Batman gets more exposure than any other superhero. There are multiple comic books, TV shows, and movie franchises with his face all over them at any given moment. However, the world never complains about having the Dark Knight shoved down its throat. That’s because he’s a genuinely great character, so much so that it’s never a problem when he shows up in projects that have very little to do with him. Take HBO Max’s Titans, for example. The show starts with Dick Grayson wanting to step out of his mentor’s shadow, which means leaving Gotham behind. But Batman only stays out of Nightwing’s life briefly, returning down the line to clean up his own mess.
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Not every Batman spinoff takes such a negative approach with the character, though. The best ones embrace him fully because they know it’s impossible to operate without him. Batman Beyond adopts that approach, having Bruce Wayne pass the torch to Terry McGinnis, who has that same fire that drives him to fight crime. In Season 3, McGinnis’ positive contributions put him on the radar of another major DC character, one who leads the most unique version of the Justice League in the last 25 years.
The Bat Flies Out of Gotham in “The Call”
Most episodes of Batman Beyond start in Gotham City, since that’s where the titular character hangs up his costume. A villain will start trouble, and Bruce will guide his protege as he works to take them down. However, “The Call” switches things up. The episode kicks off in Metropolis, where Justice League member Micron is training when he gets a distress call. Leaving his robot sparring partner behind, he rushes into action and stops a train operator from meeting a grim fate using his shrinking and enlarging abilities. As any hero would, Micron returns to the runaway train to stop it from doing any more damage, but he meets resistance in the form of a force field that keeps him inside the vehicle as it crashes.
With a member of his team down and foul play suspected, Superman travels to Gotham and offers Batman a spot on the Justice League. He also takes the time to reunite with Bruce, who, of course, was a founding member of the team. Terry can barely contain his excitement, but reality hits him fast when his new teammates, Big Barda, Warhawk, Green Lantern, and Aquagirl, take issue with his arrival. After all, they’re good friends with Micron and don’t want to see him replaced so soon. But Superman isn’t just bringing Terry into the fold as a warm body; he wants him to investigate the mole within the League.
Batman Beyond Reunites the Batman and Superman Rivalry
It’s difficult to focus while watching “The Call” because there are so many great Easter eggs that tease future developments in the DC Animated Universe. Warhawk is the son of John Stewart and Shayera Hol, and Aquagirl, of course, is the daughter of Aquaman, whom the episode reveals is missing in action. All of that is window dressing, though, meant to distract from the mystery. Someone is picking off members of the Justice League, and they get close to taking out half of the roster after launching attacks on both Warhawk and Aquagirl. The only thing Terry can think to do is head back to the Bat-Cave, as Bruce might be able to see things clearly.
Terry’s instincts turn out to be right because, while watching the footage of Warhawk’s death, Bruce sees an energy beam hit the missile the hero is carrying. With the help of some computer tricks, it becomes clear that Superman is behind the attacks. Terry can’t believe it, but Bruce is ready, offering the new Batman a piece of Kryptonite that he stores at the Bat-Cave in the event Superman goes rogue again. And that’s where the episode ends, forcing anyone who wants to find out the truth to watch the next one. Fortunately, it’s not 2000 anymore, and “The Call: Part 2” is only a few clicks away on the HBO Max app.
What are your thoughts on “The Call” and its version of the Justice League? Leave a comment below and join the conversation now in the ComicBook Forum!
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