Writers Collin Kelly and Jackson Lanzing, along with artist Max Dunbar and colorist Sebastian Cheng, are continuing on from this week’s “Batman: Urban Legends” #7 with the miniseries “Batman Beyond: Neo-Year.” It will see Terry McGinnis will face off against the machine hivemind of Neo Gotham, an artificial intelligence that doesn’t believe the city deserves to be saved. The six-issue series begins this April, showing us what the Batman of Gotham’s future will become.
The story is set just after the murder of Bruce Wayne, who had served as Terry’s mentor through the entire animated series and the majority of the modern comics continuing on from it, making this a second origin of sorts for the hero.
“Terry is finding out what it means to truly be Batman,” said Dunbar. “Without the mentorship and guidance of Bruce Wayne, and the support system he had relied on, he’ll feel for the first time what it means to be alone in a city that wants him dead.”
The story is looking to enhance the cyberpunk elements that have always been present in the character’s world, digging into ideas of industrial self-destruction and the individual heroism it takes to prevent that exploitation and decay. It will also be a chance to build a more cohesive city of villains, allies and obstacles for the new Batman now that he’s on his own.
“This is the long-awaited next chapter in Terry McGinnis’ life — one where he must learn what becoming Batman means to him in a city that doesn’t want to be saved,” said Lanzing. “We’re taking this opportunity to forge a new era quite seriously. Bruce’s villains reflected his journey through mental health. obsession, and tragedy — it’s time that Terry had a rogues gallery who reflected his path through legacy, loneliness, and hope.”
“Batman Beyond: Neo-Year” #1 releases April 5, 2022, with a cover by Dunbar and a variant cover by Christian Ward.
