Batman Beyond Rebirth: The Final Joke Story Arc

Hi, this is Kevin Conroy, and you're listening

to the Geekcast Radio Network. You've just jumped

inside the pull bag. Join TFG1 Mike and the rest

of the comic reading crew here at the GCRN as

they make their great escape into comics. From

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So without any further ado, it's time to talk

about the comics we are reading right now here

inside the pull bag. Hello and welcome to the

pull bag. This is episode 371 .5. It's the second

week of September and we are finally done with

double episodes per week folks. If you'll notice

from the beginning of July almost until the beginning

of this month... I've had Wednesdays and Saturdays

going for the pull bag because throughout all

of that we ended up doing Autobotly August, ended

up ending, which it already ended, but ending

our Transformers coverage for now because IDW

ended their universe. In this episode, we return

to Batman Beyond Rebirth with JT from Saskatoon

decades from now. Yes, yes, and this is volume

five the final joke Ryan the name of little Merkley

was going to be here tonight But because we're

such rebels and have to record at late late hours

7 p .m. Central time in the u .s. That Ryan had

to work in the morning. So he he ducked out and

He wanted to be here. I've I've kind of been

inching him towards doing one of these with us

and He likes the Batman Beyond things he loved

the cartoon and all that and everything else

and I'm trying to get him to He's read most if

not all of the comics that we've already covered

His main sticking point is he doesn't want them

to do things with the old villains anymore So

maybe as long as we can all get our schedules

together folks maybe when the next trade comes

out which will I assume feature issues 31 through

36 or 37 maybe The new arc that's currently going

on with the new villain split Maybe Ryan will

be on for that one because that seems like Dan

Juergens just going on I haven't even read it

yet So I don't I don't even know I don't want

to be spoiled about it Read a few things online,

but I haven't actually read the comics yet, but

It's just one of those things where and I understand

Ryan's point, you know, don't go back to Joker

Don't go back to this but I feel that this final

final arc or final joke or whatever you want

to call it Puts a period on the Joker in the

Juergens version of Batman Beyond Or does it

bump bump bump it does come on now You're talking

about comics, Mike. Resurrections are as plentiful

as corndogs at a fair. Yes, that's true. However,

if you look at between Dan Juergens' run and

what Kyle Higgins did, the Joker in the Batman

Beyond universe, through DC currently, has only

come back twice, once in each of their runs,

to have some sort of major impact. and because

every writer obviously wants to tell a story

based on btas that dcau continuity of joker and

this is kind of even though this did it in a

roundabout way this is still kind of that classic

dcau book in my eyes um i have to say first off

i love the individual covers oh yeah absolutely

love them Writing on this, Jan Jurgens, the pencils

were done by Brett Booth and Cully Hammer, Marco

Santucci, Evan Doc Schaener, inkers were Nurm

Ravimon, yay Nurm, Cully Hamner, Marco Santucci,

and Evan Doc Schaener, colorists were Andrew

Dollhouse, Val Staples, hey Val Staples, really?

Is that really the right one? I wonder, the guy

that runs He -Man .org. Jordy Belair The letter

was Travis Lanham and the collection cover artist

was Victor Kavalechev Whoever does the individual

covers the main covers They look so sleek and

I absolutely dig them. Yeah, I mean the painted

cover we got which I think is from like issue

26 or 25 20 is that straight up 25? I thought

that was like 26 27. I mean, I love that. It

kind of evokes the old God, I can't remember

his name. I used to do all the sweet painted

posters in the 80s It evokes that to me because

you know I've got that and I love some of the

internal covers like when you get into the trade

the first one you see with the Terry and Matt

Flying, that's Mark Bagley, who's like top five

all -time favorite Spiderman artist for me, followed

by some Brett Booth. And then there's the one

shot of, I think that's Bruce or Dick in the

armored batsuit. That's Cully Hammer. You know,

so many good artists in this room. Yeah, I mainly

am talking about the actual main interior covers,

the issue covers. So the one where it's Batman

upside down with the bad signal in red, that

was, I believe, the main cover for 25. Yes, the

main, the trade cover with the Joker, I believe,

is some issue, like you said, 26, 27. So. Indeed.

But we're back to neo Gotham, you know is Actually,

I was talking legit. I was talking with a friend

of mine on Facebook day Yesterday said like what

are you doing? Like, you know I'm gonna be recording

another episode of the pull bag with Mike and

we're gonna be talking about You know Batman

Beyond again, so I went back and I reread the

previous trade There was something in their idea.

I forgot to mention the last time they mentioned

one of the disciples of dr Jonathan crane Which

is something I hadn't considered before like

we all know from the animated series in the previous

comics like the jokers Are the disciples of mr?

J right now it never occurred to me that some

of the other Batman rogues gallery would have

Followers of a sort as well, which makes me wonder

if they might do this again in the future you

know, have somebody like, you know, Poison Ivy

and have like a bunch of eco -terrorists inspired

by her, some such like that. Might be fun. Yeah,

it might be. At the same time, I do agree with

Ryan's feeling of we need new and different villains

for Terry and Matt and Bruce and everybody. And

as I said, this upcoming arc after this one seems

to be, even though Dan Jergens does use false

face, but the split is a whole new just like

when Kyle Higgins created Rewire you know um

a whole new kind of thing for the for the universe

uh so we open uh with the train coming into Gotham

decades from now and um paging mayor Grayson

so Dick Grayson is the mayor of Bloodhaven as

you do Mm -hmm. And certainly, far be it from

the Nick Fury -esque Grayson, we saw a couple

of volumes ago in another timeline. But yeah,

and he's here, you know, looking all studly with

his beard, and he's got the Mr. Fantastic hair

and his daughter. It's like, ooh, I wonder who

the mother was. Definitely not Barb. No, I don't

think so. I'm thinking maybe Catwoman. I don't

know. I'd suggest Tarantula, but that's the one

that kind of raped Dick in the original Nightwing

series. I highly doubt they're going to go back

to that. But yeah, Dick and his, I guess, daughter

slash personal assistant are coming to Gotham

for the dedication of this new Family Center

that Bill is Bill Bruce is built and we get this

we get a flashback to way back in the day and

I didn't know Batman had a bat nightstick in

his utility belt Because like he pulls off this

little tab. It looks vaguely bat -shaped and

the next thing you know, it's like And and he's

got a club for which he prize a bomb off a tanker

full of or a tanker of joker laughing gas and

then he proceeds to beat the joker mm -hmm now

i'm looking at this detonator the uh... the uh...

the the bomb where where batman's like given

what this tanker is probably carrying i assume

the worst thirty seconds to detonation I did

not notice this and this is only just me and

my weird brain damaged self. For a half of a

second I'm like, is that blaster? Why is a transformer

attached to a joker toxin train? Cause it's got

the little red wires and the yellow front and

the gray and I'm like, no, that can't be blaster.

He would not be in this universe. I wish I could

make fun of that folks, but I may. comparisons

and hey doesn't that look like sort of thing

all the time that all my friends are just like

that's nice JT he really needs to get a life

yeah Pat him on the head, yeah. Sand him on his

very way. Yeah, I need to mention, it's not because

I want to down the art, I want to talk about

how different this art is. On this specific issue,

this first issue, issue 25, Cully Hamner and

Marco Santucci are the artists on this. And while

I like it, it's very different from any other...

