Review: BATMAN BEYOND #50
[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 #50: The finale of Dan Jurgens’s iconic run on Batman Beyond finds Terry McGinnis accused of crimes he didn’t commit! When one of his greatest rogues, the formidable Inque, poses as Batman and causes havoc around Gotham City, Wonder Woman will stop by to confront Terry. Will Terry be able to convince her that he’s innocent or will he find himself the enemy of one of the DC Universe’s greatest heroes? The epic conclusion of the series is here!
Positives
In recent months, DC Comics has cancelled a number of comics. Unfortunately, Batman Beyond was one of the casualties of the what some are calling DC Implosion II. However, the title was allowed to continue until Batman Beyond #50, allowing Dan Jurgens to bring his series to a conclusion.
And Jurgens has decided to end his run with a bang. First with a story where Terry encounters Batman in the past (our present), when Bruce was at his prime. Now, in Batman Beyond #50, Terry encounters Wonder Woman. Terry has encountered a number of DC heroes before, both in the comics and in the original cartoon. But to my knowledge, he has never encountered Diana before.
The issue opens with Diana watching security footage that apparently shows Batman committing a murder and stealing a mysterious bit of technology. I was glad to see that Diana immediately suspects that the situation is not as it appears in the video. But she does feel it warranted to go to Neo-Gotham and get to the bottom of things.
She also has another motive for checking up on Terry. After defeating the actual culprit, Diana asks Terry to join her for a flight telling him, “My friends want to meet you. After all, the Justice League isn’t complete… without a Batman”. The implication is that Terry is about to join the League.
Positives Cont.
The story then ends with “Definitely not… the end!”. This could be taken to mean that plans are in the works for Terry’s adventures to continue in a new title. Given his imminent induction, it’s possible that a Justice League Beyond title might be in the offing. If so, I hope that Jurgens will be helming it. He clearly has a better grasp of Batman Beyond than any other writers that have previously attempted to adapt it in the comics.
I also liked that Jurgens took a brief moment for Terry and his ex-girlfriend Dana Tan to clear the air. Terry is still feeling bad about how their relationship ended up, but Dana reassures him, “It’s okay, Terry. We’re good… Really”. While I prefer seeing Terry with Melanie, it’s good to see that Terry and Dana will remain friends.
As always, Sean Chen and Sean Parsons deliver a gorgeously drawn issue. They always manage to perfectly capture the future Batman’s iconic look. And I have to say that their rendition of Wonder Woman is one of the best I’ve ever seen. I would love to see the two Seans drawing Diana on a regular basis in her own title, or perhaps in a Justice League book.
Negatives
Well, my major gripe is that this is the final issue. I really will miss this title and I hope that Terry will return, whether in a relaunch of his own title or in a Justice League Beyond book. And I hope that DC has something in the works for each of the creative team. Talent this good needs to be put to use.
I’m also sorry that we didn’t get to see Matt get to return to the role of Robin. I would like to think that this will happen someday. Maybe in the next series.
Verdict
On the whole, comic book adaptations from other media tend to be somewhat forgettable. It’s very hard for a comic book to capture the essence of the original. But Dan Jurgens has managed to capture the essence of the Batman Beyond cartoon in this series. It’s a worthy continuation of the series that is worthy of being considered canon. I will miss reading this title, but here’s hoping Terry will be returning soon.
