (#1)
The Green Lantern Corps is dead, and now the various human lanterns have had dramatic shifts in their lives.
Future State: Green Lantern: Book of Guy (#1)
Future State: Green Lantern: Teen Lantern (#2)
Future State: Green Lantern: Hal Jordan (#2)
Future State: Green Lantern (Main Series) #1-2
The Main Green Lantern Story is Jon Stewart focused and shows what the rest of the corps is doing now that the Green Lantern Corps is no more.
Future State: Justice League
One of the best stories of Future State. It serves as a great combination of the various characters we’ve been introduced to in the rest of the Justice League Family books. It feels like the first issue of a Justice League ongoing run, and might continue in the future.
Future State: Justice League: Justice League Dark
This run is entirely set up for Ram V’s Infinite Frontier Justice League Dark. If you love his Rebirth run on Justice League Dark, this book is tonally very similar with the same cast.
Future State: Superman Family
The Superman Family stories focus on the Legacy of the House of El. The impact they have on people’s lives and their overwhelming will to do good. More so then some of the others, each story is somewhat disconnected into it’s book and back-issues, but the bigger picture does tell a story of the separation of the Superman Family. The Superman of Metropolis books are fairly tightly integrated, but the War of Worlds books are all very separate. It is collected in two books.
Collects: Future State: Wonder Woman #1-2, Future State: Superman/Wonder Woman #1-2, And Future State: Immortal Wonder Woman #1-2
Collects: Future State: Superman Of Metropolis #1-2, Future State: Worlds At War #1-2, Future State: Superman Vs. Imperious Lex #1-2, Future State: Kara Zor-El, Superwoman #1-2, Future State: Legion 5000 #1-2, And Future State: House Of El #1
Future State: Superman of Metropolis #1
This is a solo Jon story. He isn’t a straight forward hero in this, but rather more morally ambiguous.
Future State: Superman of Metropolis: Mister Miracle #1-2
This story goes directly into Worlds of War’s Mister Miracle story. It focuses on a new Mister Miracle who will be getting their own book in May.
Future State: Worlds of War: Mister Miracle
Future State: Superman of Metropolis: Guardian #1
Guardian takes place following the events of Superman of Metropolis’s main story.
Future State: Superman of Metropolis #2
Future State: Superman of Metropolis: Guardian #2
While technically the events of Metropolis #2 occur after most of Guardian #2 it just makes more sense from a reader’s perspective to read Superman of Metropolis before Guardian #2.
Future State: Worlds of War #1-2
This story is written by the upcoming Superman writer Phillip Kennedy Johnson, and gives a stellar pitch for who Superman inspires and how Superman is inspired by others.
Future State: Worlds of War: Midnighter #1-2
Becky Cloonan’s Midnighter story is unique and focuses on Midnighter trying to break into War World. The end of the issue leads directly into Action Comics #1029.
Future State: Worlds of War: Black Racer #1-2
There is a new Black Racer in the future. Otherwise, this book is super unconnected from the rest of the line.
Future State: Kara Zor-el Superwoman #1-2
This takes place decades after Superman of Metropolis and is a very intimate story on the moon.
Future State: Superman vs. Imperius Lex #1-3
Superman and Lex are fighting again. This time though it’s about Space Politics. Interestingly, this is the only 3 issue Future State story.
Future State: Legion of Superheroes #1-2
If you liked Bendis’s Legion of Superheroes, then you should read this. If not you will likely find this difficult to follow.
Future State: House of El #1
Phillip Kennedy Johnson ends the Superman Future State books with a book really far into the future to show the enduring legacy of the House of El.
Future State: Immortal Wonder Woman (Main Series) #1-2
Even further into the future, Wonder Woman is among some of the last people in the world. This is the furthest out on timeline of all of the future state books, but it follows up on House of El (to an extent) and is kind of your Future State Finale.
Next: Infinite Frontier
Future State Comics Checklist (Issue by Issue Release Order)
DC Nation Presents: DC Future State
A free publicity primer if you’re interested.
