Rating:  -
After the success of Batman: The Animated Series, Warner Bros. approached Paul Dini and Bruce Timm to create a new Batman series. WB wanted the next-generation Dark Knight to be a child with a suped-up motorcycle because they felt it would appeal to new, younger viewers. That idea didn't fly with Dini and Timm, so they reworked the premise and came up with Batman Beyond, a surprisingly dark, unexpected take on Bruce Wayne's successor to the Bat-mantle.
Set a good thirty years in the future, Bruce Wayne has retired from crimefighting after suffering a heart attack during what should have been a routine rescue mission for the seasoned superhero like him. The aging Batman manages to get away, but is forced to use a gun to threaten a thug, something he's never had to do in all his years of battling Gotham City's mobsters and madmen. Ashamed, he hangs up the Batsuit and locks up the Batcave for 15 years.
Enter Terry McGinnis, the troubled son of Warren McGinnis, an employee at Wayne-Powers Industries, a company jointly owned by Bruce Wayne and former business rival Derek Powers. But when Terry's father is mysteriously killed, Terry uncovers Powers' dirty deeds, involving biological weapons and black market deals. Approaching the reclusive, bitter Bruce Wayne to intervene, Terry stumbles upon Bruce's secret history as Gotham's greatest hero, Batman. "Borrowing" Bruce's state-of-the-art, high-tech Batsuit, he forges an uneasy alliance with the crotchety Wayne and becomes Gotham City's newest protector.
This series shouldn't be as good as it is. The series takes the Batman mythology into a techno nightmare future, maintaining much of the dark edge of Batman: The Animated Series. Though a series like this runs the risk of relying too much on the history of Batman: TAS, it does a wonderful job of introducing new villains and threats while staying reverent to its predecessor. Even diehard Batman fans were won over, despite the new Batman not being Bruce Wayne's progeny, something that, at first, might seem like heresy to fans.
What makes this series most enjoyable is the relationship between the green, inexperienced Terry and the grizzled crimefighting veteran Bruce. They have an antagonistic, smart-aleck kind of rapport with each other, which is a source of much of the show's emotional conflict as well as its humor. Bruce struggles with his personal experience with previous sidekicks and partners, and Terry struggles with living up to the Batman legend and wondering if the man makes the Batsuit or if the Batsuit makes the man.
Sadly, this series was never renewed after the third season, and WB eventually got its wish for more "kid-friendly" Batman shows like The Batman and Batman: The Brave and the Bold. But the characters and story of Batman Beyond has made appearances in other Dini/Timm creations like Justice League Unlimited, as well as in a handful of Batman comics. No matter if you're a modest or even a casual Batman fan, I highly recommend all three seasons of Batman Beyond.
Rating:  -
Where do you go after completing an award winning interpretation of history's most beloved comic book hero? Take him into the future of course. And that's exactly what the Batman Animated Series team did after they finished their last regular season of that series. Season One of Batman Beyond delivered many answers to questions Batman fans had alwasy asked themselves: namely, what would Bruce Wayne be doing at age 60, 70, or 80? Obviously he couldn't be Batman forever and the show opens on that very decision Bruce makes to quit donning the cowl. It fast forwards over a decade where the efforts of Batman seem like a thing of the past. Enter Terry Mcguiness: Gotham city high schooler and all around punk. One would never think that someone like this would continue the mantle of the Batman but that is just what he does.
The show wisely seperates itself from all the preconceived notions of the past and establishes its own identity right away. What I always felt was great about this show was that it was able to infuse two great characters in one show: the first being Batman and the second SPIDER-MAN!! That's right, Spider-man. If you're familiar with Spider-man you'll know that that character is all about the teen angst, and that is exactly what this show had over its predecessor. When watching the show it's almost like watching a really good Spider-man adventure. Terry thinks he's such a badass, he messes up, deals with some high school drama, girl problems, school work, learns a lesson, and gets ready for the next fight. Comic book fans love this formula. That is why Spider-man has resonated for so many decades and that is why this show resonated with so many fans.
