Adam Beechen

I liked this because it introduced me to a bunch of heroes and villains I didn't know anything about, I kind of like the sci-fi/cosmic thing too. The little boy totally in love with Starfire was pretty funny, but not as funny as Forerunner deciding the hunky warrior guy was now her sex slave and his trying to resist her. I liked how Forerunner's story ended, the final line was great.

After enjoying Jim Starlin's Mystery in Space series, I've kept my ear to the ground for more DC Comics space opera, and the first book in that vein to come out since then is this, a collection of an eight-issue miniseries of the same (awesome) title. It was all right. Not as good as Mystery in Space; the story was a pretty bog-standard zombie/plague one. The arcs for the main characters (Adam Strange, Animal Man, and Starfire) weren't the best. For example, Adam Strange is called to task show more for abandoning the people of Rann for year when he swore to protect them, and so he is replaced. There's good potential there-- obviously it wasn't Adam's fault he left Rann, but you can't blame them for wanting a new protector. (Though waiting for him to come back before they do this is highly bizarre!) But his replacement is an arrogant jerk who ends up going evil and being killed (even though they cure all of the other characters who go evil), which totally robs the plotline of any dramatic potential it might have had-- wouldn't it have been more interesting to see him working with/against a well-meaning, competent replacement? (Adam still has a cool costume, though.) The other characters suffer from similar problems. The artwork (which switches pencillers halfway through) is nothing exceptional. A disappointingly average effort in the end.

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The Jokerz are organizing. If you read the previous volumes of the Batman Beyond title you could see it coming. And this is where the Jokerz problem comes to a head. Bruce Wayne is again in control of is company, Wayne, Inc. and he brings back a couple of well-known names. Bruce also has a secret that he's hiding from everyone and because of it Terry has to go into quite an intense city-wide battle without Bruce in his ear.

There's also a new Vigilante in town who has named himself, well, show more Vigilante. And Max is still trying to get the lowdown on the organization called Undercloud. And she's gotten in quite a bit over her head.

There's also quite the cliffhanger at the end of this volume. What will happen to Bruce?

Overall this was my favorite Batman Beyond TPB Volume yet. It was intense and thrilling and the plot was tight. I couldn't stop reading. show less

Adam Beechen concludes this six issue mini-series with a bit of a whimper. The Cadmus creation clone of Dick Grayson is an imminent danger to Gotham City as he has explosives set to decimate the city. Dick Grayson (original) and a very battered Terry McGinnis set out to stop his diabolical plans with an unexpected futuristic catwoman helper.

The Good Stuff
Adam Beechen understands Bruce Wayne's psychological motivations very well and is a positive attribute of the story. Bruce is an emotional show more cripple and is partly to blame for the havoc that is about to be unleashed on Gotham City. The Dick Grayson clone is a reflection of the unfulfilled and unexpressed musings of the original Dick Grayson and Beechen understands this symbiotic relationship. There is plenty of action and suspense, which is a bonus for the issue.

The Bad Stuff
Ryan Benjamin's art falls short. His art is not consistent and his facial expressions fail to capture the emotion needed to properly illustrate the story. Overall, his art throughout the mini-series has been flat and emotionless.

If you're thinking about picking up the single issues of this mini-series, I highly recommend reconsidering. Just wait for the trade. show less