By: Kyle Higgins and Christos Gage (writers), Thony Silas and Dexter Soy (artists), Emilio Lopez and Veronica Gandini (colorists)
The Story: It’s often disappointing to meet your heroes but it’s much worse when heroes meet themselves.
The Review: Last issue introduced us, and our friendly neighborhood Batman, to the Terry McGinnis of the Justice Lord timeline. Though giving Terry his own mission in another dimension is a great device to allow him a story that’s important and distinct from the larger threat back on our earth, so far it’s had a little trouble breaking away from the expected route. That remains an issue this month . “I’m starting to get déjà[ vu],” Terry quips, metatextually commenting on Kyle Higgins’ continued adherence to the path set by “Rebirth, Part I”.
Nonetheless, the two Batman Beyond chapters here are avoid their predecessor’s missteps by introducing stronger characterization and even more action. Better still, it uses the two in tandem to great effect. Terry McGinnis’ story is ultimately a redemptive one. Unlike many heroes, Terry came very close to making the wrong choices in life and his time in the Batsuit is very much an opportunity to prove to himself that he can be better.
This is honestly one of the most interesting elements of Terry’s character and I was always sad that the mention of his need to prove himself was cut from the final version of Return of the Joker. Higgins puts it to great use here, forcing Terry to confront his demons while still giving the Lords universe Terry valid, if vague, rebuttals. “You’re a Joker?”our Terry demands. “Hey, not everybody gets handed a fancy suit,” his double responds. This debate forms the spine of both chapters, lasts long enough to provide some great character work, and then moves over for a new issue before it overstays its welcome.
The fight between the Terrys and the Jokerz is more of the excellent work that we’ve come to expect of Higgins and Silas, particularly together. One thing that’s always great about Higgins’ fight scenes is how much shorter they are than you remember. It may sound underwhelming to hear that the first half of the fight is only three pages long, but the artwork conveys it with such momentum and clarity that it feels like a scene from the show and, therefore, significantly longer. In the opening pages, our Terry’s anger lights up the book. His frustration is palpable and that turns a strong fight into a visceral character moment. Likewise, the second chapter has its own, well gimmick sounds cynical but essentially, gimmick. Terry’s new ability makes sense for a world where Batman’s main antagonist is Superman and Higgins clearly enjoys playing with it, which makes it fun to read about.
There’s also a great scene between Lord universe Dick and Barbara that reminds us, not only of how natural Higgins’ dialogue can be, but that making hard choices sometimes leads to unhappy endings. I’m very happy to see that Dick’s appearance last issue is more than a cameo and that Barbara may play a significant role in this story as well.
Thony Silas handles both chapters this month, bringing with him all the strong layouts and detailed characters you’d expect. It’s a particularly dynamic issue, with bold motions defining many compositions. At times this strains realism – those are some very athletic Jokerz – but it’s so aesthetically pleasing that it’s really hard to complain. I mean there are a lot of bodies in this fight and, while Silas does have some light problems with overcrowding, it’s impressive how clear things remain and allowing the fight another plane to work on is a clever trick towards that goal.
There’s also the risk of the two Terrys beginning to look silly interacting, but strong facial work makes sure that that’s not a problem. Moments of anger and hopelessness are particular strengths this issue. As ever there’re some excellent layouts. Silas has a real talent for comfortably fitting a lot on the page. The best of it is that it’s not even a sacrifice; Silas manages to use these dense pages to direct attention and provide a sense of excitement.
Meanwhile, Christos Gage seems to relish setting up and demolishing expectations. Last issue set up some strong hints of how this whole thing would play out but this one takes evident glee in subverting those expectations. Each of the chapters completely reverses the expectation planted by another’s cliffhanger and sets up new questions that will presumably also avoid the obvious answer.
The first chapter is almost entirely devoted to a showdown between the JLB and their power mad counterparts. It is a little convenient that the Justice Lords Beyond consists of the exact same line up, barring a pair of very similar substitutions, but then again many of these Leaguers have already shown the potential for seizing power. While there could be thousands of changes in their timeline that could explain it, the Rever- I mean Lord Flash’s dialogue points to some very personal revelations that put her on Superman’s side. If all of the Lords have such considered reasons for changing sides we’ll be in for a fascinating arc.
