It’s a dangerous business, remaking something that is as revered as Batman. The original animated series of the nineties is held in high regard by many, so this series had big shoes to fill; I can image that many were preparing to flame it in forums across the internet. I am (or hope to be) more objective towards things and though I enjoyed the original very much; I’m finding myself enjoying this one too.

I have to admit that the first thing that went through my mind when I first saw this was that it was the words ‘cash-in’ towards the, then, new Batman Begins film. Though I shrugged this of and continued watching, after all, how much worse could Warner’s slip.

I get the feeling that most people seem to have trouble with the somewhat anime-inspired art style; me, I’m becoming reserved to the fact that more American product is going have this element in it, at least it uses it gracefully with little in the way of misunderstood gimmicks (ala Totally Spies).

It’s a good show, fast paced with fairly good production values, decent levels of animation, the later being on par with the original animation. So far the show has been strong enough in its reasonably dark stories to keep me interested in watching more. A thing that helps in this respect is the continuity of the seasons, there’s a collective story here, which seems to be becoming the norm rather than the exception it was a few years ago. Maybe the style of the art isn't the only thing being influenced by anime.

Maybe this is a sign that Warner Bros. could maybe return to their glory days of Tiny Toons and Animaniacs. Then I remember that this same studio is responsible for Krypto the Superdog and The Loonatics; neither of which granting me much in the way of confidence (or stars).

So maybe it was just a fluke this time, the problem is that the WB needs more than flukes before they can regain the ground they’ve lost when they let the suits gain control of their animated worlds.

Needless to say, it’ll be interesting to see how this show pans out over the other seasons that I’ve yet to see and those yet to be made.

This is an inferior series that the other previous Batman series from the 90s (with the exception of Batman Beyond which was worse). That said, it is still an enjoyable show which tells the story of the caped crusader a different way. I suggest that you see it for a bit to see if it grows on you, if it doesn't at least you'd have found out that the other "Batmans" were more for you.

Lets get this out of the way, The Batman is NOT Batman: The Animated Series, it is a different show. Once that notion gets into people's minds, they are able to enjoy The Batman for what it is - a stylized series about the Dark Knight's early days. True, the show is sort of inspired by the Batman Beginsesque Batman that is still learning the ropes, but this show is in a much more kid friendly and light hearted vein. Also, The Batman does seem a bit guilty of creating new suits and gadgets that would make cool action figures.

Many of the foes on The Batman have been re-imagined. For the most part, the well known villains have been done poorly, and the lesser knows have been made cool. The Joker now resembles a crazy ape, and The Penguin knows kung fu. The exceptional Mr. Freeze from BTAS has been reduced to a jewel thief. But then Firefly, Ragdoll, Poison Ivy, Clayface, the Riddler, Hugo Strange, Maxie Zeus, and Scarface have all been given chances to shine.

The first season focused on Batman's clashing with the police department as he faught costumed freaks and ended with a great 2-parter introducing Clayface. Season 2 involved Batman working with one of Gotham's finest. During this season, many of the bad guys also teamed up. So far, season 2 was the high point of the show. At the end of the season, Gordon came to town and established a partnership with the Batman. Season 3 introduced Batgirl. At first Batgirl was a great addition, but by the middle of the season she really got annoying and started to take some of the focus from Batman. Season 4 has just begun, and has added "The" Robin to the mix. After 3 episodes, season 4 is looking stronger than season 3 and maybe as good or better than 2.

The Batman's other high point was in the form of the DTV The Batman vs Dracula which allowed the show to go a bit darker. One scene in particular involving vampires, The Joker, and a blood bank would not have made the Saturday morning TV cut.

Overall, this show is not as timeless as the Bruce Timm Batman, but it is faithful to the character and quite enjoyable.

Warner Bros. has been making animated versions of Batman for over a decade now and, at some point, you kind of have to wonder if the concept has simply been done to death. Thus it was a pleasant surprise that this latest addition to the Batman saga is in fact worthy of its glowing heritage.

This version of the series is almost an extension of the live-action release "Batman Begins" as a younger version of Bruce Wayne attempts to find his batwings. From what I've seen though, aside from a very different look for the character, he is still essentially the Bruce Wayne we've always seen.

Speaking of character design, I will admit I'm not overly fond of the look of the show. It looks a little like they took the original "Batman: The Animated Series" and then injected it with some of the design sensibilities of "Teen Titans." The result is rather brightly coloured and slightly odd--see Batman's dome-shaped head for what I mean. Also I think Detective Yin looks remarkably like Eliza Maza from "Gargoyles"--but maybe that's just me. At any rate, if had I based my decision to watch the show on its aesthetics, I doubt the DVD would've made it into the player.

However, this gig as editor means that sometimes I watch things that I wouldn't ordinary watch and that can occasionally bring some nice surprises. The episodes I've seen so far had nice, compelling stories with enough action and quality writing to keep my attention and keep me coming back.

Fans who enjoyed the stories and characters of "Batman: the Animated Series"--and can forgive the fact that this version lacks some of its style--may find "The Batman" worth watching.