Batman: The Adventures Continue is part of an initiative to introduce new characters into DC Collectibles’ Batman: The Animated Series line of toys, with Templeton designing these new additions in Timm’s style.
So, the comic will feature many familiar faces from the DC Animated Universe like Superman and Lex Luthor and some that never appeared in that world until now, like Jason Todd.
“We’d gone from Dick Grayson to Tim Drake, and we had left out Jason. What we’re doing with this is looking at this as a chance to go back and actually acknowledge that was a part of the animated Batman’s history,” Dini tells EW. “For the first time, you’re going to see that story and you’re going to see what happened in that relationship. So, it’s our chance to not only to do Jason Todd but also the Red Hood. There are other characters like Azrael, who was popular in the comics around [the time of the show], and Deathstroke, who we never used in the animated series.”
Templeton adds: “It’s fun that it doesn’t feel like we have to deal with the 15 year gap since we told stories with these characters. We can just feel like we just stepped into these things yesterday, because the shows and comics are always out there. They never go away. I didn’t want it to feel like there’s a big gap and Batman was old and Tim was in his 30’s or anything like that. I’m really happy it just feels like the next day.” (To clarify even further, the comic takes place before the traumatic flashback events in Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker).
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The first issue also introduces a mystery for the reader:
“Who is the mysterious character in the shadows observing all of this?” says Templeton. Dini adds, “There’s a stranger in town who has staked out the Batman family, who knows them very well, and is watching them from a distance with a mixture of amusement and deep hatred. That’s gonna be a challenge and concern for them at some point. The guy is so good that even though Batman and the others get glimpses of him, they have no idea who he is or what he wants, and that’s a mystery for them to solve.”