New Pictures From The Batman

[EJill34]

.......

[Crimson]

I can't say that my interest in this new series is very strong, and that was before seeing these (overall) bad character designs. I like the design for Batman himself, and I like the show's apparent use of a horror motif, as opposed to BtAS' film noir approach, but the rest of the character designs are pretty blah. Catwoman is just okay, the Penguin and Mr Freeze are pretty bad and the Joker is just awful. :shrug:

[ArtificialIdiot]

Cheif Rojas indeed. PAH!

All this just makes my mind up on the character designs. Awful. I can't really say any one (except Batman's) clicks for me.

You know what? I'm very tempted to say "forget it" to this new series. Nothing I've seen indicates it'll hold my interest... but then, I'll keep an open mind. It'll no doubt come to the US first, so I'll check out a few talkbacks. At least I know I can trust you guys :p

[Grimlock]

As much as people blasted Justice League for trying to be politically correct for including John Stewart and Hawkgirl...this is just plain blunt.

Chief Rojas, Detective Ellen Yin, and an african-american character? I have absolutely no problem with these characters, it just seems like the execs are trying WAY too hard.

P.S. Still going to watch the show, i really do want to like it...

[Steven C]

And Hawkgirl was a part of that big twist in "Starcrossed," but I don't see what they're going to do with these characters. I want Bullock, Montoya and Gordon, not Rojas and whoever else is there.
If Starcrossed is the only reason Hawkgirl was part of the JL, then that is a very dumb reason. I'd say no.

[Harper]

The designs aren't bad, per se. They'll take some getting used to. I find it interesting that Detective Yin is from Metropolis. Perhaps a throwaway line about the Man of Steel will occur at somepoint in the series?

[Mister Intensity]

Since there's so much negativity in this topic I'm going to say something positive. I like their take on The Penguin. Oswald Cobblepot as the anti-Bruce Wayne is an interesting take.

Mister Intensity

[ArtificialIdiot]

I feel sorry for Cobblepot though. I must be really, really depressing when your hat is almost as tall as you are :(

The anti-Wayne thing is rather interesting yes. But nothing much seemed to be going on with Catwoman and the Joker that was too different or interesting, and Mr. Freeze seems to have been hit with the dumbed down stick. Understandable really though, B:TAS elevated the character to new heights, why try and match it when they can develop people like Firefly and Cluemaster?

[Style]

Unfortunatley, I'm out of the loop on this "website that cannot be named," and the system seems to be set up to keep me out of said loop. :sad:

But, I did head of to Legions of Gotham, and looked at their pics. Personally, I liked the new takes (visually speaking.) Joker looks appropriatly insane, Penguin looks like an aristocrat sicko (heh heh!) Catwoman looks like a High tech burglar, and Mr. Freeze... Well, I liked the "head stuck in a frozen shard look" myself, (It's better than Ahnuld's tin foil armor at least.)

Again, like I said in a different forum, I don't have an opinion on the show yet, and won't have one until I see some episodes, but I still want to like it, so I guess you could call that a bias. In the end, it depends on if the episodes and stories are any good. So I'll have to see.

And I understand that lots of people don't like it already, and I respect that, but at least give it a try later.

[Harley_Quinn]

This might be a stupid question but where are these pictures?

[shogunthethird]

Chief Rojas, what was Chief O'Hara unavailable? and the bat's had plenty of minority characters, Officer Montoya for one... and as for Yin, does this mean no Harvey Bullock? (unless she's severely overweight and looks like an unmade bed)

[Phantasm]

This might be a stupid question but where are these pictures?
I would like to know that myself.:confused:

[Style]

For stly92 and HARLEY_QUINN1, scroll down to the very bottom of The Justice League Watchtower (http://jl.toonzone.net/) and all will be explained. It's the 2nd paragraph under the JL sign.
Ah... Thank you! I see now. Now I'm diggin' this new series even more! Dig the new Alfred, penguin, and GCPD (especially the gestappo wanna-be chief Rojas!) Only concern... Where's Gordon? I hope this series isn't going to be Gordon free! Say it ain't so! Now that's my first true concern for the new series!

[Mr. Obsession]

I guess I'll say it. I like the character designs. I like the shows premise (mostly). I like the fact that the creative team is trying to do something different. And I trust the creative team behind The Batman based on their collective previous works.

What I don't like is that Mr. Freeze now appears to have received his worst interpretation since "Batman and Robin." In fact the diamond motif seems to have been lifted from the movie to a degree. Mr. Freeze with out the tragic angle introduced by the loss of Nora just doesn't interest me. Maybe the show will find a way to surprise me with Mr. Freeze but I kind of doubt it right now.

The other thing I don't like is that complete lack of Jim Gordon. Gordon is such an important part of the Batman mythos that not having him in the show is simply a crime. I could live with Jim not being the police commissioner (everyone has to start somewhere) but not having him at all?

