Batman: The Animated Series

Small Screen Specials, Series and Direct-To-Video
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GeorgeC

Batman: TAS replaced by driveling c***

Post by GeorgeC » April 24th, 2005, 9:10 pm

Words cannot begin to express how disgusted I am by The Batman animated TV series airing on Kids WB and Cartoon Network.

I'm surprised that both Glen Murakami and Alan Burnett, who worked on its far-superior predecessor (Batman: The Animated Series), are associated with this show.

From tepid storylines to the worst character designs, poorly cast character voices, and this insipid need to make Batman "kewl," this show fails on about every level where its predecessor succeeded.

Thank goodness we still have Justice League and the DEFINITIVE animated Batman on that show.

WB's micromanaging ruined The Batman.

They're out of their minds if they think this show is an improvement on Batman: The Animated Series.

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Post by ShyViolet » April 24th, 2005, 9:52 pm

Do they still show Batman Beyond on Cartoon Network?

I've never really watched it but I got interested after I read about Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker and how it got censored and then re-cut and all that..... :roll:

I would LOVE it if they showed the original B:TAS, but that'll probably never happen.... :( (Especially since the first two seasons are on DVD now)

My fave villains: Scarecrow and Mr. Freeze
You can’t just have your characters announce how they feel! That makes me feel angry!

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Post by Menace » July 30th, 2005, 4:53 am

Are you referring to TNBSA? Cause I didn't really think it was all that bad. For one thing, they made Batman a lot darker personality wise in the newer ones. This series also seems like it led up to the Batman Beyond series...another of which I'm a big fan. I also had the uncensored version of Return of the Joker special ordered because I heard about all the obvious differences. I'll tell you this--if you haven't seen it...SEE IT! A lot more violence, but you can tell they did not hold back the first time around.

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Post by ShyViolet » July 30th, 2005, 3:36 pm

I love Return of the Joker too. (and I also have the uncensored version...I got it at Wal-Mart!) I saw the "cut" version as well (it's what they show on HBO, oddly enough) and it's so, so lame in comparison.
You can’t just have your characters announce how they feel! That makes me feel angry!

GeorgeC

Post by GeorgeC » July 30th, 2005, 10:33 pm

Neither of you know what I'm talking about.

The first Batman series by Dini, Timm, & Burnett debuted in fall 1992. It ran for 3 years. Then, it was replaced by Superman in 1996 which was joined by a new Batman series (aka Batman: Gotham Knights, aka The New Batman Adventures, half of The New Batman/Superman Adventures) in 1997 that ran until 1999.

Batman Beyond debuted in 1997 and ran through approximately late 2000/early 2001.

The NEWER Batman show I'm talking about it has been around only for 2 seasons and is simply called "The Batman." It's an awful and hardly anybody that works on it was part of the 1990s Batman series. The characters on the new show were designed by the same guy who did Jackie Chan Adventures' designs and look bland, the voice acting is half-off, and the show is clearly driven by marketing/toy-selling needs. It's basically Batman for Idiots and inferior to the 1992 and 1997 series. Heck, even Batman Beyond is better than this drivel!

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Post by Menace » July 31st, 2005, 12:42 pm

But like I was saying, I never thought Batman Beyond was so bad. Ok, so the hardcore fans don't like seeing the old being replaced by the new. I just think the story writing for it was clever. They made it believable and most important, they kept the original Batman in it...making it more realistic. I see some future spin-offs of comics that just don't connect with the originals in anyway, shape, or form.

This newer Batman you're describing sounds so bad, it's no wonder I never heard of it. I don't even really watch TV anymore as it is, so naturally I wouldn't have a clue. All the shows worth watching are either off the air or on DVD. So yeah...I have no idea what you're talking about. Is it that one where they make Batman's ears extra long on his cowl? Because that costume is so garbage. It's my belief something like that should be enticing at viewer's first glance--especially in this generation.
And there you have it, ladies and gentlemen. My two cents.

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Post by Randall » July 31st, 2005, 3:57 pm

IMO, while I'm not a big fan of the show, the new The Batman is not so much crap as it is perhaps mediocre. (Of course, some might say that mediocrity and crap are the same thing.) The writing is less complex than on BTAS, the toy tie-in stuff can be intrusive, and some character design & voice choices were made that I didn't care for; but the animation is very good, and the design of the show is unique and interesting, even if it cannot be to everyone's taste. Hopefully, people will not be put off from trying it just because they heard it isn't like BTAS.

