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Batman Beyond - Season 1
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5 Reviews from Epinions.com
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Batman Beyond - Season 1
When I was a kid in 1999, Batman was all the rage. I loved the original Batman: The Animated Series and when a new incarnation reared its head called Batman Beyond I couldn't help but look forward to it. After I saw the first episode I was hooked and I remembered always watching the show after school.
Years later, my friend bought me the first season for Christmas, which was weird because I hadn't seen the show since I was a kid...and I guess I had my qualms about watching cartoons at this stage of my life. Then, I figured what the hell--if it's a good show, it's a good show. And I must say, this show has aged well and remains relevant and exciting over ten years after its creation.
Batman Beyond's first two episodes are known as Rebirth Part One and Two. These are definitely some of the best episodes of the first season as you are introduced to this new world of Batman and the actual NEW Batman. Fifty years after Bruce Wayne has hung up his cowl, Gotham has turned into a madhouse of cyberpunk culture and bright neon lights.
He's an old man living in his darkened tomb away from society when a teenager, Terry McGinnis comes to his doorstep quite by accident after the death of his father by the hands (pretty much) of Derek Powers, the man currently running Bruce Wayne's company. He seeks vengeance when he figures out Bruce's secret and becomes the new Batman with Bruce's help.
These first two episodes clearly pinpoint the drama and direction of the series and show how strong of a character McGinnis is--not just an easy replacement to Bruce Wayne. In fact, he's much different from Wayne's Batman as he has a more wisecracking nature as opposed to the dark demeanor of the original Dark Knight.
What I love about this show, and the first season, is that they created a whole new Batman from scratch. Instead of simply updating the dynamics of the original series, they've created all new villains and story-lines while still retaining the amazing flow of Batman. I think it makes the series step out of the former series' shadow and proves that it's a real show, not just a cheap attempt to bait in a new generation (which it WAS originally).
This series is just as dark as the original Batman series just with a new coat of paint behind it. There are episodes that deal with drugs like the great episode called The Winning Edge, which shows some of McGinnis' classmates caught up in a drug deal that is getting kids hooked and in trouble. Wayne and McGinnis assume it's Bane up to his old ways--and a Bane appearance is on our hands. The only other old villain of Bruce Wayne's is Mr. Freeze who reappears in Meltdown with Mr. Powers' help.
Derek Powers is an awesome new villain--taking up a sort of Lex Luthor/Harry Osborn sociopathic approach that I really dig. He also moonlights as Batman's new nemesis, Blight, after an accident turns him into radioactive skeleton of sorts. He's a diabolical guy who you can't help but love to hate. He's definitely one of my favorite villains in the new series. He has a stake in a majority of the season--appearing in many episodes maybe not as the principal villain, but the one responsible for some mischief like the really good Shriek episode about a bad guy who can manipulate sound waves.
The new villains all have a good spotlight and placement--and they're all pretty original. There's Inque, who's the central bad guy in two of Season One's episodes (Disappearing Inque and Black Out) as a shape-shifting and seductive black mass--and she's hands down one of the coolest and formidable opponents to McGinnis' Batman.
Then you have Spellbinder, who's a hypnotist and makes regular citizens commit crimes for him (the coward). His episode Spellbound is one of my favorites in the first season. Another great one is the Fantastic Four-inspired Heroes episode about a group of publically-endorsed heroes who obligate themselves to clean up the crime of Gotham city. This one doesn't have good results, though.
The voice acting is all top notch with Will Friedle providing the voice of McGinnis and Kevin Conroy returning from the original Batman series to voice Bruce Wayne. These two go hand in hand together and I love the dynamics between Wayne and McGinnis. Wayne has turned into Oracle of sorts--Batman's eyes and ears--as they communicate back and forth while McGinnis is in the suit. Interestingly enough, Barbara Gordon is now the new Commissioner Gordon. She WAS Batgirl back in the day, then she was paralyzed in the comics (quite brutally; it's no wonder the filmmakers decided to sidestep this on the show)--and now she lives on with her father's good name.
This show is full of geek-out goodness, which will keep older fans entertained and new ones hooked. The music is a mixture of industrial rock and cyberpunk; fast-paced and unrelenting and is definitely appropriate for the darker, futuristic tone of the show. There's nothing about the first season I don't like.
All of the 13 episodes are gold and fun to watch-quick at about twenty minutes an episode--and are smartly written by the creative team responsible for the early nineties Batman: The Animated Series. While I wish the DVD had more special features than two commentary tracks, a brief retrospective with the creators, and a spotlight on the music--the actual content of the DVD (the episodes) more than make up for it. Now I'm happy that I'll have something to show my kids--which entertained me as a child.
© Jason Haskins, 2010
Episodes
01. Rebirth: Part One
02. Rebirth: Part Two
03. Black Out
04. Golem
05. Meltdown
06. Heroes
07. Shriek
08. Dead Man's Hand
09. The Winning Edge
10. Spellbound
11. Disappearing Inque
12. A Touch of Curare
13. Ascension
Batman
Arkham Asylum: A Serious House on Serious Earth
Batman: Cacophony
Batman: Hush
Batman: The Long Halloween
Catwoman: When in Rome
The Dark Knight Returns
The Dark Knight Strikes Again
Joker
Nightwing: Year One
Robin: Year One
Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker (2000)
The Dark Knight (2008)
A New Batman for a New Generation: The First Season of BATMAN BEYOND
| Author's Rating: |
|
Pros: Great voice acting, music, story lines, characters, animation, really fun to watch
Cons: None
The Bottom Line:
There's nothing to dislike here. This is still Batman--and it's exciting--offering a plethora of fun episodes.
