SPOILERS FOR Batman: Beyond the White Knight #4 lie ahead!
Desperate to find vengeance for his father’s murder, Terry McGinnis accepted an internship for his old man’s former boss: Derek Powers. Under the guise of completing his father’s work, Powers compelled Terry to steal a bleeding-edge Batsuit and assume the mantle of the Bat. Unfortunately, the Beyond suit came with a few kinks. By brandishing justice on Gotham’s underbelly, McGinnis helped Powers work out the kinks while gaining information on his father’s murder. Ultimately, all roads would lead to one man: Bruce Wayne. Will Terry find the answers he seeks? Or will the original Batman end this charade once and for all? The one thing Terry’s time as Batman has made certain:
“Derek Powers is insane. And someone needs to stop him.”
DC Comics
Compelling and action-packed, Batman: Beyond the White Knight #4 sidelines Bruce Wayne in favor of placing the rest of the Bat-Family in the spotlight. The result is utterly enthralling as Sean Murphy provides meaningful answers to several of the series’ questions while posing even more. That’s not to say that Bruce doesn’t have some work to do in this issue. However, it is nice to see Terry take center stage for Murphy’s take on the Batman Beyond mythos. The creator’s iteration of the mythos pays reverence to the source material in a wholly satisfying manner while paving new narrative paths. As always, Sean Murphy’s artwork complemented by Dave Stewart’s colors is worth the price of admission alone.
Broken into several intersecting segments, Batman: Beyond the White Knight #4 focuses on the Joker’s daughter Jackie, Terry, Bruce, and Duke to our pleasure. Each sequence serves as another piece to the puzzle by bringing a vital element to the overall picture. First, Jackie and Terry’s portions of the story provide the most insight into Derek Powers’ nefarious scheme. Next, the sequences involving Terry and Duke provide the emotional punch necessary for this narrative. Finally, Bruce’s portions of the story provide the comedic relief and yell-out-loud moments required to round out this tale.
Following the events of last issue, Batman: Beyond the White Knight #4 finds Jackie Napier in a bar surrounded by several Azraels. After criticizing the cult members for their fanaticism, Jackie is rapidly swept into the midst of a bar brawl. Only once a GTO officer breaks up the fight and brings her to Derek Powers do we get a sense of Murphy’s plans for the character. In this moment, Jackie reveals that she hacked Powers’ systems and found a way to evade detection. It is evident that Powers plans to use her skills against the aging Dark Knight. However, Terry’s interaction with Derek Powers promises that the villain’s actual plans for Jackie may be more sinister.
Once Terry meets up with his mentor, Powers reveals that he plans to sell the stolen Bat-Tech to every military in the world. By extension, this goal would imply that Derek Powers may wish to make his soldiers virtually undetectable by technology. When questioned about the dangerous implications of this scheme, Powers justifies it with footage of an invasion that promises the world’s annihilation. This information provides compelling new insight into the conflict that Bruce and the rest of the Bat-Family will have to overcome. This raises several questions regarding the validity of Powers’ claims and the identity of these invaders. Hopefully, Terry’s Batman Beyond will join Bruce’s side before it’s too late.
DC Comics
Duke’s sequence provides new insight into his assumption of the Robin mantle that emotionally makes sense. During a conversation with Barbara, Duke reveals that during his time in the special forces, he earned the nickname Robin because he provided the best backup and cover fire in his unit. Babs claims that assuming this role was his calling. This is a satisfying justification for why he became Robin and not the Signal.
Moreover, Terry’s final sequence in Batman: Beyond the White Knight #4 carries the most emotional weight. Following his visit to Derek Powers, Terry goes to his father’s grave. His mother discovers him here as an emotional wreck. During their conversation, Terry reveals his final emotional moments with his dad following multiple fights with an Azrael on and off school grounds. Warren’s words sting in a way that Terry may never recover from. However, his desperation in their second conversation illustrates his desire for reconciliation with his child. It’s a moment that should resonate with every reader of the series, especially for those of us who have said something out of anger and immediately wished to take it back.
Additionally, Warren’s final words to Terry promise a deeper connection to Powers. Warren warns Terry, “Derek Powers is insane. And someone needs to stop him.” This warning gives Terry more than enough reason to team up with Derek Powers as it implicates the villain’s involvement in his father’s death. I am incredibly excited to see how this line will pay off in upcoming installments.
Finally, Bruce and Jack’s sequences provide the most comedic relief for Batman: Beyond the White Knight #4 as this odd couple brings Ace the Bat-hound and the flying Batmobile into the narrative. One of my favorite lines involves Jack naming Ace after the second-best card in the deck, following the Joker. It’s a connection that is so obvious that I’m embarrassed that I never thought of it. Additionally, it’s hard not to pump your fist to the techno theme music in your head once the prototype Batmobile finally takes flight.
“Guess this was your calling.”
DC Comics
I would be remiss if I did not mention Sean Murphy’s artwork and Dave Stewart’s colors. Batman: Beyond the White Knight #4 remains an exemplar in visual storytelling as the creators’ work conveys quieter, less obvious story beats perfectly. In one sequence involving Derek Powers, Murphy and Stewart render the eventual villain’s eyes black and white. This artwork demands a comparison to the two-tone nature of Joker’s eyes in prior installments and visually foreshadows Powers’ descent into villainy.
Moreover, it’s incredible how Murphy’s artwork with Stewart’s colors can make you hear the television series’ soundtrack. For example, using the Batman Beyond Symbol as a panel to frame and color Terry walking away from his mother had me humming the theme song. This page is one of my favorites in the entire book as it evoked this response.
Additionally, one of the elements that I’ve raved about during previous reviews has been Murphy’s use of shadows. In Batman: Beyond the White Knight #4, Murphy does not lean into this type of visual as heavily. However, it is essential to note that Duke’s shadow is Robin, and Terry’s is Batman, as they are affirmed in the acceptance of these mantles.
Compelling and action-packed, Batman: Beyond the White Knight #4 sidelines Bruce Wayne in favor of placing the rest of the Bat-Family in the spotlight. The result is utterly enthralling as Sean Murphy provides meaningful answers to several of the series’ questions while posing even more. I am excited to see how Murphy resolves the answers to these questions in upcoming installments. As always, Batman: Beyond the White Knight is an exemplar of visual storytelling. The artwork is worth the price of admission alone. If you haven’t already, fly your Batmobile to your local comic shop to pick up this book!
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