Review: Batman Beyond Vol. 2- City of Yesterday

January 16, 2021 ComicBookWire

Quick Summary

Pros: The book’s central conflict is engaging and works well when compared to the main conflict from the previous book. The worldbuilding here is great and shows that this series still has plenty of unexplored potential. The artwork looks good and matches this book’s tone.

Cons: One of the subplots is just alright. There are occasional inconsistencies in the story’s logic, which cause some frustration.

Overall: The second volume of this new series delivers on the promise of the first. It has the fun action, cool concepts, and solid art that the first volume had. Plus, it contains a pleasant change of pace when it come to the comic’s stakes and even more worldbuilding than before. The volume has some problems but not enough to distract from its positive features. Any fan of the pervious volume or fans of this new take on Batman Beyond should keep reading here.

Story

Batman Beyond Vol. 2: City of Yesterday, by Dan Jurgens, is a bit of a change-up for this series but the way in which this change is accomplished mostly works out. This volume tones down the stakes a bit, which creates a nice change of pace, while still managing to keep the action as entertaining as before. It also manages to do even more worldbuilding, imbuing New-Gotham and the land surrounding it with additional intrigue. One of the subplots is just alright and there are some inconsistencies in how events are explained but neither of these problems seriously damages the read. Overall, this is a fun continuation to a promising series.

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The main conflict in City of Yesterday is between Batman Beyond and Cuvier and between refugees from Metropolis and the police of Neo-Gotham. The Batman Beyond conflict is solid and is one of the most enjoyable aspects of this book. It has some lower-stakes tension, which works well after the high-stakes tension of the previous volume, and has some enjoyable action scenes. However, the conflict between the two cities is less appealing, as it doesn’t take quite enough time to dig into the politics of this relatively complex issue.

The rest of the volume mostly focuses on building the unique world of this series. This volume takes the narrative outside of Neo-Gotham, where readers see the vestiges of humanity still remaining after the near-apocalypse. This introduces a new villain, reintroduces the Justice League of the future, and gives readers an appreciation for this world’s destruction. Seeing all of this play out makes it seem like this series has barely scratched the surface on what it is capable of and gets me excited to read more.

The biggest problems in City of Yesterday come from small inconsistencies and irregularities in the storyline. Right from the start, the fact that so many people survived the destruction of Metropolis is poorly justified. Then, later on, the Justice League’s continued existence is explained by claiming their death was simply an illusion either created by Brother Eye or Cuvier. Even after this storyline ended, I wasn’t exactly sure which version of events was the truth or what the motivation behind keeping them around was. These inconsistences and lack of focus on explanation seems to be done to push forward the comic’s new status quo, which admittedly looks very interesting, yet it is done in a way that is occasionally frustrating.

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Art

The artwork in City of Yesterday is just as good as, if not better than, its predecessor. Bernard Chang’s work is as energetic and creative as ever. It allows the conflict, whether physical or emotional, to look good while making sure the characters in these conflicts also look good. Where this volume makes improvements is in the coloring. Marcelo Maiolo’s colors are even more impressive than before, giving the ruins outside of Neo-Gotham, the ruins of old Metropolis, and the interiors of Neo-Gotham a distinct feel. Each environment stands out from the one before it and helps separate the storylines running through this series. All together, the artwork here is solid and makes for a positive reading experience.