(Cartoon Network / DC Nation, 2013)
Review by Shawn Warner
When it comes to animated series, Batman has been the go-to character in the DCU ever since the early nineties. It was the animated series that raised the bar and became the standard by which not only all DC series since but all comic book related series in general are now measured. The quality of the voice actors, the style and the production values were all raised by the Batman franchise and its animated endeavors which have remained to this day in the upper echelon of the genre. So it is little wonder that Beware The Batman is going to be viewed with the highest of expectations. DC has had great success with other animated series besides the Batman related shows such as the recently and inexplicably cancelled Green Lantern: The Animated Series. It seems to be the one area where they consistently trump Marvel.
The first episode begins with Batman outnumbered by a gang of street toughs but The Dark Knight quickly turns the tide and shows just why he is Gotham’s protector. The action then centers for the rest of the story on two Grant Morrison created villains, Professor Pyg and Mr. Toad, two eco-terrorists bent on disciplining prosperous executives whose land deals have resulted in the devastation of a natural habitat. However it falls to Batman to stop these two before they can carry out their noble but misbegotten plan.
After his nightly patrol Bruce is rather unceremoniously awakened by a throttling at the hands of a younger more physically imposing Alfred then we have seen thus far. This Alfred plays up his MI6 background and even provides Bruce with an impromptu sparring partner from time to time. The differences in their physical relationship have done little to alter the fundamental dynamic between the two old friends. The employer/ employee paradigm has always been more of a pretense and never anything deeper than that of a public façade that does not seem to have been tampered with in this current incarnation either.
I am very happy to see lesser known villains (especially ones created by the awesome Grant Morrison) given some screen time. This can be a precarious proposition but it can also serve as an introduction to a wider audience creating the next generation of comic book fans when they are inspired to seek out the origins of these strange and wondrous characters that are so new to them. This is the joy of discovery and this is what the comic book world thrives upon, the induction of fresh ideas. I’m sure we will see The Joker, The Scarecrow, Bane and Poison Ivy and I am looking forward to that as well but for now I am greatly enjoying seeing some new faces make their small screen debuts.
There is also a conscious decision to get back to Bruce’s roots as a top notch detective and focus on his intellect over his skills as a pugilist. However there is still plenty of action which for me felt very cinematic in this first episode. I loved the explosions and the sound effects as well as the visuals. The animation style was a bit stiff at the beginning of the episode but by the half-way point I was sold. The look of Batman’s uniform takes from Bob Kane as much as Tim Burton, it sports the narrow pointy ears of the old school Dark Knight coupled with the black shiny leather of the newer versions to become something timeless.
The voice of Batman may be a little different as it is now the voice of Anthony Ruiviar which is not as gravely as you might be used to; nonetheless he does a fine job. Kurtwood Smith does an equally nice job as the voice of Commissioner Gordon.
The first episode has set the internet ablaze with opinions from either side of the spectrum, I am quite pleased with it in most respects my chief complaint is the rather forced way Katana was used in the plot, whether she is to serve in a Robin-like capacity or just a miscellaneous sidekick remains to be seen. Personally I would have been happier if they had introduced Harper Row but, overall I would give the show 4 out of 5 for the entirety of its merits and missteps.
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Follow Shawn Warner on Twitter: @shawnwarner629
BAG & BORED 