A new chapter in the Batman Beyond saga, as the Joker returns. But he’s not the only old chum to make an appearance. Dick Grayson is now mayor of Bludhaven, and joins Bruce and the team for a special ceremony. He offers some exposition via flashbacks of the old days, when Batman seemingly won the war on crime, allowing Gotham City to become a techno-paradise.

However, all this good fortune is earned at the expense of the Jokerz, a street gang patterned after the Clown Prince of Crime. But he doesn’t take kindly to trademark infringement. Whether it’s the original Joker or a replacement is yet to be determined. Some of us remember the animated film Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker, in which Tim Drake is psychologically programmed to become the Joker. Could this be more of the same?

Cully Hamner steps in as artist, with additional pages by Marco Santucci. For reasons I’m unaware of, this issue is 36 pages, rather than the usual 22. Their respective styles are distinctively different, so the visual flow of the narrative is somewhat hindered, but I would welcome either artist to handle the ongoing series.

The world of Batman Beyond is described as “decades from now…” However, with the respective ages of the more familiar characters (Bruce, Dick and Barbara), it doesn’t seem so far in the future, despite advances in technology. Nevertheless, I enjoy the series: familiar but fresh, while building on established Batman lore.