“Yesterday’s” Comic> Batman Beyond vol 2 #22 (DCAU)

“Hey, you got in the way of my pointing pose!”

Batman Beyond #22

DC Comics (August, 2001)

“In Blackest Day” part two

WRITER: Hilary J. Bader

PENCILER: Rich Burchett

INKER: Dan Davis

COLORIST: Shannon Blanchard

SEPARATIONS: Digital Chameleon

LETTERER: John Costanza

ASSOCIATE EDITOR: Michael Wright

EDITOR: Bob Schreck

Realizing that Black Light is after Kai-Ro, Batman and the JLU head to the monastery where the Green Lantern grew up, and finds Black Light holding the monks prisoner. He’s also able to take control of Barda’s Mother Box and sends her and Warhawk away. Kai-Ro finds his ring draining fast against Black Light’s own constructs and only with the help of the returning JLU manages to chase him off. As Kai-Ro questions his worth as a Green Lantern Batman figures out that Black Light gets his power by controlling the Lantern ring and Kai-Ro’s own willpower just as Kai-Ro charges his ring, causing Black Light to return. When Batman can’t make the GL realize his ring is the problem he knocks the boy off, cutting off Black Light’s power source, which allows Warhawk to take his Black Light ring.

What they got right: I like the interplay between the characters. Like Bruce, Terry doesn’t want to be an official Justice League member (although Bruce would later act like he is during Justice League Unlimited the show and was in the regular Justice League so often you’d think he was a full-on member) and this reflect in his interactions. Kai-Ro and the others are pretty smart and I think Batman only saves the day because it’s his comic based on his show.

What they got wrong: Which would explain why Kai-Ro has to be knocked out for him to realize Batman is right about Black Light essentially feeding off of him rather than his own logic and training convincing him to take the ring off and cut off Black Light’s power. There are some holes in Black Light as well. So his power only works through Kai-Ro and his ring, which means he’s useless without them. What was the end goal here? Kai-Ro’s not joining his team. I also wonder how he knew about the monastery?

Recommendation: A good two-part adventure with Terry and the future Justice League. Worth checking out.