#dakotaverse

You've waited for it! (longer than me, but still.) You've asked for it! It's the return of all those Milestone Characters you love, here to finish the stories that got cancelled too soon!

Milestone, as an imprint, felt like it could have benefited from a singular, interconnected comic that jumped from character to character to give a sense of how the world worked. This two-issue series does nothing to mitigate this idea, although it does make me want to read some of the other titles.

"Icon: Blood Will Tell"

Though it was short I liked the conclusion to Holocaust and Wise Son (although I don't know a damned thing about Wise Son). That the issue ends with no team formed feels like a letdown, but honestly I don't know how long a team would've lasted.

"Hardware: Escape"

I didn't read for this character much, but I liked how much this issue felt like it was doing something new with his character. The metaphor of the bird and the cage, and trying to escape when you think you're free, felt very apt, and pushed this character into a final place that felt perfect.

"Static Shock: Whatever Happened To All The Fun In The World?"

Hotstreak Firewheel is a lot more racist in the comics than he was in the show.

The art in this one is quite bad. If I didn't know it came out in 2010 I would have suspected AI-generation. It can be expressive and exciting when it needs to be, but that doesn't really save it.

And yet I'm rather fond of this one. I lack the proper context to enjoy this as the original series intended, but it's similar enough to the Static Shock show that I get the gist of it. What's not to love about a kid who grew up to continue helping people?

"Meta Fictions"

We get introduced to Dharma more effectively here, and I get a sense of his whole deal and what his power does, and the weight of the unknown when you know everything. Iron Butterfly is also a fascinating foil, someone who cares deeply for Dharma despite Dharma's own lack of morality.

The ending feels cruel, not just to these characters but to the fans who've been reading this series for some time. I won't get too into it for spoilers, but in an effort to bring the Milestone characters back, instead they put off the fans that are left for the original characters.

Jay (and in association, Gamorra) is one of the most direct commentaries on American imperialism in recent years in DC Comics. Most of the big heroes, like the main members of Justice League, are used these days to reinforce the existence of American Imperialism as it is. Justice League members, but specifically the white ones, are purposefully written to be non-political. Even when they are, it's entirely fictional and the American Norms are considered heroic.

So, I'd make Jay an anti-hero, and put him in an antagonistic role to the Justice League with good cause. Ollie(Green Arrow) was directly involved in Gamorra's colonization, and most definitely knew about Sara's assassination. He didn't even get a slap on the wrist and the JL let him back in. Thereafter, the JL have done ZILCH to help Gamorra, and they hadn't done anything before either.

Next, I'd have him be on friendly terms and work often with the Dakotaverse heroes and the Power Company. These two parts of DC are even more direct about criticizing white supremacy and racism in the U.S. by talking often about how hypocritical the JL are. In the recent Dakotaverse one shot(New History of the DC Universe: The Dakota Incident), it's shown that Dakota never needed the Justice League. They were made to fend for themselves.

The Paris Island gas attack happened and gave lots of people powers, which inevitably lead to the emegence of Static, Icon and Rocket, and Hardware. The people in the Paris Island gangwars were basically test subjects for the government to create an army of metas they can control.

Sounds familiar?

Some amazing accidental synergy here.

And look here!

Two dictatorial villains whose main goals is to control and use a group of people who were experimented to become their future army.

Lex basically threatened to get the Justice League and the army to attack Dakota if the metas and heroes of the city used their powers. The Justice League delivered the message, but because it was from when Lex was president, they did nothing to stop this deal from going through. The Dakotaverse heroes had no choice- it was between freedom to use their powers, or safety of the city. And again, the JL did NOTHING.

The JL didn't even know about Gamorra's colonization until Jon, but more importantly, Superman's family was in danger. Jay was broadcasting for months, maybe years, but it didn't matter until Jon was involved.

Lex and Bendix used metas and aliens as an excuse to suppress this marginalized group of people and their home. When push came to shove, the Justice League did nothing. They did nothing for Gamorra, they did nothing for Dakota. Dakota and Gamorra's histories are actually surprisingly similar.

Hence, Jay working in rotation with the Dakotaverse heroes.

The Suicide Squad was used often in Gamorra to enact the U.S's wishes. Waller was never necessary for the Suicide Squad to exist(see Suicide Squad: Bad Blood). Most likely, they're gonna send another squad + a lot more military power to get Gamorra under their thumb again. So I'd have Jay's main enemies be the Suicide Squad and the U.S. military.

I'd also give him more allies that are considered anti-heroes or aren't part of the Justice League. Like Ghostmaker, City Boy(I kinda ship him with Jay but I want them to work together regardless of romance, they seem like they'd get along), more of the Secret Six again, and The Authority.

If I really got my way, I'd have on a book with Virgil in the new era, addressing Lex and the U.S.'s stupid ass agreement that metas in Dakota aren't allowed to use their powers, followed by something with the Suicide Squad.

