Review: BATMAN BEYOND #42
[Editor’s Note: This review may contain spoilers]
Writer: Dan Jurgens
Artists: Sean Chen, Sean Parsons
Colours: Chris Sotomayor
Letters: Travis Lanham
Reviewed By: Derek McNeil
Summary
Batman Beyond #42: The battle against Blight rages on! Batwoman will need Batman’s help to take down his greatest foe and the man who killed his father. But with Batwoman’s identity revealed, it’s sending shock waves through Neo-Gotham. Everyone will have to get on board with her-or face Blight’s nuclear destruction.
Positives
In Batman Beyond #42 we see Terry back in action alongside the new Batwoman against the villain Blight. Even though Batwoman is wearing Terry’s Batsuit, Terry brings his original uniform out of storage to allow both heroes to act together against the villain.
I love that we get to see the two heroes together. However, it looks like it may be a one time occurrence. The original Batsuit is damaged, leaving only one Batsuit between them, leading Bruce to ask “…which one of you wears the suit tomorrow?”. The obvious answer would be Terry, considering that the book isn’t titled Batwoman Beyond, but surely Bruce could make a new suit so Elainna can continue as Batwoman.
Although Dick seems surprised and maybe disappointed that his daughter took on the role of Batwoman, he doesn’t appear too upset. Perhaps, he might be convinced to give his blessing to Elainna continuing her crimefighting career. It would be a shame if it ended up as short as Matt’s tenure as Robin.
Positives Cont.
This story has a nice nod to the movie The Dark Knight Rises. Blight’s body essentially becomes a bomb on the verge of explosion. To save everyone, Terry uses the Batmobile to bury Blight under the ocean. This is reminiscent of how Bruce uses the Bat to fly Bane’s bomb away from Gotham. In both cases, Batman is at first apparently killed, but is later revealed to be safe. However, where Bruce decided to keep his survival a secret in the movie, Terry does not keep his loved ones grieving him unnecessarily.
But the Batmobile is destroyed, which is a shame, but this gives the talented artistic team of Sean Chen and Sean Parsons the chance to design a new Batmobile. After all, considering the myriad Batmobiles Bruce has had over the years, Terry is long overdue for a new one.
Negatives
I do find it somewhat interesting that Dick isn’t quite as annoyed at Elainna being Batwoman, when you consider how strenuously he objected to Matt being Robin. On the other hand, he’s not had the chance to let the revelation sink in yet. Elainna may be about to get an earful from her father now the current crisis is over.
Also, Elainna is an adult, while Matt is still a kid, so Dick may be more open to allowing her to make this for herself. Still, I would like to see Matt continue being Robin to Terry’s Batman.
The only other drawback is the extended wait we will have before seeing what comes next. However, the enforced hiatus is out of the control of the creators or DC, so we will have to be patient. At least, the storyline reached its conclusion rather than being interrupted in the middle of the arc.
Verdict
Batman Beyond #42 is another great issue in a series that manages to recapture the spirit of the original cartoon, while carrying the story forward. Jurgens has managed to create an organic extension of the cartoon’s mythos. Reading this book frequently gives me the urge to go back and re-watch the series. Current events have given me a lot of extra free time to do so, so I have placed an order for the Complete Series Blu-Ray, which will hopefully give me my Batman Beyond fix while I wait for the comic to return from hiatus.
