REVIEW: ‘Batman: The Adventures Continue,’ Issue #1

Kevin Conroy is the best Batman. I’ve held that truth since I first watched Batman: The Animated Series and all the subsequent material that followed. He was the first Batman that I felt attached to and honestly, it made it hard to jump into Batman comics more broadly. So, when DC Comics announced a return to the animated world with the team behind the animated series Batman: The Adventures Continue #1, I was excited.

This digital-first mini-series, co-written by Paul Dini and Alan Burnett, who were both producers of the original animated series, with art by Ty Templeton, and colors by Monica Kubina, is a return to the world that made me fall in love with DC Comics and the Dark Knight himself.

In the first chapter of Batman: The Adventures Continue, Wayne Enterprises in Gotham City is attacked by a giant robot that steals an entire room from the laboratory. But, who is controlling the robot and what does it all have to do with Lex Luthor’s sudden appearance in Gotham? That’s what Batman attempts to answer this issue.

The opening moments of Batman: The Adventures Continue #1 sets the tone for the rest of the issue by using internal dialogue that showcases just how banal Batman finds his nighttime crime-fighting as he moves through Gotham. The opening dialogue works and the format of the pages, running horizontally vs vertically, allows the reader to immerse themselves in the comic in a way that makes Conroy’s voice give life to the words on the page, a style common in webtoons. Additionally, Batman: The Adventures Continue #1 characters are all based on the iconic Bruce Timm’s animated style. They are perfectly executed by Templeton. Each and every element of this issue screams The Animated Series, which is its strength, but also its fault.

Given the length of the issue, it feels almost incomplete. While the multiple pages of little to no dialogue works well to highlight the action sequences and hits the spot for animated series faithfulness, it also means that you can read this issue fairly fast and makes it feel like there is too little story compared to other first issues or most comics in general. That said, this is a hurdle of the format and not necessarily Dini or Burnett’s fault, but it will leave some out of sorts – especially if they haven’t frequented webtoons before.

Overall, Batman: The Adventures Continue #1 is fun, nostalgic, and truly the embodiment of the animated series it draws inspiration from. As the only comic released by DC Comics this week, it’ll have the task of holding over readers, and it won’t disappoint, for the most part. Additionally, at only 99 cents on ComiXology, this is a must-buy for fans of Bruce Timm’s iconic series.

Batman: The Adventures Continue #1 is out now where digital comics are sold.