I am avoiding mentioning him allying with white heroes or anyone in the big leagues because, as I mentioned before, they inevitably become tools for glorifying the U.S. It become evident when you read the Milestone comics, the Dakota Incident one-shot, and the recent Black Lightning run. Jon, Nia and the JL have demonstrated they don't really care. But all the Dakotaverse heroes, who mainly emerged from Milestone, DO care. Their entire existence is based on questioning the whiteness of DC Comics.

Round 3

Robin:

Acrobatics

Hand to hand combat

Computer operation

Driving

Marksmanship

Utility Belt

Sling Shot

Puff:

Toxikinesis

Transformation

Disintegration

Flight

Intangibility

Neo-Gotham and Dakota City meet in DC's latest Elseworlds story as Batman Beyond and Static team up to save the planet. This brand new 6-issue miniseries, titled Batman/Static: Beyond, is being helmed by writer/artist Evan Narcisse and artist Nikolas Draper-Ivey and will hit shelves in November. For all the details on this new series, check out the official press release below.

Batman/Static: Beyond #1 main cover by Nikolas Draper-Ivey   DC ANNOUNCES 'BATMAN/STATIC: BEYOND' Terry McGinnis and Virgil Hawkins Go Beyond... Into a Bold New Future DC today announced Batman/Static: Beyond, a bold new six-issue limited comic book series launching this fall under its DC Elseworlds imprint. The series pairs acclaimed writer Evan Narcisse with visionary artist Nikolas Draper-Ivey for a futuristic team-up unlike anything seen before. Launching November 12, 2025, the series unites two of DC's most dynamic heroes—Terry McGinnis, the cyberpunk guardian of Neo-Gotham, and Virgil Hawkins, the electrifying architect of Dakota City's future, both renowned for being breakout animated stars—for a high-stakes mission that could reshape Earth's place in the cosmos. In the debut issue, Terry McGinnis patrols the neon-lit streets of Neo-Gotham while Virgil Hawkins pioneers a technological revolution with the launch of the Q-Wave Energy Grid. As Earth prepares to join a powerful interplanetary alliance called the Cooperative, the Justice League Beyond stands ready to usher in a new era of peace. But when a mysterious villain triggers a global blackout, the planet's future hangs in the balance. With technology crippled and chaos rising, Static and Batman Beyond must forge an unlikely alliance and take a grounded approach to saving the world before it's too late. "I loved the dynamic Nik set up between Static and Batman in the Milestone 30th Anniversary Special where these characters first teamed up with each other," said Evan Narcisse, "and the most exciting part of this new project has been exploring how different Terry and Virgil are from each other." "This story is intended to be a commentary on our overreliance on technology and the imminent dangers becoming complacent and too comfortable using AI to substitute our own imagination and human ingenuity," continued Nikolas Draper-Ivey. "We now use our watches to find our phones, we use our phones to connect to everything else. We don't rely on our own memories. We rely on technology to remember for us. That deeply concerns me. I worry that we are getting to a point where if all these things were to be suddenly taken away from us in an instant—at the rate we're going now, humanity will be at a huge disadvantage." "Static is a former teen hero who grew up to take on even more responsibility for his city and the larger world, while Terry is still figuring out how to do those things in his own way," added Narcisse. "Terry's still a high school student but he's also got the weight of the Batman mantle and the expectations that come with it as key parts of his life now. As an adult member of the Justice League, Virgil's at a different part of his journey. But he's driven by an adolescence where systemic injustice changed what it meant to live in his hometown of Dakota. Their approaches to making the world a safer, more just place are extremely different. That difference energizes the big question they have to deal with: can they learn to work together during a critical moment when everything they've taken for granted has fallen apart? The whole creative team is going to try and answer that question in Batman/Static: Beyond with a story where deep emotions collide against the backdrop of an uncertain future." Writer Evan Narcisse (Rise of the Black Panther, Batman: Gotham Knights – Gilded City) brings his signature blend of character-driven storytelling and high-concept futurism to Batman/Static: Beyond, while artist Nikolas Draper-Ivey (Static: Shadows of Dakota) delivers bold, kinetic visuals that fuse cyberpunk grit with electric energy. Together, the creative team reimagines two fan-favorite heroes for a new generation, pushing the boundaries of legacy and innovation within the DC Elseworlds imprint. Batman/Static: Beyond #1 will feature a main cover by Nikolas Draper-Ivey, retailing for $4.99 US. Variant cardstock covers will be available for $5.99 US, including artwork by Dustin Nguyen, Rahzzah, and a 1:25 incentive variant by Denys Cowan and Ho Che Anderson. Nguyen's cover will also be released as a foil variant. The series will run for six issues, with a collected edition scheduled for release on August 4, 2026.

Batman/Static: Beyond #1 variant cover by Denys Cowan and Ho Che Anderson

Batman/Static: Beyond #1 variant cover by Rahzzah

Round 1

Leah's feats:

Telepathy 

Balance Manipulation

Illusion Casting

Mind Control

Puff's feats:

Toxikinesis

Transformation

Disintegration

Flight

Intangibility