Future State: The Next Batman #1
It’s a pricey anthology, but I’m impressed and intrigued by the comics within, from the John Ridley and Nick Derington tale of Luke Fox as Batman (especially) to the Katana focused Outsiders story written by Brandon Thomas with art by Sumit Kumar. The “Future State” concept is very near future, where the characters are primarily the DC Universe characters we already know from the core timeline, but clearly some major events have shaken things up, such as the Magistrate invading Gotham, and the absence (For now) of Bruce Wayne. It’s a very “One Year Later” post Infinite Crisis feel, and that’s pretty interesting to me as a fan!
I like Stephanie Phillips a lot as an up and coming comics writer, and the premise of Harley as a sort of Hannibal Lecter for Gotham’s villains is very good, but I definitely left the issue feeling Simone Di Meo’s art is not a good fit for this book. I love Di Meo’s use of closeup and bright explosive backgrounds (with Tamra Bonvillain colors) in We Only Find Them When They’re Dead, but that felt miscast on a Harley book staged mostly in a jail cell.
The standout story from the first wave of Future State, with Ram V and Mike Perkins crushing a Swamp Thing launch.
Future State: Superman of Metropolis #1
Future State: Dark Detective #1
Future State: Robin Eternal #1
Future State: Green Lantern #1
Future State: Justice League #1
Future State: Superman/Wonder Woman #1
Definitely one of my favorites of Future State. Great work from Dan Watters and team, feeling both fresh and capturing those Grant Morrison vibes!
Future State: Kara Zor-El, Superwoman #1
Future State: The Next Batman #2
Future State: Superman Worlds of War #1
Future State: Immortal Wonder Woman #1
Future State: Dark Detective #2
Future State: Batman/Superman #1
Future State: Superman vs. Imperious Lex #1
Future State: Legion of Super-Heroes #1
Future State: Suicide Squad #1
Future State: The Next Batman #3
Future State: Superman of Metropolis #2
Future State: Dark Detective #3
Future State: Robin Eternal #2
Future State: Superman/Wonder Woman #2
Future State: Kara Zor-El, Superwoman #2
Future State: Justice League #2
Future State: Green Lantern #2
Future State: The Next Batman #4
Future State: Superman Worlds at War #2
Future State: Immortal Wonder Woman #2
Future State: Dark Detective #4
Future State: Batman/Superman #2
Future State: Superman House of El #1
Future State: Imperious Lex #2
Future State: Legion of Super-Heroes #2
Next: Infinite Frontier
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I think the batgirls story takes place before robin eternal, because of robin showing up in the batgirls story, considering how robin eternal ended.
And after nightwing aswell
I mean robin takes place after nightwing
have not read anything dc since the early rebirth issues, and was planning to catch up from where i left off. Should i just jump in future state instead? I tried some issues and it didn’t stick… thinking about starting with infinity frontier, can i do that or this future state are essencial to undestanding infinty frontier titles?
Future State is not essential, but it does inform Infinite Frontier. For example, the Batman titles heavily set up the threat of the magistrate. 5 years from the present, Gotham has become a police state. In Infinite Frontier, a major plotpoint is that the magistrate program is just beginning. Reading Future State makes Infinite Frontier easier to understand, but it’s not essential. If you didn’t read any of rebirth, then I would just start with Infinite Frontier (guide should be out soon on this site) then once you catch up which shouldn’t be hard because there are only 12 Infinite Frontier issues out right now.
The other option you could do is start with some of the Road to Infinite Frontier books that are on DC Universe Infinite. Check out the Death Metal and Joker War Reading Orders and start there. Especially with the Batman books, it is probably ideal to start with Batman #86 instead of #106.
i was wondering, where are the infinite frontier comicbooks?
I’m finishing up the reading order. It should be up soon.
Will you update the list in a later time or its safe to say that Aquaman #2 is the “end”?
I am working on an update that will reorganize this now that the event is done. You should see a lot of moving around of these books and added commentary soon.
Much appreciated.
It’s up now!
If we consider Future State: Gotham (currently still ongoing) happens after Dark Detective #4 (Red Hood part), how would you change the overall order? Does it shift in any meaningful way?