7 Reasons Why Beware the Batman is 'Tits'

The rest of Beware the Batman season 1 aired on Toonami (during bat hours Saturday nights on Adult Swim) and I'm really getting into it. Here is why The Bat thinks it's a solid series.

7. Alfred is bad-ass

Like a CGI Jason Statham with Acromegaly.

6. Lesser featured characters

Tatsu Yamashiro/Katana is sort of the answer to a non morally ambiguous Selina Kyle/Catwoman, Lady Shiva to Talia al Ghul, and Anarky is . . . creepy.

5. Batman is a true detective

More Denny O'Neil influence, which I prefer over the Frank Miller-inspired animated movies.

4. Character development

BTB has more of a chronology compared to Batman: The Animated Series -- more time spent fleshing out each hero/anti-hero/villain.

3. Barbara Gordon, aka 'Oracle'

Oh, she is just so cool! Kind of serves as the 'Robin' in this series; in other words, saves the day when Bats is in deep stuff.

2. Good mix of villains and action

Okay, some episodes are admittedly dull (even BTAS had its share). I don't know if it's ending with season one, but I can see things escalating in Gotham City -- this is a young Batman, and Batman creates villains. A couple villains I think would start to fit in this universe are Riddler/Nigma and later on, Bane (do it like the New 52 Bane) -- because eventually Batman needs to be tested mentally and physically. Of course, no Dark Knight universe is complete without The Joker, but one can dream . . .

1. Batman

Beware the Bat does the difficult task of highlighting the caped crusader instead of his flashy villains. It's a good Bruce Wayne and Batman story. It's not voiced by Kevin Conroy, and it doesn't need to be.

Beware the Batman does have most of its scenes at night (even for a Batman show); which was probably one of the reasons it didn't perform well as a Saturday morning cartoon. On the other hand, The Bat happens to be a very big fan of the theme song.

Funko Pop Dark Knight Teaser Trailer

A fun sizzle reel I created, starring Dark Knight Funko Pop Heroes (and villains). Check it out!

PODCAST: Episode 7

The Bat and the Cat are back after a long (semi)-hiatus. In this half-hour podcast, we talk about what we've been watching or reading related to the Batman universe like Beware the Batman!

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10 Spoiler-Free Thoughts About Man of Steel

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1.  It has a very good pace.
Not a dull moment.

2. Nolan's influence is evident in the first half of the film.
I like the editing.

3. The soundtrack got stuck in my head.
Damn you, Zimmer! :)

4. Kal-El is a bit of a crybaby.
Weep, weep.The movie would also benefit from a little more comic relief.

5. General Zod is a good villain of choice.
Lex Luthor would have been a bit overplayed.

6. Antje Traue is damn sexy.
Sometimes, evil is sexy.

7. The "suits" they wear are sexy.
Superman, Zod, shoulders, arms . . . I'm a straight man . . .

8. The "action" fit the tone of the movie but is not my cup of tea, personally.
Too much debris and bullet-paced movement makes it hard to see what's going on.

9. Easter eggs are prominent, without being in-your-face.
No spoilers.

10. The make-up team did a good job of making Diane Lane look "older".
It was only 10 years ago I was crushing on her in Unfaithful.

*11. I'm getting too old for midnight shows . . .

Currently Reading: Batman Birth of the Demon

From DC Comics

As a Batman fan, my favorite stories involve Ra's al Ghul, Talia al Ghul, and the League of Assassins. If The Joker is a mad dog off the leash, Ra's al Ghul is the wolf on top of a mountain. Birth of the Demon is a collection of three graphic novels: Son of the Demon, Bride of the Demon, and Birth of the Demon. I plan to do a thorough review once I get through the whole book; but right now, I'm reading it whenever I have the opportunity. It's not new or anything; and I'm about halfway through 'Bride . . . '.


What I like about being away from Gotham City is that we get to see exotic locations; more of the action takes place in the daytime, the action is on a grand scale (environmental threats . . . and airplanes!); Batman does great detective work; and most of all, there is romance.

Many fans think the art is a bit old-fashioned, but in my opinion, it's a nice departure from the modern, stylized Dark Knight we've grown accustomed to. And frankly, the art is a compliment to the story; not the other way around. I plan to take advantage of more "lulls" in my day by getting into more of this great collection!

5 Reasons Why Batman: The Animated Series is THE Best Batman

Opening sequence without a title--it doesn't get cooler than that.

