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Beware the Batman was put under scrutiny from the moment the first image appeared. The most notable complaint was that Alfred was not the frail old butler who we were used to. He was toting a gun! The next complaints were from people who don’t like CG animation. But fans were still hopeful and eager to see this new Batman series.
When the first episode aired more complaints quickly arose. First of which was on the villains chosen. The show creators had gone on record saying that this series would delve into Batman’s lesser known villains. But what we got in that first episode was completely stupid. Pig and Toad… Some dude in a pig mask and a mutant frog driving some old ass jalopy of a car and shooting a canon at the Batmobile. The only redeeming quality about the episode was when Batman was doing stuff Batman should be doing such as kicking street thugs asses.
I personally liked the animation style. My only complaint is that it sometimes looked too clean. No texture on buildings and things like that. I also became a fan of the new Alfred. He didn’t go out and start shooting people for no reason. For the most part he stuck to his job and only got into the action when it was necessary. His past as a MI6 agent was a cool new take on an otherwise worn out character.
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Throughout the season more and more villains and heroes were brought in and fleshed out. Katana was brought in and became a pre Robin sidekick to batman. Fans also got some old favorites in the form of Commissioner Gordon and his daughter Barbra who also become allies. Villains such as Anarky, Ra’s Al Ghul, Silver Monkey, and even Harvey Dent made for better foes for Bat Man to face without delving into the same old rogues gallery we are used to. But for me and I think many fans, too many stupid characters such as Humpty Dumpty, Magpie, and of course Mr. Toad left us shaking our heads in disappointment.
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So did the show deserve to be canceled before the end of the first season was even over? Hell no! As a matter of fact Cartoon Network dropped the show just as it was getting good. The last half of the season so far is great. The league of assassins is fleshed out, Anarky is becoming an awesome agent of chaos, and the relationship between Batman and Katana is coming along nicely. We start to see how Harvey Dent is already battling with the line between good and evil. The show is taking its time to tell a story in a darker, more adult tone. Unlike Batman the animated series, where episodes were random and rarely chronological, this series has a path and room to grow.
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The idea of fleshing out some of Batman’s lesser known villains before the ones we all know of show up is good if they would stick to interesting ones. I personally don’t mind Batman fighting more realistic villains such as corrupt corporate dick heads and mob bosses. Besides that the Joker has always sucked in the animated series that have came out. For the Joker to work, he has to be in a PG- 13 or mature rated show. Killing and being down right evil. If not we get the goofy dip shit we had in BTAS and The Batman. There was a few times he showed the more sinister side in both those shows but for the most part he was more clown than killer. And it’s old. Don’t even get me started on The Penguin.
So by now I guess im rambling on and on. But I wanted to speak my mind on this. I think the way Cartoon Network treated this show as well as Green Lantern and of course Young Justice is wrong. Especially with this one they gave us no warning or explanation. I see cartoons getting more and more fluffy or kid friendly and it makes me sad. Teen Titans go is the worst incarnation of super heroes I have ever seen. Ultimate Spider Man and Avengers Assemble are also jokes. I haven’t seen Agents of Smash because I already know. The title alone tells me it is turd sammich.
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But TV rating are done by Nielson, who pick 5,000 households to track what they watch. How often do the kids get to put in their track records on shows? How many even care? This system was designed by adults for adults. So how many of us older comic book enthusiasts are represented in Nielson’s ratings? These cartoons are mostly rated by how well the toys sell. Shows like Beware the Batman and Young Justice need to be supported by fans. But in a world where the episodes are available online and the majority of the fans are too old for Batman toys and backpacks they are doomed. At least we have the animated movies and live action movies as well as great TV shows such as Arrow. Anyway thanks for reading and let me know what you think below. Here is also the link to a site where you can watch the first 17 episodes.
http://www.watchcartoononline.com/anime/beware-the-batman
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