Beware the Batman #6

As with the show that spawned it, Beware the Batman comes to a close prematurely just as things were starting to get interesting. With Katana busy and Batman missing it falls to Alfred to track down the Dark Knight Detective who has been captured by Killer Croc.

Presented entirely from Alfred's point of view, the comic is notable, other than for it being the final issue of the series, for the introduction of a resourceful dark-haired alley-rat who Alfred finds in possession of Batman's missing utility belt. Had the show and/or comic intended to introduce a Robin character the seed is firmly planted here as the young boy is an obvious stand-in for Jason Todd, but with its cancellation we'll never know what might have come from his introduction.

Neither the show nor the comic would rank high on my favorite versions of Batman (although they'd be higher than the current New 52 version), but both showed promise, and without another all-ages Bat-title to take its place the cancellation of the series (which had been consistently good) is sad news for Bat-fans everywhere. Worth a look.

[DC, $3.99]