Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)If you're going to have any chance of liking this show, you have to completely forget about "Batman: The Animated Series." BTAS was, is, and will remain one of TV's crowning achievements in animation. This new series doesn't aspire to anything that lofty-it's kid-vid. Judge it that way.
I'm 40 years old with a 10-year-old superhero-loving daughter. We watch the show together. We understand this show is a new riff. It has something of an anime influence, and it works. The show looks awesome. The theme music, by The Edge of U2, is very cool. Let's look at the characters. (BTW-don't look for Comissioner Gordon, Batgirl, Robin, Bullock, Montoya-they're not here. At least, not yet)
Batman/Bruce Wayne: He's young, he's just starting, he makes mistakes, and he's still having fun.
Alfred: One of the best parts of this show. Really captures the complex fellow that Alfred is.
Villains on this disc:
Joker: A Joker who is Bruce's equal in hand-to-hand combat? Neither my daughter or I care for this take on Batman's biggest foe.
Bane: Interesting version. Tad over-the-top, but what the heck. The episode does highlight Bruce's brainpower over brawn. The introduction of Rupert Thorne is a nice touch.
Penguin. This one flat-out-works. You really get a feel for what makes Oswald Cobblepot tick. They take the high-society-wannabee aspect of Paul Williams from BTAS, and add a true sense of menace.
Other villains from later in the series:
Catwoman: Get the costume right. My daughter and I call her Mousewoman.
Mr. Freeze: Worst of all the reimaginings. They've taken the most incredible tragic character from BTAS (and the DC Universe in general) and reduced him to a common jewel thief. Pathetic.
Clayface: Awesome. The two-part origin special may be the best episode so far. The production team really found their feet on this one. A Gotham cop gone horribly wrong through no fault of his own. Hearkens back to BTAS's treatment of Victor Fries.
Riddler: Loved it. Looks cool, and so far seems to be Batman's intellectual equal.
Bottom line: Batman can survive any reworking. From the camp of the '60s TV show to Frank Miller's brooding Dark Knight, the icon remains. "The Batman" is a update for a new audience, no more, no less. If you're expecting the glories of BTAS, save your money, and buy the BTAS box sets instead. If you're looking for a little kid-friendly fun, give it a whirl. Although at only three episodes on the disc, you might want to wait. For a better value for kid-friendly superhero action, try the six-episode "Static Shock: The New Kid."
Click Here to see more reviews about: The Batman - Season 1, Vol. 1 - Training for Power (DC Comics Kids Collection) (2004)
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