And after reading the character descriptions I can sort of understand why there's no Two-Face. I'm just going to put my money down now on Bennett becoming Two-Face since he seems to have replace Harvey Dent as Bruce's friend.

Who knows. Maybe if Bennet becomes Two-Face, Detective Yin will find herself with a new partner, a young Jim Gordon.

[Collabo]

For stly92 and HARLEY_QUINN1, scroll down to the very bottom of The Justice League Watchtower (http://jl.toonzone.net/) and all will be explained. It's the 2nd paragraph under the JL sign.
About [website name removed] that's kind stupid. I'd LOVE for my site's name to be pimped on Toonzone. ;)

Hehe.

Does anyone else the Penguin looks like a constipated cat?:confused:

[ArtificialIdiot]

I'd rather they never use Two-Face than do that. Two-Face is Harvey Dent; it's not something you can just change.

When the show is without Jim Gordon, you can safely say all bets are off.

[All-Star 1.5]

There's a big difference here, because John Stewart is the one Green Lantern that no one ever really cared about, so that gave the JL creative team more room to put their stamp on him. And Hawkgirl was a part of that big twist in "Starcrossed," but I don't see what they're going to do with these characters. I want Bullock, Montoya and Gordon, not Rojas and whoever else is there.

There rights might be tied up in other projects or DC doesn't want them using them for some other reason.

Anyway, the Pengiun as a rival for Bruce Wayne instead of Batman and a billionaire is genius. I mean that's all I can say.

[Simpler Simon]

Random thoughts:

-Bruce Wayne/Batman seems fine, as long as they actually keep the character like the description promises.

-Alfred: very nice. Seems dead on with what an 'early years' Alfred should be like.

-Catwoman: again, dead on. Actually like her design more than the Timm versions.

-I guess I'm missing the joke, but kinda of ethnicity is a name like 'Rojas' supposed to be from?

-Ellen Yin: fine character and nice design, but too much like Elisa Maza from Gargoyles. And from the description I'm guessing they're gonna turn her into Bruce's love interest.

-Ethan Bennett: reminds me of one of the cops from the Gotham Central comic.

-Joker's barefoot?

-strangely, not quite the design I was expecting for Mayor Grange. I expected him to look more like Adam West

-Freeze should be interesting to see. The suit-powered-by-diamonds was not a new concept introduced in Batman and Robin.

-Penguin's another good design. Not quite up to the TNBA design, but better than BTAS.

Overall, I like. With the exception of a missing Jim Gordon, which is strangely disturbing. But I'm still willing to give this a chance.

[Phantasm]

It's almost ammusing how the show is desperately trying so hard to not look anything like the Timm version.For instance, look at those spiky things along the side of Batman's gloves,they have blunt edges!

[Revelator]

Gordon out, tokenism in.
Gimmicry in, drama out.

[Style]

Well, I just started thinking, Maybe Gordon will show up down the line, and they might have a reason for delaying his inclusion. I'm worried about it, but who knows what's gonna happen?
drama out.
Now that may be a little premature.

[Knight]

I have to say Im finding it very hard to like anything about this series from the character designs on up.

[All-Star 1.5]

Gordon out, tokenism in.
Gimmicry in, drama out.
How is this tokenism???

On an unrelatted note how long before we start hearing about The Superman???

[fatboy]

As much as people blasted Justice League for trying to be politically correct for including John Stewart and Hawkgirl...this is just plain blunt.

Chief Rojas, Detective Ellen Yin, and an african-american character? I have absolutely no problem with these characters, it just seems like the execs are trying WAY too hard.

P.S. Still going to watch the show, i really do want to like it...


You know, some of these post border on racisim. If you are in a big city, do you think there would be at least A COUPLE of people who weren't white? Would you rather have "The Batman" like "Friends" where they are in NY city and you don't see ONE black, latin or asian person?

As far as "trying to hard" to be "PC". I don't think they are. Making Batman black or asian would be trying to hard.

my .02¢ :mad:

[Conekiller]

Ok, I have no idea where to find these pics

and this "not naming site' thing is silly. How is the webmaster of that site gonna keep everysingle TZ poster form using the name of his site, and even if they do, what kind of penalty cna there be for dong so?

[All-Star 1.5]

The problem shouldn't be with these characters. They can keep them as long as they include Bullock, Gordon and Montoya at some point. It has nothing to do with racism; it's about using characters who are an integral part of the Batman mythos. If they want to add new characters (like in the excellent Gotham Central) then it's fine, but they should also feature characters who have played important roles in Batman's career.

It would be interesting if they utilize Bullock in the same way he was in the recent Gotham Central arc (which everyone should read). Of course they would have to tone it down...
But maybe they can't use those characters for one reason or another.

