Batman Beyond #1 (minor spoiler and a question)

[Turtletrekker]

I picked up the first issue of the new Batman Beyond comic from DC and enjoyed it immensly. The show was my favorite entry in the old DCAU and it was fun to catch up with Terry and Old Bruce.

It read as if it were a continuation of the series, but rather than the future of the DCAU, it seems to be a possible future of the DCU proper.

At the end of the issue, it is revealed that this first arc is a sequel to the Batman: Hush storyline from a few years back. I've heard a lot about Hush, but never actually read it. Now, I'm sure that I could probably continue through the rest of "Hush Beyond" without getting lost, as I'm sure the writer will fill in the appropriate blanks, but was wondering anyway if Hush was worth picking up? Opinions?

 

[Admiral_Young]

I personally hated "Hush" but there are a couple of significant events that take place within it that you might want to pick it up. For instance

Spoiler: Catwoman

Selina finally learns that Bruce is Batman and it sort of foreshadows the return of Jason Todd

As for Batman Beyond #1 yes I enjoyed it as well and am planning on reading and buying the series when it's released in hardcover early next year. It's been a little confusing as to what the continuity is for this book. Another Terry McGuiness appeared at the end of Batman #700 but as the protege of an older Damien Wayne. If you liked the first issue I would highly suggest picking up Superman/Batman Annual #4 which is where my avatar comes from. This is a continuation of Batman Beyond and was written flawlessly by Paul Levitz. It reads and looks like it could have been an actual two part episode and has been one of my favorite single issue comics of the year.

 

[Captain Craig]

Didn't know this was out, came out this week I take it?
I may have to double back I missed it on the rack or it was sold out by the time I got there.

 

[Turtletrekker]

It's actually been out for a couple weeks. My LCS sold out and I had to hunt for it a bit.

 

[Turtletrekker]

If you liked the first issue I would highly suggest picking up Superman/Batman Annual #4 which is where my avatar comes from. This is a continuation of Batman Beyond and was written flawlessly by Paul Levitz. It reads and looks like it could have been an actual two part episode and has been one of my favorite single issue comics of the year.

Thanks, I will look for it.

 

[God Magnus]

I enjoyed the return to the "Batman Beyond" universe. Apologies to those who love the character, but man I'm tired of "Hush" as a bad guy. After the recent arc where he was captured, I thought "Okay good, they can use someone else for a while" but nope, even in future Gotham we can't get away from him. *Sigh*

I'll continue to read just to follow the "universe" of the BB future, but I was hoping for some original villain, not one that's been in the spotlight for years.

I did enjoy the art in the book and the mood very much felt like the animated series. I liked the back and forth between the two main characters too. I may not like the villain, but the book read very well.

 

[Admiral_Young]

Yeah I agree with ya God Magnus. One of my problems with Hush is that he was set up to essentially be an anti-Batman type character and we've already had plenty of those with Red Hood and Jean Paul Valley. I agree that I'd much rather had preferred the villain killer to be someone new rather than an old villain. It'll be interesting though to see how Hush continues to be used in the Beyond era...

 

[shivkala]

Hush, to me, is typical Jeph Loeb in that it is a lot of action, cliffhangers galore, and has an underlying mystery that only makes sense in the end if you don't think too much about it. That being said, I enjoyed it, but found it's not high on my list of stories that are easily re-read. If you are able to borrow it (like from a library), it's worth a read. I'm not sure if it's worth it to pay for hardcover, especially when you can read up on Hush, the character, on Wikipedia for free.

Besides, the original Hush, comes Hush Returns (which I haven't read, but gets pretty poor reviews), "Payback" (Batman: Gotham Knights #73-74), Heart of Hush (a really good story by Paul Dini, that might be enough for you to follow along as it explains who he is and where he came from), and his appearances in Batman: Streets of Gotham (which I haven't read).

So there's a lot that they could pull from and I'm pretty sure, that the Wikipedia page will be enough to understand the story. Save that, if you feel you must read something else, go for Heart of Hush as it should fill in enough for you to understand. Despite being called Hush, the original storyline didn't reveal all that much about him, and the events of that storyline, at least as far as the character is concerned is easily summed up.

 

[Christopher]

If you liked the first issue I would highly suggest picking up Superman/Batman Annual #4 which is where my avatar comes from. This is a continuation of Batman Beyond and was written flawlessly by Paul Levitz. It reads and looks like it could have been an actual two part episode and has been one of my favorite single issue comics of the year.

Okay, let me get this straight... the ongoing BB comic is a blend of elements from BB the TV show and elements of main DC Universe continuity, like this Hush character. But can S/B Annual #4 be treated purely as part of the DCAU continuity, without any comics-continuity interpolations?