In the meanwhile, however, it really comes down to how interesting the mirror matches are. Some, like Warhawk, are one trick ponies. Others, like Micron, lack depth. But then there are the gems, like Captain Marvel and the aforementioned Flash. I also have to say that, while I would like to see some deeper exploration of individual characters in this series, Gage’s handle on Barda continues to be a strong point and she kind of steals the show for a spell.
After that we return to the trinity and discover the truth behind Lord Batman’s death and who it was who came back through the portal. While it suffers from Alternate Earth Wonder Woman Syndrome*, the story treats its characters with respect and provides them with believable actions. Still, at heart it’s just exposition. I expect your reaction to this chapter will be based almost entirely on your level of emotional investment.
I say almost because there’s always Dexter Soy’s artwork to consider. In both chapters, Soy delivers attractive, uncluttered pseudo-realism. Though the level of detail varies from panel to panel, JLB enjoys using small elements to achieve large results. Every line on a character is there for a reason and the result is a combination of clarity and detail that is rather uncommon. This technique is particularly effective when Soy needs to depict the Lords scheming or otherwise showing their true colors. There are a couple of gorgeous panels of Lord Superman in particular.
There is one character who truly steals the show though and, unsurprisingly, it’s Wonder Woman. Nowhere is the benefit of Soy’s optimal detail more apparent than in Diana. Whether in flashback or in the present day, the simplicity of Wonder Woman’s face stands in stark contrast to the world around her. Soy’s Wonder Woman is beautiful, but more than that she’s powerful, determined, fierce, superhuman, and when she grows old there’s a world-weary quality that instantly tells you that she’s seen too much of war.
It also helps that Soy’s layouts are strong. In the first chapter he uses harsh angular rectangles, fitting them together expertly to maximize space and storytelling efficiency, but it’s Wonder Woman’s story that shows his true talents. The loose, flowing montage effect is wonderful and does a great job of conveying what’s important to Diana. It’s obviously not a new technique but Soy clearly demonstrates his technical aptitude this month.
The Conclusion: After a solid but relatively unspectacular start, the “Justice Lords Beyond” arc gets a shot in the arm. Both writers are dealing with really interesting issues and making good on the philosophical legacy of “A Better World”.
This issue is a particularly strong showing for the artists, who seem utterly unafraid to cut loose and show the strengths of their styles. Thony Silas remains a storytelling powerhouse but, as a newcomer to the series, I’m particularly impressed with Dexter Soy. It’s a great blessing to readers of this title that it’s seen so many talented artists and that they haven’t been plucked for main line books.
One thing that must be said about the art is that it feels true. Silas has an incredible ability to convey the style and kineticism of the original cartoon and, though Soy takes a little more from the comic world in his drawings, he seems perfectly suited to the story at hand. Wondie fans are riding high on the announcement of Sensation Comics but, in the meanwhile, this is your best source for gorgeous, classic look Wonder Woman.
While the structure of the book is a tad simplistic, Batman Beyond Universe #10 is another solid installment of the series that handily won my vote for best new title last year. This storyline is still building and you’ll rarely find a better deal or a crossover with an easier reading order. Batman Beyond Universe #10 will get you instantly fired up for “Justice Lords Beyond” and continues to be one of the most consistently well-crafted books on the shelves.
Grade:
Batman Beyond: B
Justice League Beyond: B+
*Alternate Earth Wonder Woman Syndrome is a disease that may affect up to one in five out-of-continuity Wonder Womans. It is dramatically more prevalent in Wonder Womans that play a crucial role in their stories or who are depicted as older than in-continuity Wonder Womans. Symptoms include: diminished connection to Amazon philosophy, overemphasis on a warrior upbringing or the paradox of fighting for peace, inability to find third options when presented with moral dilemmas, and lack of empathy. This Wonder Woman has a less severe case than many and most of the symptoms she exhibits are, in my medical opinion, balanced as well as can be expected by the story. AEWWS is not contagious, but it has been known to cause emotional volatility in certain fans of Wonder Woman.
-Noah Sharma