[fatboy]

The problem shouldn't be with these characters. They can keep them as long as they include Bullock, Gordon and Montoya at some point. It has nothing to do with racism; it's about using characters who are an integral part of the Batman mythos. If they want to add new characters (like in the excellent Gotham Central) then it's fine, but they should also feature characters who have played important roles in Batman's career.

It would be interesting if they utilize Bullock in the same way he was in the recent Gotham Central arc (which everyone should read). Of course they would have to tone it down...


Have you considered that the creative team WANTED to use those charcters, but can't? Paul Levitz makes the decisions of what characters get used where, not the creative team.

[All-Star 1.5]

Well, that's another matter. I could see Jim Gordon because he's in the new movie, even though that's like saying you can't use Batman. But to my knowledge, the other characters aren't in the new movie, so I don't know what's stopping the team from using them.
DC might not want them being used because of them being in the very mature GCPD(I think). Are maybe his rights are tied to something else at the moment seeing as how he hasn't appeared on anything DCA animated in a while.

[All-Star 1.5]

Yes, I realize that maybe they wanted to use them, but I can't imagine what could be stopping them. I mean, why would Paul Levitz not want them to use major characters in Batman's history?

So, it was either the team didn't want to use the characters or there's some kind of odd legal problem. I really wish I knew what the problem is, because you're right, I don't see how the team would be against using those characters if they wanted to make a good Batman show.


Are you talking about the Gotham Central comic?
Yes, I think???

[Simpler Simon]

Depending on whether Gordon will even be a part of this new series, it's possible that Bullock and Montoya haven't even arrived in Gotham city yet. As much as I love Bullock, I'd rather see Jim Gordon introduced first.

And Montoya was created for BTAS before they eventually added her to the comics. Thats possibly why the new series is not using her, and substituting the asian cop in her place. And Montoya could also be considered "token cultural diversity" if you wanted to make a point about it.

[Style]

Well, he wasn't on that list of characters, but do we know for sure that he's NOT part of the show? I mean, the evidence isn't encouraging but... Like what if he turns up towards the end of season one like in a big "GCPD vs. Batman" story and the two have to learn to trust each other?

So maybe they're saving him for a big introduction, ya know? Ofcourse that's just speculation and wishful thinking.

[Lunchbox]

It's almost ammusing how the show is desperately trying so hard to not look anything like the Timm version.For instance, look at those spiky things along the side of Batman's gloves,they have blunt edges!
Frank Miller gave them blunt edges, too. The Dark Knight Returns and the Dark Knight Strikes Back. Though, in Returns he did occasionally have the spikes. Usually blunt, though.

I'm digging the influences of the current Catwoman appearance in the comics shown in her character design, and I love the idea that the Penguin is a foil for Bruce Wayne. Mr. Freeze I can let slide (remember, the melancholy, sympathetic origin and persona was adapted after "Heart of Ice." Mr. Freeze was a terrible villain to begin with, and both Team Timm's [though perhaps I should truly credit Paul Dini] and the new team have designs and characterizations preferable to the original), though I question whether or not the diamonds actually power his suit. The brief bio mentions he only likes to steal them, most likely because of the common term "ice" in reference to the gems (he likes ice. Is that so wrong? I wonder if he's the Sno Cone type). The Joker, however, is such an iconic and recognizable character that the radical departure seems like a very bad move. Given the "horror" theme these cats seem to be going for, such a focus on the grotesque and not the subtle is a poor choice.

I am digging that Firefly look, though. Let's hope that this team puts plenty of focus on characters we aren't already attatched to—I think establishing intriguing and interesting new takes on otherwise C-rate villains would ease the pain of the Juggalo Joker.

Oh, God, did I make an ICP joke?

[Hatter]

I'm diggin' the new designs. I think that a lot of you guys are unfairly holding it up against B:TAS. Sure, it was an excellent series, but The Batman is trying to be different. That's why there's no Montoya, Bullock or Gordon - and if there were, you guys would just complain about their new designs, anyways. The Batman is trying to differentiate itself from B:TAS. I'm getting a cool Gargoyles/FoxBox TMNT vibe.
I know this show'll get reamed on this board. It's just another incarnation of Batman - don't expect melodramatic noir mini-movies. This isn't going to be the sort of series that 60-year-old animation historians write essays about.
Don't expect sympathetic villains. DO expect sweet fights, slick animation, design that balances neon futurism and nightmarish darkness, and yet another RE-IMAGINING of Batman and his Rogues. PLEASE don't just treat this just a "dumbed-down" B:TAS.

[fatboy]

Yes, I realize that maybe they wanted to use them, but I can't imagine what could be stopping them. I mean, why would Paul Levitz not want them to use major characters in Batman's history?