Past tense Batman art we've seen that as long

as you and I have been covering these things

on this podcast That Joker looks a little too

happy to me Yeah, I mean I've always enjoyed

Cully Hamner's art hit his art is Similar in

a lot of ways to this other artists. It's a LA

Garza who I first discovered on I think like

the third or fourth volume of like gen 13 from

wildstorm back in the day and they've got this

it's very dynamic very actiony but at the same

time it has a kind of animated like and I don't

mean just actiony but like it looks like a cartoon

like it has that kind of energy to it In a way

and yeah, the Joker doesn't look too bad. He

definitely the art makes him feel to me a hell

of a lot younger than Yeah, then he should be

it like I'm not picking up like I mean, I always

hear You know, mr. Hamill's voice when I read

the Joker but I don't really get a whole lot

of Mark Hamill Joker from this art I'm getting

Out of his voice I get Hamill out of his out

of the art I get I Want to say a very skinny

version of Jack Napier Like if you know, Jack

Nicholson was not who Jack Nicholson was in 89

My god that movies 30 years old this year Yes,

I already knew that but still we're old folks.

Yes, we are So they have a fight now I presume

and I because hello, it's it's mayor Grayson

flashing back This is supposed to be dick in

the Robin suit except it doesn't really Look

like Dick Grayson's Robin suit well from Looking

at the art that it's straight up a variation

on The Tim Drake suit although this is more in

line with the Finger quotes here because the

continuity of DC Comics is like Swiss cheese

going through a crazy straw thrown into a tornado

When you've seen when we've seen flashbacks in

Batman comics since 2011 Dick's original Uh,

this is Dick's original, like, uh, costume. He

never had the booty shorts and the elf slippers.

Right. You know, so he's always, you know, had

the long, long sleeves, long johns. Yeah. I guess

I was thinking it was going to be more red than

green. Like if his arms, like if his sleeves

were red and just the pants were green, I think

that's my really only really Big different thing.

Yeah, and I have to have I have to have Mark

Hamill look at this because I want him to scream

out You spoil everything Yeah, I mean when you

think about who whose voice do you hear? When

you're looking at this art, I hear oh God, you

know, is it Michael Emerson? who played like

Mr. Finch on Person of Interest and he voiced

the Joker in the Dark Knight Returns movies.

I just hear that very almost sadistic, very like

drier than John DiMaggio's Joker in Under the

Red Hood. I hear like Michael Emerson coming

out of this more than I do Mark Hamill. But yeah,

and also just a quick aside for the continuity

buffs amongst us. When Tim Drake was first introduced

in like the Teen Titan comics when the new 52

first uh pulled out of the station he had that

red black and gold like looked like he was ripping

off the vulture from Marvel Comics kind of suit

and in continuity wise that was always Tim Drake's

first uniform it's only in the last few years

that he adopted a variation of the red and green

with black and yellow capes. So yeah, moving

forward, we get out of the flashback, they're

pulling into the station. I do like the conversation

that Dick and his daughter had about how it must've

been a nightmare to grow up here. And then they

make that mention where he said, it's why I never

wanted you in the game, Elena. And I was like,

wow, she know, like that was kind of not a huge

bomb, but that's like an eye -opener. Like she

knows her dad. Was Robin probably knows Bruce

was Batman. Yeah, you know and I like that though

I like because again, it's all about family and

bringing in regardless of what Bruce says about

no the secrets must stay secret regardless of

that and we see and we'll see over time in this

arc of Bruce kind of not necessarily giving up

on that but you know, he's actually encouraging

Matt McGinnis to be the new Robin and Terry is

more being like Bruce would be like, no, he can't

do this, no. Yeah. But you know, Matt and Terry

go to this murder scene where was it 22nd, 23rd

and like three jokers have been murdered and

they're like the latest in like this. double

-digit body count of jokers around Gotham City

and Matt I don't think has seen a dead body or

bodies up to this point and Terry puts him outside

and he's like ghost guy in the perimeter villain

might come back you know it's yeah Matt you know

this is deep end of the pool territory for him

oh yeah it is I do like it when you know Barb's

talking smack to Terry about you bringing him

into this and It's just you didn't think this

was gonna happen like Batman always has to have

a Robin you can get I've never seen Batman actively

pushing the Robin away before The way Terry is

like trying to get Matt out of this because Terry

is not Bruce Well, yeah is Terry is not to say

that Bruce isn't uncompassionate, but Bruce always

wants the Robins to face Things and Terry is

especially because it's his brother. It's not

just a another Robin It's not just another Jason

Todd whose back will eventually be broken or

you know Be hit with a crowbar or something.

This is his brother So he's looking out for him

and that's the difference between and I know

you know this I'm just saying for my own explanation

of it is that's the difference between Bruce

and Terry is That Bruce Terry is not even at

this point in his life. He's not He's not as

Emotional he's emotionally damaged because anyone

who puts on a costume and goes around at night

stuffing crime Sometimes is most likely emotionally

damaged at some point, but he's not as emotionally

damaged as 80 90 year old Bruce Wayne is Bruce

emotionally damaged no So yeah, they catch up

with bar Commissioner Gordon And then they take

off to the dedication at the Wayne Family Center

of Tomorrow. It's, you know, we've got a TV report

going on. It's Jack Ryder, the Creeper, back,

which was another thing I really loved about

that last arc with the Scarecrow. Yep, that was

very cool. The Creeper's not been one to be considered

part of the quote -unquote Batman family, but

he's like that cousin that no one ever really

talks about. and again it's writers being able

to do stuff with characters like you know like

i said you know uh kyle had his thing with mark

of the phantasm with bringing back andrea with

as the phantasm you know dan has his thing here

where he brought back or kind of re -put to the

surface jack rider aka the creeper and that's

a good thing because like you just said it's

not often that that person is considered part

of the majorness of the Batman mythos. Yeah and

I love when you look at that shot of the Family

Center. I kind of got a combination of thoughts

is you got the monorail system going around and

that for some reason it knocks me back to that

giant He -Man play set like the attorney a play

set that had like the monorail between the three

towers and then also kind of shots of Metropolis

circuit of the early 2000s when Brainiac 13,

you know upgraded Metropolis and truly into the

city at tomorrow and had like floating skyscrapers

and looking all sci -fi and shit But yeah, I

like this, you know Matt's all You know, should

we be we should be out there looking for the

guy to whack those guys and Terry's like this

is more important and like I love the fact he's

trying to be a big brother He's trying to raise

Matt right and you know, we can do stuff as much

out of suit as in suit Also, I love the fact

that the snarky AI Alfred is back Mm -hmm. Yeah,

he's like I ought to reprogram Do you exceed

the speed that that would be quite illegal how

awful but she says this does not You know, I

love it when Alfred in any form talks smack You

know Dick shows up and I do like that, you know,

Commissioner Gordon hasn't seen anything and

Bruce is like Count on it and I'm just like dear

god. I'm Kevin Conrad. You are immortal Dick

is good. I was gonna say, you know dickly dick

and Elena show up and you know dicks given Bruce

the gears about Matt becoming Robin. We see,

you know, how's Damien? He's like, yeah, you

know things are better to us, but he's still

up in the Himalayas and we get a shot at Damien

As they go to the stage to do the big presentation.

I love that spread with like all the classic

villains in the background and You got Luke Fox

like Lucius's son. Yep, you know bringing him

up and I forget did they ever name him Luke in

the animated series? Like do we ever get his

name like when he was the DA and married to Barbara?

No, because he wasn't the DA that was Sam somebody

in Batman the end Where Luke shows up is I think

he only gets a mention If he does it all no,

he doesn't in I think they mentioned Lucius's

son and the company Fox techa In like the first

season right they do however. I'm thinking of

When Dick graduates, this is not in Batman Beyond,

this is in New Adventures, I believe, Old Wounds.

When he graduates, they mentioned Sharon Fox.

So they mentioned Lucius' daughter kind of thing.

