Comic Info
Comic Name: Batwing/Batwing: Futures End
Publisher: DC Comics
Writer: Justin Gray/Jimmy Palmiotti
Artist: Eduardo Pansica/Jason Masters/Scott Kolins
# of Issues: 9
Release Date: 2015
Batwing #27
Reprints Batwing #27-34 and Batwing: Futures End #1 (March 2014-November 2014). Luke Fox is adjusting to life as Batwing but his past is about to come back to haunt him. His sister has been kidnapped by Menace…who used to be Luke’s best friend. With his family targeted, Luke is about to discover a seedy underbelly to Gotham that not even Batman knows about, and things will never be the same for Luke and his family.
Written by Justin Gray and Jimmy Palmiotti, Batwing Volume 5: Into the Dark is the final volume of the series. Following Batwing Volume 4: Welcome to the Family, the series features art by Eduardo Pansica, Jason Masters, and Scott Kolins and features issues as part of the Gothtopia and Futures End series.
I feel Batwing got a bad shake. The first volume of the series wasn’t very good, but the character grew. I really enjoyed the switch from David to Luke Fox and liked some of the direction that the story was going…but reading this volume you can tell the writing was already on the wall for the series.
Batwing #28
This volume of Batwing is very dark. The first few issues of the series are almost torturous with Luke’s likeable sister Tamara getting kidnapped, shot up with drugs, and ending up a vegetable. It almost seemed like a disservice to the developing character who had been around for a number of years. If the series had continued and this had become a driving force for Luke, it could be argued that her condition was a legitimate use of the character, but here, it almost feels like the Women in Refrigerator syndrome since the series ended.
The whole “underground” of Gotham thing is also very problematic. It is stated that it is massive and they can’t believe no one ever found it. They should have just made this in one of DC’s neighboring cities or something especially since the sewers of Gotham have always been a stomping grounds in Batman…Killer Croc never found this big city with a whole culture and population? I like the idea but putting it in Gotham was a mistake.
Though it started out pretty rocky and generic, I kind of wish Batwing had survived. With the overpopulation of “Bat” titles and the New 52 out, I don’t see a ton of future for Batwing though he was just starting to develop. Luke’s character went on to appear in Batgirl and a Futures End story in this volume just doesn’t provide a satisfying end to the character…maybe Batwing will find a way to fly again someday.
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