The first arc of
BATMAN BEYOND is finished -- and I loved it! Of course there were some flaws here and there, but as a jumping off point, it was fantastic. It really captured everything I've come to love about the series. Let me explain...
The plot centers around Batman's (Terry McGinnis) interaction with the Justice League of the future, after a new villain, Matter Master, takes a mall hostage. Of course Terry's family is in the mall, but that's not really what makes this book work.
Batman's interaction with both Bruce Wayne, and the Justice League are spot on. Adam Beechen's writing is an absolute joy to read. His character portrayals are definitely unique, all the while keeping in context of the general characterization. With each passing month he becomes better at it, which makes this monthly even better. I can not praise him enough.
However, I am not a fan of Ryan Benjamin's art for this arc. His work on last year’s mini-series showed promise, but he falls flat this time around. His action sequences were impressive, but his portrayal of facial emotions leave much to be desired.
In closing, I highly recommend this book -- especially if you were a fan of the animated series. One last thought: Is it just me, or is it sad that 1 of the 3 books in which Bruce Wayne is a prominent character takes place 39 years in the future?