And then, yeah, I think Luke is only ever mentioned

once or twice in Batman Beyond in regards to

Fox Techa. And on a slightly other note, Now

that I've had a smartphone for X number of years

I use the Google feed and shows me news stories

and whatever else and There was a news feed news

story on there. I don't know if it was from BuzzFeed

I don't know which are which site it was BuzzFeed

CBR somewhere something about isn't it time for

a black Batman like an African American Batman

kind of thing and I'm thinking is nobody Remembering

that Luke Fox was batwing. Okay. He wasn't actually

Batman. He wasn't you know In Bruce's suit, but

he was part of the like. Oh my god. How do you

not and anyway? And yeah, let's not get on that

rickety railroad. So what I love about this is,

before we get to that amazing shot of everybody,

of all the costumes, a public appearance in the

daylight? Should I be looking for the real Bruce

Wayne? Good to know I can still surprise you.

Yeah. I need Lauren Lester and Kevin Conroy to

say these lines, damn it. Yeah, no, I definitely

heard Lauren Lester's voice. You know, uh, and

I hear like you look at like Mayor Luke Fox Of

all the guys to voice a Voice a Lucius in the

animated series Was it Lou Gossett jr. From the

Batman I Hear his voice coming out of Luke No,

okay. No particular reason I just I think of

all the guys, the voice, and of the many actors,

the voice. We had Ernie Hudson in Batman, Bad

Blood, which I love that. But now something about

Louis Gossett Jr., he just has that, whatever

quality that Kevin Conroy had as Bruce Wayne

Batman, Lou has it for the members of the Fox

family. but yeah so he's given the big spiel

about you know this is a great day and we we

see mr jay in the crowd look in a getup that

is very reminiscent of like the killing joke

oh yeah like the hat and the shirt and all that

and the glove yep and your dick goes uh you know

while luke's doing his spiel dick goes into flashback

mode and is telling ele Elena or Eliana, I'm

probably going to say both of those interchangeably

and not even notice it. But yeah, we see a flashback

where he's fighting Mr. Freeze and I love how

Mr. Freeze and has got like this belly button

ice cannon. Yeah, that's awesome. He's got he's

got an evil Care Bear stare. Yep. And, you know,

he freezes Bruce, and then Red Hood shows up

and begins to... What's the nicest way I put

this? Stomp a mud hole in Mr. Freeze and walk

it dry. Mm -hmm. Pretty much. And it is, like,

the new 52 rebirth, uh, Red Hood. It's not, like,

the original, or, like, pre -Infinite Crisis

and all that. Yeah, because before New 52 Red

Hood, Red Hood would not have a bat symbol on

his chest. He has a red sort of bat symbol on

his chest. And I don't think he would have that

if it was before New 52. No, before New 52 is

like black leather jacket, the helmet and whatever

gray bodysuit he had on underneath. So, you know,

we get back into it and then we switch artists.

And I'm assuming this is, uh, Marco Santucci's

art Yeah And it's a very abrupt doesn't feel

like the right word, but I can't think of a better

word when yeah, you know Bruce steps up and starts

Because it's literally only for that page yeah,

and we're back to Cully Hamner again and then

back to you know Marco's art and such like that

and I love the the spread where you see like

the villains like you see blight you see spell

binder and Karari and shriek and payback and

rewire and I can't remember what there was a

torque or the black and white Joker that had

Bruce strapped up in the beginning of the series

that was terminal terminal. That's it Turk felt

appropriate but we see all that and we get to

Barb's investigation into another murder and

it's at the old ace chemicals factory you would

think in the Decades -long existence of that

man that Gotham City might have just finally

thrown up their heads You know what we're done

with this ace chemicals get the fart out Yes,

and while I know that's the original original

chemical company name Just once, just once, I

wanna access chemicals. Just once, please, come

on. Yeah, that would be kind of fun. Yeah, would

be. And it would be different. Yeah. Sort of.

And I love the Joker's calling card, like at

the murders, like the janitor's like, yeah, this

was stuck to the door. and it's you know no one

uses my name no one and you you don't even have

to really get a good look at barb's face she

you you feel her blood run cold oh yeah she knows

and yeah she's scared out of her bad suit literally

but and what i love about this what i'm loving

about this series that this part of the series

so far is How in the shadows the Joker is the

Joker is being? Wayne I mean he is very cunning

But like when he slits the when he cuts up the

the train conductor take tomorrow off you still

don't see his face you just see the hat and the

gloves and the knife and Damn Yeah, and it really

is looking the Joker's outfit. This is much more

the classic ensemble you know because when you

think of when you say the killing joke well that's

like the black overcoat with like that very black

straight almost like Amish type of hat the the

purple trench and this hat this is more reminiscent

of like the you know foot long jaw smiling joker

that we had through like the 70s and into the

80s kind of thing like that very classic joker

look but yeah he murders the conductor and you

know sends the train out just as uh Luke or just

as bruce deeds the family center to the city

and uh Luke pulls out the jokes on you brucey

and the train explodes destroying the wayne family

center that was some amazing art that was a great

explosion in comics oh yeah and You know, it

literally leaves you on the edge of your seat

because you don't know who is going to survive

who does anybody survive that sort of thing and

You know barbs running, you know, I'm gonna call

the wet white red house call the White House

we're gonna get federal assistance and This is

an outfit that is like straight out of the killing

joke when you know Joker busts in Barb's door

and you know shoots her in the spine And he's

like why so shocked are you saying that Bruce

he never told you I'm alive And that's where

the issue ends and this is where we pick up that

that front cover of the trade for for issue 26

Yeah, I love that look I think that look is super

cool. Yeah There's just that classic red purple

and green suit, you know As he's he's playing

his trump card because the Joker trumps pretty

much everything in cards Pretty much. Yeah, and

this issue, you know, we kick over to Brett Booth's

art, which I don't Hate it. I don't dislike it.

I'm just Again, it's it's a jarring split like

you had those one or two pages that Marco Santucci

did in the lap the previous issue and you know

back and forth between him and Cully Hamner and

then we get right into Brett Booth with Norm

Rapmond according to the Indica there on inks

I think the inking is definitely better in this

you right off the hop because it's not as Thick

-lined as the previous issue which kind of throws

off Yeah, my viewing I wish that no disrespect

to the other artists, but I really wish this

would this entire arc Was all Brett and Norm.

Yeah, because I love ever since How can I say

this without sounding the way it's gonna sound

Basically ever since Brett Booth did a run on

new 52 Nightwing and drew his butt not necessarily

Because of that but his art in new 52 Nightwing

was the first time I saw his art and Seeing his

art here. I love what he does with Batman and

Robin. I love what he does with Commissioner

I I just wish there was more Brett Booth norm

Rappamund art in this Yeah, I mean I I've been

familiar with his art since like the 90s where

I think Amongst many things he many artists and

writers. He got his big break working through

image and wildstorm comics into like the sail

to DC and then he kind of migrated over still

working very much on Wildstorm titles for the

longest time until they closed that line down.

But yeah, his art has only improved. Like originally

back when you look at it, it looks the faces

look a little longer. The bodies look a little

ganglier. I think he's definitely tightened up

his overall design and composition. Mm -hmm.