So, it was either the team didn't want to use the characters or there's some kind of odd legal problem. I really wish I knew what the problem is, because you're right, I don't see how the team would be against using those characters if they wanted to make a good Batman show.The ins and outs of flim/animation/comic book industry are ALOT more complicated than some of you guys make it out to be. The suits have control over most aspects of the creative process (unfortunatly). You would be surprised how small of a detail the executives will get involved with (like wheather or not a character has gloves or what color they are). It gets THAT stupid. You can ask b.t. about this if you don't want to take my word for it.

[Revelator]

How is this tokenism???
Call me cynical, but I could practically picture the show's producers and network execs hunching over the meeting table and saying, "Okay, we need a black, latino and asian. Where will we stick 'em? Oh wait, how 'bout the police force? We'll just get rid of Gordon and Bullock cause they're old white guys anyway. Okay, now that that's problem's taken care of, let's move on..."

I approve of multi-racial/colorblind casting (I wouldn't have minded if Gordon's race was changed), but not when it involves throwing out perfectly good characters to meet some kind of quota in order to make the producers feel they've done their part. Of course, if Gordon is unavailable due to legal reasons it means comic exces are as capable of stupid decisions as their TV counterparts.

[Revelator]

don't expect melodramatic noir mini-movies. This isn't going to be the sort of series that 60-year-old animation historians write essays about.
Don't expect sympathetic villains. DO expect sweet fights, slick animation, design that balances neon futurism and nightmarish darkness, and yet another RE-IMAGINING of Batman and his Rogues. PLEASE don't just treat this just a "dumbed-down" B:TAS.
That'll be hard to do, since your post makes it sound exactly like a dumbed-down BTAS, since BTAS also had sweet fights, slick animation and designs that bridged light and darkness and the past and future.

The Batman is trying to differentiate itself from B:TAS. I'm getting a cool Gargoyles/FoxBox TMNT vibe.

The wisdom of trying to differentiate a cartoon from its unique predecessor by aping the vibe of lesser other cartoons seems dubious to me, but I expect The Batman to be fun, sometimes dark, and as drama pretty forgettable. I'd love to be proven wrong, but remain pessimistic. The series promises to be about great visuals more than great characters.

[Grimlock]

You know, some of these post border on racisim. If you are in a big city, do you think there would be at least A COUPLE of people who weren't white? Would you rather have "The Batman" like "Friends" where they are in NY city and you don't see ONE black, latin or asian person?

As far as "trying to hard" to be "PC". I don't think they are. Making Batman black or asian would be trying to hard.

my .02¢ :mad:
You have got to be kidding me. My post was in no way racist at all...and if it was, then so was all the complaining about having john stewart in JL in order to be PC.

I am not complaining about their race, i am not saying it's a bad thing. I'm saying it seems like some people are trying too hard to come off as wanting to represent everyone equally in the batman mythos, when typically these characters weren't even part of said mythos in the first place.

And there is a HUGE difference between "not seeing ONE black, latino, or asian person" and making 3/5 supporting characters one of each ethnicity.

Making batman black or asian would be a completely new (and probably very interesting) take on the character.

As another poster said, it seems like whoever was in charge got together and said, "ok, how can we represent people here and be PC about it?"

[Grimlock]

DO expect sweet fights, slick animation, design that balances neon futurism and nightmarish darkness, and yet another RE-IMAGINING of Batman and his Rogues. PLEASE don't just treat this just a "dumbed-down" B:TAS.I, for one, have had enough neon repaints from the BTAS toys to last me a few life-tmes. Not only does this show's toyline have neon suits out in the first wave, but supposedly these suits will be incorporated into the show.

Doesn't sound too batman-like to me...

[Animelee]

If you don't want to get into a big debate about skin colour, then don't read this long-as-hell post I've made. :sweat:

I know I say this a lot, but who the hell cares what the colour of someone's skin is? I mean, first of all, the term "race" or "sub-species" is incorrect -- we are all the same, our skin is only the colour it is because of our recent ancestors, diet, and current climate. For example, my dad is from Sri Lanka, and my mom is an Indian/Afghanistan descendant who was born in Guyana (it's close to Brasil). Because my parents and their recent ancestors were born and raised very close to the Equator, their skin is darker than someone's from England. My skin is also signifigantly lighter than my parents', because I was born and raised in Canada, and because I don't get enough vitamin D from the sun, because I'm homeschooled and barely go out once a week. If I was to have children, and have them born and raised in Canada, they would be much lighter than I am today, as well. Now, if we go 1000 years into the future, my descendants will be much lighter than I ever was, and no doubt like a peach-skinned person from Western Europe. If I moved to Africa and had kids, they would become much darker than my parents ever were.

If one "race" can become another, then there is no such thing as "race", correct? We can all breed with eachother and our DNA is all the same. A woman who lives in New York City can breed with a man from the deepest forests of Congo, no problem. "Race" is a term that is used to divide us, yet if we can breed together, share the same DNA, and can have our descendants have different skin than ours, then that proves we're all the same, correct?

