“Gotham’s Face” – Finale
Writers: Collin Kelly and Jackson Lanzing
Artist: Max Dunbar
Color Artist: Sebastian Cheng
Letterer: Aditya Bidikar
Review by Adam Ray
The dramatic conclusion to the story is all here in Batman Beyond: Neo Year #6. We get legendary call backs to classic comics, daring action, and an ending that puts a pin in the story, but leaves all hungry for more.
The satisfaction of seeing so many pieces come together over a very short run is so many kinds of satisfying.
The artistic team really wrapped up this issue with a literal bang. The particular page I’m thinking is a work of art I’d have on my wall; a double page spread of the Neo Gotham sky line in the heat of battle.
The rounded shapes of the explosions and the blimps contrasted perfectly with the jagged pyramid building in the centre. The drab blues and greys cut with the bright red of Batman arcing through the sky. We talk about the quality of artwork in comics, but only a few times does it truly become art.
I applauded the opening words of this issue, much like someone much fancier than myself would applaud a great number at an opera. The call back to the legendary Batman: Year One by Frank Miller is too wonderful not to spot. The words Batman gives to the assembled masses are almost identical to the ones Bruce Wayne’s Batman said to the mob.
Intertextual call backs like that happen all the time in comics, but sometimes they miss the mark. There’s something about how personal this story is for the character of Terry McGinnis that make the call back all the more poignant, and necessary.
Conclusion
The threats to Gotham never truly end, but storylines do. Batman Beyond: Neo Year #6 gives us the most rounded and reasonable end we could ever ask for… but good things never truly end.
Images Courtesy of DC Entertainment