This season really set the tone for the rest of the show. It is light on episodes but each packs a wallop. As the series creators will note, they wisely decided to give Terry new villians rather than retread old ground with interpretations of Bruce's old rogue's gallery. It certainly works because we end up with memorable villians like Blight, Inque, the Royal Flush Gang, Spellbinder, and Shriek. This season proved that the formula could work and really set the stage for what would ultimately lead to the creative team taking on the Justice League a few years later. Highly Recommended Set!
Rating: -
I enjoyed this and so did my daughter. We are both huge fans of Batman. This new series, "Batman Beyond," does a great job of picking up the torch and carrying it with pride. Bruce Wayne is limited in what he can do to help the new Batman because of his age and health, but he still rocks. This series of DVD is from the first season. We meet a lot of new bad guys, great new story lines and see new technology that will make Batman fans of all ages happy. I would highly recommend this for children over 7-8 and adults under the age of 121 :) Have fun.
Rating: -
It's funny how times changes things. Some people freaked out when the new Battlestar Galactica had a female Starbuck. Countless groaned at the actors who played the future Vader in the Star Wars prequels. Right now I can't stand the new Star Trek movie. And way back in the day when this show was new, I didn't like it at all.
If you are/were an ultra-fan of Batman the Animated Series like I was, your first reaction to this show might have been what mine was...I thought it was terrible. The blaring techno-rock music, the new infusion of attitude and cyber-punk influences, the fictionalized gimmick word "Shway!" Where's the Batman you know and love? Just give it time.
A few years after I saw the pilot episode, I started to watch the full series on Cartoon Network, and it slowly...slowly....grew on me. After a while I got used to the music, the snappy Warner Bros. animation in all it's high quality kept my eyeballs glued to the screen, and despite some pretty major flaws, there is definitely enough substance and style here to make this show a classic, rather than just another attempt to cash-in on the biggest comic-book franchise ever (as far as I know).
Terry McGuiness is not a good kid. He's a punk with a bad attitude and a big mouth. But he's also an underdog. Bruce Wayne is one mean old man, but he's also one crazy-cool, very-scary former superhero. And between the two of them, they make a great team. It's kind of weird at first, but the aged Wayne as a side-kick/mentor gives the show a lot more gravity than it would have otherwise. Because the old guy knows every trick in the book and every bad-guy in the roster, and his experience with every problem imaginable from fighting bad guys to dealing with girls makes for some of the greatest and funniest dialog in any cartoon show.
The new villains are quite a mixed bag. On the one hand there are new ones like Spell-binder and Shriek who are arch-nemesis worthy (man I get chills when I hear spell-binders name), but unfortunately there are also some terribly weird monster-of-the-day battles that range from animal chimeras to people made of dirt. I call this the Big O/Batman Beyond monster problem because both shows have a great story, but sometimes the sheer weirdness and over-the-top ridiculousness of the monsters detract from it.
The best episodes aren't the monster-fests, but rather the story-driven ones that deal with overcoming personal issues (the episode which introduces 10 is one of, if not my favorite episode), and the dedication, sacrifice, and adaptability needed to be a hero even when the suit lets you down gives the show its gravity.
Of course if you're one of those people who watched Spiderman Unlimited and loved the high-tech suit you'll love this new Batsuit which has flight, invisibility, heat, cold, and radiation blocking, batarang guns, sound amplification, strength amplification, ect, ect. The high-tech adds some fun and keeps you guessing as to exactly how Terry is going to deal with a situation, while also letting Wayne monitor the situation and chime in with his advice.
Fans of the Batman comics and TV shows could probably argue what the true ending to Batman's life is till the end of time. But if you've watched Justice League and Justice League Unlimited in their entirety, you know that Batman Beyond incorporates smoothly into that whole universe, and provides a very satisfying end to the Batman Legacy (there are several episodes where the Justice League travels into the future, and a complete Batman Beyond episode that shows an adult Terry still fighting as Batman).
At any rate, this first season is an excellent start to a great series, so long as a couple of gruesome strange monsters and generally weird episodes don't turn you off. Several villains and story arcs are introduced in this season, but just remember the series is just beginning and the best is yet to come.
Rating: -
This series is almost amazing, but never goes as dark and deep as The Animated Series went. In my opinion, the best episodes in this set are "Meltdown" and "Black Out". Still, I recommend it to anyone who wants to see how they take Batman in the future.
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