There’s a sentiment in a related franchise that you either die a hero or live long enough to become the villain, and it’s possible that’s what’s transpired here.
Sean Murphy’s Batman: Beyond the White Knight is still (mostly) well-drawn and more complex where it counts than most average superhero comics on the market. But this sequel is lesser than the one that preceded it, and that one was lesser than the original. I’ve yet to see real proof in retrospect that Murphy shouldn’t have just stopped with the first. Beyond serves largely as a vehicle for the White Knight “Murphyverse” to begin branching out to greater heights, and it’s hard not to see in this the evils of corporate bloat (even as I acknowledge I was among the legion of fans calling for “more, more”). Sometimes we ought be careful what we wish for.
