The Saga Of Batwoman Beyond Continues In Batman Beyond #38
by Josh Davison
Mild Spoilers Ahead
Batwoman Beyond interrupts a heist with skill and ease while Bruce Wayne and Matt McGinnis interrogate their respective suspects about the new Batwoman. Bruce speaks to Commissioner Barbara Gordon while Matt confronts Melanie Walker. Both leads come up cold. Meanwhile, amnesiac Terry McGinnis and Constance continue to navigate Neo Gotham’s streets and run into trouble while acquiring a hot meal. Later, Wayne Enterprises comes under attack from the returned Blight.
Batman Beyond #38 continues the saga of “Batwoman Beyond,” the new Neo Gotham vigilante who has stolen the advanced Batsuit previously belonging to Terry McGinnis. She aims to keep the peace in the city in the absence of Batman.
The comic also rules out potential Batwoman suspects, namely Barbara and Melanie. My money was honestly on Melanie being the new Batwoman, so I was a little surprised by that non-reveal.
Blight is a solid choice for a new Batman Beyond antagonist. His origins are linked to the legacy of Bruce Wayne, and he always had a somewhat cyberpunk feel to his design.
Batwoman Beyond’s identity isn’t revealed in this issue, so the mystery survives for at least another month. That said, she seems pretty badass, and the lack of mouth in the mask is a nice aesthetic touch.
Speaking of aesthetics, Sean Chen’s artwork is great. He gives the book ample detail, and the action panels are great. He also gives Old Man Bruce an appearance that balances his advanced age with him still being a scary bastard. Sean Parsons gives the book a solid inking, and Chris Sotomayor provides a well-balanced and popping color treatment.
Batman Beyond #38 is another fun and engaging issue for the title. Batwoman remains a mystery, but she may need the help of Bruce and Matt if she is going to fight Blight. The story is solid, the art is great, and the comic earns a recommendation. Check it out.
Batman Beyond #38 comes to us from writer Dan Jurgens, artist Sean Chen, inker Sean Parsons, color artist Chris Sotomayor, letterer Travis Lanham, cover artist Lee Weeks with Elizabeth Breitweiser, and variant cover artist Francis Manapul.
Final Score: 8/10