The Commentary at the JL website

[Joe G.]

Has anybody else listened to this? Specifically the stuff about character design...

It's very disappointing. Timm says that he was ready to use the original design for Superman from S:TAS and the ORIGINAL Batman design from 1992's B:TAS, but the producers said they should change it, so they did.

THINK OF IT! Think of JL were in the beautiful style of the original Batman: The Animated Series! How great would that've been?

Silly producers.

[Terminatah]

Their reasoning was that the original designs wouldn't match the general shiny look of the series, so they added all the highlights and stuff. But that was still no reason to give Superman a shriveled face and make Batman's ears a toony joke.

-Terminatah

[Failure]

I like Batman's ears now, but Superman's wrinkles have got to go. Not only is he acting whimpier, but he looks the part too.

[Heehaw]

Silly producers

Bruce Timm is the producer.

[Joe G.]

I was under the impression that there was more than one producer. I could be mistaken. Either way, someone made him change, and they're silly.

Why does JL NEED a "shiny" look? Does anybody here think that the "shiny" look makes a difference in the feel of the show? I personally don't think it matters, but that's just me.

[GL2k2]

I think the now "infamous" Gold-and-Black Batman emblem should have been used for this series. He is not necessarily the looming dark knight, so the costume should have reverted to the at least old school version of the emblem.

Superman actually looks like he's 29-years-old and sounds like he's 25, as opposed to the series where he sounded like and acted like he was 29 but looked like he was 25. He also had better things to say in the series, things that Superman should very well say like "Your power is nothing compared to mine!" or "I didn't think you were foolish enough to make trouble in my town." These things made Superman tough yet real, he's a police officer with super powers.

[The Dark Knight]

Originally posted by GL2k2
"Your power is nothing compared to mine!"
Superman never said that, it was someone talking to Superman. It sounded like Luminous, but I can't be sure. Could have been the Weather guy. If anyone wants to clear this up...

[CadaverousEyes]

Thou shalt not call Bob Kane Batman ears a "toony joke."

It wouldn't make sense for Batman to go from gold and black to just a black bat to back to gold and black. You want to screw up continuity even more?

The Weather Wizard said that. The funniest line on the show, by far. I think.

Oh, and I don't think Superman's extra lines are that bad. They make him look rugged. Kinda.

[MattL.]

Thats the basic intent of the extra lines is to make him look rugged, and with only the exception of certain frames in certain episodes, I think it works very well.

But it is strange to get used to at first when you've become accustomed to his more fresh faced look from STAS.

It basically depends on the animation studio handling it as to wether the lines work or not. Bruce Timm himself handles them fine in his own artwork and I imagine they probably look great in his storyboards.

[Heehaw]

As far as I know Akom Productions wannabe, KOKO, handles the animation duties on JL(and worked with Dong Yang on alot of TNBA).

[Terminatah]

I think the extra lines succeed more in making him look old than they do in making him look more rugged. Newbern's voice has the exact same effect. Sounds older and not more rugged at all (more weathered, maybe). The young Tim Daly Superman was plenty rugged, and would probably kick JL Superman's ass in a fight.

Besides, a key point in Bruce Timm's style involves eliminating extra lines and simplifying characters as much as you can. That really helps the animation. Oh, and excuse me, but how hard is it to draw an S?

I've never been able to take JL Superman seriously. They've really dehumanized the character between series.

-Terminatah