This week brings us an ending and a new beginning. This Wednesday, we'll have the final issue of DC's Dark Nights Death Metal on our shelves...along with a brand new set of titles: DC's Future State. We thought we'd begin the year with a look at these books, along with some information for our subscribers and our thoughts about how to decide what to read from among this line-wide not-a-reboot.

DC Future State - What is it?

The simple and straightforward answer to "What is Future State" is this - Future State is a series of 'leap forward' stories set in ambiguous points in the DC universe's future. It spins out of the ending of Dark Nights Death Metal, but honestly this isn't a hard requirement to read prior to any of this material. Without spoiling anything, it's safe to say that DK: Death Metal ends by opening up more than a multiverse of opportunities for new stories, new origins, and possibilities for growth and diversity.

Think of these books as an opportunity to experience something new. Expect to start a lot of these books in medias res. After all, what's the point of jumping into the future if you're going to spend half of the book reiterating how we got there. Some stories will be self-contained. Some will leave you wanting more. Most of these books will run 2-4 issues each, so don't worry too much about signing up for something that's gonna be a slog to get through.

New creative teams and new character designs abound as well. Among those we're excited for - Batman / Superman by Gene Lueng Yang, Batgirls by Vita Ayala, and Superman vs Imperious Lex by Mark Russell are at the top of my personal list, but there's a bunch more to choose from. 

List of Future State Titles 

Here's a quick list of all 24 Future State books coming out this January and February. They're listed here in approximate release order. The first set of Future State books hit our shelves on Wednesday, January 6, 2021. 

• Batman (aka The Next Batman)
• The Flash
• Harley Quinn
• Superman of Metropolis
• Swamp Thing
• Wonder Woman
• Dark Detective
• Green Lantern
• Justice League
• Kara Zor-El, Superwoman
• Robin Eternal
• Super-Man / Wonder Woman
• Teen Titans
• Catwoman
• Immortal Wonder Woman
• Nightwing
• Shazam
• Superman: Worlds of War
• Aquaman
• Batman / Superman
• House of El (one-shot)
• Legion of Super Heroes
• Suicide Squad
• Superman vs Imperious Lex

Subscriber Recommendations 

If you're subscribed to current ongoing DC titles through us, you're probably wondering how we're handling subscriptions for these books. While you can sign up directly for any and all of these titles (and we definitely encourage you to do so!), if you're already down for a book with a directly linked title (say, for example: Batman), then we're automatically pull those Future State books for you as though you were subscribed to the title.

Other titles without an explicit linking series such as Immortal Wonder Woman, Superman / Wonder Woman, or Superman vs Imperious Lex will need to be specifically subscribed to through us. So if one of those titles caught your eye, send us an email or give us a quick call, and we can easily update your subscriber file.