 

[Kibbin]

Can I ask when this is set, I mean I guess this is post epilogue?
I wish they hadn't started witha tie in the DC-cont, as I don't really read comics but I might make a change for this as I enjoyed the cartoon. Might try and pick up the first one over here, I'm sure a comic book store somewhere will have it.

 

[Admiral_Young]

@Christopher...Levitz stated in an interview that the BB issue of Superman/Batman takes place within the BB continuity sometime after Terry meets Superman and turns down the Justice League. Superman is shown attempting to readjust to the changes that have happened since he was freed from the Starro spore. Now as far as I can understand and I'm still fairly confused yes the Batman Beyond mini series that Turtle Trekker initially posted about seems to take from various bits and pieces of both the DCUA and the regular DCU. It is supposed to take place after Terry defeated the reborn Joker in "Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker" and here is the wikipedia article on the comic and the annual:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Batman_Beyond_(2010)

 

[Turtletrekker]

Didn't want to start a new thread, but did want to say that I'm loving this series.

I love the new...

Spoiler: Batman Beyond 2

Catwoman and Terry's reaction to her--

"Catwoman? Seriously? I've wanted one of those my whole career!"

I enjoyed catching up with Tim Drake Post-BB:RotJ, and I am excited that they have finally brought...

Spoiler: Batman Beyond 3

Dick Grayson

...into the Batman Beyond-verse.

Can't wait for the next issue.

 

[Admiral_Young]

Yep it's been excellent so far...according to Chapters/Indigo it's slated for hardcover release I think in March or April.

 

[DarthPipes]

I was a big fan of the Hush storyline.

 

[Admiral_Young]

Actually it's turned out to be more interesting than I expected it would be and there's the new mystery of who the new Catwoman although her unmasking at the end of issue three would indicate that she's Selina's daughter or granddaughter.

 

[Christopher]

So what they're doing is basically just recycling old Batman villains or introducing "legacy" versions of them? In other words, exactly what the Batman Beyond TV series strove to avoid doing most of the time. Is this really the right way to go about it?

And I'm still wondering, is this meant to be in the DCAU continuity, or in the future of the main comics continuity, or some ill-defined hybrid of both?

 

[Turtletrekker]

^As with the original Hush character (assuming that this isn't the original Hush), he seems to be working his way to Bruce by going through old Batman villains.

Spoiler: BB issue 3

This new Catwoman has been working with him.

That's why Terry goes to Jason-- to see if there has been any sign of the Joker-ware coming back on-line

Spoiler: BB 3

(and then it's Jason who sends him to Grayson).

As for the continuity thing, I guess that there is no real reason why this story can't be in the DCAU continuity, you just have to assume that the DCAU Batman had his conflicts with Hush as well, and that they just were never chronicled for us.

 

[Admiral_Young]

Regarding this being in continuity...it still kind of seems vague but Dan DiDio during his twenty questions segment on Newsarama prior to the restructuring at DC and his promotion stated that the mini-series does take place in normal DC continuity. Yet we have seen at least two other versions of Batman Beyond...Paul Levitz excellent "Superman/Batman Annual #4" which I believe I mentioned earlier in the thread which he Levitz confirmed took place in DCAU continuity and after Superman was freed from the Starro spore...the other version was in "Batman #700" where we saw what was implied to be and confirmed by the Batman Editor as being an older Damien Wayne in place of Bruce as Terry's guide. The mini-series seems to in the DCU though.

 

[Christopher]

As for the continuity thing, I guess that there is no real reason why this story can't be in the DCAU continuity, you just have to assume that the DCAU Batman had his conflicts with Hush as well, and that they just were never chronicled for us.

Except there's no Jason Todd in the DCAU. Its version of Tim Drake basically is Jason Todd by any other name, except he was never killed by the Joker and resurrected. In fact,

Spoiler: Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker

it was the other way around -- a Joker-brainwashed Tim killed the Joker, but the Joker arranged for his own resurrection.

Regarding this being in continuity...it still kind of seems vague but Dan DiDio during his twenty questions segment on Newsarama prior to the restructuring at DC and his promotion stated that the mini-series does take place in normal DC continuity. Yet we have seen at least two other versions of Batman Beyond...Paul Levitz excellent "Superman/Batman Annual #4" which I believe I mentioned earlier in the thread which he Levitz confirmed took place in DCAU continuity and after Superman was freed from the Starro spore...the other version was in "Batman #700" where we saw what was implied to be and confirmed by the Batman Editor as being an older Damien Wayne in place of Bruce as Terry's guide. The mini-series seems to in the DCU though.

Ah. Thanks for clarifying. So the only one I'd want to add to my DCAU chronology would be the S/B annual. I'll have to track that down sometime.

 

[Turtletrekker]

^ D'OH! Sorry, I'm getting my Robins confused. I meant Tim Drake.