Batman Beyond #9
DC comics
Writer: Dan Jurgens
Art: Bernard Chang
Colors: Marcelo Maiolo
Letters: Travis Lanham
The Demon lives but it is not Ra’s al Ghul, the mantle has been taken over by the son of Batman, Damian Wayne.
I hate seeing past Robin’s become the villains of Batman Beyond. It seems like the obvious thing to do. It’s an easy way to explain why Dick, Tim, and Damian are missing in the Batman Beyond universe. Many times in professional wrestling, the older wrestler is used to put the up and comer “over.” Which means they lose to the new guy to make him look strong. In the Batman Beyond universe, Robin’s are almost always used to put Terry McGinnis over.
With that said, Damian Wayne feeling like his father isn’t taking things far enough is very believable. Even in future stories that depict him as Batman, he’s always been a more brutal and less compassionate Dark Knight. That’s part of his charm. In this issue, it is revealed that Damian is the best fighter Terry has
ever faced. I hate to say it, but I’m tired of the trope enough that I don’t want Batman to go over in this story. Even older stories, Bruce didn’t always have clean victories against Ra’s. I’m looking forward to seeing these two fight some more.
I’m not a big fan of the new Batsuit having an AI that talks to the wearer. It reminds me too much of Blue Beetle, who has had similar stories written about him, but no one reads them. Still, it looks great and it is the single reason why Terry wasn’t gutted like a fish the second he faced off against the Demon. It makes him more powerful but changes him mentally, which adds mystery to how Damian broke free from the suits mental hold if he has at all. I think the relationship between Batman and his suit could be an interesting new dynamic.
The art team did a great job. Some of the highlights of the issue are the closeup panels that were mixed in. They were very detailed and had a cinematic feel to them. I appreciate how the series is inspired by the television show but still has its own unique look and tone.
There was a good amount of action in this issue, and we really got to see just how dominant a finer Damian Wayne really is. The story is moving at a solid pace, and has a lot of interesting elements to it. The mystery of the new suit, and how Bruce plays into his son’s plan make this an interesting read.