Review: BATMAN BEYOND #36
[Editor’s Note: This review may contain spoilers]
Writer: Dan Jurgens
Artist: Rick Leonardi, Ande Parks
Colours: Chris Sotomayor
Letters: Travis Lanham
Reviewed By: Derek McNeil
Summary
Batman Beyond #36: “Lost Daze” finale! As everything around Neo-Gotham crumbles under Batman’s iron fist, the Fastest Man Alive might be the only one capable of saving Terry McGinnis and his city. But as powerful as he is, even the Flash might be no match for the Splitt and the mysterious False Face!
Positives
I love it when Batman Beyond gives us a peek at what that future timeline holds for the heroes of the wider DCU, rather than just the Bat-Family. So, I was quite pleased to see Barry Allen making a guest appearance, looking exactly as he appeared in the recent Flash: Year One storyline.
The idea of Batman and the Flash having a close friendship is a relatively new idea, introduced in “The Button”, but it’s a friendship that makes sense. Not only do they share the common life of a superhero, they also share a common interest in forensic science. But, that relationship has been put under recent strain, as seen in the recent story “The Price.”
Seeing that Barry and Bruce are still on relatively friendly terms in the Batman Beyond future shows that Barry and Bruce will likely overcome the tension that exists between them in the present day.
I also like the idea that although Barry is feeling the effects of age, he is still the an undisputed master of the Speed Force. Age has not slowed him down, neither metaphorically nor literally. The Splitt brothers may be younger and sprier, but Barry has years of experience that give him the upper hand.
When the brothers reveal that their motivation is to save themselves, Barry is able to rapidly switch gears from fighting them to helping them. This exhibits the essence of Barry, who will give aid to anyone who needs it, regardless if they are friend, foe, or stranger.
Positives Cont.
It’s also good to see Melanie back in action as Ten. Although she has given up her villainous ways, that doesn’t mean that she can’t occasionally don her old Royal Flush Gang outfit and come to Terry’s aid.
I found it an ingenious idea that Bruce has to use a safety feature of the Batsuit against False Face. This demonstrates Bruce hasn’t lost his ability to improvising when fighting foes nor his ability to turn an opponent’s strengths to his own advantage.
We briefly see a green glowing hand with the bones visible through the skin. Does this portend a return of Doctor Phosphorus, or perhaps the rise of a successor to the name?
Also, we see an unknown woman entering the cave and taking the Batsuit. She speaks of Neo-Gotham needing a protector in the absence of Batman. The “next issue” blurb tells us that this woman will soon be making her debut as a new Batwoman. It will be interesting to learn more about this mysterious new heroine.
I also like the nod to DC history in this blurb: “The Million-Dollar Debut of… Batwoman!” is a clear reference to the similarly titled first appearance of Barbara Gordon as Batgirl in Detective Comics #359. Is this perhaps a hint that the new Batwoman has a connection to Barbara?
Negatives
With a capable writer like Dan Jurgens, it’s difficult to find any significant faults, and Batman Beyond #36 is no exception. Nor is there any issue with the artwork of Leonardi and Parks.
Verdict
A lot of comic titles have ups and downs in quality, but Jurgens manages to consistently produce a engaging and exciting issue every month. Jurgens’ take on the Batman Beyond mythos is a worthy continuation of the original cartoon adventures of Terry McGinnis.
