Batman Beyond

I don't know why it has taken me so long to comment on this one because it is one of my favorite series. It has very intriguing stories, awesome music, and a collection of some of the best villains ever, like Blight, Shriek, Inque and the Royal Flush Gang. But at the heart of the series is the relationship between Terry McGinnis and Bruce Wayne. Will Friedle and Kevin Conroy are excellent in their respective roles.

I said this in my review of "SubZero," and I'll say it again here. After the disappointing "Batman and Robin," WB needs to study these animated products and see just how Batman should be done. I would very much like to see "Batman Beyond" make it to the big screen in ANIMATED format. Until then, keep producing great episodes.

Cartoons have come a long a way since I was a kid. Back then Batman and Superman were always 2-dimensional cardboard cutouts with interchangeable personalities. Depsite some commercial success, horribly retrograde filth like Pokemon do nothing but propagate this lack of imagination on the part of animators.

Now we have Warner Bros., whose Batman and Superman animated revivals challenge the long-held belief that cartoons are plot-wise inferior to their big screen and big budget brethren. The Batman and Superman cartoons of the early 90s have shown us a deeper, more tortured and angst-ridden side to our comic book heros while at the same time remaining firm to their virtue and nobility. This is the stuff that real dreams are made of.

Batman Beyond is just as ambitious. In the new world of technological revolution there is still need for a protector of justice. Like the original Batman, this one was again forged out of the victimology of social corruption and decadence.

By combining complex plot, intelligent dialogue, great Japanimation, an incredible cast of voices that at times have included Stockard Channing, Paul Winfield, James Sikking, Michael Gross, and Kevin Conroy, Warner Bros. has recapitalized the Batman myth for yet another generation. This new series is so smart and so edgy that I am constantly amazed by the levels of irony and metaphor. This is definitely entertaining for both kids and adults.

But don't take my word for it, check it out for yourself. You won't be disappointed.

As a fan of the 1990s Batman animated series and the one with Kevin Conroy as Batman/Bruce Wayne, this was the next best thing in the Batman TV show lineup. It's Batman, but with cyberpunk (one of my favorite kinds of science-fiction) and futuristic technology. Flying cars, biker gangs, sky-high buildings, and laser guns all make it a sci-fi Batman. This was the first sci-fi superhero series I actually enjoyed. And Boy Meets World's Will Friedle joins forces with Kevin Conroy to deliver the ultimate superhero duo since the original Batman and Robin (not the 1997 Joel Schumacher debacle). Plus a whole bunch of new supporting characters and new villains. There's plenty to like, but if you're not into science-fiction and only like superhero action, this may not be your thing. Still, it doesn't hurt to try it. Not only do we get Kevin Conroy again, we also get some cameos from old villains from the original Batman. I'll leave that up to the viewer so as not to spoil anything. By all means try it!

This is so good! i ate this show up with a gold spoon..i love batman (except batman and robin), and was blown away. Part blade runner..part Akira, part spiderman 2099 (if anyone remembers that comic). this is a great way to give batman a twist and i welcome it on saturday mornings...just wish i'd get up for it! I'm so glad the shows branching off and being true to the comics it's like an animated "Elseworlds" issuse...terrific.

The first season opened with with new-age jokers and a focus on our hero, Terry McGinnis, dismantling government corruption. The characters were engaging and interesting, and each episode is packed with fun action sequences. I couldn't get enough of this show after watching the first few episodes, I finished the entire series in a matter of 3 days.

That said, the following seasons, 2 and 3, did not live up to the events that were set up in the first season. The episodes focused more on Terry's life in high school, and the villains were also more teen based. That didn't make the series bad, but it did make way for some extremely terrible episodes and a side kick who was more grating than helpful.

I still wish the show hadn't ended so soon, there were a few villains who I don't feel got appropriate closure. Overall, it is a very memorable series that I highly recommend.