Warning! Spoilers for Batman Beyond: Neo-Year #2 by DC Comics below
To stop a villain with incredible tech-based powers, Batman Beyond is getting a new costume that trades in his usual Batsuit for something much different. In Batman Beyond: New Year #2 by DC Comics, Terry McGinnis realizes to stop a dangerous villain, the Sword of Gotham, from terrorizing his city, he will need to adopt a different look that the villain can't detect. So Batman Beyond gets an entirely new costume with a classic, modern twist.
Batman Beyond: Neo-Year continues the adventures of Batman Beyond, the popular future version of the Dark Knight who first appeared in his critically acclaimed self-titled animated series. However, Terry McGinnis' future has taken an even darker turn, as the murder of Bruce Wayne leaves him operating primarily alone, as a new villain, the Holographic Man, overtakes Wayne Enterprises. As Batman Beyond tries to learn more about the villain, the Sword of Gotham has also emerged, killing thousands of people in response to the hero saving those he planned on killing with a group of drugs arriving in Neo-Gotham.
In Batman Beyond: Neo-Year #2 from DC Comics by Collin Kelly, Jackson Lanzing, Max Dunbar, Sebastian Cheng, and Aditya Bidikar, Batman Beyond struggles to deal with the Sword of Gotham. He quickly realizes that the advanced tech in his Batsuit makes it easily detectable by the tech-based villains. Terry McInnis takes away everything from his suit that gives away a signal, connects to the grid, or sends data. Batman Beyond creates a "Faraday Cage" with style, buying an anti-surveillance jacket to pair with the cut-out eyes of his suit. As Terry puts it, the costume is a "classic, with a modern twist."
Ultimately, the scaled-down costume helps Terry McInnis go undercover and uncover information about an ongoing jewel thief in Neo-Gotham. The anti-surveillance jacket and bits of his Batman's mask make a unique new look for the hero. So while Batman Beyond would return to his usual Batsuit (albeit downgraded technologically), the new outfit ended up being the perfect way to gain vital intel while going undetected.
As long as the Holographic Man and the Sword of Gotham continue to gain control and cause criminal activity across Neo Gotham, Batman Beyond would be wise to keep his low-tech costume as a backup Batsuit. With all of his tech being monitored at all times, the slightest signal or connection could tip off the villains to his whereabouts. Going undercover with the new costume means he can investigate before suiting up in his usual Batsuit, giving him a much-needed upper hand against Neo-Gotham's latest criminal masterminds. Batman Beyond: Neo-Year #2 by DC Comics is in comic book stores now.
