27 Years Ago, DC Made the Best Alternate Batman Comic Book Canon

Batman is arguably the most iconic superhero of all time. Bruce Wayne is recognized the world over as Gotham City’s dark-cloaked protector. He’s not just a comic book character at this point. Batman is a household name and a cultural icon, transcending his medium to live in the minds of millions across the world. Batman and Bruce are so heavily intertwined that you could think it’s impossible to separate them. Some even declare that Batman is the real face while Bruce Wayne is the mask. While that statement is debatable, and I certainly will argue it’s incorrect, the fact that we have to consider it proves how tied the two identities are in the cultural mind. 

All of this, from the insane amount of money the Batman brand generates to the unbreakable connection between Batman and Bruce, demonstrates how insane it would be to make anyone else Batman. With the expectation of Dick Grayson, given how long comics had spent establishing him as the true heir to the Bat, it’d be insane for Batman’s comics to greenlight someone else putting on the cowl. And yet, twenty-seven years ago, DC made the best alternate version of Batman canon to the comics. The first Batman Beyond comic launched in March 1999, and it opened the door for everything to change.

From TV Sensation to Comic Book Hero

For those unaware, Batman Beyond was a cartoon in the DC Animated Universe, acting as a sequel to Batman: The Animated Series. Long after Bruce Wayne grew old and retired, crime had once again become rampant in Neo Gotham. Scrapy teen Terry McGinnis got into a fight with a local gang called the Jokerz, who chased him all the way to the dilapidated Wayne Manor. After an elderly Bruce chased the hooligans off, Terry helped him back inside, where he discovered the Batcave. Terry left, but when his dad was murdered, he put on the advanced Batsuit to seek vengeance. He became the new Batman, with Bruce coaching him all the way.

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The first volume of Batman Beyond was a limited series, only containing six issues. The first two issues adapted the first two episodes of the TV series, but the remaining four were original adventures. They continued the show’s plot, using a villain-of-the-week format where each issue was a self-contained storyline. They read much the same as the original series, with plots like the return of Blight and a mummified prince returning to life and targeting Terry’s girlfriend, Dana. However, issue #4 had Batman team up with the Demon Etrigan, who had hardly appeared in the DCAU. This was Terry’s first step to the wider DC Universe and becoming what he is today.

The Yet Still Possible Future

Terry’s introduction to the comic book medium, even if it was only to continue the format of his TV show, paved the way for him to become a character in the Prime Earth continuity. Terry’s version of Batman was massively popular, proving that even a character as iconic as Batman could find a successor if they were given the proper style. With this series making him an official comic book character, he was free to crossover with different versions of Batman across the multiverse. Alongside that, he was free game for writers to use in both alternate worlds and potential futures.

The legendary Grant Morrison was the first to bring Terry into the main continuity. In Batman #700, they reimagined Terry as a victim of 2-Face-2, whom the then-current Batman, Damian Wayne, rescued. He was raised to become the next Batman, wearing his iconic suit. From there, Terry started appearing in all kinds of potential futures. The current iteration of Terry was introduced in the Future’s End timeline and continues to interact with the current Batman Family from there. Terry is still recognized as a potential future for the current Batman, and none of that would be possible without Batman Beyond (1999) setting the stage for him to enter comics.

Who is your favorite alternate version of Batman? Let us know in the comments or share your thoughts on the ComicBook Forum!