Hush revealed? Batman bleeding? Catwoman… catting? As strange as it may sound, the messed up ending of the previous installment of Batman Beyond actually ends up with a reasonable explanation that still keeps everything in continuity.
BATMAN BEYOND #5
Writer: Adam Beechen
Artist: Ryan Benjamin
Inker: John Stanisci
Colorist: David Baron
Letterer: Travis Lanham
Cover: Dustin Nguyen
Editor: Chris Conroy
Publisher: DC Comics
Previously in Batman Beyond: Someone claiming to be Hush has been running around New Gotham killing his way through Batman villain after Batman villain, seeking to finally depose Bruce Wayne and tear the city down for good. Terry McGinnis thinking he could take down an ancient foe, finds himself stabbed in the gut, bleeding out, with the new Catwoman as the only person who can help him. Meanwhile, Hush’s mask has come off, and he bears a striking resemblance to Dick Grayson. But he’s a good guy, right?
SEND IN THE CLONES
The solution to why Hush looked so much like Dick Grayson last issue, is quickly and easily explained away by Adam Beechen, that we should have all seen the swerve coming. Amanda Waller, knowing that Bruce Wayne would eventually die, reasoned that the city would need a Batman to keep it safe and relatively sane. Following Dick’s disasterous encounter with The Joker, she sent a team of doctors in to scrape his mind and his DNA so Cadmus could create their own clone ready to be activated when the time was right. Turns out the clone had his own agenda, escaping at just the wrong time, thus kicking off the arc.
Now before you call bullshit, decrying Beechen’s plot twist a cheap trick to draw in the masses, keep in mind that the Waller/Batman Heir gimmick actually did play out in the Justice League Unlimited animated series, where it was revealed that Waller used Bruce’s DNA to get Terry McGinnis mom knocked up, thus making Terry Bruce’s biological son. The clone ploy keeps the timeline and continuity of the series in tact as it looks like the clone was simply another in a long line of plans Waller has to keep Batman alive for the ages.
Now that Hush has been revealed to be a real dick, his master plan is even more frightening for the citizens, as Beechen once again taps into Bat-history, bringing back the terror that was Cataclysm. The last issue will no doubt find the seriously injured Terry bringing down the twisted clone, and there’s a better than likely chance the real Dick will get involved in the final take down as well.
There really isn’t anything over the top in this issue, save for the occasional scenery chewing by the clone Grayson. I like it when Bruce finally drops his guard, how quickly he figures out who Catwoman is, and the potential love that blossoms between the cat and the young bat. Beechen has done a good job of letting the characters be themselves, ties back to past and future Batman continuity, and doesn’t stink up the issue.
BATMAN, BLOODY BATMAN
My biggest complaint about the series so far has to do with the art. I’m still not completely sold on Benjamin’s style, as there are still plenty of pages and panels where characters get a little wonky in their detail and poses. The composition of each panel is nice, and I like the angles selected to move the narrative forward. It would be interesting to see what Benjamin could do if he broke some of his pages out of the traditional panel format, and allowed certain moments to jump out to the reader.
Dustin Nguyen is a real favorite of mine, and his cover is so different from what we’ve seen from him lately, that I had to do a double take when I saw his name. It’s well done, and make a great retro poster, and if I could afford the original piece, I’d snag this cover up in a moment.
BOTTOM LINE: WORTH A READ
You really need to be a Batman Beyond fan, and someone familiar with the Batman’s history over the last 20 years to fully appreciate what is going on in this series. I haven’t given away everything going on in this issue, so the book is still worth a read to see how Hush really ties into all of this, and to see how Bruce gets his hash handed to him when his guard is down. The big reveal works, and the art is okay, earning Batman Beyond #5 3 out of 5 Stars.
16 Comments
I absolutely agree Steven, an enjoyable 3/5 stars from me as well.