GeorgeC

Post by GeorgeC » July 31st, 2005, 4:46 pm

First off,

I apologize to everybody if I came off harsh to anyone. I'm not going to be cowardly and rewrite my previous post, however. As bad netiquette as it can be to chew off people's heads, I think it's even worse to pretend you didn't do something and NOT own up to it.

Secondly, I've seen enough of the Batman shows to know what I don't like about The Batman. I hate the character designs. Batman/Bruce Wayne has NO CHIN in this show and the head abruptly changes shape when he moves it! The voices for half the characters are horribly miscast and this show has easily the worst-designed Joker I've ever seen. I HATED the 1997 New Batman Adventures Joker design but who thought it was a great idea to redesign the Joker and make him look Rastafarian???!?!??

More importantly than the character designs is the fact that this show is pandering very obviously to kiddies. That's a major turn-off for me at this point in my life. I enjoy stuff that's ostensibly "for kids" but that operates on a level for adults, too, like Spongebob and the earlier Batman animated series. The Batman is just lousy any way you cut it with respect to writing.

My next major beef with The Batman is the fact that WB has handed down exclusive mandates so that NONE of the Bat-villains and supporting Bat-cast can be used on Justice League Unlimited any more! They obviously don't think the general public (ie, ONLY kids to the reasoning of people at the WB) is intelligent enough to realize different versions of these characters exist and that the guys on The Batman are NOT the same characters as the JLU/Batman Beyond/Batman: TAS characters!

Finally, when all is said and done, there's been a lot of gossip that one of the producers of The Batman has majorly put down the previous efforts of the writing staff and character designers of Batman:TAS/Superman/JLU/Batman Beyond. If that IS the case and it's just not fan gossip to stir things up, then I think it's extremely unprofessional and that whatever twat working on The Batman that thinks that show is so great really ought to get a reality check. The hardcore fan-buzz on The Batman is NOT good and most of the older viewers and fans of the earlier 1990s series resent its presence and the fact that new installments of the older show were shelved for this P.O.S.

Yeah, we're getting a new Batman direct-to-video film later this year. Unfortunately, it's The Batman Versus Dracula. That stuff works great for Abbott and Costello, but it's not great for comic book superheroes...

I am also somewhat concerned about the new Superman direct-to-video as I understand it's being written by a member of The Batman writing staff... The same guys who give us kung-fu trained Jokers, blonde Penguins, and cut out most links to Batman's supporting cast. There's no (Detective/Commissioner) Jim Gordon, Bullock, Leslie Thompkins, OR Dick Grayson on The Batman!

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Post by Ben » July 31st, 2005, 5:33 pm

I think you spoke your comments well, George, and don't think you needed to apologise. You weren't offensive to any one member, just the show (and justifiably, it sounds like).

:)

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Post by Meg » July 31st, 2005, 9:17 pm

GeorgeC wrote:Secondly, I've seen enough of the Batman shows to know what I don't like about The Batman. I hate the character designs. Batman/Bruce Wayne has NO CHIN in this show and the head abruptly changes shape when he moves it! The voices for half the characters are horribly miscast and this show has easily the worst-designed Joker I've ever seen. I HATED the 1997 New Batman Adventures Joker design but who thought it was a great idea to redesign the Joker and make him look Rastafarian???!?!??
Ugh, his chin annoys me so much. :?

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Post by ShyViolet » August 2nd, 2005, 12:32 pm

I've never seen the Batman but I did see pictures of it on-line and on Wal-Mart products. (toothbrushes, etc...) He looks TERRIBLE. I don't even WANT to see what Bruce Wayne or anyone else looks like!

