This really just me venting. Been wanting to do that for quite some time. But really, I just don't get "The Batman" series.
First of all, I realize it has achieved a modicum of success. But why does a series about a younger, "hipper" Batman have to totally ignore the fantastic, quintessential series that preceded it? The fact that the animation is almost identical just seems like an insult to me, more than an homage. Did we really need this series?
For one thing, didn't we already get the younger, "hipper" version of Batman with Batman Beyond? Add to that, we've had six series spawn from the Batman universe created by the Tim/Dini team, at least one of which was still on the air when "The Batman" series started. I've tried, I've really tried to like the series, but at every turn I find myself wishing I was watching new episodes of the Keven Conroy Batman, and not this pointy chinned copycat.
Little things bother me. We all know Batgirl's costume had larger eye holes in her cowl then Bats. But why do the eye holes on this series remain large, and completely white. She has two big pupil-less anime peeps in her skull. It's creepy looking, and not in a cool way.
Apparently, someone thought it would also be a good idea to make the Joker a long jumping Hyena-Monkey, I guess because the homicidal maniac that Mark Hamil perfected wasn't dangerous enough. Poison Ivy just doesn't have any panache to her. She might as well be any generic plant villain, like Marvel's Plant Man. And the Penguin is just blah. Without Paul Williams doing his voice, (a guy who actually kinda looks like the Penguin) it just falls flat. This guy just doesn't have the flair.
And what's with trading the voices of the old series with different characters in the new? I'm sorry, but Two-Face's voice does NOT sound right coming out of Killer Croc (who apparently didn't look enough like a crocodile for the new series, so they gave him a tail). There's a few more characters who have voices from the old series, just in different characters.
I'm usually very, very forgiving of animated series. But Batman, and the toons that spawned from it were works of art. They showed Americans what cartoons should look, feel and sound like. To this day, they stand out as the best animated series we've ever produced. So why in the Sam Hill would we chuck the entire thing an come up with something that only cursory emulates the previous? Even a "good" episode of The Batman is simply a reworking of something we already saw in the original series, with parts in the wrong places. They we're supposed to elevate the medium with a new series, not set it back.
Yes, this just a rant. But it's about about time someone said something. This can't go on. VIVA LA REVALUCIO----er, I mean, call your congressmen. =/
First of all, I realize it has achieved a modicum of success. But why does a series about a younger, "hipper" Batman have to totally ignore the fantastic, quintessential series that preceded it? The fact that the animation is almost identical just seems like an insult to me, more than an homage. Did we really need this series?
For one thing, didn't we already get the younger, "hipper" version of Batman with Batman Beyond? Add to that, we've had six series spawn from the Batman universe created by the Tim/Dini team, at least one of which was still on the air when "The Batman" series started. I've tried, I've really tried to like the series, but at every turn I find myself wishing I was watching new episodes of the Keven Conroy Batman, and not this pointy chinned copycat.
Little things bother me. We all know Batgirl's costume had larger eye holes in her cowl then Bats. But why do the eye holes on this series remain large, and completely white. She has two big pupil-less anime peeps in her skull. It's creepy looking, and not in a cool way.
Apparently, someone thought it would also be a good idea to make the Joker a long jumping Hyena-Monkey, I guess because the homicidal maniac that Mark Hamil perfected wasn't dangerous enough. Poison Ivy just doesn't have any panache to her. She might as well be any generic plant villain, like Marvel's Plant Man. And the Penguin is just blah. Without Paul Williams doing his voice, (a guy who actually kinda looks like the Penguin) it just falls flat. This guy just doesn't have the flair.
And what's with trading the voices of the old series with different characters in the new? I'm sorry, but Two-Face's voice does NOT sound right coming out of Killer Croc (who apparently didn't look enough like a crocodile for the new series, so they gave him a tail). There's a few more characters who have voices from the old series, just in different characters.
I'm usually very, very forgiving of animated series. But Batman, and the toons that spawned from it were works of art. They showed Americans what cartoons should look, feel and sound like. To this day, they stand out as the best animated series we've ever produced. So why in the Sam Hill would we chuck the entire thing an come up with something that only cursory emulates the previous? Even a "good" episode of The Batman is simply a reworking of something we already saw in the original series, with parts in the wrong places. They we're supposed to elevate the medium with a new series, not set it back.
Yes, this just a rant. But it's about about time someone said something. This can't go on. VIVA LA REVALUCIO----er, I mean, call your congressmen. =/