Each Friday, we'll be letting a different DC.com writer share what they'll be reading over the weekend and why you might want to check it out. Here's this week's suggestion for a perfect Weekend Escape!
What’s better than not one, but two animation favorites returning to the page, each starring in their own new miniseries? The pair of them headlining the book together! Taking place in the neon-colored future of Neo-Gotham and New Dakota, Batman/Static: Beyond is a six-issue limited series where the fate of the world falls into the hands of Milestone’s most electrifying hero and the protégé of the Batman. Written by Evan Narcisse and illustrated by Nikolas Draper-Ivey and Miguel Mendonça, this book is a fun jolt featuring two of DC’s most beloved characters as they navigate an imaginative—but dangerous—future. Let’s get to it!
THE PREMISE:
Static (a.k.a. Virgil Hawkins) has been experimenting with Q-Juice—the chemical compound that gave many citizens of Dakota superpowers (including himself) during the flashpoint event known as the Big Bang. Static intends to convert the experimental substance to a clean energy grid to benefit the entire world. But when a classmate from Terry McGinnis’s high school gets caught in an explosion, breaching the containment of Static’s Q-Grid, he emerges as Shutdown: a new Bang Baby with the ability to control all electric-powered technology across the city and beyond. As his anger grows from the takeover of dangerous tech, Shutdown’s rage crosses county lines from Neo-Gotham to New Dakota. With the Justice League Unlimited a galaxy away, it’ll take Batman, Static and their few remaining friends (along with some former enemies) to bring power back to their cities and show Shutdown the light.
LET’S TALK TALENT:
This is a miniseries helmed by a trio of young creators who are some of the most experienced hands when it comes to these characters and their world.
First and foremost, artist Nikolas Draper-Ivey returns to Static after dazzling Milestone fans with Static: Season One and the even better follow-up Static: Shadows of Dakota. Writer Evan Narcisse has worked on Static as well, particularly 2023’s Static/Anansi one-shot. However, both creators are new to the world of Batman Beyond, and they prove particularly well-suited to it. Narcisse captures Terry’s energy, aggression and even insecurity in the face of older, more experienced heroes. That dichotomy is key to his interplay with Static, now grown to be an elder statesman of the superhero set. The pairing of him with Terry McGinnis makes for a terrific Dynamic Duo.
Finally, illustrator Miguel Mendonça provides the art for the last four issues of the series, and his work is utterly fantastic. Building off the designs established by Draper-Ivey, Mendonça’s mastery of action and anatomy makes for some very dynamic storytelling, especially when more notable characters are introduced. This is truly a special team that’s come together to produce a terrific miniseries for these characters, making the argument that they could sustain an ongoing series—if they were to be so lucky to be given one—for a long stretch of time.
A FEW REASONS TO READ:
- Batman/Static: Beyond is presented with a confident energy that melds both Milestone’s socially conscious storytelling and the adrenaline-fueled action of the Batman Beyond animated series, instilling both worlds with newly realized story potential and a continued sense of relevance. We need more comics, animation and films featuring both these characters.
- It’s quite a challenge to imagine how an older Static might be, as the character is typically written as a teenager. Thankfully, Narcisse knows just how to write Virgil, even as a married and seasoned crimefighter. Virgil is intelligent, imaginative and ambitious, while still maintaining his sense of righteous anger. If you’re a Static fan, you’re going to love it.
- Yes, we get Batman Beyond, as well as Static and the JLU, but we’re also treated to futuristic appearances by Static’s best buddy Gear, his former enemy Ebon and the Rubberband Man!
- Batman/Static: Beyond is an Elseworlds series. However, Narcisse and Draper-Ivey nod to the continuity in Static’s most recent Milestone comics. Shadows of Dakota in particular is brought up, which is fun for those who have read that storyline, but not in a way that makes this inaccessible to those who haven’t.
WHY IT’S WORTH YOUR TIME:
If you’re a fan of Static, this book is for you. If you’re a fan of Batman Beyond, this book is for you. If you’re a fan of both characters together, this book is for you. If you want to read a futuristic story about heroes dealing with an age of dangerous technology and advanced experimentation, here ya go! Batman/Static: Beyond provides so much for fans of its two leads that by the end of the sixth issue, you’ll be begging for a sequel. Presented by a great team of writers and artists, this is the perfect Weekend Escape for readers needing a peak into the future from some favorite heroes of DC’s past.
Batman/Static: Beyond by Evan Narcisse, Nikolas Draper-Ivey, Miguel Mendonça and Wil Quintana is available in bookstores, comic shops, libraries and digital retailers as a softcover graphic novel. It can also be read in full on DC UNIVERSE INFINITE.
Donovan Morgan Grant writes about comics, graphic novels and superhero history for DC.com. Follow him on Bluesky at @donomark and X at @donoDMG1.
NOTE: The views and opinions expressed in this feature are solely those of Donovan Morgan Grant and do not necessarily reflect those of DC or Warner Bros. Discovery, nor should they be read as confirmation or denial of future DC plans.
