Alright! Today I'm reviewing Batman Beyond, the third show in the DCAU. It's also technically the last show if you're going chronologically, but that's unimportant. What's important is how awesome Batman Beyond is.
Batman Beyond centers on high schooler Terry McGinnis, who, after his father's murder, is taken in by an elderly Bruce Wayne to protect the streets of Gotham as the new Batman. Bruce had given up the Batman mantle 20 years earlier after using a gun to stop a low-level thug and save a hostage.
It's like if someone decided to create the greatest cyberpunk movie, dystopia movie, Batman movie, and then threw in some of the most terrifying imagery and plotlines you could imagine.
I can confidently say, as a fairly rational 17-year-old, that some of these episodes and plotlines seen in Batman Beyond scared the living crap out of me. This was some of the most genuinely disturbing Batman media I've ever had the pleasure of experiencing. Like, this wasn't a kids' show.
If this wasn't animated, this would not be remotely seen as for children. I'm not sure it's for children even as an animated show. The movie continuation of the series, Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker, has one of the most terrifying things Joker has ever done on full display.
Kidnapping Tim Drake, this likable kid who I loved in Batman: The Animated Series, and torturing him until he turns into a mini-Joker... like... dude... and then to have Jokerized Tim Drake shoot and kill the Joker, and then break down crying from the abuse he's suffered... I'm not going to be okay. I'm, like, still recovering.
But I loved it. I loved these dark and terrifying additions to the Batman lore, and I can't see Batman's story ending any way differently. I always find it disturbing when I see a futuristic DC story where all my favorite heroes have died and everyone is sad and old... I never really expected the DCAU to go that way, but here we are. It's a lot more hopeful than the likes of The Dark Knight Returns, though. Probably more similar to Kingdom Come's Batman characterization than anything else.
Whenever I watch something, I take mental notes. I had two mental notes for Batman Beyond:
- Chef's kiss
- That intro was late 90s/early 2000s AF
I loved Batman Beyond. I loved it as an expansion of Batman lore and I loved the new Batman.
Terry McGinnis might be the answer to "Who's the best Batman?" He may not have the strict "No-kill" rule or the crusade against crime in Gotham, but he's a bit more human in that regard. He feels like he needs to atone for past wrongs and wants vengeance for his father. It's not an epic quest. It's just the right thing to do.
And I loved the elderly Bruce Wayne. He was a fun character, all the references to his previous life, the carefully worded dialogue that was so full of regret. This is the true Batman, nothing can top him.
Overall, I give Batman Beyond a 10/10. "A surprisingly dark and philosophical addition to the Batman mythos, Batman Beyond will go down as one of the all-time greats of animation."
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