By
Tom Russell
Published 53 minutes ago
Tom is a Senior Staff Writer at Screen Rant, with expertise covering all things Classic TV from hilarious sitcoms to jaw-dropping sci-fi.
Initially he was an Updates writer, though before long he found his way to the Classic TV team. He now spends his days keeping Screen Rant readers informed about the TV shows of yesteryear, whether it's recommending hidden gems that may have been missed by genre fans or deep diving into ways your favorite shows have (or haven't) stood the test of time.
Tom is based in the UK and when he's not writing about TV shows, he's watching them. He's also an avid horror fiction writer, gamer, and has a Dungeons and Dragons habit that he tries (and fails) to keep in check.
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Few superheroes boast an animated legacy as consistent as Batman. Among the many Batman cartoons, few stand out more than Batman: The Animated Series and its sequel The New Batman Adventures, both crafted by Bruce Timm. Their follow-up, however, remains just as groundbreaking. While the 1992-1999 shows defined the Dark Knight’s animated legacy, the next chapter pushed the character into bolder territory for entirely different reasons.
Batman has dabbled in futuristic technology before, but the next entry in the Batman: TAS timeline embraced science fiction completely. Batman Beyond arrived in 1999, set decades into the future. It followed a new Batman, Terry McGinnis (Will Friedle), who stepped into the role as the aging Bruce Wayne (Kevin Conroy) became his mentor.
Batman Beyond is adored for how it expands Batman’s mythos, but that alone doesn’t justify its 100% Rotten Tomatoes score or enduring critical acclaim. That praise was earned because Batman Beyond was a flawless cyberpunk-tinged sci-fi series in its own right, one that stood confidently on its own and could have thrived even without the Batman branding.
Batman Beyond Was A Flawless Animated Sci-Fi Show
A Neon-Soaked Future Made Batman Beyond A Sci-Fi Classic
Batman Beyond wasn’t just a worthy continuation of Batman’s animated legacy, it was a bold reimagining of what a Batman series could be. The show thrust viewers into Neo-Gotham, a towering metropolis of neon lights, flying vehicles, and sprawling megastructures. Within this slick cyberpunk world of the then-future of 2019, Terry McGinnis took up the mantle under the guidance of Bruce Wayne, bringing a new dynamic to the mythos.
Batman Beyond was applauded for how confidently it embraced sci-fi storytelling. Instead of gothic alleys and mobsters, the show leaned into futurism, exploring genetic engineering, corporate overreach, digital crime, and experimental technology. Its world-building was dense yet accessible, rendering Neo-Gotham as a believable evolution of the city fans already knew.
The Batsuit alone embodied the show’s sci-fi evolution. Rather than the traditional cape-and-cowl setup, Terry operated with a full-body stealth suit equipped with cloaking, flight capability, enhanced strength, and built-in scanners. The series used this advanced tech not as superficial upgrades but as essential tools that shaped storylines, action sequences, and Terry’s growth as Batman.
Episodes frequently tackled issues tied to scientific advancement, such as engineered super-soldiers, virtual reality addiction, and rogue robotics. Even smaller narrative touches, like the omnipresence of megacorporations such as Wayne-Powers, grounded the show firmly in speculative fiction. The futuristic setting wasn’t just window dressing; it drove the emotional, ethical, and thematic stakes for Terry’s journey.
Because of its commitment to sci-fi storytelling, Batman Beyond felt fresh even within the beloved animated Batman timeline. It stood as a fully realized sci-fi world that happened to include Batman rather than a Gotham coincidentally decorated with sci-fi concepts, and that’s what made it exceptional.
The Villains In Batman Beyond Were Pure Sci-Fi Horror
Batman Beyond Turned Its Rogues Gallery Into Futuristic Nightmares
While Batman: TAS redefined classic villains, Batman Beyond invented an entirely new rogues gallery, one shaped by futuristic technology and steeped in sci-fi horror. The series didn’t merely reinterpret old threats; it introduced enemies who felt unique to Neo-Gotham and far more unsettling than traditional comic-book antagonists.
