Batman: Urban Legends #7 – Jackson Lanzing/Collin Kelly, Tim Seeley, Guillaume Singelin, Kenny Porter; Writers; Max Dunbar, Juan Ferreyra, Guillaume Singelin, Baldemar Rivas, Artists; Sebastian Cheng, Alejandro Sanchez, Colorists
Ray – 9/10
Ray: Last issue saw multiple stories in this anthology come to an end, and now it’s time for something completely different. In this issue, we get four different stories of potential Bats of the future.
First up is a Batman Beyond story from the writing team of Lanzing and Kelly and Max Dunbar. This is a long lead story, taking up close to half the issue, and things have changed for Terry McGinnis since we last saw him—namely, he’s lost his mentor. Bruce Wayne has died, seemingly of a heart attack, but he insists he was murdered—his pacemaker hacked. Terry proceeds to rip through Gotham, trying to find any possible suspect and make them confess as he starts to resemble Bruce in some less-than-flattering ways. Ultimately, the reveal of who’s behind the murder is not something I saw coming, and takes the series in a bold new direction. That’s right—this is a teaser for an upcoming Batman Beyond series that will put Terry in a completely new position as the guardian of Gotham. It’s particularly great to see Lanzing and Kelly taking the lead on a new DC series after so much quality work.
Next up, it’s Damian Wayne of the Batman 666 world in a new story by Seeley and Ferreyra. I was never the biggest fan of this world, which seemed to cast Damian as a mad Batman who damned both Gotham and himself. I’m still not sold, but damn if this story doesn’t have a great aesthetic. The creative team is horror talent at its core, and we’ve got them bringing some of Batman’s most grotesque villains to life as Damian tears his way through an enemy base. It’s really more a snapshot with a creepy jump scare at the end, but it’s a fun and brutal read.
Guillaume Singelin isn’t a creator I’m familiar with, but their Future State Cassandra Cain story is very welcome—as is any Cass content, really. With relatively little dialogue, which fits Cass, it follows the young vigilante as she seeks out a bite to eat in occupied Gotham. When that attracts the attention of the Magistrate, Cass is caught up in a mad battle across Gotham’s rooftops. But that’s just another day for her, and the gorgeous art and clever quick dialogue shows us just how great this character can be when given the spotlight by creators who understand her strengths.
Finally, we return to the oddest Batman of all—Batman One Million—in a story by Kenny Porter and upcoming Robins artist Baldemar Rivas. A cyberpunk Batman with multiple modes who is backed up by a robotic “Toy Wonder,” he guards a massive high-tech prison where he goes up against an army of escaped villains of the future. Some are heirs to twisted legacies, others are new creations. The art is fantastic, the plot is chaotic and frantic, and it has a few strong character moments for this mystery Batman.
Overall, four great tributes to strange possible futures for the Bat.
To find reviews of all the DC issues, visit DC This Week.
GeekDad received this comic for review purposes.
