Batman Beyond #14
Lights of Gotham
For a review with pictures, click here.https://batwatch.squarespace.com/batman-beyond/2012/11/24/review-batman-beyond-14
The current volume of Batman Beyond has been a wonderful treat every week. I expected little from this series when I first started reading it, but boy have I ever been surprised! Adam Beechen took what was already a solid story from the television series and previous comics and cranked it up to eleven with this tale of 10,000 Clowns which seems to just get bigger and better with each new issue. In the last issue, Terry brought Tim Drake back on board to help with the crisis only to be surprised when Dick Grayson also made an appearance to lend a hand. As Jokerz continue to explode across the city, will the old school and new school be able to pull together to save the day, or is this a team up destined to fail?
In this issue, Joker King cuts his last ties, Tim Drake confronts his past, and Bruce Wayne proves that he still has what it takes to be a hero.
An Ensemble Performance
Perhaps one of the things that works best in this story is the ensemble approach that Beechen has used. In this brief issue alone, Beechen presents six main characters, four heroes, one villain, and a civilian, all playing important roles in the overall scheme of the story. Every voice is crafted perfectly, and they blend together to form a beautiful melody.
I was a little disappointed that Joker King killed off his underling. That is such a cliché that I would not mind if I never saw it again, but it did not seem out of character for the Nihilist Ne’er Do Well, so I cannot fault Beeched too much for that move.
Several pages were given to Tim Drake’s entrance into the Bat Cave, and though these panels took up valuable real estate, I’m glad Beechen included this scene. Breyfogle and Elder do a wonderful job conveying the weight of Tim’s emotional burden through the art.
The issue ends on a big cliffhanger which will no doubt get your heart pumping.
Conclusion
This is another great issue. Check it out.
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