I’m definetly picking up the Batman Beyond ongoing when it starts in the new year
Ok. First off, I haven’t read this or the previous issue … yet. I’ve got much of the DCAU memorized and I’m calling BULLSHIT! for 2 reasons.
Reason 1: If they’re trying to borrow plot lines from the JLU episode Epilouge, they’re not doing a very good job of it. If this is a clone of Dick Grayson, then why does it wake up and suddenly decide “Hey! I was engineered to be Batman so naturally I’ll be Hush instead! Not only that but I’m going to start killing people too … because that’s what Batman would do.” That doesn’t make a bit of sense to me.
Reason 2: This is where I cry MAJOR BULLSHIT. How did they get a sample of Dick’s DNA when it was TIM that Joker tortured? Dick was completely absent from ALL of Batman Beyond … even the movie.
Sounds to me like Beechan (who I liked going into this story) should have probably watched the TV show/movie or at least looked at some source material before writing this. I’ve said it once, I’ll say it again: If your expecting this to be Season 4 of the show (which it was advertized as), there are enough differences to prove that it’s not. Read this as it’s own continuity that borrows here and there from whatever source material it wants. Maybe the Joker will show up next, huh? … sheesh.
You REALLy need to read the previous issue, as it was revealed that Dick Grayson’s last mission with Bruce ended with The Joker gunning the two of them down, with Dick catching most of the bullets and ending up in the hospital…
I guess I will then. I don’t like how they’re shoe horning continuity like this. It would have had to take place after the episode where Bruce and Dick called a temporary truce to con Selina and take down a trafficer but before the events of the movie. That’s a window of about 2 or 3 years at most. But even then, they were on uneasy ground by what the two shows tell us.
Just 1 question. Are they showing Dick as Robin or Nightwing? Robin … there’d be a problem. Nightwing … shoe horned continuity.
Wow, you sound upset without actually reading the series… you are missing FIVE ISSUES worth of information. Don’t judge it, just read it THEN slam it afterwards.
I’m liking it so far, and I do have SOME reservations but I feel there is still info missing that will most likely be revealed in the last issue of the arc.
Wow, you sound upset without actually reading the series… you are missing FIVE ISSUES worth of information. Don’t judge it, just read it THEN slam it afterwards.
It should be noted that we review issues, not series. If an issue makes no sense without reading the previous five, that’s poor writing and pacing, and definitely something that will come up in the review.
BTW – Comm. Barbra Gordon references Grayson as Nightwing to Terry, saying “…look up Nightwing someday. Has he got stories,” so that’s not really shoehorned.
Actually I wrote that I was only missing the last 2 issues. (In fact I reviewed the first ?2? for the site.) But thanks. :) I’m sure reading it won’t change the plot that Stephen wrote about. I still think that “a clone of Dick that was raised to be Batman who decides to turn murderous villain instead” is kind of dumb and playing off of too much of what the show has already done. I don’t get satisfaction from reading combined recycled ideas.
And I know she references him in the movie. She also references him in the “Curare” episode as her and Terry are eating at a diner. Still doesn’t mean he was on the show.
Running theme of Cadmus in general has always been “Things that never worked quite right”, so insane clone Dick makes perfect sense even if it’s kind of forced.(DCAU Power girl clone for example)
Terry only turned out so well is because Cadmus has minimal involvement.
Though I hope they dont use this “Project Batman Beyond” plot device again, It gets old quickly
I agree that it gets old quick. The “Project Batman Beyond” was only supposed to be a means of wrapping the series up after it went off the air. Now that they’re continuing it, … well … we get this. I don’t think Bruce Timm’s team would have wrote it into existance if they had known the comic was going to happen.
I do have to say that you make a very good point about the whole Power Girl thing. The only thing I’m going to say about that is that Galatea was created to be a government weapon (much like they did to her predecessors the Royal Flush Gang and Ace). She wasn’t supposed to be a replacement hero. In fact she was supposed to be sort of the opposite. I don’t want this to sound like I’m arguing, which I’m sure it does. This is just a genuine thought that smacks me in the fact when I think of this.
