Batman Beyond #10

Crooked Parallel Lines

I’ve never been a follower of Batman Beyond. I have nothing against it, but though I enjoyed the episodes of the series I had the opportunity to see, I was not memorized by it, and I’ve never really pursued my passing interest. Wanting to give Batman Beyond a fair shake, I made sure to read up on all the characters' histories before I read this issue. Does the new Batman Beyond series deserve the full attention of comic readers, or does is earn nothing more than to be passed over for more mainstream titles?

In this issue, we get insight into the activites of the Jokerz gangs as a new player takes the stage, and we also find out what is happening with our heroes.

The Good

I found this issue to be quite well written. I love that the Joker King discussed the philosophy of the Joker as if the Clown Prince of Crime was a recently deceased prophet or philosophical theorist. It makes sense that someone would be able to unite the disparate Jokerz groups into one at least semi-cohesive gang, and as history has born witness, stupid young people can make for quite the zealous army, so I expect this arc to go good places. I also found the subplots revolving around Bruce’s failing health and Maxine’s involvement with a mysterious organization to be interesting. I look forward to seeing what happens next.

The Art

I think perhaps one of the things that has steered me away from Batman Beyond thus far is the aesthetic. The style of the Jokerz looks just a little too zany for me to take them seriously as a threat, and I find this to be true with many aspects of the world. The Joker King is no exception to this, and though I find his ideas fascinating, it would be hard for me not to laugh if I saw him coming down the street at me, deadly or not. Beyond the design, the art itself is a bit too simple. I like detail in my art, and the world’s look a bit flat to me as if the panels were being drawn for television rather than comics. You do not have to draw the same scene a hundred times with only minor difference, so why not include a little more detail?

The Spoiler

It appears that Bruce might be parting ways with the land of the living. Being an alternate future, the comic certainly has enough leeway to write whatever kind of story the author chooses, but I think the story would lose part of its emotional heart without the Terry/Bruce relationship. Time will reveal all things.