But yeah, so we start off with the Joker trying

to shoot Barbara and I love this shot where she

just rips a filing cabinet apart and throws the

drawer at the Joker. And she's got every right

to overreact like that. I mean, he did shoot

her. Very true. And then she boots him out the

window with like a well -placed kick and she's

like, oh crap, oh crap. Oh, son of a bitch, he

gets away in a taxi. Of course he gets away in

a taxi. Yeah, I just feel that Bret's art, like,

looking where Batman's like, everyone okay, and

Bruce like, more or less, that runaway Maglev

train, it took down the entire complex? I just

feel that Bruce and Dick and everybody just look

slightly better. Yeah, I liked Dicks are I liked

Dick Grayson's Design in the first issue. I just

feel like it's been improved in this one Yeah

Well, and see that's the thing. I think that

was the worst part about that first issue first

part of the story was it's Not that it's bad

art. It's just a very jarring You know flip -flop

back and forth like that and it takes you out

of the moment Sort of mentality. So yeah, they

I wonder how they got everyone into the elevator

car because the end of the last issue you see

Terry and Matt flying away with Bruce and dick

and Elena and then you know, Jack writer comes

up looking for a comment and You know, I like

the dicks already I can't believe you gave that

kid a robin suit You want him to risk being another

Jason or getting a bullet to the brain? It's

like God man, you're out in the freaking open.

There's probably like a family five feet away

Underneath a concrete tent that just heard you

out Bruce Wayne like get it together, man And

I both like and enjoy or like and hate that You

know as we go through this Terry and and I want

to say Tim shit Terry and Matt go to old Gotham

Matt's like everything down here is so so old

old Gotham Robin living down here makes for a

hard life I so wish old Gotham was not Basically

the slums of neo Gotham. I really do wish that

Yeah, and and I do like we're just did skip back

from a word dick made mention of a bullet to

the brain that is a clear reference to the current

continuity of Nightwing where he got shot in

the head by KGB's and Forgot everything except

how to kick ass. Yeah, and he became Rick Grayson

Well, there's only I mean especially in today's

to say they probably call them Rick Grayson because

somebody He's like, well, why do you have to

call him dick? You know, there's some snowflake

out there that's writing a thesis on why you

shouldn't, any guy named Richard shouldn't use

the shorthand of dick. Welcome to the new world.

So yeah, we see Joker sees the news and see there's

a new Robin. He's like, how wonderful and perfect.

a shiny red and green target. But yeah, and I

love, you know, they get there, they find the

tunnel, they go searching survivors, Terry pulls

a Spider -Man in, you know, propping up the ceiling

to get everyone out. And I love that. It's like,

kid, don't go back. That's insane. Not as insane

as leaving those people in there. Okay, you understand

why people would be object to having a kid doing

this but at the same time If he's willing and

he's got the armored bat suit who were leading

a judge But you know, it it's not decades from

now nor do we actually have superheroes in the

real world Yeah, but I like that Barb shows up

she's like this is more important and she brings

everyone in it's like the Joker's alive alive

alive Yep, and Bruce explains back about terminal

and back in the first volume of Batman Beyond

When that happened so yeah, and then this confirms

cuz you know we You know it was pretty much confirmed

in that art, but this is like 100 % confirmation

Mm -hmm that this is the original mr. J mm -hmm,

and you see Bruce is Contrite he's like, oh god,

like he's finally getting it's like this is kind

of his fault But you know, this is decades and

decades later and I do love the end of the story

where the Joker's like just He's like remembering

beating up Jason Todd and he's like there. He

are beautiful and he's like he's got the crowbar

mounted on the wall Like basically in the middle

of a giant Robin's insignia. I mean for a sequel

Yeah, I mean honestly folks. He's got this thing

strapped to his wall like a big -mouthed Billy

Bass Yeah, thank God that thank God that crowbar

can't talk Yeah, that would just be creepy. Yes.

Yes, it would I Mean so far it's just I love

the tension. They just keep ratcheting it up

with these the Joker's he's in scenes But it's

not like the traditional caught like like traditional

comics with the Joker in it where he's the centerpiece

of attention and we follow Everything he's doing

for the most part like we're getting these bits

and pieces like they're properly You know Dan

Juergens is properly building the suspense Yeah,

Dan Juergens. He's an amazing writer. I've loved

him since we started doing the 2015 Batman. Whenever

he started, when he started on the 2015 Batman

series, Batman Beyond series with Tim Drake in

the suit and all that. I've loved it since we've

been covering this and it just gets better and

better and better. Yeah, it really does. And

never mind that Dan Juergens is one of my all

-time favorite Superman artists. It's the fact

that he's been in the industry for so long. This

is like when an actor becomes a director on a

TV series or something. He's been steeping in

all this minutia and culture that he's finally

decided to try something else and he's knocking

it out of the park. The next issue, issue 27,

I believe yes, 27, is Brett Booth and Norm Rapamund

again on Art in Colors. So there's that. And

we get Terry with Melanie to start. Well, Batman

flies in, but you know, so we get the whole thing

with Terry and Melanie to realize that they're

a couple. I had and had not kind of forgotten

that Dana's no longer in the picture. I kind

of prefer it this way. Like maybe they'll get

back together at some point. I don't really care,

but I like seeing Terry with Melanie more. Yeah.

Because essentially they are a superhero couple

in this future timeline kind of thing. Yeah.

No, I don't know how you might feel about this,

but I mean, if this was Spider -Man, Terry's

obviously Peter Parker. I see Melanie as more

of a Gwen Stacy and Dana as Mary Jane. Yeah.

You know, which is kind of analogous to like

in the late 90s, early aughts when Mary Jane

just left Peter and then was thought to have

been blown up by a stalker in an airplane. Just

read the wiki on that one, folks. I couldn't

explain it if I tried. But yeah, they're getting

together and I got subtle vibes of that scene

from the mask when Stanley and Ken, oh God, Tina

meet in the park before he puts the mask on and

promptly loses his shit. But he's like, I can't

believe that you hid this from me. And he's like,

sorry, you were a criminal. Yeah, and then we

go to this guy this joker who I Thought was terminal

for a moment just because of that that face paint.

It's very reminiscent of terminals gear Yeah,

yeah, and this guy we've got a We've seen all

sorts of suicide bombers in the various forms

of media. We've been exposed to over the year

Mike Would you ever think you'd see a clown suicide

bomber? An unwilling clown suicide bomber Not

one with an Apple device attached to his chest

with the Joker on it, no. Well don't call it

an Apple device, they might sue it. It's clearly

a generic Android pad of some sort. So he's Googling

himself. But yeah, no, I never thought I would

see a Yenu. And dang, that's um... It's that's

harsh. I mean it literally the Joker's pissed

that the Joker's You know ran with his shtick

Yeah, and you know he they blow he blows up like

a joke shop. I Like I what I do like about this

because it's so different from Return of the

Joker I like that he's pissed about the jokers

basically he sees them as making fun of of him

or trying to you know make bad on his bad name

or make bad on his good name whatever you want

to say that but and he's just completely pissed

about it but then he puts together the throwbacks

the loyal and trepid throwbacks and yikes yeah

and You can see like okay, maybe tons of fun

in the back might be into this You know Beetlejuice

doesn't look like he'd give a shit The girl is

just whatever the guy with top hat is I can't

believe I agree to this and Curly is just Whatever

you say boss Please don't look at me like that

And honestly, I thought the cigar was going to

explode I know instantly Because you see him

like I love how Brett Ruth draws his eyes. He's

just like oh, I've made some poor choices But

yeah, he's he's going to I've got a Ronnie and

a Willie and a duty and a Ruby and but John just

doesn't fit Yeah, nope And then you go to Ruby

and well, she's losing it Because she just watched

her boyfriend commit suicide. Mm -hmm You're

a throwback now here to help me take neo Gotham

back to the butthole it's meant to be Like when

it was playing old Gotham City pretty I just

love how you precisely like Okay, I'm starting

to hear Mark Hamill out of breath boost Joker.

Mm -hmm. Of course you are. Yeah, you know And

it's just like the interplay of like proper comic

panels with backgrounds versus the Joker in the

void, you know, complaining about everything

and the way, you know, why can't it be like it

used to be? And then he shows that he's hijacked

some of Terminal's equipment that he was using

when he was taking care of Bruce in the original

arc. And John, you will be the key to making

it work. He's like, I'm here for you. Not anymore.

