"Beware the Batman
About.com Rating
Beware the Batman features a rogue gallery of new villains not previously seen in animated form. Along with backup from ex-secret agent Alfred and lethal swordstress Katana, the Dark Knight faces the twisted machinations of Gotham City's criminal underworld led by the likes of Anarky, Professor Pyg, Mister Toad and Magpie.
My Two Cents
Beware the Batman is supposed to continue the dark, gritty style of Christopher Nolan's Dark Knight trilogy of feature films.
But dark colors and low voices alone are not enough to capture the grounded feel of those movies, let alone duplicate the complex characterizations and plots.
In this version of the Batman story, billionaire Bruce Wayne is having difficulty enduring the bruises and beatings Batman is taking at night. His bodyguard (not butler), Alfred, is attempting to convince Wayne that Batman needs his help. After Batman makes a mistake, not a fatal mistake or even one that puts the fate of the world in danger, but a mistake that delays catching the bad guys, Bruce Wayne decides to take Alfred's advice. Enter Katana, to take Alfred's place as Bruce's bodyguard.
I'm all for re-inventing a tired franchise, but Beware the Batman is too foreign for me to enjoy. A buff Alfred who kicks ass? That's a stretch.
Plus, the cartoon goes too far in exploring Batman's weaknesses, making him just plain weak rather than the superhero we've come to love. Too many times he is outsmarted by the villains or left lying in the street.
He is too slow physically and mentally.
The CGI animation seems primitive. The cartoon has been in development for over year, but it lacks texture and depth. I understand the use of so much gray and black, but the backgrounds are terribly sparse and the characters are too smooth.
The fights, however, are very well choreographed. The action looked like stuntmen took plenty of time sparring to choose moves for Batman and his opponents.
The soundtrack is also entertaining, although it promises a better cartoon than we actually get.
Characters
Bruce Wayne is a Richard Branson-type billionaire adventurer with a twist: he's fixated on crime. So much so that he sees it everywhere, giving him the ability to predict criminal behavior and piece together clues like a modern day Sherlock Holmes. But this ability came with it's own price. It isolated Bruce, and since he is famous, dealing with crime as Bruce Wayne was out of the question. So he created The Batman. Voiced by Anthony Ruivivar (Banshee, Southland).
The Batman is a vigilante hero born of darkness that can carry out what Bruce Wayne can't. Batman is Bruce Wayne's release valve. Batman keeps Bruce in balance. They even refer to each other as separate people. But make no mistake: Bruce and Batman are two sides of one man, and they need each other to survive.
Alfred Pennyworth is a former British MI-6 operative, now retired. Wise, good with his fists, and not to be trifled with. A father figure and mentor to Bruce. But Alfred is getting older. He won't be there forever so he's bringing in someone he can trust who can look after Bruce. Voiced by JB Blanc (Blade, Wolverine).
Tatsu "Katana" Yamashiro is former CIA. She is also Alfred's goddaughter, and the child of his late MI-6 partner. Although she is cold and meticulous with a sword, Katana is not good at controlling her emotions. Despite being hired as Bruce Wayne's bodyguard, it soon becomes clear that her real value is as Batman's protégé. Voiced by Sumalee Montano (Transformers Prime).
Producers
Executive Producer Sam Register is no stranger to characters from DC Comics. Since 2008, Sam Register has spearheaded Warner Bros. Animation's creative efforts in developing and producing cartoons, including traditionally animated shows for television as well as DCBeyond.com and KidsWB.com. Prior to joining Warner Bros., he was a producer and senior animation executive at Cartoon Network for 10 years, where he developed hit animated series such as Ben 10 and Teen Titans.
Producer Glen Murakami is best known for his work on Warner Bros. Animation's Batman Beyond, Teen Titans, as well as Ben 10: Alien Force and Ben 10: Ultimate Alien.
Mitch Watson serves as producer on Beware the Batman. Recent credits include producer on Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated. Additionally, Mitch created the animated series Rekkit Rabbit, which was the number-one animated series in France in 2011.
Disclosure: A review copy was provided by the publisher. For more information, please see our Ethics Policy.