Rating:  -
Ive been checking out new Batman items and I dont recall this series. It won 7 Emmy awards but alot of people like this version of Batman. I read a review for this season and it looked pretty good, so I bought it. The one reason why I wanted to see it for Robert Englund lending his voice to The Riddler. Wow, what a change in The Riddler! As one review put, he does look like Marilyn Manson. I like the changes to the villians and the storys range from good to poor. Not the best version of Batman but still enjoyable.
Rating: -
The Batcave just got a little more crowded in "The Batman: The Complete Fourth Season". As the mysterious crime fighter Batman, young industrialist Bruce Wayne has dedicated his life to protect Gotham City from such dangerous rogues like Joker, Penguin, Riddler, Catwoman and Mr. Freeze. In this season, orphaned acrobat Dick Grayson joins the Batman to form one of the most popular partnerships in the DC Comics Universe. "The Batman" is the Emmy Award-winning animated series based on the DC Comics hero. The animated series premiered in 2004 and has gained a good fan following. Though the animation style and character designs are different than previous television shows, "The Batman" still maintains faithful to the comic books. The fourth season well introduces the character Robin into the show and includes appearances from such villains like Tony Zucco, Killer Moth, Black Mask and Harley Quinn. Martian Manhunter appears in the season finale. The fourth season features guest voice stars like Mark Hamill, Brandon Routh, Allison Mack, Jerry O'Connell, Dave Foley, Brooke Shields and Louis Gossett Jr.
If you have been watching closely this season of "The Batman", then you certainly want to pick up this DVD. All 13 episodes of the fourth season are presented in their original 1.33:1 broadcast format. The 2-disc DVD offers a sharp and clean video transfer. Its 2.0 Dolby Digital soundtrack isn't the best stereo track around but does get the job done. The DVD menus are pretty simple. Its only extra is the 9-minute "The Batman: Season Four Unmasked" featurette that offers interviews with cast and crew about the development of the fourth season. Overall, "The Batman: The Complete Fourth Season" gets a "B".
Rating:  -
As a hardcore BTAS fan from the very beginning, I was at first turned off by this new series. The Joker has always been my favorite characters and his new design is such a drastic departure from previous work that it's a bit jarring. He's grown on me, though. I had this season highly reccomended by a fellow Joker fan so I gave it a try. I've not regretted it since.
The writing and characterization isn't up to BTAS standards at all times, but remember there were some BTAS episodes that honestly stank. "The Underdwellers" anyone? This 4th season doesn't have a bad episode in the bunch. "Two of a Kind" was particuarly classic. And it should be -- it was written by Paul Dini! So yeah, give it a shot. You might just end up a convert like me.
Rating: -
In contrast to most people, I am viewing these seasons in inverse order. My very first exposure to The Batman came with the current and, lamentably for its' fans, final one. With my curiosity piqued for more, I picked up season four, which just happened to be the only one my local retailer had. Comparisons to five were of course inevitable, with four regrettably falling short of matching its' overall high quality and commendable consistency. Five had no noticeably weak episodes, plus few had Robin and Batgirl together. Their wisecracking bravado can be taken in small doses, but the constant double teaming featured here in almost every segment is excessive and eventually becomes grating. This is one of the major bones of contention that many have with The Batman, though some firmly consider it a strength also. Since we are on the subject of comparisons, the futuristic sci-fi element of many of the plots is reminiscent of Batman Beyond. We see an everywhere man, reruns of a time shifter (please be kind, rewind), and whispers of a rumor, a mysterious cybernetically augmented entity who can also refract light and become invisible. All that is missing is Inque and the Royal Flush Gang, my two personal favorites from Beyond. There is certainly no apologizing for the animation, which is superb as usual. This may go against the original designs and intentions for this incarnation, but if they had downplayed the childish antics and focused more on the imaginative and innovative storylines, it could have been something truly special. Criticizing a cartoon for being childish is obviously somewhat oxymoronic, but conversely underestimating the intelligence, comprehension, capacity and potential of children isn't necessarily uber smart either. While The Batman may have fallen short of reaching its' full potential, a situation brought about more by its' editorial direction than creative execution, it did succeed in that direction by producing a decidedly different yet still quite enjoyable and intriguing rendition of this great iconic character. Bring on season 3.
Rating: -
Season Four of The Batman finds Batman teaming up with Robin, Batgirl(who was introduced in Season Three) & The Martian Manhunter. It also has Batman going up against The Joker, Penguin, Clayface, Black Mask, Killer Croc, Killer Moth, Everywhere Man, Firefly, Ragdoll, a NEW Clayface and a host of other villians. One of the biggest highlights of Season four is seeing Harley Quinn teaming up with The Joker as well as The episodes: The Joining Part 1&2 which shows how Batman was invited to join The Justice League.
I didn't think I'd like this show at all, to be honest. After seeing The Batman vs Dracula animated feature, I decided to give the show a try and I really like it. In my opinion, I feel that the majority of fans out there have been unfair to the new series and criticize it too much. I've been a huge Batman fan since I was a child(I'm 41 now) & this series stays true to the Batman universe just as much as any other series has. Given, Batman:The Animated Series will always be my 'most favorite'. I love this series too, though. So much so that I intend on getting the other four seasons on DVD to round out my collection.
If you're a casual Batman fan or even a hardcore Batman fan, give this series a try. It'll grow on you just like it did with me.
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