Red Hood's hunt for Batman begins in Future State: Gotham #1 preview

DC's 'Future State' era returns this May with a new ongoing series titled Future State: Gotham following the former Robin Jason Todd hunting down Batman.

No, your eyes don't deceive you.

But first, it seems, Jason Todd has to fight with long-time Batman villain the Ventriloquist and a giant-size version of his doll, Scarface. Take a look at an unlettered review of Future State: Gotham #1:

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(Image credit: Giannis Milonogiannis (DC))

Future State: Gotham #1 unlettered preview

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(Image credit: Giannis Milonogiannis (DC))

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(Image credit: Giannis Milonogiannis (DC))

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(Image credit: Giannis Milonogiannis (DC))

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(Image credit: Giannis Milonogiannis (DC))

(Image credit: Yasmine Putri (DC))

Future State: Gotham #1 is written by Joshua Williamson and Dennis Culver, with black-and-white art by Giannis Milonogiannis. Set in the aftermath of the recent 'Future State' event which ran across the DC line in January and February, this series is set in a near-future where Gotham City is run by a private police force led by a shadowy figure known as the Magistrate. Under their laws, superheroes and vigilantes are forbidden - and Todd (as Red Hood) is working for them to hunting down costumed heroes like he used to be.

"Disaster strikes Gotham City and all evidence points to Tim Fox, The Next Batman! Jason Todd chooses justice over his family and allies when The Magistrate enlists him to bring in the new Batman, dead or alive!" reads DC's description of the new series. "Featuring the entire cast from the popular DC Future State Batman titles, Future State Gotham begins the next chapter in this inevitable world of tomorrow and does so with this dynamic, noirish format."

Milonogiannis' Akira-inspired linework has led, seemingly, to DC's decision to reprint a 1996 Batman story by Akira creator Katsuhiro Otomo as a back-up to Future State: Gotham's first issue.

Here's a preview:

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(Image credit: Katsuhiro Otomo/Jo Duffy/Bill Oakley (DC))

The Third Mask preview

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(Image credit: Katsuhiro Otomo/Jo Duffy/Bill Oakley (DC))

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(Image credit: Katsuhiro Otomo/Jo Duffy/Bill Oakley (DC))

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(Image credit: Katsuhiro Otomo/Jo Duffy/Bill Oakley (DC))

Otomo's 'The Third Mask' originally appeared in 1996's Batman: Black and White #4 (which is collected in the anthology Batman: Black and White Volume 1). To date, it's Otomo's only original English-language work for any North American comic publisher. 

Future State: Gotham #1 goes on sale on May 11.

Keep up to speed on everything Dark Knight-related with our always-updated list of the new Batman comics, graphic novels, and collections in 2021 and beyond.