Now, I know I just stated the obvious, and it seems like I think everyone here is uneducated, but that's not the case. I just wanted to elaborate on how I feel about the term "race", before I continue what I wanted to say about the new characters.

Let's look at John Stewart in Justice League. He was obviously chosen because they needed someone with dark skin. Everyone else is considered the same "race", and if they added Hal Jordan, it would be an all "white" team, which would somehow seem very "racist" in today's over-cautious world. Nevermind that Diana is from Greece, and is technically not "white" (Greeks have a more olive tone to their skin). I mean, if you can view Diana as "white", like the rest of the League, why can't John viewed to be the same as them -- human?

I mean, I have a grey cat. Say b.t. had a white cat, and we happened to be talking about cats, and we said to eachother that we had cats. Would we even mention the colours of our cats? "Oh, I have a grey cat!" No, I'd just say, "Oh, I have a cat who loves to play!", or something. A cat is a cat, right?

Why do we have to describe people by the colour of their skin -- "oh, that white dude", "oh, that Asian guy", etc. Why does everyone have to be so colour-concious that we have to get rid of characters we knew for fifty years just to make sure we get every "race" inside a show to make it reach "all audiences"? Bullock and Gordon were there from the beginning of the comics, right? We know them as Western European descendants. If they were to change from peach to dark brown, it would be weird. We know Batman as a Western European descendant, too, so it'd be odd if we changed him from American to Korean -- that's not who he is, who we know him as. If we were to make Static Shock turn into a Western European, it wouldn't be Static either. Now, once again, I'm all for bringing people from all countries into a show, but not when they replace characters we knew for fifty years, just because they happen to be "white". Why are "white" people being treated as almost an "evil" in today's TV shows? Remember Captain Planet? Remember the W.European-American ("white" if you prefer) that had the power of Fire? Remember how they made him such a jerk and an idiot, just to seem politically correct? That's not fair, is it?

Anyways, if the new cops were added to the cast of Gordon and Bullock, like how Montoya was added, then great! The people who believe in "race" would be happy, because America's biggest "minorities" would be represented, and comic fans would be happy, because the show'd have the original characters they're so familliar with (not because those characters are "white"). That's the reason comic fans were upset about John being Earth's Green Lantern, instead of Hal Jordan. Not because John was dark-skinned, but because they were familliar with Hal for so many years. But now that we've seen how kickass John is, we've accepted him as our current GL. I'm sure we'll feel the same way about Yin, and those other two guys -- but I hope changes like this don't happen in the future! Additions are fine, though. :)

Anyways, thanks for reading my post (if any you chose to read it, LOL). I'd like to say that I do believe in "race" actually -- the human race. :)

[Mister Intensity]

I'm going to come out in favor of the new Joker design. I get what exactly what the team on The Batman is doing, they are creating the Batman mythos as if it was created today instead of the elements that was developed from the 40's through the 90's. If you look closely at the various characters in Batman's world many of them look like products of the 40's. That's especially true of the Joker. The classic Joker design is very much a product of the 1940's. The clown in a purple topsuit is something that no modern-day clown would be caught wearing today. The Batman's Joker design represents an unkempt clown that represents chaos. If the Joker was created today instead of 1940 he would look closer to what he looks like in The Batman than his traditional design. No longer does the Joker looks like he is pulled from a time capsule, he looks like what nihilism would represent today. Are these designs going to be dated years from now? Yes, it's likely it would but the point is to contemporize the Batman mythos. If you think about it Batman and his world is still a hodge podge of pieces from the decades they first appear instead of something that fully represent our times. Time will tell if it succeeds but I think that's what they are going for now.

Let's wait until the show airs until we start judging it.

Mister Intensity

[ArtificialIdiot]

An unkept clown? I'm sorry, but I've NEVER seen a clown dress like that in my life. Ever. And to be honest, if the Joker was created today, I'd imagne he'd be a LOT different from that design. Just because he's not a representive of chaos, he's not your average everyday lunatic (imo, the straight jacket gives that impression), and imho, he's meant to have a bit of class about his apperance.

Honestly, I'd sooner believe any of the BB Jokerz (even the female ones!) are the real deal then this thing the Batman team have pulled off.

I just can't believe that that's the best Joker design they can muster, even if they are going for the horror/modern times angle. But this isn't going anywhere... I can live with any of the other designs I've seen, just not this one.

[Robin]

Wow, except for the slick design on Batman thew rest of the cast seems pretty forgettable. Matsuda's Batman looks dynamic, sharp, and very different. I really like what he's done with him. Catwoman also looks really nicely done, a design that may actually be better than the "Timm" counter-part. Too bad I can't say the same for the rest of the cast. The Joker's look is a farce on what he stands for. Freeze has been degraded. The Penguin is mediocre at best. The rest? Interchangable and forgettable. I'm not impressed but I'm also not completely repulsed.

