A True Shock To The System — Reviewing ‘Batman/Static: Beyond’ #1

The future is now as two iconic characters of comics and the small screen unite for a bold new adventure. DC Comics Elseworlds is back in rare form as the defenders of Dakota and Neo Gotham face an uncertain threat.

Batman/Static: Beyond #1 kicks off this mini-series event from Evan Narcisse, Nikolas Draper-Ivey, Will Quintana, and Wes Abbott.

Once upon a time, I was seated and ready when Static Shock and Batman Beyond hit the airwaves on the Kids WB network lineup. Superheroes have been if my life, mind, and blood since the earliest of days. Batman: The Animated Series was a guiding star and formulated an early love for the Caped Crusader. So there was little doubt I would check out the show about the future of that universe or the show that featured a Black teenage superhero.

Fast forward to earlier this summer when the announcement came down that the two worlds would collide in comics. There was no doubt I was raising my big writer hand as high as possible to volunteer as tribute (or write the review I guess).

So did it live up to my expectations?

I can’t say for sure.

There are some really solid moments in here between the characters and within their world. Narcisse paints a very vivid story picture with his writing, giving the world such depth and power. He nails much of what was showcased on the television shows while giving this future some additional new flavor. All of the characters featured feel authentic to their previously-realized selves, and the world itself felt as lived-in as one would expect.

What throws much of it off for me was how “bounce around” it all was. Batman and Static are together at the start, and then it bounces all over the place. The segments play out like episodic bits of their usual lives. Clearly this new fuel source thing, Q-Juice as they keep calling it, will play the biggest connecting role as the series goes on. But honestly, I couldn’t say for sure in this moment where any of this could be going, even if you paid me.

The threads so far are disconnectedly drifting and I’m unsure of where they belong.

What I am sure of is how damn good this series looks.

As noted above, I’m a fan of Static, so it’s no surprise to anyone that I read and reviewed the couple of minis DC put out recently. Both of them feature the artwork (and one of them the writing) of Draper-Ivey. His is such a beautiful style that transcends what one might expect to get out of a series featuring superheroes. It’s light and delicate with a perfect amount of counter heaviness that allows for depth and realness within the exaggeration.

Personality and emotional depths radiate at all times while one moves through the precisely planned panel choices. Each makes sure to allow what is depicted to breathe and move as necessary. Again, it helps create that depth and focus that we’re meant to feel at all times.

It’s interesting to see someone else coloring Draper-Ivey’s work. Quintana manages to capture a lot of what Draper-Ivey was doing himself with the colors in the past. They still evoke a lot of watercolor-esque qualities in how they are depicted visually, giving things the right out-of-place-but-aesthetically-pleasing appeal that feels essential for this story and overall style.

The work stands above, but also stands firmly with the characters and world it’s trying to depict. These color palette choices live in a somewhat toned-down universal space that sets a mixed tone. The approach allows for whimsy and grounding in a simultaneous fashion.

Some panels are lighter and brighter than others, even appearing to step past the overall stylistic choices. No matter what though, it all works out.

Another name I’m quite familiar with in this book who falls into my list of tops in their field is Abbott. A letterer that finds their name adorned within a great number of books DC Comics publishes. Every single letter that graces the page, no matter its style or type, contains a round, powerful punch of energy. Emotional depth is baked into each voice that Abbott helps bring to the page, taking what’s there and giving it that extra push.

Always having a keen eye that keeps the lettering from ever becoming overwhelming at any turn. Smooth and elegant as it flows through the pages, delivering voices and more that are true to form. It really resonates in the mind of the reader.

Batman/Static: Beyond #1 is now available from DC Comics.