Warning! Spoilers ahead for Future State: Harley Quinn #1 and Future State: The Next Batman #1

Perhaps more than any other superhero, DC Comics’ Batman has long been defined by his Rogues Gallery. The Rogues Gallery is the term used to describe the colorful assortment of psychos and supervillains who have repeatedly attempted to end Batman’s life and claim Gotham City for their own. Over the years, this lineup has expanded to include criminals as notorious as the Joker and as obscure as Kite Man. DC’s Future State initiative depicts a future in which Bruce Wayne fades into obscurity and his roster of evil outcasts defend the city in his stead. If these reformed criminals can be united against a common threat, does Future State prove that Batman is actually a terrible superhero?

Future State follows on the heels of Dark Nights: Death Metal and depicts one of several possible futures for the DC Multiverse. Current and upcoming titles feature a number of futuristic settings beginning in 2025 and stretching to the end of time. The Batman Family of titles reveal that Gotham City Mayor Christopher Nakano has teamed up with a mercenary force known as the Magistrate to round up and detain all masked heroes and villains. When Batman attempts to stop the Magistrate and save Gotham from this fascist regime, he is seemingly killed. Future State: Dark Detective reveals that Bruce Wayne is very much alive, albeit wounded and on the run.

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As Bruce lies low, Future State: Harley Quinn and Future State: The Next Batman illustrate just what his Rogues Gallery can achieve when they aren’t terrorized by a vigilante. In the former, Dr. Jonathan Crane, aka the Scarecrow, has been hired by the Magistrate to capture elusive supervillains. Crane relies on the insight of the recently incarcerated Harley Quinn to achieve his mission. He seems neither murderous nor psychotic. In the latter title, Astrid Arkham has recruited such legendary Batman foes as Two-Face, Clayface, Killer Croc, Dumpty, Doctor Phosphorus, and Victor Zsasz to join her Arkham Knights. The Knights fight to free Gotham from the Magistrate. They receive counseling and rehabilitation when not fighting. These wayward souls have found the road to recovery in Bruce Wayne’s absence.

The Bat Family line of Future State books have grappled with the Dark Knight's legacy, how Gotham can function without Bruce Wayne, and what it means for someone else to take up his mantle. The titles feature a number of superstar comic book creators including Matthew Rosenberg, Mariko Tamaki, Paul Jenkins, Stephanie Nicole Phillips, Dan Mora, Carmine Di Giandomenico, Jack Herbert, Gabe Eltaeb, and Simone Di Meo. Future State will be followed by Infinite Frontier beginning in March 2021 which will revert back to present day and begin the next phase in the DC Universe.

The idea that Batman stokes the flames of psychosis that consume Gotham is not a new one. Admittedly, a man in a bat costume may not be the sanest choice for role model and protector. But never before have readers seen such clear evidence of the Rogues Gallery’s potential for good sans Batman. While Future State depicts only one of several possible timelines, here’s hoping that reformation is truly an option for some of these characters. Or, at the very least, that a mended Batman might find more constructive means to deal with his nemeses than hitting them. If all the bad guys became good guys, then the Caped Crusader could finally hang up the cowl.

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