[Deadly Messiah]

So um, where are the pictures? What is the point of a topic saying more pics if they aren't pictured?

Then I go to the JLWatchtower site, and there are no pics there.

WHERE ARE THE PICS?

[Deadly Messiah]

http://www.***************.com (http://www.***************.com/)

Can I do that?
It says website cannot be found.

What about in a PM?

[Killtacular]

An unkept clown? I'm sorry, but I've NEVER seen a clown dress like that in my life.
I've never seen clowns kill hundreds of people and terrorize cities either, so maybe you shouldn't be searching for real world examples.


Guys, there is nothing wrong with the look of the show, I can tell you that. The first episode is animated very well, with some very nice fight choreography between Batman and Joker (a small scuffle in the asylum and a fight in a hot air balloon). One thing I noticed in the credits is that they send out the storyboards to be drawn at Dong Woo... I'm not sure if this is how JCA did it but I think it works pretty well to have the animation studio, one who has done plenty of fighting/action shows, do the work. It's similar to what Disney has done with "Super Robot Monkeyforce Team Go."

The backgrounds are really appealing in a non-dark-deco way. They have good color sensibility... it's not all "red gradient sky" like Batman: TNBA. But there ARE a couple of shots that DO have red skies, WHERE APPROPRIATE. If more episodes are like #1, then The Batman is a very nice LOOKING show.

I say LOOKING because that's all it gets right (well, also, the episode soundtrack is good too... much better orchestral synths than Justice League).

The dialogue is just terrible. It has nothing to do with characterization, I think Bruce is just fine being a little bit unsure and unsteady. It's just the lines themselves... and maybe it's just the one writer, but it was REAL camp. So people like GMahler who have hounded me about the look of the show should pay more attention to the audial portion.

The voice acting is pretty good, actually, for a bunch of VAs trying to imitate past VAs. Rino Romano is trying to emulate Steve Blum whenever Bruce is in the Batman persona. Kevin Michael Richardson emulates Mark Hamill with Joker and succeeds to an extent. The Alfred VA sounds dead on.. is it the same VA? Yes? No? Well it was good (despite delivering the worst line of dialogue in the entire episode). My point is that if they want to emulate, why not just get the VAs of those they're imitating? Steve Blum already does voices for WBA and would make a killer Batman (he already played a very similar character, Roger Smith in The Big O). It's not like Mark Hamill didn't want to voice Joker. So these changes just baffle me. Were they made to be cheaper?

I won't say anything about the actual story until my official review coming up soon.

[EJill34]

The dialogue is just terrible. It has nothing to do with characterization, I think Bruce is just fine being a little bit unsure and unsteady. It's just the lines themselves... and maybe it's just the one writer, but it was REAL camp. So people like GMahler who have hounded me about the look of the show should pay more attention to the audial portion.Well, I have said before that the animation and fighting should be quite nice.

I'll still give this show a shot. We all should, because the creators do seem to be trying their best and we owe it to them as Batman fans.

I have to say that I really admire Kevin Michael Richardson, because he has a great range and has quite possibly the biggest shoes to fill. Even moreso than Rino Romano does.

[ArtificialIdiot]

I've never seen clowns kill hundreds of people and terrorize cities either, so maybe you shouldn't be searching for real world examples.

Who said I was? Mr. Intensity said they were going for an "unkept clown look", I just replied saying I'd NEVER seen a clown look like that. What's wrong with that?

Thanks for the information. I kind of expected the dialouge to be sub-standard due to the lines in the comic (I know that's a bad comparison), but it's nice to see the animation and soundtrack is good. Still, don't blame me for not being enthralled by the designs.

[The Avenger]

I must say, I like all of the designs. They look very cool. I like the fact that this is a modern version of Batman, not something that looks like it was pulled from the 40's.

I love B:TAS, but I realize that new Batman cartoons arent gonna try and rip off the old show. you guys need to realize that too.

[Kryptonian]

This morning was the first time I saw the commercial, and I've changed my mind. While I do like the character designs on Justice League Unlimited a lot. I like these too, and from what I saw, the animation is looking great and the shine on the character's looks neat as well!

[DerekPowers]

wow, im really not impressed at all, and my interest in the show has actually dropped! i was kind of into it when i saw the teaser on the batman official site, thought the designs seemed pretty cool (there penguin seems ot be wearing green, while in the design hes wearing black). but now, seeing the all layed out next to eachother, i dont know. maybe my expectations are just too high, but they look too, stiff or something. they dont have a flowing quality to them, if that makes any sense (and im OFCOURSE comparing them against btas/tnba, how could i not. its not really fair, but hey, that was its predecessor).

plus, the premise seems strange. the penguin is in his 20s? he 'jealous' of bruce? ehhh, you know what i mean. whatever, i guess we'll have to wait to see it, but again, i have such a low interest in this show. but like most others, im gonna give it a shot, but only because its batman (btw, just because its batman doesnt mean i'll continue watching it. if its not good and intelligent, then im not gonna bother).

