Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker (2000)

aka Batman of the Future: Return of the Joker (2000)

Dir. Curt Geda

The only feature-length outing for Batman Beyond is a great one. It came out between Seasons 02 and 03 of the parent series, so was able to reference Terry McGinnis' life up to that point, including splicing and The Jokerz street gang. [1]

But that's not all, because being a part of TAS continuity meant is could reference Bruce Wayne's life, too, which it does via a split timeline, telling a story that spans decades and involves both the Batman of old Gotham and the Batman of New.

It's no spoiler to say that The Joker (Mark Hamill) appears to have returned, which impacts the lives of both Bruce Wayne (Kevin Conroy) and Terry (Will Friedle). The Clown Prince of Crime's appearance vexes Bruce greatly and is the mystery that drives the narrative in the early part.

Batman Beyond (1999-2001)

aka Batman of the Future (1999-2001)

52 episodes, approx 22 minutes each, split over 3 seasons.

The team that created Batman Beyond (aka Batman of the Future) achieved the near-impossible: they made a show that's the equal of Batman: The Animated Series (1992-95) in tone and content and they did it without having Billionaire Bruce Wayne as the lead! Holy personnel changes, Batman.

It's set in 2039, forty years after TAS' successor, The New Batman Adventures, and continues the continuity set up by both it and TAS. The era of the original caped crusader has passed and the world has moved on.

Even Gotham has evolved, into Neo-Gotham, a towering, high-tech megalopolis wherein crime and corruption is as rife in the shiny office buildings as it is on late night docks.

Bruce (Kevin Conroy) is still around, possibly because like one of his contemporaries said he's too stubborn to die. He is, however, a retired, cranky and cynical recluse that rarely leaves the seclusion and safety of Wayne Manor.