The Beyond universe is reignited with a new look and a new creative team. Check out the DCN review!
Batman Beyond has been one of DC’s most unique and successful takes on its iconic characters. Since the property has been transposed from animation to print, it has had the same voice with Adam Beechen writing the various adventures of Terry McGinnis. But a fresh new chapter in the lore of Batman Beyond begins now, as Kyle Higgins (Gates of Gotham, Nightwing) takes over. Joined by Thony Silas on art, the story jumps forward one year from the end of Beechen’s run. The jump in the timeline leads to some fairly significant shakeups in the status quo.
Positives:
Thony Silas’ art is very impressive, especially considering that this is a digital-first title. While the character models do not diverge from the previous volume of Batman Beyond, the quality of the art is at a higher level. Silas makes great effective use of shading and line-work to bring depth and detail to each panel. The characters themselves look great, and are expressive without becoming to cartoonish. It’s a great balance that Silas strikes that I look forward to seeing more of in the coming months.
Batman Beyond as a concept has always intrigued me, but this is the first time I was able to fully embrace the world, a feat that I attribute to Kyle Higgins’ superb writing. Flashing forward one year undoubtedly means that there will be changes to the characters and dynamics that we’ve become familiar with. Higgins shows remarkable restraint in only giving us a couple changes with no real answers for what were their cause. It immediately draws in both new and longtime readers as they look to uncover what was the cause of these changes.
Negatives:
As great as Silas’ art is, there are a couple of spots where panels appear to be rushed and not as high quality as the rest of the issue. While it does not take away from the issue, it is certainly noticeable. The issue also suffers from “number one syndrome” in that there is a lot of set up of threads to be explored down the line.
Verdict 
(5/5)
Higgins and Silas come out of the gates swinging and hit a home run with Batman Beyond 2.0 #1. A great jumping on point for old and new readers alike, Batman Beyond is a crowd pleaser. With great art and sound writing, it is well worth your 99 cents.
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