The Batman (TV series)
| The Batman | |
|---|---|
| File:Thebatman.jpg The Batman | |
| Created by | Michael Goguen Duane Capizzi (supervising producers) |
| Starring | Rino Romano Alastair Duncan Danielle Judovits Evan Sabara Mitch Pileggi Adam West |
| Country of origin |  United States |
| No. of episodes | 42 as of November 3, 2006 |
| Production | |
| Running time | 30 Minutes (including commercials) |
| Original release | |
| Network | Kids' WB |
| Release | September 11 2004 – present |
The Batman is an American animated television series produced by Warner Bros. Animation based on the DC Comics superhero Batman.
Overview
Although the series borrows many elements from previous Batman storylines, it does not follow the continuity set by the comic books nor that of the previous Batman: The Animated Series or its spin-offs. Also, the animation style bears a strong resemblance to that of Jackie Chan Adventures, with the designs of many characters, like the Joker, The Penguin and Riddler, being very different from those of their comic counterparts.
The series made its world premiere on Kids' WB in the United States on September 11 2004. First-run episodes are broadcast during Kids WB's Saturday morning lineup. Repeats of the show have aired on Toonami and/or Cartoon Network worldwide.
A spin-off comic book series, The Batman Strikes!, is based on the world of The Batman.
The show is criticized for its liberties with the character designs and "pandering" to younger 2000s audiences. There is also the matter of the Bat-Embargo in which most Batman-related characters could not be used on other shows, especially Justice League Unlimited.
Synopsis
Season 1
In the first season of The Batman, Bruce Wayne (voiced by Rino Romano) is 26 and in his third year as the Batman, protector of Gotham City. A younger Batman confronts familiar foes for the first time, with the aid of Alfred Pennyworth (Alastair Duncan), who guides both Bruce Wayne and Batman when needed, and the technology he has secretly developed, such as the Bat-Wave.
In this series, Batman meets most of his major adversaries for the first time, many with character designs that differ markedly from their comic-book counterparts. Season One features new interpretations of Rupert Thorne (Victor Brandt), The Joker (Kevin Michael Richardson), Catwoman (Gina Gershon), The Penguin (Tom Kenny), Mr. Freeze (Clancy Brown), Clayface (Steve Harris), Firefly (Jason Marsden), The Ventriloquist and Scarface (Dan Castellaneta), Man-Bat (Peter MacNicol), Cluemaster (Glenn Shadix), and Bane (Joaquim de Almeida).
The first season also introduces two new characters, Detectives Ethan Bennett (Steve Harris) and Ellen Yin (Ming-Na), charged with capturing the vigilante Batman for Chief Angel Rojas (Edward James Olmos in his inital appearance, Jesse Corti in all his subsequent appearances). This is somewhat reminiscent of Detective Harvey Bullock and Officer/Detective Renee Montoya of Batman: The Animated Series, who similarly sought to catch Batman, but eventually end up in a tenuous alliance against crime. At the end of Season 1, Ethan Bennett, also an old friend of Bruce Wayne is turned into Clayface. Adam West, who played Batman in the live action series in the 1960s, provides the voice for Gotham’s Mayor.
Season 2
Season 2 introduced other fan favorites with brand new origins, including a sinister version of The Riddler (Robert Englund), Professor Hugo Strange (the late Frank Gorshin, replaced by Richard Green after Frank's death), Ragdoll (Jeff Bennett), Spellbinder (Michael Massee), Killer Croc (Ron Perlman), and Solomon Grundy (Kevin Grevioux) (who was actually Clayface in disguise, but the real one might exist). At the end of the season, Ellen Yin is found out to have been working with Batman, and their partnership ends when Commissioner James Gordon (Mitch Pileggi) is introduced. He changes the GCPD's view of Batman and tells Batman to make Gotham a safe place for his daughter.
Season 3
Season 3 introduces a young Barbara Gordon, who becomes Batgirl (Danielle Judovits) and plays a major role along with her father, James Gordon. More villains are added to the series, such as Poison Ivy (Piera Coppola) - who is originally Barbara's best friend in this continuity, a different version of Gearhead (Will Friedle), and a more threatening version of Maxie Zeus (Phil LaMarr).
Several brand new villains for the series are introduced this season: Cosmo Krank/Toymaker (Patton Oswalt), Prank (Michael Reisz) - Joker's response to Batgirl's addition to Batman's family, Temblor (Jim Cummings) and D.A.V.E. (Jeff Bennett) - a H.A.R.D.A.C.-like super computer created by Hugo Strange to emulate the worst villain minds in Gotham.
Season 4
Season 4 features a redesign of Bruce Wayne/Batman, with a stronger chin structure and new nose. The season also introduces Robin/Dick Grayson (Evan Sabara) into the series as well as more villains, such as Tony Zucco (Mark Hamill), Killer Moth (Jeff Bennett), Black Mask (James Remar), Everywhere Man (Brandon Routh), Harley Quinn (Hynden Walch), Rumor, and a new Clayface (Wallace Langham). One episode will be set in the future, taking place in 2027 Gotham where Barbara Gordon has become Oracle, Dick Grayson is Nightwing, and Batman resembles Frank Miller's The Dark Knight Returns version of the character, complete with a new tank like Batmobile. The fourth season of The Batman has been referred to by the creators as the most "Fan Friendly" season.
Episode list
DVD Releases
Season Releases
| DVD Name | Release Date | Ep # | Additional Information |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Complete First Season | February 7 2006 | 13 | Featurette: "New Look, New Direction, New Knight" and "Building the Batman", "Gotham PD Case Files", "The Batman Junior Detective Challenge", "The Batman Junior Detective Exam - Level 2" - Pass the Batman's test of knowledge to win a code to unlock a printable Gotham detective badge. 2 Cool Challenges: "The Batman Big Chill Challenge" and "Create Your Own Villain". |
| The Complete Second Season | September 12 2006 | 13 | Featurette: Catching up with The Batman inside Season Two |
| The Complete Third Season | TBA 2007 | 13 | |
| The Complete Fourth Season | TBA 2007 | 13 |
Individual Episodes
| DVD Name | Release Date | Ep # |
|---|---|---|
| * The Batman vs. Dracula | October 18 2005 | n/a |
| * The Batman: Training For Power | May 24 2005 | 3 |
| * The Batman: The Man Who Would Be Bat | September 20 2005 | 3 |
Villains
Trivia
- In the episode "The Bat in the Belfry", the Arkham Guard is making his rounds and he checks off two inmates named Steiner and McSwain. This is reminiscent of Cast and Crew members Linda Steiner and Ginny McSwain.
- In the episode "Traction" (when Batman first encounters Bane), Bane appears with sleeves and in the next scene is seen without sleeves. This was a mistake.
Crew
- Michael Goguen supervising producer
- Duane Capizzi supervising producer
- Glen Murakami producer
- Jeff Matsuda producer
- Linda M. Steiner producer
- Sander Schwartz executive producer
- Alan Burnett executive producer
- Kimberly A. Smith associate producer
- The Edge theme music creator
Awards
The Batman received the Annie Award for Best New Animated Television Show 2004.
In 2006, The Batman won two Daytime Emmy awards. One for Outstanding Achievement In Sound Editing and another for Outstanding Special Class Animated Program.