The Justice League gets animated… again in ‘The Batman’

TV Guide Online brings us the news that the Justice League will be appearing in upcoming episodes of The Batman, a cartoon I must admit I have never seen.

You’re shocked, I know.

This is interesting, and exciting, news. First of all it is interesting because — if the word around these parts is any indication — Justice League Unlimited might possibly have been the best cartoon ever. I have never seen an episode of The Batman (or JLU, for that matter), but this will probably get me to fire up the ol’ DVR. I like the idea of cartoon portrayals of Batman (and the other heroes, I guess?) as younger and inexperienced. That’s still the format of this show, right? I’ve read some interesting things about the fourth season — the addition of Robin, the flash-forward episode with Oracle and Nightwing — I’m mighty intrigued.

Who watches this show? Is it any good? Speak up!

It might be risky to throw another animated version out there that will no doubt be compared to JLU, but hey — I bet it’ll be fun in the same way that the Justice League’s appearance on Smallville was fun.

And in case you are one of those people who doesn’t read the article, here is the line-up: The Martian Manhunter, The Flash, Green Lantern, Green Arrow, Hawkman, and Superman.

Comments

  1. I have season 1 of (The Batman) on DVD (Got it as a X-mas gift) And I didn’t like it. It’s not fair to compare to “Batman: TAS” but it’s hard, truth be told. And the design is so differant it just seems weird (Joker with dreds…eh).

    But it is better to look at the show as “Ultimate Batman” When you go at it like that, it feels better, it has little to do with the comic. I haven’t watched beyound season 1, so maybe it got better.

    Beyound that I’m interested in this, but it will be hard to pull away from JLU which is AMAZING!

  2. I’ve heard it hit its stride in future seasons. So, there’s a recommendation to someone who’s never seen it from someone who’s never seen it.

  3. Eh. Not a huge fan of “The Batman”.

    Awesome name, though. I don’t get that feel of, “We’re writing as mature stories as we can while not upsetting the censores” like you do with BTAS. From the character designs to the voice acting it just watches too much like a kids show.

  4. Anyone know which episode had Nightwing and Oracle? I’d like to check it out.

  5. I haven’t been a big fan of The Batman, not even The Edge’s theme song, but this will get me to watch it. My daughter says it is getting better, and I trust her judgement. She managed to convince me to give Avatar a chance and I was pleasantly surprised.

    I’ve always been surprised that ifanboy.com has avoided the JL/JLU and Teen Titans animated series. I’m going to give you the benefit of the doubt and assume it was just a timing thing. But I’ve always been disappointed that JL/JLU never got the support I thought it deserved from WB or Cartoon Network.

  6. The Batman suffers from typical North American cartoon writing. It’s made for the under 12 set, and everything on the show reflects that. It’s not that it’s particularly bad, it’s just not very good either…and after 15 years of exceptional work done on the DC Animated shows, middle of the road just doesn’t cut it.

  7. As someone who grew up watching Batman: The Animated Series every afternoon while drinking my chocolate milk, I think that The Batman is a horrible cartoon. I don’t like the feel of the show because it’s like they took the good, dark stuff from Batman and threw in strobe lights and bright colors. Also, the animation is like watching an episode of some crazy ass anime where it’s so sugar coated and crazy that you slip into a brief painful coma.

    I would much rather spend my time and money on the original’s DVDs.

    Total, total barf. Ugh.

  8. I’ve always been surprised that ifanboy.com has avoided the JL/JLU and Teen Titans animated series. I’m going to give you the benefit of the doubt and assume it was just a timing thing.

    There are only so many hours in a day. Something’s gotta give.

  9. I have seen a handful of The Batman episodes. I didn’t like it at first, but the more recent episodes I have seen were pretty good. Just like Teen Titans and The Legion of Superheroes, they are pretty good but I am not making any plans to watch it regularly.

    Nothing is going to replace Batman: The Animated Series so I don’t think we can expect The Batman to be good in the same ways.

  10. The Batman is like Batman Animated series meets Kids Next Door!!! Cool Designs though… I stopped watching after season I.

  11. ‘The Batman’ does have a few good qualities, like the awesomely animated fight scenes and a handful of exceptional episodes (eg. the episode that introduces Robin and the one that introduces Harley). But the show is mainly aimed for kids ‘The Batman’ does not hold a candle to ‘Batman: TAS’ (of course). Especially if you can’t help comparing it to TAS.

    The Joker in ‘The Batman’ (as much as I like the voice actor) is just plain blasphemy. Mark Hamill does the greatest portrayal of Joker in ‘Batman: TAS’ and no one can ever do it better or even reach that level of supreme awesome-ness.

