10 Genius Comic Book Ideas That Should've Been Terrible

Over 20 years on from its debut Batman Beyond is still one of the most beloved superhero animated shows, but when you think about it, it shouldn't have worked. The idea of Bruce Wayne being benched for some unknown teenager seems insane, let alone one who lived in a cyberpunk-inspired Neo-Gotham.

Having retired years earlier, Bruce is now a 70-year-old recluse, holed up alone in Wayne Manor while Gotham is left to fend for itself. That is, until, Terry McGinnis stumbles across the old man's secret and manages to steal the Batsuit. After hearing the kid out, Bruce gives his blessing for Terry to take over as the Batman, with Bruce as 'the man in the chair'.

At the time, the idea of creating a Batman show without Bruce at the centre was unheard of, but the writers worked incredibly hard to make it work. Watching him mentoring McGinnis provided a fascinating new dynamic, as did the presence of new villains like Shriek, Inque and Blight.

Oh, and the series also managed to make Ace the Bat-Hound work too. Is there anything those DCAU architects can't do?