When I was a kid in 1999, Batman was all the rage. I loved the original Batman: The Animated Series and when a new incarnation reared its head called Batman Beyond I couldn't help but look forward to it. After I saw the first episode I was hooked and I remembered always watching the show after school.
Years later, my friend bought me the first season for Christmas, which was weird because I hadn't seen the show since I was a kid...and I guess I had my qualms about watching cartoons at this stage of my life. Then, I figured what the hell--if it's a good show, it's a good show. And I must say, this show has aged well and remains relevant and exciting over ten years after its creation.
Batman Beyond's first two episodes are known as Rebirth Part One and Two. These are definitely some of the best episodes of the first season as you are introduced to this new world of Batman and the actual NEW Batman. Fifty years after Bruce Wayne has hung up his cowl, Gotham has turned into a madhouse of cyberpunk culture and bright neon lights.
He's an old man living in his darkened tomb away from society when a teenager, Terry McGinnis comes to his doorstep quite by accident after the death of his father by the hands (pretty much) of Derek Powers, the man currently running Bruce Wayne's company. He seeks vengeance when he figures out Bruce's secret and becomes the new Batman with Bruce's help.
These first two episodes clearly pinpoint the drama and direction of the series and show how strong of a character McGinnis is--not just an easy replacement to Bruce Wayne. In fact, he's much different from Wayne's Batman as he has a more wisecracking nature as opposed to the dark demeanor of the original Dark Knight.
What I love about this show, and the first season, is that they created a whole new Batman from scratch. Instead of simply updating the dynamics of the original series, they've created all new villains and story-lines while still retaining the amazing flow of Batman. I think it makes the series step out of the former series' shadow and proves that it's a real show, not just a cheap attempt to bait in a new generation (which it WAS originally).
This series is just as dark as the original Batman series just with a new coat of paint behind it. There are episodes that deal with drugs like the great episode called The Winning Edge, which shows some of McGinnis' classmates caught up in a drug deal that is getting kids hooked and in trouble. Wayne and McGinnis assume it's Bane up to his old ways--and a Bane appearance is on our hands. The only other old villain of Bruce Wayne's is Mr. Freeze who reappears in Meltdown with Mr. Powers' help.
Derek Powers is an awesome new villain--taking up a sort of Lex Luthor/Harry Osborn sociopathic approach that I really dig. He also moonlights as Batman's new nemesis, Blight, after an accident turns him into radioactive skeleton of sorts. He's a diabolical guy who you can't help but love to hate. He's definitely one of my favorite villains in the new series. He has a stake in a majority of the season--appearing in many episodes maybe not as the principal villain, but the one responsible for some mischief like the really good Shriek episode about a bad guy who can manipulate sound waves.
The new villains all have a good spotlight and placement--and they're all pretty original. There's Inque, who's the central bad guy in two of Season One's episodes (Disappearing Inque and Black Out) as a shape-shifting and seductive black mass--and she's hands down one of the coolest and formidable opponents to McGinnis' Batman.
Then you have Spellbinder, who's a hypnotist and makes regular citizens commit crimes for him (the coward). His episode Spellbound is one of my favorites in the first season. Another great one is the Fantastic Four-inspired Heroes episode about a group of publically-endorsed heroes who obligate themselves to clean up the crime of Gotham city. This one doesn't have good results, though.
The voice acting is all top notch with Will Friedle providing the voice of McGinnis and Kevin Conroy returning from the original Batman series to voice Bruce Wayne. These two go hand in hand together and I love the dynamics between Wayne and McGinnis. Wayne has turned into Oracle of sorts--Batman's eyes and ears--as they communicate back and forth while McGinnis is in the suit. Interestingly enough, Barbara Gordon is now the new Commissioner Gordon. She WAS Batgirl back in the day, then she was paralyzed in the comics (quite brutally; it's no wonder the filmmakers decided to sidestep this on the show)--and now she lives on with her father's good name.
This show is full of geek-out goodness, which will keep older fans entertained and new ones hooked. The music is a mixture of industrial rock and cyberpunk; fast-paced and unrelenting and is definitely appropriate for the darker, futuristic tone of the show. There's nothing about the first season I don't like.
All of the 13 episodes are gold and fun to watch-quick at about twenty minutes an episode--and are smartly written by the creative team responsible for the early nineties Batman: The Animated Series. While I wish the DVD had more special features than two commentary tracks, a brief retrospective with the creators, and a spotlight on the music--the actual content of the DVD (the episodes) more than make up for it. Now I'm happy that I'll have something to show my kids--which entertained me as a child.
© Jason Haskins, 2010
Episodes
01. Rebirth: Part One
02. Rebirth: Part Two
03. Black Out
04. Golem
05. Meltdown
06. Heroes
07. Shriek
08. Dead Man's Hand
09. The Winning Edge
10. Spellbound
11. Disappearing Inque
12. A Touch of Curare
13. Ascension
Batman
Arkham Asylum: A Serious House on Serious Earth
Batman: Cacophony
Batman: Hush
Batman: The Long Halloween
Catwoman: When in Rome
The Dark Knight Returns
The Dark Knight Strikes Again
Joker
Nightwing: Year One
Robin: Year One
Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker (2000)
The Dark Knight (2008)
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