Writers: Collin Kelly & Jackson Lanzing
Art: Max Dunbar and Sebastian Cheng (colorist)
Publisher: DC comics
Price: $3.99
Release Date: September 6th, 2022
If you’re interested in this comic, series, related trades, or any of the others mentioned, then simply click on the title/link to snag a copy through Amazon as you read the Batman Beyond Neo-Year #6 Review.
THE DISPATCH
The thrilling conclusion to the miniseries set in the futuristic world of Batman Beyond! Here we see Terry make the final assault on the rogue A.I. running the city. Aside from Terry operating on his own now that Bruce has passed, this series also explores greater technological advancements. Since the show aired in the late 90’s and early 2000’s, they were basing the technology seen there off real-world technology at the time, albeit slightly advanced versions. Since our technology has advanced even more since then, Batman Beyond: Neo-Year #6 does a good job of exploring what futuristic versions of our current technology might be like, and the dangers it could present to society.
This comic also explores who the character of Batman is, going beyond Bruce Wayne or Terry McGinnis to show what “Batman” represents, such as Terry’s line, “You have a choice. To live through darkness rather than give in. That’s what being Batman is. A choice you can make every day.” This really speaks to not only who Batman is and what drives him as he fights evil, but speaks to the reader as well, as we often can struggle against our base natures. Batman is about enduring through darkness, and this comic really nails that point. Long-time comic fans will also notice lines that sound similar to famous lines from Frank Miller’s Batman: Year One, which is also paid homage to through Terry’s journal entries. Additionally, it’s a nice touch to see Officer Boonma refer to Barbara as “Oracle-1” in reference to her mainstream counterpart.
ART
The art in Batman Beyond: Neo-Year #6 is consistent with what we’ve seen previously throughout this series, and continues to be good. Fans will likely be impressed, by Terry’s new costume, which was teased at the end of last issue. Here, we see him in action with the new suit, and it is fitting, in keeping up with the theme of technological advancement. Also, it’s cool how they offset the technological advancements with the appearance of several police blimps, most notably recognizable from Batman: the Animated Series. Interestingly, the blimps don’t appear in the Batman Beyond show, yet several are shown here.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Batman Beyond: Neo-Year #6, and the series as a whole, presented a fresh new take on Batman Beyond, seeing him work without Bruce, become his own hero and meet new allies and adversaries along the way. The only downside is the lack of characters from the show. There wasn’t really much explanation as to what happened to them, but it still made a good story and stayed true to the feel of the show and the title character. Readers can expect more of Batman Beyond in the future, is the ending reveals that this series will continue next year. Schway!