For years many have been wondering why DC weren't doing more to tie their flagging comics sales to their always-popular animated series, which by all accounts balanced high ratings with some of the most faithful and fun versions of characters like Superman, the Justice League and Teen Titans. The Batman Animated Series (which probably is the all-time best version of the Caped Crusader, FYI) got a tie-in comic that was pretty good back in the nineties, but it's with the New 52 that it looks like the DC Animate Universe might actually be a part of the multiverse. Batman Beyond (renamed Batman Of The Future in the UK, for our more literal minds) was one of the coolest DC cartoons, showing us a Blade Runner-esque Gotham City a few decades forward, with an elderly Bruce Wayne overseeing a younger, more high-tech Dark Knight. The series has finally been picked up in comic book form and the character has also appeared in the current Futures End crossover storyline. It's kind of weird that the animated adaptations of their comic have their own place in the multiverse - Earth-12, by all accounts - but also kind of awesome.
Tom Baker is the Comics Editor at WhatCulture! He's heard all the Doctor Who jokes, but not many about Randall and Hopkirk. He also blogs at http://communibearsilostate.wordpress.com/