You're not Something like that I can't do voice

sound effects very well when we get back to the

Batcave and I Love how Matt's like, let's do

this and he's like No, wait No one says that

but you know, that's going through everyone's

mind when that takes off You know Know what what

what is your overall opinion of Matt to this

point? I? Think he's young and still naive like

he's He's I don't want to say he's got rose -colored

glasses on because that's not it's not a nostalgia

thing, but it's like He still has that belief

that things are good. He still has that naivete

of Things aren't so grim and gritty as they actually

are. I think he is still learning, which is good.

I think that in time, once he faces whatever

he's going to face in the future, he will become

a better Robin. Yeah, I never personally saw

Matt ever getting into the business from the

animated series and everything else and from

all the other comics Like I know all the other

comics that we've covered. I never really saw

it. But now that it's here I'm hoping that with

Terry's direction and Bruce's direction Matt

kind of becomes an amalgam of them both, father

and brother kind of thing. Learn from your forbearers

and all that, because it's not that I hate Matt,

I hated the annoying little shit he was in the

animated series. He was just a little kid in

that. Okay, but when that show came out, I was

like, you know, 18, 19, just getting out of high

school, still living at home, still had my two

younger brothers who I wanted to throttle every

day. I wouldn't have played, if I was on the

jury, I wouldn't have convicted Terry if he was

brought to trial. That's all I'm saying. But

in an overall, like I said, I love Matt how he's

grown and he's become Robin. But in this moment,

he's literally two steps removed from becoming

Bart Alan Impulse. Oh, yeah. You know, like.

Dude, if Bruce isn't going to spank you, Dick's

going to throttle you, like, slow your goddamn

roll. Yep. Yeah, between Terry and Grayson, I

think that Matt can become something more. If

Bruce is gonna have his way like he normally

does, that might be a little much. We get to

a point where they've crashed into... is it the...

It's the it's the it's the throwbacks place or

whatever. Yeah, I love the panel. I wish I had

a full -on Panel here where where Batman basically

just back kicks one of them. Where's the Joker?

like just man Yeah, Curly's not gonna be eating

solid food for a while no, and I realize I made

a mistake earlier unless mark bagley filled in

on a page or something because there's that where

matt tells terry you know what was the or terry's

like what's the target matt says novelty shop

like that when you look at it it is brett booth's

art but in that page is like dear god man that

looks just like mark bagley line work like it's

uncanny but yeah they get in there uh terry breaks

curly's jaw at the very least Yeah, Matt runs

blind into a building and is Thrown right back

out by The Borg Yeah Joker Beyond and that's

what happened to John Yikes Yeah, it's like okay.

That's not just getting hit with a battery That's

getting hit by a battering ram run by an angry

rhino who is on way too much coffee and not enough

sleep Because the way he flew out of that building

like Dear God, how does he have us? I don't know

Yeah, so we end with the reveal of Joker Beyond

And Yeah, we get on to issue 28. I love the cover

the cover is so cool. Oh, yeah Just like Joker

hitting hitting Matt and then Terry up with the

purple and all love that It's so cool. I didn't

that pose like From it's that classic Batman,

you know pulling the cape up like that kind of

getting that Dracula pose going on You see it

in an episode of the Batman animated series there

the title dress and some of the Batman and detective

comics in the 70s had that thing was Cape flowed

and just kind of was the background for all that.

That that is a very, you know, I don't want dynamics,

not the right word, but just the, you know, how

everything comes together there is so nice. And

we get into this and again, dick, dead horse,

no difference. Yeah, I know. Matt McInnes is

a kid and you let him take on the Joker? If anything

happens to him, he'll be fine. He has to. But

I'm sure there's some small part of Bruce's head

is like, give, get a new song, you know? Like,

I understand what Dick's doing. It's just, can

we wait until after the horrifying cyborg has

been put down before you start bitching again?

Yeah, really. Like, they don't really have time.

I like, new Batman? Even newer Robin? Meet Johnny.

Or as I like to think of him, Joker beyond! It's

like, yeah, we got that last issue. And that's

the scary thing about this is like, this is like,

what if a human was bored, like turned into Borg

in next gen, but could still talk because he's

like, help! That! back when i first read this

and then reread it in preparation here oh that

was creepy yeah very creepy and then what's even

more creepy was talking to someone bruce bruce

bruce bruce bruce who yeah just yikes yeah i

love it like how the arm turns into like a gatling

gun and then he grows like a grenade launcher

and kind of flashback to like the trapjohn the

02 he -man series that how his arm would like

morph into different weapons than that yep absolutely

and damn this art i mean norm and i should say

brett and norm uh doing major major cool things

with these characters and then I've kind of skipped

ahead where Matt has kind of like gone off on

his own and he ends up crashing into a dumpster.

Well, well, well, dumpster diving pays off again.

Oh, it's so creepy. Yeah, and like Terry's fighting,

yo, JB up there. I love that thing. It flies?

Not like you and Orville have an exclusive on

the idea, Wilbur. Mm -hmm. Yep. And again, Dick,

we get it. I told you Matt wasn't ready for this.

And even Bruce is like, not now. And I love how

Elena hasn't said one leaping word. Yeah, no.

She's just like, not my monkeys, not my circus.

Yeah. But yeah, the Joker gets his hand on Matt.

And I love that. How often does history get a

chance to repeat itself? Yep. And the emotion

behind Grayson, basically... You can't be certain.

You aren't there. Just like you weren't there

for Jason. Dad, what are you gonna do? What I

should have done in the first place? Stop this

insane pattern of throwing children into war

once and for all. Yeah. Oh shit. Is he... My

first thought when I first read this is, oh shit,

is he gonna suit up? And again, folks, don't

get my harping on Dick Grayson to think I disagree

with him. He is completely in the right here.

Exactly. You know, Batman and Robin is like African

warlords and child soldiers. Like somebody's

just got a slightly better reason for doing this

shit. But how he's sitting there and he's berating

Bruce, you weren't there just like you weren't

for Jason. Oh, and you're such a goddamn saint?

Mm -hmm. Like, it's, it's... Dick Grayson is,

like, one man but away from becoming a snowflake.

Um... If he keeps bitching about this at every

possible opportunity... He does bitch about it,

but he also is to the point now in the story

where he's taking action. Yeah. But again, a

lot of the people that I call snowflakes a bitch

like this very rarely, if ever, take action.

But this is Dick Grayson. This is not your everyday

person. So luckily. And the way he takes action

is by bringing the Batmobile. Yeah. Well, Terry's

fighting Joe Borg. Mm -hmm, and I love that where

he hits the taser in his belt and the jokers

you cheated again Yeah, now you see why I had

to upgrade if you want to up the ante I will

too And it's like is he sucking stuff out of

that pipe or is he blowing Joker toxin into it?