[Pyro]

Has anyone noticed? Mulan is in the series! Her VA at least...:anime:
I think the character designs are ugly, quite frankly. That doesn't mean it can't still have good animation, though. I think the Teen Titans designs are ugly, but I like the show's animation.

[Daredevil_2003]

I never thought I'd say it, but the new designs have really grown on me, I think they're pretty cool, actually, there are some details I dont like (like Bane's black/red skin), but overall I like them alot, actually. I just hope the rest of the series doesn't let me down, which is what I'm really worried about. I'm not expecting BTAS greatness, here, but if this is anything like, say, TT, for instance, I'll be very dissapointed/pissed.

[Killtacular]

I wasn't holding out much hope for the dialogue after seeing the preview pages in The Batman Strikes #1, but like I've been saying, I'll still give this show a shot. We all should, because the creators do seem to be trying their best and we owe it to them as Batman fans.
Oh, trust me, the dialogue is nowhere NEAR as horrible as "The Batman Strikes". The Batman Strikes is written like a cereal commercial, and Bruce in that comic is written as if he were the BATMAN WIRED Bruce. The Batman is still written like a proper WBA show, and Bruce doesn't yell "GNARLY RADICAL AMPLITUDE BRO-SKI!" It's just that the dialogue is extremely by-the-book and there are a couple of painful toyetic lines in there (only a couple though). At least Joker's dialogue is spot on.. he's SUPPOSED to be campy.

It could be worse though.. Batman doesn't spout a bunch of pun-based retorts like Spiderm-- I mean, Terry McGinnis did in Batman Beyond. Though when he finishes his fight with Joker it was ALMOST a groaner but just barely squeaked by on my criteria.

[EJill34]

Oh, trust me, the dialogue is nowhere NEAR as horrible as "The Batman Strikes". The Batman Strikes is written like a cereal commercial, and Bruce in that comic is written as if he were the BATMAN WIRED Bruce. The Batman is still written like a proper WBA show, and Bruce doesn't yell "GNARLY RADICAL AMPLITUDE BRO-SKI!" It's just that the dialogue is extremely by-the-book and there are a couple of painful toyetic lines in there (only a couple though). At least Joker's dialogue is spot on.. he's SUPPOSED to be campy
Well that's good to hear. I assume that the dialoge will get better as the show progresses because even our beloved B:TAS had some painful lines early on in the show's run.

[EJill34]

The website that cannot be named has some new information about The Batman and has got some screenshots of the first episode. I've got to say, the homage to Bruce Timm and Paul Dini, Rupert Thorne's appearance and the way that Arkham Aslyum looks are the first things that have gotten me excited about this show. Maybe it won't be so bad.

[Lunchbox]

I hate this show less and less the more I find out about it.

[Martianman606]

i myself went onto the Legions of Gotham website to look at pics of The Batman series and..i wont lie to you...i at first, literally, laughed out loud. I mean, I was just so surprised and taken back. Definatly NOT what I was going to expect. It took the whole idea of Batman Beyond to a totally TOTALLY different level.

But, after looking at it for a little bit, I kinda caught on. I mean, they don't look that bad. And, if given the correct writers and the right story plot, the show has potential. I guess the animation isn't that bad. I'll watch it - and I'll TRY to like it - but something tells me I better set myself up for disapointment.

[Harley_Quinn]

For stly92 and HARLEY_QUINN1, scroll down to the very bottom of The Justice League Watchtower (http://jl.toonzone.net/) and all will be explained. It's the 2nd paragraph under the JL sign.
Thanks GMahler!
The only two designs I can say I really like are Batman and Catwoman. The other stuff is well, eh.



The Joker design bugs me, he’s as iconic as Batman in my opinion why change it soooo much?

[Collabo]

Thanks GMahler!
The only two designs I can say I really like are Batman and Catwoman. The other stuff is well, eh.



The Joker design bugs me, he’s as iconic as Batman in my opinion why change it soooo much?
To get away from Bruce Timm's and Paul Dini's designs, and further make this show a stand alone.

[Chris Wood]

Let's see, Bats, Halle, and Arnold look pretty cool.

What's up with the Joker though?? He looks like crackhead skater punk. Hardly a criminal mastermind.

[ArtificialIdiot]

To get away from Bruce Timm's and Paul Dini's designs, and further make this show a stand alone.

Not a good reason to unleash that thing on a new generation of Batman fans. Seriously, that is not the image of the Joker I'd like to promote to non-comic readers.