Great review Stephen, thoughtful, well informed, and well written. I think it would be a service to MS if you and Matthew did all the bat reviews from now on.
While this issue did a lot to right the series, the use of another former Robin as the antagonist still feels a little redundant.
But I think the real problem with the issue is all the expositional dialogue. The scene where the real Dick was working over the Cadmus thugs and waxing philosophic over the merits of the new bat seemed forced and hacky. And how were Nora Elliott and Dick Grayson explaining to the cops that Cadmus cloned him to be the new batman without giving away everybody’s secret identities (in the long shot you can see other people in the room)?
But again I think the real problem with the new series is there making it a Batman, where are they now story, instead of dealing with the characters that exist in the present. They even killed Mad Stan! Off camera, no less. What a gip!
Oh and the clone Grayson’s silhouette had two eyes and then he had an eye patch.
I’ll totally read the ongoing, though.
Great review Stephen, thoughtful, well informed, and well written. I think it would be a service to MS if you and Matthew did all the bat reviews from now on.
To be quite honest, though Batman is a favorite of mine, I have really drifted away from reading the books, as I’m generally quite disappointed in what is going on, So there is very little desire to review Bat-books right now. That being said, having a variety of people looking at and reviewing the various titles on Major Spoilers is actually a good thing, as it gives different perspectives on the titles in question. Plus, all of our reviews, and reviewers, are quite honest in their approach to the subject – sometimes we will lavish praise, other times not.
OR as Matthew is fond of saying ‘Blah, blah, blah… fishcakes…” er.. I mean, “I read these when the first came out.” No, wait. I meant to type, “Here’s the thing… ” “My name is Stephen, and I have an iPad?” Grrrr! “Insert some random George Carlin line here” Dammit! “You’re mileage may vary.” There… that’s what Matthew is fond of saying…
Look, I’m a little nervous about the idea that the Bruce Wayne era is (apparently) over. I read Morrison intended to put everything back the way he found it, but the role reversal of the happy bat and the grim robin was just too good to let drop so soon.
I’ve been obsessed with Morrison’s run and have been reading every review and blog on the web, and my conclusion is that the schism is based solely on one issue, Damian Wayne. People that hate Damian, hate the new direction.
And if that’s the case with you I urge you to give the character another chance. Sure he’s a snotty pain in the ass, but there’s an underlying sense of nobility to him (I always liked the curmudgeon with a heart of gold character).
He could have stayed with the league of assassins and been a master of the universe, but instead decided to follow in his father’s footsteps and get his ribs broken and his bell rung every night in dirty alleyways for no money, no power and very little glory.
That Red Robin, where he hacks Tim’s database and is almost in tears over Tim’s opinion of him, or the B&R where he confronts his mother, or the scene in B&R #15 where he’s trapped in the coffin and just looses it, all give you a glimpse of the little boy under all that smug. I’m looking forward to watching him mature.
As far as other reviews are concerned I’m all for diversity of opinion, but you can tell when people are making an effort and taking the material seriously and when they aren’t. I know its comic books and not brain surgery, but I’m a firm believer in the concept of professionalism. If a person doesn’t want to take their job seriously, they should find another racket.
Oh, and the planet is fine…
OR as Matthew is fond of saying ‘Blah, blah, blah… fishcakes…” er.. I mean, “I read these when the first came out.” No, wait. I meant to type, “Here’s the thing… ” “My name is Stephen, and I have an iPad?” Grrrr! “Insert some random George Carlin line here” Dammit! “You’re mileage may vary.” There… that’s what Matthew is fond of saying…
You forgot “From the perspective of…” and “HEYLO! My nem is FakeREEGO!”
Wow, all the cool kids came to my party.
As I big Batman Beyond fan I’m looking forward to seeing where this series goes. I haven’t picked this one up yet, but from your review I’m guessing I will continue to enjoy it.
Good review and good work as always.