When DC's The Source announced yesterday that Batman Beyond would be returning to comics, I had to find out more. I contacted the man set to write the mini-series in June, Adam Beechen.
Adam Beechen: Oh, yeah, absolutely! I thought it was a brilliant way to reinvigorate the concept. Setting it in the future gave longtime fans the fun of speculating what happened in the intervening years, while new fans could come to it cold and just enjoy it for what it was. It appealed to people who liked comics, science fiction, or both. Plus, some of my favorite animation and comics writers worked on the show, so I was glued to the TV.
CV: How closely will the mini follow the TV series? Where would it fit in terms of continuity?
AB: It picks up not too long after the television series proper, but before the character’s appearance at the end of the Justice League Unlimited series.
AB: Our stories will be pretty separate, I think, but I haven’t read Paul’s story yet. I’m anxious to!
CV: How would you feel about a Batman Beyond ongoing series?
AB: Obviously, I’d love it, both as someone who’d hopefully have a shot at writing such a series, as well as being a fan of the show.
CV: Do you feel pressure from the Batman Beyond fans?
AB: I feel pressure any time I take on a new project — mostly from myself. I want every story I write to be my best possible effort. If the project involves a pre-existing character, I put even more pressure on myself — to be true to the original spirit and creators of the project while still accomplishing the goals the editor and I have come up with for the book; to give fans of the original series a story that fits with and extends what they’ve seen before; and to give fans of Batman mythology who might not be familiar with Batman Beyond a cool and satisfying introduction to the character and the world. Luckily, I think we’ve come up with a story I think will excite both fans of the show and its continuity, as well as longtime fans of the mainstream Batman comics. I can’t wait to hear reactions to the last page of the first issue.
AB: Well, “Return of the Joker,” while not an episode, was pretty darn amazing. It was a brilliant way to bring the Joker back, and the horrors they put poor Tim through were genuinely chilling.
CV: What would you like to add to Terry McGinnis' story? Since we've seen 15 years after the last Batman Beyond episode (in Justice League Unlimited), are there limitations as to what you can do?
AB: Somewhat, but I take that as a challenge: here’s where the character is at the end of the animated series, and here’s where he is when he appears at the end of Justice League Unlimited. Is there a story I can tell, within the continuity of the show, that fits inside those bookends? I think there’s a ton of stories to tell within that frame, and we’ve come up with one of them — a really good one.
CV: In your quote on DC's The Source, you mention "old faces return." Will we see any 'old villains or characters' that haven't already been seen on the show?
AB: Yes. Two in the first two issues alone. And you’ll maybe even see new iterations of old villains or characters. How’s that for cryptic?
CV: Nice! Have you seen any of Ryan Benjamin's pencils or designs for the series yet or is it too early?
AB: No, I’m just as excited as everyone else on that front! I’m a big fan of Ryan’s work, and could not be happier to be working with him. The energy in his art just crackles off the page!
AB: We’ve got the stories worked out up until issue 30, which will tie up two of the main big questions that run through the year I’ve been working on the book. One is, Who is currently the Earth’s Doctor? The other, you’ll have to guess at. But there’s some very fun stuff along the way, including a fight fans have wanted to see for a very long time, and more info on how some characters survived (or didn’t) the Number of the Beast incident.
CV: Awesome! Thanks Adam!
AB: You're welcome!