Batman Beyond’s Inque remains one of the most disturbing creations in the show. A shapeshifting saboteur reduced to a sentient, liquid-black form, Inque shifted between human and amorphous monstrosity. Her transformations were fluid, uncanny, and visually unnerving, often evoking body-horror imagery that pushed the boundaries of children's animation. Her stories explored identity erosion and corporate exploitation, making her both terrifying and tragic.
Another Batman Beyond villain, Earthmover, delivered one of the show’s most haunting villain arcs. His mutation into a shrivelled near-corpse that could control earth with geokinesis felt like a dystopian horror film. The season 2 episode “Earth Mover” remains infamous for its grotesque visuals and emotionally heavy narrative, grounding the character’s monstrous nature in environmental tragedy and moral collapse.
Then there’s Blight, one of Batman Beyond’s defining antagonists. As Derek Powers, he was a calculating corporate tyrant. As Blight, he became a radioactive skeleton encased in glowing green energy. His mutation was both a literal and symbolic consequence of unchecked corporate power. His design radiated danger, giving every appearance an eerie glow that signaled imminent catastrophe.
What made these villains resonate was how the series fused existential dread with biotechnology, experimental mutations, and corrupt scientific ambition. Transformation sequences were often disturbing, emphasizing the loss of humanity through technological or chemical abuse. Each Batman Beyond villain represented a different facet of futuristic fear; dehumanization, environmental collapse, or the dangers of corporate supremacy.
This commitment to sci-fi horror elevated Batman Beyond beyond standard superhero fare. The rogues were frightening not just because they threatened Terry McGinnis, but because they embodied the darkest possibilities of the show’s futuristic world.
The Sequel To Batman: TAS Gave Fans One Of The Best Joker Stories Of All Time
Return Of The Joker Delivered A Disturbing Sci-Fi Twist On Batman’s Greatest Villain
Batman Beyond reached its peak with Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker, a feature-length sequel that delivered one of the most chilling Joker (played by Mark Hamill reprising his role from Batman: TAS) stories ever put to screen. Instead of simply bringing the Clown Prince of Crime back for nostalgia, the movie used the futuristic setting to reshape the Joker mythos in terrifying new ways.
Return of the Joker explored how the Joker seemingly returned decades after his apparent demise, weaving a mystery that combined psychological horror with advanced sci-fi concepts. Mark Hamill delivered one of his most sinister performances, capturing a version of the Joker who was older, more calculating, and far more menacing.
The central twist, that the Joker had implanted his consciousness and genetic material into Tim Drake using experimental technology, was both shocking and deeply unsettling. It weaponized science fiction to deliver a Joker story unlike anything in prior Batman media, aligning perfectly with Batman Beyond’s darker, more speculative tone.
Return of the Joker didn’t rely on cheap thrills; it built on decades of lore while crafting a standalone narrative that pushed the boundaries of what an animated Batman film could explore. Its action sequences were brutal, its emotional beats devastating, and its sci-fi premise executed with precision.
By fully embracing the cyberpunk setting, the movie proved that Batman Beyond could shoulder some of Batman’s most iconic villains while still reinventing them in bold new ways. It stands as one of the most definitive Joker stories because it dared to combine psychological trauma, futuristic technology, and the legacy of Batman into a cohesive cinematic gut punch.
9.6/10
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Batman Beyond
10 stars 9 stars 8 stars 7 stars 6 stars 5 stars 4 stars 3 stars 2 stars 1 star Like Follow Followed TV-Y7 Action Adventure Animation Sci-Fi Release Date 1999 - 2001-00-00 Network The WB Writers Alan Burnett, Paul Dini, Stan Berkowitz, Rich Fogel, Hilary Bader, Bob Goodman, Gerry Conway Franchise(s) DC Animated UniverseCast
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Will Friedle
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Kevin Conroy
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