    If you haven’t seen any JL/JLU I urge you to get those episodes (any way you can). Especially watch the episode called ‘A Better World’ where an alternate reality Justice League become the Justice Lords, a most feared and powerful group, after Superman kills President Luthor. And there is an entire season (in JLU season 1 DVD) that has an underlying story arc that involves a vert satisfying conclusion. After that is a season finale which I believe is the best written episode, a great bookend to DC’s Animated Universe and a satisfying fact of why Batman Beyond’s Terry McGinnis (Future Batman) is a worthy heir to the cape and cowl.

    I also suggest taking a look at Batman Beyond if you haven’t yet, it’s way better than ‘The Batman’. Set in the future of TAS, it IS darker than ‘Batman: TAS’ (with Bruce as a old, colder loner living in a big empty mansion with his dog) and it sometimes has that teenage, high school stuff a la Spider-man.

    Also, if anybody hasn’t seen Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker (uncut version) must watch it if you are a fan of Batman: TAS. It explains how DCAU’s Joker ends and why Tim Drake (or Dick) didn’t become Bruce Wayne’s successor as Batman and it is done so damn well.

    Whew…Okay…rant/opinion over (totally veered of ‘The Batman’ in the end)

  12. At first, I wasn’t a fan of the JLU episode “Epilogue,” which takes place in the Batman Beyond future. However on repeat views it has grown on me. It offers a satisfying happy ending for Bruce.

  13. My kids and I watch ‘The Batman’ every Saturday,a nd it is awesome. As Cameron R. said at the top, this is Ultimate Batman, but it is not as ‘kiddie’ as some are saying. People get their butts kicked and Catwoman gets pretty sensual. I prefer TAS to this, but I really like this a whole lot. The Dark Knight/Nightwing/Oracle episode was particularly good.

    Just to be fair, I like kids cartoons–Ben 10 is another show my kids and I watch regularly together. If DC wants to win young new readers this will definitely do it.

    Season one had a cool theme by the Edge as a bonus.

  14. The Batman started off terribly, but has improved over time. I think they’re getting more direction from the old DCAU people now.

  15. I don’t watch it regularly, but the episodes I’ve seen have been pretty good. The robin intro was excellent. I don’t get all the hate heaped up on the show- it’s not Bruce Timm, and it’s not trying to be. If anything it feels a lot more Glen Murakami (the TT character designer) inspired, which is interesting, if nothing else. I would LOVE more episodes of JLU, but realistically it’s not going to happen, so this is the next best thing, I suppose.

    That said, I am psyched to see the character redesigns a Justice League intro necessitates.

  16. I watched a few when it first started, didn’t like it, but saw a couple episodes recently, and both were surprisingly good. Sounds like I agree with most that it’s hitting it’s stride. I thought the “zombies” episode was particularly good.

  17. Wasn’t there a tv movie of this with Dracula? I heard that was pretty good.

  18. That’s one big chin.

    http://www.aintitcool.com/node/32454

  19. I haven’t caught the past few seasons of the Batman, but have seen all the JLU’s. I wasn’t big on the Batman, but saw potential in the first season. JLU was good, but I disliked the mish-mashing of old comic stories to create a show for a mainstream audience. If you ask me, Teen Titans has been pound for pound the best animated hero series of the past few years. I’ll check the leagues appearance, but will there ever be a superhero cartoon that can give Batman the Animated Series a run for its money?

  20. I just finished watching the first part of The Batman two-parter with J’onn J’onzz. I liked it, it was fun. I liked Robin and Batgirl, and I particularly liked Alfred, the most true to the comics portrayal I’ve seen, I think.

    Was it was deep and dark at Batman: The Animates Seires? No, but it was fun. I always like the interplay between Batman and J’onn and they did a good J’onn – serious but enjoying himself.

    Right now I’m watching an episode from the previous season when The Joker dresses up like Batman and gasses criminals. Their version of The Joker is definitely full of interesting choices.

  21. I just caught the finale of season 4. It was just as fun as the last episode. Batman learned that teamwork is important and it ended with J’onn beaming him up to the JLA Watchtower and he met Green Lantern, Flash, Hawkman and Green Arrow.

    I’m definitely going to keep my eye (and DVR) out for the JLA episode!

  22. Hawkman? Cool. I am in the middle of reading Identity Crisis and I am looking for more Hawkman in the Justice League stories.

  23. I just saw that episode of The Batman on Saturday morning, and I was VERY interested to see the Justice League appear at the end. I hadn’t realized how much I had missed seeing new episodes of the animated Justice League.

    One thing that jumped out at me was that the Green Lantern appearing at the end of The Batman episode was HAL JORDAN, while of course the animated Justice League series featured John Stewart (to some controversy in the beginning).

  24. Yeah, I was psyched about that, too.

    I was like, “hey… is that… it’s HAL!”

  25. I don’t mean to bring up comparisons to the old Justice League series, but did you guys catch Hal’s appearance on that show? It was in the second part of the time traviling episode, Once and Future Thing (not exactly the best title). For a single scene John Stewart phased into Hal Jordan. Kind of a gimmick, but it was funny.