I watched B:TAS when if first came out in 1992 and I LOVED IT. I can't imagine anything replacing it and even if it's "good" it can never be as good as THAT show was. Mark Hamill as the Joker is the bomb! That's one of the reasons why I loved Return of the Joker. (Mark Hamill was also in Joseph: King of Dreams)

I only watched up to about the 2nd season of B:TAS so I don't know much about the "New Adventures" at all...then when I saw ROTJ I figured out that that was a younger Robin, Tim Drake. It was a little confusing at first. I really want to see these New Adventures.
but who thought it was a great idea to redesign the Joker and make him look Rastafarian???!?!??
OMG that's REALLY funny. :lol: O.K., now I've got to check this out.
More importantly than the character designs is the fact that this show is pandering very obviously to kiddies. That's a major turn-off for me at this point in my life. I enjoy stuff that's ostensibly "for kids" but that operates on a level for adults, too, like Spongebob and the earlier Batman animated series. The Batman is just lousy any way you cut it with respect to writing.
I totally agree, that's a major reason why I find a lot of television animation annoying nowadays: (Ex: Teen Titans) It seems like so much animation now is hyper-active eye candy with the same plots again and again. It seems like most of it is for the under-10 set, (very coveted market nowadays) and that older kids are just watching adult shows anyway...The Teen Titans aren't even teens and the animation is just rip-off anime (even more annoying than real anime) with none of the characters having any secret identities. Plus how can you have Robin and no Batman? Isn't Nightwing supposed to lead the Titans anyway????

Does "The Batman" have that same campy feel of the 60's Batman with Adam West or does it try to pull off a "serious" tone?

I WISH they would at least bring back Batman Beyond to Cartoon Network, maybe even B:TAS!! I doubt they will though, that channel is 90% garbadge! :(
Finally, when all is said and done, there's been a lot of gossip that one of the producers of The Batman has majorly put down the previous efforts of the writing staff and character designers of Batman:TAS/Superman/JLU/Batman Beyond
That's terrible. I watched the commentary for ROTJ and you could tell they were the nicest guys, very intelligent and hard-working. (and that they have a lot of respect for their fans.) I hope "The Batman" gets canceled! :x

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Post by Josh » August 2nd, 2005, 3:18 pm

ShyViolet wrote:I only watched up to about the 2nd season of B:TAS so I don't know much about the "New Adventures" at all...then when I saw ROTJ I figured out that that was a younger Robin, Tim Drake. It was a little confusing at first. I really want to see these New Adventures.
If you are looking for more info on The New Batman Adventures, here is a site that provides details and reviews for each individual episode: http://anbat.toonzone.net/tnba/index.html. However, when detailing the episodes, the site does not give spoiler warnings right before revealing a twist.

Many people dislike the New Adventures, with some saying that the episodes were too 'cartoony' or less character-driven. I'll admit that I'm not particularly fond of what the New Adventures did with Mr. Freeze and Two-Face. However, episodes such as Over the Edge, Legends of the Dark Knight, and Growing Pains belong right up there with some of the best earlier episodes of Batman: The Animated Series, in my opinion.

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Post by ShyViolet » August 2nd, 2005, 5:27 pm

Thanks a lot. :) That is an awesome site!

Even though I haven't watched The Batman, I'm getting a kind of Extreme Ghostbusters/X-Men Evolution vibe from what I'm hearing about it--"improving" on an already good show and thus making it terrible. :(
You can’t just have your characters announce how they feel! That makes me feel angry!

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Post by Josh » August 2nd, 2005, 6:30 pm

ShyViolet wrote:Thanks a lot. :) That is an awesome site!
You're welcome!
ShyViolet wrote:I'm getting a kind of Extreme Ghostbusters/X-Men Evolution vibe
Violet, I think you have just summed up The Batman perfectly.

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Post by ShyViolet » August 3rd, 2005, 5:35 pm

However, episodes such as Over the Edge, Legends of the Dark Knight, and Growing Pains belong right up there with some of the best earlier episodes of Batman: The Animated Series, in my opinion.
QUICK_EDIT
I think "Legends of the Dark Knight" has three different versions of Batman in one episode: corny 50's look, hard-core 80's Frank Miller, and even the schlocky Schumacker version (they don't mention him though but you know they're referring to him.)

I actually saw part of this a long time ago, when they had a 50's Joker (not Mark Hamill!) trap Batman and Robin (not the usual voice actors) inside a piano. The look of the show was COMPLETELY DIFFERENT. It was very surreal. I've got to watch this again. Hope it comes out on DVD soon.
You can’t just have your characters announce how they feel! That makes me feel angry!

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