Future State: Dark Detective #1
**This Blog entry contains spoilers for Future State: Dark Detective #1 as well as other storylines from Future State**
To start the issue, we are viewing a rainy Gotham cemetery. Bruce Wayne is having an internal monologue discussing that Gotham is dead and that he was shot and killed in an alley last week. Bruce enters a diner where there are news articles with headlines that Batman has also been killed and the Magistrate is investigating the manner. We enter another flashback to Bruce being shot, he stumbles through Gotham where he uses that rest of his money to pay a back alley surgeon to treat his wounds. Still in the flashback, we see a news conference where Peacekeeper #1 is addressing the death of Batman. Peacekeeper #1 uses language how Gotham and the Magistrate are in a partnership and the death of Batman is good for the city.
We follow Bruce throughout the city where his face is all over the buildings talking about his death. Bruce overhears a mugging that is taking place in another alley. He makes his way over to the situation and takes care of the muggers, who are sporting masks. While Bruce is taking care of the muggers, the Magistrate’s resources become aware of the situation and start to intervene. Bruce makes a run for it. During his attempted escape from the Magistrate, Bruce puts on the cowl and ditches his street clothes. Under his street clothes, he is wearing the Batman armor.
The scenes that follow with Batman’s escape have Bruce continuing his monologue. We learn that somehow the Wayne Enterprises technology is what assisted in building the Magistrate. Bruce claims that he knows how to break the Magistrate and that he plans to do it. The issue ends with Peacekeeper #1 reviewing video of Bruce’s escape. The video is zoomed in on Bruce’s face.
Thoughts:
Batman is not dead! Well, at least not yet. It is finally revealed what Batman/Bruce has been up to in Future State. By the looks of it, things have not been going well for Bruce and Batman. It appears that he has been on the streets for sometime. We know from the other storylines from the universe, that he cannot go back to the manor. Where has he been staying? We have not found out that information as of yet.
We do learn that Bruce was shot in an alley. Where else would Bruce Wayne be shot? Not in the middle of the street, not at a social event, but of course in an alley. Lazy writing? Meh, I will just take it for now. Even though Bruce does not die from the gunshot, the Magistrate believes that he was killed. The fact that the Magistrate then advertises a couple weeks after Batman was killed, leads me to believe that someone that has significant power within the Magistrate knows that Batman is Bruce Wayne. I am still going to squat on the take that Jason Todd is Peacekeeper #1.
The current state that Gotham is in right now because of the Magistrate, it is best for Bruce to have the city think that he and Batman are dead. Knowing how Batman thinks, he also wants the Bat Family to think that he is dead. Bruce does reveal that the Magistrate was able to reach their level of power because of Wayne technology. Who with access to Wayne tech, was able to give it the Magistrate? Jason Todd? Is Luke Fox actually working for the Magistrate?
Of course, Bruce/Batman cannot ignore when someone is being mugged and decides to handle the situation. Not the best idea for someone who is trying to keep the world thinking that he is dead. Now Peacekeeper #1 knows that Bruce/Batman is not dead. However, will #1 reveal that information to the rest of the Magistrate? My guess is that #1 will delete the footage and try to handle this situation on his own. Overall, Dark Detective #1 is my favorite storyline to come out of Future State so far.
Grifter Chapter 1
Recap:
Grifter, Cole Cash, is in some seedy bar in Gotham. He is playing poker with a group that looks like they belong in a seedy bar. No one at the bar actually knows that this is Drifter, which he points out is a good thing. There is a confrontation between Drifter and another poker player at the table. There is a scuffle which is interrupted by two individuals that claim they are with the GCPD. The two GCPD officers use Drifter’s name, which causes the whole bar to try to get at Drifter.
Drifter, one by one, handles the individuals. The battle with the bar spills out into the street where we find out that the Magistrate is present and is also looking for Drifter. Cash does his best to escape, but is ultimately captured by the Magistrate. He is thrown into the back of a Magistrate transport vehicle. Inside this transport, we also find Luke Fox.
Luke and Cash have a conversation while they are riding in the back of the transport vehicle. During this conversation we learn that the Magistrate is rounding up anyone that they suspect is a mask or linked to a mask. We also learn that Lucius Fox hired Grifter in the past. Grifter knocks out Luke in the back transport vehicle and convinces one of the guards to come back. Grifter is able to subdue the guard and get his weapon. The other guard gains wind of the situation and another scuffle ensues. The transport wrecks and flips over. Grifter and Luke are able to get out.
As Grifter and Luke are trying to escape the Magistrate, Luke says that he will pay Grifter 50K to get him out of Gotham. Grifter takes Luke to one of Black Mask’s syndicate’s hangouts. This does not go well and Drifter and Luke have to escape through a fury of gun fire. They both escape and Grifter takes them to some kind of kitchen. Luke asks Grifter where they have been taken. Grifter explains that they are in the base of the Queen of Clubs. We learn that the Queen of Clubs is the Huntress, who we see hanging from the ceiling. This is where the chapter ends.
Thoughts:
I was not familiar at all with Drifter prior to this story. I had to do some research on the character. Grifter has several backstories and relaunches throughout the years. In this particular case, it would appear that Grifter is some sort of assassin for hire.
Before we go any further, I want to address the elephant in the room in regards to Grifter. We have a smart-ass, who finds himself in stressful situations because of him running his mouth. He has expert combat abilities and wears a red mask with white eyes and black around the eyes. Does this character sound familiar? Maybe an infamous character from another comic company? Grifter is DC’s Deadpool. DC did not even try to hide it. The “mask” that Cole Cash wears when he is Grifter is almost identical to Deadpool.
Anyways, I am not sure why this story is added to the Dark Detective issue. This story only confused me more than it did anything else. My confusion lies in the whole interaction that Cash has with Luke Fox. We know from the very first story to come out for the Bat Family in Future State, that Luke Fox is now Batman. Where within the Future State timeline do these events take place? When Cash is greeted by the Magistrate outside the bar, we see some of the cybers as well as other advanced tech that the Magistrate did not have yet in the Next Batman #1. If the release order of the comics by DC is supposed to coincide with the actual universe timeline, then these events do take place after Next Batman #1.
I am guessing that Luke Fox is allowing himself to be captured by the Magistrate because he does not want to reveal that he is the new Batman. Similar to when Bruce Wayne would allow himself to end up in situations. I did find it interesting that Cash brought up about how Lucius Fox had hired Grifter to do something. We never learn exactly the job. Did Lucius hire Grifter to assassinate Bruce? I am putting that on my hot take list.
The whole Luke offering to pay Grifter to get him out of Gotham is a ploy to have Grifter expose some of the other characters that are still active throughout Gotham. I believe that Luke knew that Grifter could not do it on his own, but would seek out other characters throughout Gotham. We learn the Black Mask is still operating with Gotham, however they are not a fan of Grifter.
This chapter ends with Grifter bringing us to the Huntress. Is this what Luke wanted to happen all along? Did Luke intentionally set-up Grifter to be captured because he knew that it would lead him to Huntress? Does Luke need Huntress’ help to defeat the Magistrate?
