Ok, I'm bias, but as I read this book a second and a third time, just to make sure my biases didn't take over my rating and the overall review, I realized that the book isn't as good as I originally thought. Sure, I enjoyed it, a lot, but it was because I'm such a Batman Beyond fanboy. The issue is all set-up for the rest of the story, which is what most first issues are anyways, but I feel in a sense that I'm reading a revamping of Return of the Joker, but replacing Joker with another classic Wayne villain. Don't get me wrong, I am loving it, but so far, this feels a little stale for a character and world that has never truly had his own series, minus cartoon adaptations. I'm recommending the book, but fans be weary because this will feel a little too familiar to you. Read Full Review

I'm sure "Batman Beyond" fans will certainly prove to be a great deal more enthusiastic in their assessment of the story. Read Full Review

And now, the art. When I saw Ryan Benjamins name on the solicits, I cringed a little bit. After all, he was the guy who was brought in to pinch hit for Tony Daniel right before Batman R.I.P kicked off and holy wow, were those some terrible looking comics. However, Ive learned that fill-in work is a completely different beast than planned work, and often times, artists who can are tossed a book to turn around in the span of two weeks or less and the quality always shows. So, I walked into the book ready to give the man the benefit of the doubt and well, he did a pretty good job. There are some weird looking bits that sit a bit uncomfortably on the page, but the look of the future Batman is solid, and the action, when it takes place is kinetic. Hopefully this can maintain across six issues, because his rushed work? Is not good. Read Full Review

In short, fans of Batman Beyond should readily welcome this mini-series into the McGinnis canon, even if it takes a back seat to some of the better animated episodes. Its a testament to the strength of Dini and Timms original work, that the formulas and conventions they devised over a decade ago can still form the basis for a solid story today. Read Full Review

The choice to the tease from the very first panel to the last of who the main villain of the series might be (which I won't spoil it here) works very well. For fans of the show it's definitely worth picking up, but even if you never saw an episode it's still worth a look. Read Full Review

Batman Beyond is one of those titles that sits in a weird area when it comes to readership. The people who are really going to get into this book are those who watched the original series, or who are O.C. over everything Batman. To everyone else, this book probably has little appeal unless they are looking for something that is removed from the current event goings on. That being said, Batman Beyond #1 is worth picking up. The story is not mired in continuity like the last mini, and is an entertaining read. The art is good, and a little less pressure on the ink pen might help going forward. Overall, Batman Beyond #1 is an enjoyable read, earning 3.5 out of 5 Stars. Read Full Review

Unfortunately, as much as Beechen captures the flavor of the show in his writing, Ryan Benjamin is not so successful in his art. Benjamin's style seems to haphazardly replicate the look of the cartoon, neither offering the level of detail normally seen in a Bat book nor embracing the stylishly geometric character designs of Bruce Timm. The result is a hybrid style that doesn't upset the eyes but doesn't do much to draw attention either. Benjamin's work is far less plagued by the stray lines that ruined his Batman #675 work. That same inconsistency remains, however. Terry's body shape remains in constant flux. Coupled with his not entirely consistent face, Terry's age seems to vary between 12 and 30. Again, the art has its merits, but it's not the satisfying reproduction of the animated series that Beechen's scripting offers. Read Full Review

If you have any interest or fond memories of Batman Beyond, I think you'll really enjoy this issue. It's a great return for the franchise and I was quite impressed with the debut issue, despite my minor misgivings. Read Full Review

Batman Beyond #1 was a nice trip down memory lane that fans of Batman Beyond will enjoy. This is definitely a series built for fans of the cartoon. Even though I loved the cartoon this issue was very mixed with the story. Beechen did get some aspects of the story and characters right but there were things that were just not written well. And the art by Benjamin was sub-par at best. Still for fans of the series go ahead and pick this issue up to see if you like it. For everyone else I say pass on this issue. As for me I am going to trade wait the series instead of picking it up in monthly format. Read Full Review