[Silly McGooses]

I was confused as to why Alfred is black. I'm not racist or anything, but was that change really necessary? What does it bring to the show? Overall, I like the character designs, except for Mr. Freeze. The Penguin looks great to me. I'm just happy to see Batman in some form on Kid's WB again (feels fuzzy and nostalgic)

[Harley_Quinn]

Not a good reason to unleash that thing on a new generation of Batman fans. Seriously, that is not the image of the Joker I'd like to promote to non-comic readers.
I agree, I mean Timm and Dini didn’t create Joker’s look. Joker’s look has been pretty consist in most of the comics, aside from “The Dark Knight Returns” where, IMO, he look a bit odd too.

[Harley_Quinn]

But that was the future and an Elseworld's story, so it's perfectly reasonable for him to look different.
Oh, ok that makes sense, my fault.

[Gloria Harp]

Oh, what have they done to the Joker??? :( How could they do that with a good conscience? He's just one of - if not THE - most famous comic book villains ever. WHY would they want to do that to him anyway? That's just...horrible... and, since they can't have Mark Hamill to voice him...:(

I don't really like Bruce's design; he just looks to ugly to me to have all these girls swooning all over him. I mean, sure, he still has the money, but he always had the good looks, too. And Batman looks so...bulky? I don't know, but I like it better when the costume looks more simple, because Batman doesn't seem like he'd want a flashy costume, anyway.

Alfred looks all right; the lighting is kind of crappy, though.

Catwoman's costume would be all right if the ears weren't so wide and she didn't have those...goggle...things...:sad: It just kind of makes her geeky looking, rather than "seductive."

Chief Rojas...don't know what to say, except I don't understand why a police chief would be wearing an army getup. (He's also kind of giving me 2040 BGC Leon vibes, which is never a good thing...:sweat: ) And I miss Commissioner Gordon; couldn't he have been in it, anyway, along with these new people and with Bullock and Montoya? Then again, after seeing what they did to the Joker, maybe it's best that these characters (Gordon, Bullock, and Montoya) have been spared...

Detective Ellen Yin seems all right...at least her character design isn't ugly like Bruce's was. Her character seems okay, but for a new character, it's nothing we haven't seen before. Her dislike of Bruce might get on my nerves if they don't do it right (as in making her seem jealous of Bruce's wealth). Well, we'll see, I guess...still, nothing that actually stands out...

Ethan Bennett actually seems pretty cool; at least he doesn't seem as anal as Rojas and Yin do in their character descriptions. He seems nice and his character design is fine, and it will be nice to have Bruce have a friend (since the Batcrew isn't around yet) as well as have someone who isn't totally against Batman in the Gotham P.D. (especially since Comissioner Gordon is lacking). Don't exactly remembering Bruce having a friend named Ethan Bennett, but I don't know the comic books that well, so...although, I don't see why a rich billionare would have gone to the same high school as a middle class citizen did, considering Bennett appears to be a middle class citizen and all...:confused:

Already went over the Joker...*shudder*...

Mayor Grange doesn't seem all that bad, either. Not much was said about him, though, but he seems fine.

Mr. Freeze's character design is actually pretty cool...except for the fact that it looks ABSOLUTELY NOTHING like him...*sigh*...anyway, as for his character description, I'm kind of curious as to why they focused so much on him stealing stuff and didn't even mention his wife...is he just going to become another stereotypical villain or are they actually going to keep some of his depth, that is, the relationship with his wife? Is his wife even going to exist in this series? :sad:

The Penguin doesn't seem too bad; his character design is fine, considering it actually looks like him, and his role in the series (from what I've read in the character description) seems interesting and different than the other villains, considering he's more of Bruce's villain than Batman's. At least I can say I'm excited about that.

Anyways, that's my two cents for now; I guess I'll have to wait and see the actual show, but some of the character designs are just too painful (i.e. The Joker)...well, we'll see what happens when September 11 (the day the first episode airs) rolls around...

[Gloria Harp]

It's actually similar to the design from the comics. Unfortunately, it doesn't look as good as it does in the comics thanks to those big ears. It's still among the better designs for the show.
Well, ANYTHING is better than the Joker's design...lol! :D Yeah, I know, I've got to just let it go...:sweat:

I think you're right, though; the big ears are the biggest probblem of the costume, but at least the rest of it is good. Although, for a cat burglar, don't you think that those ears might become a little bit obtrusive? I mean, not only are they very conspicuous, but they look like they'd get in the way sometimes...

[ArtificialIdiot]

I agree, I mean Timm and Dini didn’t create Joker’s look. Joker’s look has been pretty consist in most of the comics, aside from “The Dark Knight Returns” where, IMO, he look a bit odd too.

I think the only thing that was really odd about DKR Joker was that he was so... placid in the begining. I was just sat there for a few minutes thinking "Is that Joker? It can't be! But he has the white face... and that looks like green h... NONSENSE! It's just another guy, move along". But I liked the suit he wore on that talk show. Wouldn't want him wearing it all the time though.

If they wanted the suit out, fine. The Killing Joke showed us that Joker looks pretty darn good in a pair of shorts and a hawian T-shirt. :)