Batman Beyond, Anyone?

[McMurphy]

I was looking around Best Buy last weekend and couldn't resist a cheaply priced Season 1 DVD set of Batman Beyond.

Did anyone else like that series? For American animation, which tends to be largely flawed by children pandering, Batman Beyond seemed darker than its counterparts.

For those of you unfamiliar with the series, Batman Beyond centeres around the revenge of Terry McGinnis over his father's mysterious death. The setting is a future where, not only has Bruce Wayne hung up the cape and bat ears for good, but he has grown old and embittered towards the world in general. Only after McGinnis steals one of Wayne's futuristic bat suits that enhances abilities such as strength, does the Batman of yester-year agree to aid the teenager in his thirst for vengeance.

Thoughts?

 

[j d worthington]

Phew. It's been a while, and I only saw a small number of episodes (I was usually having to go to work about the time it came on), but I recall rather liking it. It had a nice edge to it, and they didn't mind getting rather grim at times if the story called for it. At any rate, my memory of it is favorable....

 

[Coolhand]

Never saw the series but I did see the movie Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker and was very, VERY impressed by it. Easily better than most of the live action Batman Films (with the possible exception of Batman Begins). Very dark, very powerful. Make sure you get the unedited version though. The "cut-for content" version is a bit of a joke (ha ha! Return of the Joker! Geddit? Sigh) and removes a lot of the dark atmosphere and plot points that makes this movie great.

 

[ravenus]

I thought Return of the Joker had some decent moments (like when the new Batman discovers Bruce Wayne having been given the treatment by the Joker) but on the whole very by-the-numbers Batman angsty piece and the plot point that explains the Joker's return was complete ass IMO.

 

[dane78]

It was ok actually, although I prefer the original Batman...

 

[McHorde-Trooper]

I really like it. I watched a few episodes here and there, but I really got into the show back when they aired it on CN 4 or 5 times a week.

You could see that there was a Season (or half season?) long plot arch. That's very unusual considering how episodic most Batman stuff is - at least of the stuff I've seen.

The idea of a new Batman could have easily gone horribly wrong, but about the only thing that went wrong was that it got canceled. Well one more thing did go wrong . . that is if you count
Justice League episode about Tim being . . uhm . . related to Mr. Wayne . . that was a total crap fest.

I'm not sure if I've seen all the episodes yet, but I've seen quite a few.

Say are the DVD's really that cheep, McMurphy?

 

[McMurphy]

I really like it. I watched a few episodes here and there, but I really got into the show back when they aired it on CN 4 or 5 times a week.

You could see that there was a Season (or half season?) long plot arch. That's very unusual considering how episodic most Batman stuff is - at least of the stuff I've seen.

The idea of a new Batman could have easily gone horribly wrong, but about the only thing that went wrong was that it got canceled. Well one more thing did go wrong . . that is if you count
Justice League episode about Tim being . . uhm . . related to Mr. Wayne . . that was a total crap fest.

I'm not sure if I've seen all the episodes yet, but I've seen quite a few.

Say are the DVD's really that cheep, McMurphy?

Oh, yes, they are cheap: the first season of thirteen episodes plus special features cost me no more than fifteen bucks. The second season will run at around twenty bucks, but you get more episodes.

 

[Young Jedi]

Out of all the Batman cartoons this one is definatly my favorite. I just picked up the Joker movie a couple days ago.

 

[Michael01]

I have to agree. I loved Batman Beyond. The only thing I hated was that it got canceled.

At least it lasted a couple seasons, tho. I thought Birds of Prey was one of the best shows on tv but they only made . . . what was it? Four episodes, I think? I felt like screaming at the WB.