Review: Batman Beyond Unlimited #1

Written by Adam Beechen, Derek Fridolfs and Dustin Nguyen
Art by Norm Breyfogle, Dustin Nguyen and Derek Fridolfs

A new era begins with the debut of the oversized, monthly BATMAN BEYOND UNLIMITED, featuring the print debut of the new Justice League Beyond!

In the Batman Beyond chapter, legendary Batman artist Norm Breyfogle returns to draw the Dark Knight of the future with best-selling writer Adam Beechen. In “10,000 Clowns,” an onslaught of new Jokerz is plaguing Gotham City — and the implications of this chaotic clown menace could have disastrous consequences for Terry McGinnis and Bruce Wayne!

And the debut of the Justice League Beyond is here, courtesy of the BATMAN: STREETS OF GOTHAM art team of Dustin Nguyen and Derek Fridolfs, as the first two digital-first chapters are available in print for the first time! Batman Beyond is a new recruit in the mighty Justice League, but the team will be immediately tested by a very Neo Gotham-related enemy! How will the team work together to combat this threat?

I’m starting to think that DC really loves the 90’s. This is more proof. They’re definitely trying new things, however, as this was originally released digitally only to see print later.

Let’s see how this book translates from medium to medium, shall we? Follow the cut for more.

I bought this book with the feeling I was going to hate it. A book, reprinting a digital comic featuring an all but dead portion of the Bat-Franchise that hasn’t been relevant since the cartoon went off the air in the beginning of the previous decade (for those of you playing the home game, that means 2001). There were a smattering of appearances in both animation (Static Shock, Justice League Unlimited) and comics (Superman/Batman), but the future universe held no significance at all anymore.

Then this book came out. Simply put, this book is a lot of fun. It’s an action packed book with lots of story and beautiful art. But since there are two stories in this book, we’ll focus on one at a time.

First, there’s the solo “Batman Beyond” story, with a yarn seemingly ripped from the scripts of the animated program. The Jokerz, a gang of teenagers who idolize the Clown Prince of Crime are descending upon Neo-Gotham from all over the country, ranging from Star City to San Francisco. Bruce and Terry don’t seem to be sure why, and there’s no way to tell, so they’re going to do what they can to prepare. While this is the weaker of the two stories in my opinion, it’s certainly not terrible by any stretch of the imagination, it’s told just as well as the following story, but the art just isn’t as good as the next book. More on that later, but that’s not a condemnation of the art by Norm Breyfogle by any stretch of the imagination. The art, while great in its own right, doesn’t match the spirit of the original property as well as the JLB story.

But while it isn’t necessarily “as good,” it’s still a a breath of fresh air to see a book where it feels like stuff happens. The book moves at a brisk pace throughout the first half of the book, not lacking in the action as the Batman of the Future or living life as Terry McGinnis and Bruce Wayne. There’s even an appearance by the once-Batgirl, Barbara Gordon, who is still the commissioner of the NGPD. There is so much respect for the cartoon that you can’t help but enjoy it and flash back to the series itself.

But while I enjoyed that portion, the JLB section is the real draw.

First of all, the involvement of Dustin Nguyen gives the story a real shot in the arm. If there was ever an artist whose very style seems to have birthed the entire franchise (short of Bruce Timm), it’s Dustin Nguyen. The colorful characters against a stark and seemingly dystopian future setting with lots of grays, blacks, and whites made them jump off the page and the dynamic poses felt like it was animated in its own right. Can someone find a way to have Nguyen animate everything?

The plot, just like the art, felt really in tune with the Justice League Beyond’s status quo as a somewhat darker version of its predecessor the JLA (heh, JLA…JLB). The mystery is also a bit more interesting than the plot in the Geoff Johns book (admittedly, according to whom you talk to, especially on this site, that may not be an impressive feat) filled with intrigue and a pretty big twist in the end.

Perhaps the biggest strength of this book is the value, however. In an industry where prices steadily rise and books steadily shrink, this book proudly clocks in at 40 pages of book with a $3.99 price tag. That’s a mere ten cents for each glorious page. While I usually balk at spending that much on one book, this one felt like it was WORTH IT. DC crammed about as much value as you can stand for the price, and let me tell you, it gets an extra point based on that alone.

It could stand to have more Superman punching T-Rexes though.

This book is one of the biggest surprises I’ve read this month, and you should check it out. It’s fun, with explosive action and great art on both accounts. While I DID love the second story more, that may simply be because I am always crying about Kryptonians and the Airbender Green Lantern is one of the coolest Green Lanterns I’ve ever seen. Pick this up!

Final Verdict: 8.8 — Buy! (It really could use more T-Rexes getting punched though)