I can't tell I think he's blowing Joker toxin

into it. Yeah And it's like Rick Dick Grayson

out of fucking nowhere it's like and I just love

that shot how you like tears apart Joe Borg and

It's like that scene in like an horror movie

where the supernatural killer gets run over by

a forklift Mm -hmm, you've seen that sort of

thing. Yeah, and I like how the Joker taunts

him And he unfortunately little Robbie is a bit

too busy to answer Mm -hmm. I just, I love that

last shot. He's like, you know, he said, I'll

bring all the upper -crusters down here to their

level so everyone can live together in peace,

harmony, and equal wretchedness. And just that

shot of him by throwing a party, one in which

the choker, that be me, of course, celebrates

the most famous, greatest day in the history

of Gotham, complete with a blood and DNA -stained

commemorative cobra. almost ran out of breath

there and i just love that shot yeah that's i

mean brett and norm are killing it brett's killing

it on the art norm is killing on the colors at

first i had an issue with the constant change

of joker's hairline but after a while I got used

to it and I love all of the up close shots on

his face because they all remind me of the up

close shot in the real version of Return of the

Joker the uncut version where he actually um

no not the uncut version the actual the uncut

version is the real version the fake version

where he gets electrocuted that electrocuted

face like every up close shot in this story so

far I'm like when's he gonna get electrocuted

when's he gonna get electrocuted because i'm

like if he doesn't get electrocuted then damn

yeah uh and that is where we leave off as you

as you said that's the last panel for for issue

uh 28 uh issue 29 once again cover oh my god

so so good yeah the artist on this one is uh

pascal fairy and dave mcraig you know artists

and colorists on that pasco very like he's got

a I Forget where I see him before I think he's

he did a bunch a few issues of like ultimate

fantastic for back in the day I might be wrong

about that, but it's just got this Like there's

not a lot of solid black lines and it's like

the color Like it just so well composed like

especially it's like that I don't know if it's

a hologram Or it's like something that Terry's

head in the background. You see like the classic

Batman Cradling Jason Todd's body Yeah, that

sort of thing and we get into it and then the

Joker is just if there's one character I always

love to hear talking smack. It's mr. J like straight

up Yeah, and he's sitting there clearly he's

tries threatening and trying to annoy Matt into

submission and I love the the Damien the Damien

Wayne brand scowl that Matt has on his face Mm

-hmm. Like dude, you do not understand who you're

talking to right now You know, I Mean, what do

you think of the Joker smack talk here? I like

it. I think it's it's interesting You know his

whole ending part of it here Today the time has

arrived for my comeback to prove that I wasn't

a one -hit wonder That I'm the very best there

is there was there the very best there is there

ever was and I'm like oh Man, that's Brett the

hitman hard as the Joker. Holy crap. I was just

like just put on the reflective shade Yeah, exactly

hey maybe we can uh maybe we can commission Brett

and Norm to do that with this version of the

Joker just have it like a Joker -Brett Hart crossover

just just see like the the the pink and black

tight like the legs laying in from off panel

the Joker putting on the leather jacket in the

shades and he's like I don't see how this works

yeah yeah but yeah and I love that Matt is not

Gonna for the most part at least at this point.

He's not gonna give into him think again Joker

Batman will be here any second. Oh Best didn't

come the first time new bats won't come now Yeah

And it's not again like the Joker and dick or

like you were you know Batman wasn't there is

yeah, but he was trying to be also Fuck you dick

Grayson Yeah, I'm sorry. It's just Maybe it's

just the fact that I'm a comic fan outside of

this reality. It's just like dude Let deal with

your own guilt don't heap it on Bruce, you know,

that dude's got enough self -loathing of 5 ,000

As I still love the fact the Joker He's not an

idiot per se But you blew up Bruce Wayne's building

and you're asking about a guy named Bruce Yeah

What is not five You know although I did this

like I'll make you talk or better yet scream

scream It's like God why can't you just have

more camel's face? And I do love with Bruce and

Elena where he's trying to get up and He hates

that he can't go out and help old age. It can't

be it can be quite a curse Elena I like she said

least I think Elena at least understands why

her dad the way he is and why you know what Bruce

is You know, it's not that he doesn't care but

you know that yeah, it's not that luxury right

now So she's a little more understanding You

know, there must be something more that we can

do and that whole thing. She at least realizes

that there is a place for everybody and everything

in this family. And then the Joker takes over

the TV. Yep. That casket he couldn't have. If

he did, I will kill him with my bare hands. Oh

my god, Dick Grayson just turned into Megatron.

Yeah. I still like that how the Joker, it's all

mind games and he beats up the coffin, pulls

Robin out. And I love how just at the last moment

where Bruce is like throwing himself, he's begging

the Joker and then he's like, wait, I can feel

you out there, old bat. You're watching, hiding.

Put the kid in the cask and bring the lighter

fluid. And then Dicks like, you know, he's like

triangulates the signal And then Bruce doesn't

even care like he's just like tell him I don't

care. I'm ready to die you know, and I love the

fact that I Think all the throwbacks are like

traumatized like they saw what happened to Johnny

and they're like we're doing whatever the hell

he says Like yeah, let's let's throw a kid into

a coffin and light them on fire with gas and

lighter fluid Our ass isn't getting on that Yeah,

and then when Batman and dick and Grayson show

up leave him alone Oh, yeah one guy one guy can't

take us all thing is there are two of us Yeah,

and I like just I just wish Grayson would have

suited up in some sort of new neo -gotham nightwing

costume or something or at the very least do

like terry did in uh what is it ghost in the

machine episode where he takes like the bat belt

and he just takes the nightwing domino mask yeah

like something like that but then again as he

is one to do being from the circus dick race

intends to leap first and kick ass second true

but i like how again this is what happens when

you piss batman off folks like that like uh what's

his name a beetlejuice that dude is not getting

up for three days he's gonna be in a lower reading

group and i'm pretty sure he's gonna refer to

everyone as the nice man that dude's messed up

and well i'm pretty sure tons of fun's gonna

like bit his tongue off or something when did

boot him in the back and i was like tear God,

this is why you don't piss off the Wayne family.

Mm -hmm. And then we get the biggest reveal of

all, the fact that all of that was pre -recorded

because there's nobody in the casket. And the

Joker has Matt in the cave. Yeah, it's... No,

did he literally, like, after when I called him

out in his head, he's like, wait! I blew up the...

No. Bruce Wayne? Like, literally, that had to

be his train of thought. Yeah, that had to have

been. And then as we get further into the cave

part of the story, should have listened to the

man, sweets. Commish's daughter, Mayor's daughter,

you're all the same to me. Yeah. And we see that,

you know, Bruce has still got it. And I kind

of flash back to that, uh, the very first episode

of the animated series where Bruce is fighting

the jokers. Don't you know who we are, old man?

We're the jokers. He's like, sure. Sure you are.

Yeah. Like just that, oh man, it would have been

so magical to see Kevin Conroy in the recording

studio for that moment. Just to see the grin

on his face. mm -hmm but yeah so they'd like

they're going back and forth and well the canes

no match for a crowbar right and oh I love it

when Joker goes in for the kill Bruce stabs him

with the broken end of his cane and that he Bruce

picked up a gun the hell yeah yeah Don't know

how I feel about that But like this is I understand

it's Batman's been like Bruce has been driven

to this point. This isn't like Arkham Knight

where you know, he's infected with the Joker

and the the latest batch of scarecrow fear toxin

and you know, he because he's so mentally traumatized

like Bruce willingly pulled the Joker's gun and

is going to drop him like a bad habit and the

oh that's not the again this what happens where

the joker has a heart attack he's like not me

not now this is like return of the joker that's

not funny death scene that's not funny at all

yeah um and i Okay, so he has a heart attack

Well some normal non -psychotic humans do come

through heart attacks and do survive them I Would

like to think that this as I said at the beginning

of this episode that this was Dan Juergens is

Run and at his Joker story at finishing the Joker

story. He kind of started at the beginning of

this twenty sixteen part of his run and i'd like

to think that they're gonna move past this will

the joker show up at some point the future maybe

we don't know for right now he had a heart attack

he's dead yet so uh... when we get into the issue

thirty here uh... i mean when you look first

of all that cover that cover all my god that

cover again boring a little bit from spider -man

history uh... You know this is not exactly spider

-man history But this is like tantamount to that

famous cover where spider -man no more and Peters

tossed the Red and blues in the garbage and walking

a whale head hung low down the alley. It's on

par I feel it's on par with that in terms of

symbolism like That that's hardcore and we get

into Matt has this nightmare And it's not that

I never heard Mark Hamill's voice, and especially

with Brett Booth's art in the previous few issues,

but in that panel he's like, I mean, come on,

Bruce, you couldn't have expected otherwise.

