In a world without new print comic-books, one digital first series will rise to the task of entertaining readers. That series is Batman: The Adventures Continue. DC Comics’ digital first continuation of Batman: The Animated Series is perfect for fans of the legendary cartoon. Written by Animated Series veterans Paul Dini and Alan Burnett, the comic series continues the Dark Knight’s adventures in the beloved DC Animated Universe (DCAU).

A brief background on the cartoons, Batman: The Animated Series ended in 1995 and was continued in 1997 as The New Batman Adventures with a different visual aesthetic. The character would also appear in spin-offs like Batman Beyond and Justice League.

Batman: The Adventures Continue is set after The New Batman Adventures‘ final episode, but before the formation of the Justice League in their titular series. The first chapter pits Batman against Superman’s archenemy Lex Luthor in a sequel to the Batman/Superman cartoon crossover, ‘World’s Finest’. As such, the comic series’ first chapter reads like another episode of Batman: The Animated Series and is all the better for it.

Batman: The Adventures Continue #1 is a good Batman comic book that anyone can enjoy, but it’s truly magical for fans of Batman: The Animated Series. Dini, Burnett, and Artist Ty Templeton perfectly capture the look and feel of the animated series perfectly in this all-too-brief digital comic. The narrative tone and dialogue are so accurate to the cartoon that I heard the voice actors in my head as I read each well-drawn panel.

Ty Templeton drew and wrote numerous issues of Batman: The Animated Series’ various tie-in comics, making him the perfect choice for this series. His dynamic poses feel like they’re pulled straight from the animated series’ storyboards. Templeton nails the character models on every page, and colourist Monica Kubino uses a colour palette that matches the aesthetic changes made to the series for the New Adventures revamp. Even Dave Johnson’s gorgeous cover will make readers giddy due to its homage of Batman: The Animated Series’ iconic opening.

Batman: The Adventures Continue #1 is more than just nostalgia. While I applaud the creative team for using the first Chapter to ease readers back into the world of Batman: The Animated Series, it also plants the seeds for future stories that will shake up established continuity. Dini and Burnett use one panel in the Batman: The Adventures Continue #1 to tease a future story that will add to the DCAU’s mythology by introducing a long-absent character. It also pits Batman and Lex Luthor directly against each other without involving Superman, a story that never appeared in the cartoons.

Batman: The Adventures Continue #1 is an excellent comic that delivers a story worthy of its well-known source material. Anyone who has watched Batman: The Animated Series should read this comic ASAP.

Rating: 5/5