'Batman Beyond' Proves that Batman Will Never Die

In addition to National Poetry Month, Sexual Assault Awareness Month, School Library Month, and Southern Side Dish Potluck Month, April happens to be Batman Month! So, if you're in between themed cakes and yearning for another sugar rush, dedicate your next cake to Batman before stuffing it down your Batcave. How else can you celebrate Batman Month? DC has released an all new Batman Beyond clip in honor of Batman's 75th anniversary.

For those who aren't familiar with Batman Beyond, it was an animated television series that ran from January of 1999 to December of 2001. Set in the future, the show features an elderly Bruce Wayne and his young acolyte, Terry McGinnis, who is being trained in the ways of all things bat. They meet in 2039, after a gang of Jokerz chase Terry to the grounds of Wayne Manor and the former and future Batman must fight them off. Skip to the end of the series, and it turns out that (spoiler alert) Bruce is actually Terry's biological father! Science made this possible, because Bruce's party boy days are long past. If you like the beginning and the end, you'll love the middle arc!

This new Batman Beyond clip, however, works as more of an homage to Batmans past and present than a continuation of the story line. Bruce sprawls across the floor as Terry comes rushing to his aid. The Batcave is experiencing a power failure, and a Batman built like a solid block of granite rises out of the shadows. As Terry and the cyborg Batman brawl, we catch glimpses of adapted Batsuits in a showcase behind them. At the conclusion of the fight, the message seems to be this: regardless of his age or skill level, Batman's humanity will always carry the day. While he benefits greatly from technological advancements, and the Batmobile comes to his aid in the fight, Batman will always overcome those who wish to mechanize him. His suit may be a piece of technological genius, but his heart remains fragile and human. Happy 75th anniversary, you gem.

Image: DC