I'm the Joker, the fucking Joker. Like, that

panel, that art right there, that is Mark Hamill.

Yep. Yeah. And like how Matt like, you know stamps

down the fear, you know, don't be afraid Don't

ever be afraid and don't let them see it And

then they you know, the autopsy is over and Barb

was talking to him in the back cave like yep

Joker's dead like disco and This one is Doc Shaner

and Jordy Belair. Yeah on art and colors I Like

it It's a little strange, but the beginning part,

but I love the way that they do Matt's drawing

when he wakes up, and I love the lightning strike.

All his lightning strike needs is Batman next

to him, and it'd be Dark Knight Returns, but

you know. I would have to talk to, you know,

Evan Schaer and ask him if they just like, did

some digital trickery and put the Dark Knight

Returns lightning bolt in the background. Exactly.

That's too perfect. Also, his inking on this,

because I don't think he did the inking on the

Johnny Quest Future Quest series that ran a couple

years ago. I really love his art in that, but

I think the inking here, it's a little too dark

in some parts. I think he had a different inker

there, and it just kind of made you feel like

you're watching those old school Hanna -Barbera

action hero cartoons. Yeah, I think with this,

starting with Matt's wake up scream and the lightning

strike, looking at that entire panel with how

shaded and shadowy the bed pillows are and the

sheets and how Matt is and how the shadows play

across with the lightning and then the close

up on his face, like that actually reminds me

of like a young Val Kilmer bat, like if they

ever showed Val Kilmer as a kid. in Batman Forever,

which they did, but it wasn't really Val Kilmer.

It was Bruce Wayne. You know what I mean, though.

This image of Matt saying, huh, huh, huh, crap,

settle down, McGuinness. It was a dream. This

is where I see Matt growing. This is where I

see him. He's gone through all of this. He's

gone through the trauma of being the Joker's

prisoner. I don't see him, and I hope he doesn't

get as dark as Bruce was, but I hope he starts

taking it more seriously than he was beforehand.

And it's a really little thing for me, but with,

uh, you know, Shaner's art here, when you see

that reflection of him in the mirror, like that's

like spitting image Dick Grayson at this age.

Like he is Robin, you know, that he's been through

a crucible, not the crucible, but a crucible.

And I kind of love So we get back to you know,

Elena Elena and dick and Bruce and Barb in the

cage I love how Barb's like locking up the Joker's

corpse in the morgue and it's it's just seems

like such a techno futuristic Potter's field

like these drawers are probably all filled with

stiffs and John Doe's and people no one's gonna

miss and I love how you know Matt comes downstairs

And he's like you're talking about my brother.

He's gone off his batman some dangerous missing

alone and You know, he's the Dicks like Nana.

He's just rolling up the jokers. It's all good.

Go back to bed And I like how Matt is much as

much as he's like all gun -ho and he needs me

and Again, this is where dick Grayson kind of

earns but not earn he didn't lose anything for

me, but where he Kind of sort of redeems himself

for all his bitching and always like yelling

at Bruce about Yes, we get a dick bullet to the

head crowbar, you know sing a different tune

and Like they're gonna set enough to talk to

him about You know, like maybe you shouldn't

be robbing like, you know they for the first

time ever Bruce is probably taking a step back

and like although yeah i love good i was just

saying if you're talking about like that one

page panel of uh terry standing on bruce the

gargoyle and it's just that with the lightning

in the background it's like yeah god this is

why i love comics yes exactly and then i love

the i love i love the up close shot a little

more like yes that is very cool but the one where

it's like fools john must have been honored to

get morphed into one of the J's special agents.

Four. Time's up. I just love that furrowing of

the brow and just that... and then he breaks

in the window. My favorite panel out of this

entire issue to this point is... Nasty Kanasta!

Ting tang tang. I'm like, hey! Because all I

can think of is Daffy Duck versus Nasty Kanasta.

I don't know why! Yeah, and Like I get like dicks

concern Mm -hmm, but it's on Bruce. It's like

The Terry doesn't have a role in this dick like

You know, yeah, you blame everybody. You can't

just cherry -pick who's at fault here Yeah, Bruce

is at fault Terry is at fault Matt's at fault

for being a irresponsible little so -and -so

And again, just that whole view. He almost killed

my daughter. Yeah. And without sounding too callous,

he's killed a lot of daughter's dick. Doesn't

make her that special. You know, but I do love

the dialogue over Matt, you know, racing through

Gotham to Terry. I love his suit. I love. Like

as much as I love the sleeker version of it from

Brett and Norm, I love the almost animated style

of it here. Yeah. And I love, absolutely love

the pullout image of where they're saying, that's

your rule, Bruce. And it doesn't work for everyone.

My rule says that we all find our way in our

own style when we're ready. hello it's robin

returns because again that blue lightning across

the sky with the gargoyle to the left like wow

absolutely awesome yeah but and it's not disingenuous

to the have dick grace and saying that but you

know when we're ready but that the way he's saying

that and and then falls over and putting a child

in costume setting off the face gunfire and mayhem

should never be the answer well Putts calling

the kettle black here a little bit You know and

how how is Matt gonna know when he's ready because

you're clearly gonna be there saying you're not

ready You're never gonna be ready like You can't

you live someone's life for him and it would

be a terrible shame and tragedy if Matt died

in the course of being Robin but He has to make

that call for himself like you can be concerned

all you want don't get me wrong but yeah the

You know just as they end that and then you see

It the roof explodes and nasty canasta, you know

Comes up and he's got like this weather vane

for an arm I didn't totally didn't notice that

he had cyber arm the previous page there. Oh

Hey, it's an April moon reference The cyber arm.

Yeah is the cybernetics that the doctor did hey

Who knows maybe that doctors because he never

we we never saw what happened to the doctor at

the end of that episode He just faded off into

nowhere So I love how it shows that Matt just

kicks his arm off itself like losers you followed

a demented freak like it just shows him swiping

at the guy's arm and automatically it pops off

Yeah And I love how Matt, like, frees, like,

okay, maybe he isn't ready, I'm not saying he

was ready already, it's just, it's not gonna

call Dick. And I love how he piles in, he's dealing

with the trauma and the anger and he gets, I

thought he got clipped by one of the buzz saws

from Rummy, where he's got the buzz saw gauntlets

and... Start flashback to some old daredevil

issues with gladiator cuz that's pretty much

gladiator shtick and it just Terry back off and

Okay, Rummy's not gonna be walking when he wakes

up from the look of that hit cuz um Pretty sure

it's a spinal column or two cut snap there Looking

at where the batarang is thrown where they're

thrown and where they hit him the top one hits

him at basically the base of the neck so yeah

that's not gonna be good um i love i love matt

and terry here i had this you should have stayed

home no you didn't you guys always argue like

this yeah shut up yeah and i like how like okay

i know her name is hearts but this is like harley

2 .0 Clearly yeah a little bit. Yeah, you know

got some Margot Robbie going on here and how

she likes like okay? Clearly Matt is not in his

right mind cuz I if they had faced her on any

other day He would have taken her down But also

I think he's doing thinking with that other brain

Mm -hmm. Well, he is still a kid. Yeah, and Luckily

a Batmobile shows up with a guy in some orange

glasses who someone who knows better should have

stopped this insanity in its tracks long ago

yeah and I again it's not that I disagree with

anything that dick said it's just like maybe

it's just me and my unresolved issues that I

always wanted to be a superhero as a kid you

know so I'm like I keep going back I agree with

Matt I agree with dick I agree with Matt I agree

with dick and they go back to the cage and they're

all laying it down and you know it's everyone's

like they're trying to deal with this and you

know going forward they'll see the repercussions

of this conversation oh my god the the end of

this where Bruce is like it's done the Joker

as are the Joker's letting those maniacs establish

themselves as a force was a mistake I saw the

danger in that when the first of the clowns imitators

came along Harley Quinn whatever happened to

her question mark Yeah, and I love how this is

like Nana Harley from return of the Joker like

you see that so much she's got the bun in the

glasses and oh Yeah, you you hear Arlene Sorkin

or Tara strong like Arlene's the best I like

Tara to I Do love Tara as Harley, but old Harley

will only Until I hear Tara's version of Old

Harley, Arlene Sorkin will only ever be Old Harley.

