Batman Beyond #11
Batman Beyond Vol. 5 #11 (April 2016) marks the dramatic resolution of the 'City of Yesterday' arc, in which Tim Drake's Batman finally frees the future Justice League — including Superman, here portrayed as Jonathan Lane Kent, the son of Clark Kent and Lois Lane — from the mind-control devices implanted by Brother Eye's loyalists. It is the first issue in this volume where Jon Kent-as-Superman acts as an ally rather than an antagonist, a narrative turn that recontextualizes the entire Brother Eye war storyline. The issue also bridges the New 52 Batman Beyond continuity directly toward DC Rebirth, making it a transitional chapter in how the Beyond universe re-anchored the Jon Kent lineage within DC's broader publishing direction.
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The series was written by Dan Jurgens and drawn by Bernard Chang, the same creative team that had shepherded the New 52 Batman Beyond volume (Vol. 5) from its June 2015 launch as a direct continuation of the Futures End event. Jurgens, who had also co-created the modern Jon Kent character in Convergence: Superman #2 (July 2015), brought a particular authorial investment to depicting Jonathan Lane Kent as this future timeline's Superman — a character he knew intimately. The series ran 16 issues before transitioning into the DC Rebirth relaunch that restored Terry McGinnis to the Batman Beyond role.
Trivia · 8 facts
- Published April 6, 2016 as part of Batman Beyond Vol. 5 (the New 52/pre-Rebirth ongoing series), written by Dan Jurgens and drawn by Bernard Chang with colors by Marcelo Maiolo.
- The issue resolves the 'City of Yesterday' arc: Matt McGinnis locates the future Justice League imprisoned within the Metropolis Watchtower, and Tim Drake/Batman engineers a plan to free them — including Superman — from Brother Eye-implanted control devices.
- Superman in this future timeline is Jonathan Lane Kent (a.k.a. Jon Lane Kent), son of Clark Kent, serving as the Man of Steel with the same costume and role his father held in the Batman Beyond animated universe.
- Jonathan Lane Kent's first appearance as Superman in this continuity was in Batman Beyond Vol. 5 #9, by the same creative team of Dan Jurgens and Bernard Chang; issue #11 is his pivotal transition from brainwashed antagonist to restored ally.
- Jon Lane Kent as a character was originally created by Tom DeFalco and R.B. Silva in Superboy Vol. 6 #19; the Futures End/Beyond version was introduced and developed by Jurgens.
- The issue introduces the C-3 stealth command for the Batsuit — a mental cue that activates the suit's invisibility function — as a key plot device allowing Batman to survive Big Barda's assault from the previous issue.
- The series was collected in trade paperback as Batman Beyond Vol. 2: City of Yesterday, which gathers the 'City of Yesterday' arc issues.
- This volume (Vol. 5) concluded with issue #16 and was immediately followed by the DC Rebirth relaunch (Vol. 6, October 2016), which restored Terry McGinnis as Batman and moved away from the Tim Drake/Jon Lane Kent future.