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DC Future State introduces Gotham City’s biggest threat yet

By Mark Lynch

LONDON, ENGLAND - FEBRUARY 22: A Batman costume from the 1997 Batman & Robin film worn by George Clooney and designed by Rob Ringwood and Mary Vogt is on display at the DC Comics Exhibition: Dawn Of Super Heroes at the O2 Arena on February 22, 2018 in London, England. The exhibition, which opens on February 23rd, features 45 original costumes, models and props used in DC Comics productions including the Batman, Wonder Woman and Superman films. (Photo by Jack Taylor/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND - FEBRUARY 22: A Batman costume from the 1997 Batman & Robin film worn by George Clooney and designed by Rob Ringwood and Mary Vogt is on display at the DC Comics Exhibition: Dawn Of Super Heroes at the O2 Arena on February 22, 2018 in London, England. The exhibition, which opens on February 23rd, features 45 original costumes, models and props used in DC Comics productions including the Batman, Wonder Woman and Superman films. (Photo by Jack Taylor/Getty Images) /
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How have The Magistrate affected the world of DC Comics in Future State?

DC Comics‘ newest event Future State shows us how some of our favorite heroes and villains will fare when their world changes. Some of these tales take place in the near-future while others will happen when almost everyone we’ve known is long gone.

So far, the biggest addition has been The Magistrate. They’re the peace-keeping task force in Gotham. No more vigilantes are allowed in Gotham City and it seems practical. Despite Batman and the Bat-Family doing all that they can, Gotham is still the most dangerous city in the country.

However, then you find out the horrible part of the story and your perception of The Magistrate changes: Anyone caught in a mask is ordered to be shot on site.

Gotham is still dangerous

The sad part about all these changes is that not much seems to have actually changed. Masked villains are still running around Gotham City. In Future State: The Next Batman, we see that a Bane themed gang (called the Bane-Litos) has popped up and two kids almost get inducted by killing Bane-Litos’ rivals. They’re lucky that this new Batman stops them because, not only would they have become murderers, but they almost got themselves killed too (by the Magistrate).Batman ultimately prevents this.

Even the police are having issues with The Magistrate. In one scenes, we see a Detective Chubb talking to her old partner, Whitaker, about them. She observes that the police are caught in the middle of a war between the Magistrate and the people wearing masks. While they’re talking, Chubb mentions that an ex-cop is helping perps plan jobs as long as they leave Gotham right after. Whitaker neither confirms nor denies his involvement, but gives her a cryptic warning to stay out of it. Detective Chubb seems to get the hint and leaves.

In Future State: Harley Quinn, we see Harley attempting to fight back against The Magistrate. Unfortunately, she’s easily apprehended once the big guns show up. Beaten, captured, and in her cell, she’s confronted by Jonathan Crane. He’s no longer the Scarecrow and is now helping The Magistrate capture villains in Gotham. However, he gives Harley an ultimatum: Help him capture the wayward villains of Gotham (in return for more enjoyable stay) or remain miserable in captivity. She reluctantly agrees and her first two attempts are successful.

As you can see, nothing in Gotham has really changed. Instead of the GCPD being corrupt, there’s a “peacekeeping” task force charged with stopping vigilantes and masked criminals. You know it’s bad when the criminals are getting together to fight back. The Arkham Knight (Astrid Arkham) has put together a group of Gotham’s worst villains to fight The Magistrate. While doing so, she’s helping them with their less desirable traits. For example, Harvey Dent’s Two-Face persona is gone. He’s back to his normal self and helping lead in the field, so it looks like she’s doing better than Arkham itself.

More from Batman

We haven’t even gotten to Red Hood’s part in Future State. It’s been reported that Jason will be hunting down heroes throughout the crossover. This is shocking on one hand but, in a way, not really shocking at all.

Who knows what happened to make him flip like this? Most likely, something traumatic and now he thinks that preventing heroes will make sure nothing like that happens again. We’ve seen how Jason gets when something tragic happens to him. It may seem irrational, but we won’t know until the issue comes out.

So far, the Magistrates have been the most important part of Future State. Stay tuned to see what else happens.

Next. Will Michael Keaton become the DCEU’s new Batman?. dark

What do you think? What was the most interesting story in Future State so far? Let us know in the comments below. 

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