Batman Beyond: Neo-Gothic #1
Writers: Jackson Lanzing and Collin Kelly
Artist: Max Dunbar
Colorist: Sebastien Cheng
Letterer: Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou
Batman Beyond Neo-Gothic #1 lights up with an alluring dive into the depths of a dystopian Neo Gotham. Join Terry as he plunges deep into the messy history and secrets beneath the city. Dystopian settings always intrigue me more than any other setting – even better when there are cybernetics throughout. Despite such high tech within Gotham, it is run down and shabby with a corrupt government. All fairly accurate to what you would expect from this kind of setting.
The cyberpunk aesthetic is jumping from the pages, and this has always been a defining trait for Terry McGinnis – I remember feeling a different kind of excitement watching reruns of Batman Beyond on the TV. I believe it was because of the futuristic approach that has carried on in the comics in the years since the show ended.
Neo Gotham (a futuristic version of Gotham City) is Terry McGinnis’ stomping ground. Children are going missing in Neo Gotham, and it is up to Terry to locate them. The only way to get answers is to go down below into the past crust of Gotham City. The concept is incredible, to have an entirely different era of Gotham trapped beneath the new Gotham with never-ending layers of trouble and danger to explore. I enjoyed how certain familiar elements remained unchanged from the Gotham we all know so well.
The depth of the art pulled me in from the first page. Dunbar and Cheng are extremely talented and seem to take time to perfect every detail. I appreciate an artist who can shine their love for art through the pages. The depth perception caught my attention on numerous pages, really giving that subversive feeling you are going further into the world that is Neo Gotham. With rich colors and purposefully dull architecture, the team seems to embody all that is craved in a Neo setting.
I’ve always found Batman Beyond an unrestrainedway of expressing the possibility of an entirely new project while keeping all the aspects we all love about Batman. I think the story for this run will go over very well. I’m a big fan of Jackson Lanzing and Collin Kelly’s work, particularly Gotham City Garage. Their last work on Batman Beyond: Neo-Year was fantastic, so I’ve high hopes for this. You can count on a book with Lanzing and Kelly’s names that it will be well-written and to the point.
Although Terry has been Batman for some time now – he still seems to be finding his feet in certain aspects of his career as The Batman. I think it’s important to show that even the greats struggle sometimes. It’s only natural for it to take time to perfect the ropes after the passing of a great mentor, which is Batman in this case. Having Terry in the future is a genius way to keep the legacy going while bringing something new to the character and connecting with its roots.
Overall, I hope Batman Beyond Neo-Gothic #1 does well and receives the recognition it deserves – not only for the first issue – but the entire run. I know fans will be satisfied and feel secure about the faith of their favorite characters with this incredible team. Let us know what you think about it!