This book gets 3.5 stars, not really four.
Let's begin with the artwork. Wow. Just . . . seriously, wow. I loved it. It's clean and pretty, easy to read for the most part, except in a few fight scenes. But just all around wonderful. It serves the story perfectly, Trevor McCarthy and Dean White do a brilliant job of creating the future and it's just really pretty to look at. The colors are somewhat somber with lots of reds and bright blues for contrast, which really doesn't work for me so well, but it's a story about an authoritarian and dystopian future so it's hardly supposed to be appealing and bright and sunny. So I guess that's a pass. Whatever the case, I think the book could have done with brighter colors in places.
I really liked the designs for Nightwing, as an older man, and Superman and Lois Lane. I had issues with Starfire's design. But all the same the future was interesting, the artwork showed us a futuristic time and not what happens in some comics where it may as well be the present but for how people are dressed. There was serious thought put into the setting design and the vehicles as well as the Bat cops. So here again, the art is serviceable and good and as close to perfect as it gets with most monthly comics.
As far as the story is concerned, there I have a few things to gripe about. It is a solid, good story, and well told. It is ultimately a story about father's and sons, the things we do for the people we love, whether those things are right or wrong or if we take our concerns and our love too far. Plus the griefs that can take us to such places. In this regard it is a very good, solid story.
But that's the problem, I can't wrap my mind around Dick Grayson turning on all the superheroes of earth at once. That is the stories main conceit. The very thing that sets off the events that make this whole universe exist, but I cannot bring myself to buy that Nightwing would ever do that. The characterization for most of the other characters is mostly spot on but I think Mr. Higgins misses Dick's motivation. He gives us solid reasons for why Grayson turned and what he does following the events in Metropolis, but that there alone is an example of the problem. Why would the instigating event even happen in Metropolis? When there's already the cesspool of Gotham, and with Batman dead, wouldn't that city have just devolved into the greater mess? It has more evil villains and Arkham. Metropolis is a shinier city by far. The absence of Wonder Woman and other magical creatures too leaves a lot of questions unanswered. The whole premise falls under the burden of too much scrutiny. And this detracts from the pleasure and full immersion into the story.
Brady is a jerk, and that's all well and good. But the mischaracterization of Batwoman, well Kate just comes off as a real mean woman. We aren't really given a reason why she's so hard core against superheroes except that she gave up that life herself, and that her more military background made her more apt to trust in the law. Which when you think about it, well then why did she ever don the Batwoman outfit?
Here again most of the characters are cool, and I love the look of Superman but some of the main characters aren't played right. Kori and Grayson's rift seems unnatural. Her abandoning her child seems ridiculous. She's essentially choosing her ideology over her kid? And Beast Boy and Cyborg's underutulization, along with Raven's complete absence gives us a story that maybe would have worked better were it a little longer and more thought out.
All in all, it is a great Elseworld's book. Not perfect, but far from being mediocre. It is a good solid read, with better than normal art. And I can buy this happening given a few minor mischaracterizations. But those very things are what keep this book from being a solid 4 or 5 star book. Definitely for fans of Nightwing, and the Teen Titans, or Elseworld stories, but not something for the casual fans, though it does work as a whole narrative in one and it's nice not to have to follow the story into other books.
3.5 stars. A good read with better than good art.