Batman Beyond: 10,000 Clowns

When groups of Jokerz—organized gangs inspired by the Clown Prince of Crime—begin wreaking havoc on Gotham, Batman must try to uncover who is controlling them and why, in this extension of the animated show. Batman is no longer Bruce Wayne but his protégé Terry McGinnis, who is forced to draw upon everything he has learned from his aging mentor to face the threat. Unlike the original Joker, however, Batman’s clown-faced adversaries aren’t just dangerous—they’re downright suicidal—so the caped crusader must call upon some of his mentor’s old acquaintances in order for Gotham, or what’s left of it, to be saved. Beechen (Robin) and Breyfogle (Batman: Birth of the Demon) do a fantastic job of capturing the spirit of the original animated series, while giving us heroes we genuinely care about and a villain we genuinely fear. Both Beechen’s writing and Breyfogle’s illustrations offer stirring evocations of true heroism rising above adversity, and Breyfogle does a great job with the characters’ expressions to heighten emotion and tension. (May)