And yes, they do put a question mark on the end.

Because, you know, I mean, it is a good story.

It is a really good story, and it's an interesting

story. I said earlier I'm hoping that it is the

final final joke for now at least at least until

maybe issue 50 or 60 or however long this series

is gonna run because that's the sad thing folks

Batman Beyond series in the DC universe don't

really get a lot of of uh... of issue well sadly

they've got uh... they're up to issue thirty

five right now so they have to make it at least

another six months to beat batman beyond two

point oh it's a record of forty issues yep and

i do know solicitations are out for up to i think

thirty eight at this point So yeah, but yeah,

there is that I love that, you know the end question

mark. I love it when like old sci -fi Horror

movies like the end, you know with a question

mark because you don't know I mean This is the

future the Joker survived by implanting his DNA

into a microchip and setting it into Tim Drake's

neck you know, and if we buy that a Little gem

then we could buy the Joker someday coming back

although The way seeing how old Harley is unless

they get cloned into like some sort of youthful

cyberbodies or they turn into Archie bunker and

Edith Yeah, one of the two Yeah, I I am very

stoked to see The next storyline I'm very I'm

I love what Dan Juergens has done so far I've

loved almost all of the art I was a little hesitant

on the art in the beginning of this but all of

Brett and Norm stuff absolutely love that whatever

they're doing with false face and this new villain

split and I don't want to say too much about

split because even though people may who are

listening to this may have read the solicitations

like we do they may not have so I don't want

to reveal too much about what kind of villain

split is but I'm very excited for the next arc

yeah and I don't know when we'll cover that but

I'm very excited for the next arc I know and

we'll cover it decades from now Exactly, although

if you go further in the trade past the story

you get some of the alternate covers Yep, the

art gallery and then the designs for yeah, I'd

say my favorite alternate cover is Batman 26

by Dave Johnson It's just you know Batman silhouette

Against like a flock of bats and the gargoyle

is like the Joker And I love that art. It's very

clean dynamic. It really reminds me of I think

it's Matt Wagner who did stuff like Grendel and

mage the hero from Dark Horse comics of both

very excellent series to get into right and Then

there's the 28 cover by Chris Stevens and Sonny

go which The name is Drew Struzan, which I meant

for like issue 26 covering this. It evokes the

painted movie posters. You know, one of the gems

of going to movie theaters when I was a kid,

seeing these awesome posters. Yep. And then,

you know, we get the designs from Kalei Hamner

and Shaner and backgrounds and all that. And

yeah, this is a five. Yeah, absolutely a five.

Mean I if I'm really being critical and analytical.

I wasn't a big fan of the the the artists and

the first issue I like it. It's cool. It's different,

but it wasn't I I like my art to be smooth in

certain places especially with this new futuristic

stuff for Batman Beyond so if I was really gonna

Criticize that I would give it a four and a half,

but overall the story was amazing Absolutely

loved it Very very cool very interesting and

I cannot wait again for the next issues arc and

everything else Coming up for the final two weeks

of September here folks Ryan and I Did Star Trek

versus Green Lantern volumes one and two from

IDW and DC Comics those have already been recorded

I will ask you briefly. Have you read those?

I have What are your general like? Thoughts feelings

on them in like a minute or less They are great.

Everyone should read them. There you go Just

and just slightly longer than that. It's and

I've gone over this on my own podcast the comic

connoisseurs with Ben and Red and JP. I love

alternate universe stories like that whole thing

with Dark Nights Metal and the Dark Multiverse,

you know, in the new 52. I know they're not calling

it the new 52 anymore. It's just that's how I

refer to this iteration of DC. I love what if

I love DC's Elseworlds. I love these alternate

universe things. And when you take characters

like the crew, the Enterprise and the Green Lantern

Corps, it's not quite peanut butter and jelly.

But whatever it is, it's delicious It really

works. I am a casual Star Trek fan at best I'm

not as hardcore as you or Ryan Merkley or Steve

Megatron or Mike Dodd or Alex Ricci or anybody

else that we podcast with I'm casual at best.

I grew up watching TNG That kind of thing. I

watched Deep Space Nine that kind of thing but

casual at best I'm even a casual Green Lantern

fan at best because for me honestly and I will

say this next week folks so sorry for repeating

myself I don't need Jesus Jordan because my exposure

to the Green Lantern Corps was John Stewart and

Kyle Rayner yeah you know Hal's good but he's

not my Green Lantern and that's perfectly okay

so yeah No, everyone's a fan of something but

you know, we don't all have to be fans of the

same thing exactly. I mean I I I know a certain

certain fans who have Boycotted Green Lantern

from now until the heat death of the universe

because of that one time how Jordan kissed an

alien girl who? looked like she was 14 and willed

herself into the body of a 30 year old, but she

was already like 200 years old and you know everyone's

you never know where anyone's personal line is

until you've crossed it so exactly all right

folks uh i think that's going to do it for us

we're going to be able to find you online sir

well like i said uh you can find me online uh

every couple weeks on the comic connoisseurs

podcast with ben the host and red ink Most of

the time we don't disagree about anything, or

sorry, most of the time we don't agree with that.

Sometimes we actually do agree. But you can find

me there and you can find me on Facebook, Twitter,

Instagram, at GT from Saskatoon. I'm at TF2 and

Mike on Twitter, you can follow The Pull Bag

at The Pull Bag on Twitter as well as at Geekasterio

for all the network updates. Be sure to listen

to our podcasts on Apple and Google Podcasts,

Spotify, Spreaker. uh... and any other podcasting

clients that you that you use but we prefer you

use speakers that's the home of where all our

files exist as i said a moment ago star trek

versus green lantern or star it's actually not

versus it's star trek green lantern volume one

and two uh... coming up over the next two weeks

here inside the pull bag in october potentially

joe reid and i will return for superman year

one number two And then Steve Megatron will be

back for mirror Star Trek mirror broken and then

hopefully if Steve Ryan and I can get together

Because it's all time zones folks and time zones

unless it's Eastern it sucks 375 will be Star

Trek versus Transformers After that who knows

I do have a schedule planned, but I don't know

who's gonna be on or what's gonna be happening

I'm not even sure So I know one and I know two

things are happening in November Ryan and I are

gonna talk Star Wars 2015 volumes one and two

and then optimus solo and I are gonna finish

off back to the future volume five because those

are three episode 377 because hello 1977 for

Star Wars and 378 for Back to the future. I don't

know why I did that but It should be 379 because

that was 89 not 88 damn it anyway Make your greatest

game to comic so we will catch you next time

here inside the pull bag These guys at the GCRN

would make great Green Lantern Corps members

seriously Who are these guys? You've just heard

the latest episode of the pull bag The GCRN's

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