7.7
323 votes
The WB 2004
DC Comics: Animated Superheroes Marvel/DC Animated - sg0's ToonTV Cartoons Saturday Morning Cartoons TV: ALL DC Animated Batman TV - USA
A great show. Really, really great. Used to watch this all the time back when it was on. Love the villian-per-week thing they have. And the 2 theme songs are top-notch
Compared to the 1992 incarnation, this feels like more of a "show" than an anthology of 80-something cartoons dealing with a different bad guy each week. Granted for the first season or so, it _does_ sort of follows that "Monster of the Week" format, but from season 2 onwards a greater importance is placed on continuity, and by the fifth season, you wouldn't be faulted for being a bit lost as to what's happening. Stylistically-speaking however, this displays more of an anime influence (same showrunners of The Adventures of Jackie Chan) and attempts to somewhat modernize the source material, whereas the original was firmly rooted in traditional American animation, with some film noir and German expressionism thrown in for good measure. From a tonal standpoint, you could say this leans more towards the lighthearted side of things from season 3 onwards (although the original had its fair share of funny moments too), however the moody nature of the Batman character and Gotham itself remain intact. Frankly, both shows have a similar consistency of quality and it ultimately just comes down to what you prefer out of your Batman, much in the same way some might prefer the Burton fims over the Nolan films, and vice versa. Personally, as unpopular an opinion as this is, I find this show a bit easier to swallow than the original, if only because of the smoother animation and darker atmosphere. I will say though that the shoehorning of Robin in the fourth season (which unfortunately begins the removal of Batgirl, arguably the best character in the show) is more than a little frustrating, and to that end, the feeling at times like the showrunners are being pressured to push new designs and villains to compliment the toyline. However that's just me. Very good show overall, and sadly overlooked in the shadow of its predecessor.
One of best Batman cartoons