Batman: The Animated Series to me is like comfort food: I know what to expect and I know I'm going to be happy with it. Here are 5 reasons why I think it is not only the best animated series; but the best Batman:

5. It has a good balance

BTAS strikes the perfect balance between dark/gritty and light hearted/comical. To make it TV-friendly, there's no killing or backbreaking, but they come close enough to it. The action never overpowers the story; it supplements it. Bruce Wayne is charming, but Batman is not a nice guy; he'll do whatever it takes to get an answer from a thug. The Joker is equal parts clown and [suggested] killer. Batman and Robin are constantly displaying good detective skills (but maybe a little too good at solving Riddler's puzzles).

4. It shows the human side of villains

A highlight of the Batman mythos has always been its rogues gallery, and aside from The Joker, BTAS portrays its villains as flawed humans who turn to evil instead of justice. Notorious episodes: "Two Face" and "Heart of Ice" but I also like "Feat of Clay".

3. The narrative

BTAS follows a prime rule of good writing in that it shows instead of tells. It's not too heavy on dialogue and creates atmosphere through the characters' expressions and its soundtrack. If you were to flip the channel to BTAS, it is unmistakable. While the later episodes became more entertaining for a younger audience, it is the earlier episodes that are more geared towards adults.

2. The music

In addition to Danny Elfman's kick-ass thematic Batman opening score, each episode has a distinctive soundtrack that's a character in itself. I actually remember each episode by the music. There are several honorable mentions for musical score (including "Appointment in Crime Alley"), but I have a silly addiction to the soundtrack for "The Last Laugh"--a fantastic Joker episode!

 

1. The voice actors

Kevin Conroy is Batman/Bruce Wayne and Mark Hamill is The Joker. But aside from the obvious (did you know that Kevin Conroy was the first to distinguish Batman's voice from Bruce Wayne?), there are other strong players:

• Tara Strong as Harley Quinn ("Mistah J!")
• David Warner as Ra's al Ghul (my personal favorite)
• Adam West(!) as The Gray Ghost in "Beware the Gray Ghost"
• . . . pretty much everyone else, with the exception of Commissioner Gordon and Lucius Fox (they're not bad; they just don't stand out in any way--which speaks more of their character writing than the voice actors).

Make sure to check out BTAS on DVD or Huboom!

Batman Earth One Review -- A Dark Knight for a New Generation

You only think you know his story.

Spoilers are covered in blue. Highlight at your own risk.

I was wary of yet another retelling of Batman's origin, but this DC Comics original was a truly fresh take on the beginnings of the Dark Knight. It deviates from conventions just enough while not straying from familiar territory. In short, I think it's a great read and I even prefer it to Year One.

Pluses:

• Artwork. Earth One has a cinematic quality, in terms of graphic presentation, pacing, and transitions. Panels "come to life" and some even take up two pages. The story is easy to follow and I think it would make a great, but short, animated film.
• Alfred is a bad-ass. The Wayne's "butler" shows his true ex-Royal Marine status; but is still there to remind Bruce that he's not alone. Had this been a movie, Liam Neeson would actually play a good "Earth One" Alfred.
• Batman isn't perfect. Batman's special skills are evident while in the suit, but if the situation is against him, he gets his ass handed to him. He's not immune to occasional clumsiness, either. After all, he his human. And he's young. Not in age; but as Batman.
• It's modernized. In stark contrast to Frank Miller's renowned Batman graphic novels, Earth One takes place in modern time with hints such as Blu-ray discs and a young but competent Lucius Fox.
• Unconventional characters. I think one of Earth One's best highlights is that its main characters are not typical of Batman origin stories, such as:
• Harvey Bullock: in contrast to Batman: The Animated Series where Gordon's green running partner is the butt of fat jokes; Bullock in Earth One is a cheesy handsome but naive TV personality who is out for exposure and learns the true nature of Gotham City the hard way.
• Barbara Gordon: daddy's little girl, all that Gordon has left, a little too ambitious, but is portrayed as smart rather than hasty. I love the scene at the end where she is drawing herself as a Batgirl.
• Mayor Oswald Cobblebot: aka The Penguin, I liked his portrayal here. He actually finds out who the Batman is, but he dies later, so Batman's identity is concealed for now.
• The Arkham family name is mentioned just as much as the Wayne's.
• Good balance of villains. I liked that there was a corrupt cop (Axe), a creepy masked serial killer from the Crane Institute (The Birthday Boy), and a high-status Penguin. The ending took me by surprise the most. I was anticipating one thing, but got another, equally as good.

Minuses:

The fact that I have to wait for the next installment.

Overall Score: 10/10