Batman. Bruce Wayne. Terminal. The Joker (well, maybe not). Terminal’s scheme
to resurrect the Joker has hit a snag, as it has been revealed that the body
whom his gang thought was the Clown
Prince of Crime is actually the presumed dead Bruce Wayne.
How/why
Bruce “died” is explained, for those of us who came in late, and thankfully
Batman – the Terry McGuinness version – has his own team, just as his
predecessor once did. But Terminal also has a secret weapon, whether he knows
it or not.
One thing I
appreciate about Batman Beyond –
animated series and comic book – is that the franchise is not beholden to
the DC Universe continuity as a whole. By being set in a different era, it
frees up Dan Jurgens and other writers to build from the ground up. Would that
more comic books had this luxury. But it wouldn’t take more than an editorial
policy from DC make it happen, and yes that’s a hint.
This issue
is touted as the conclusion of the initial story arc, entitled “Escaping the
Grave.” But new developments clearly dovetail into the next issue. I’m very
much looking forward to how it all plays out.