The Batman (2004)

The Batman, although produced by Alan Burnett, has almost nothing in common with Burnett’s earlier, fondly remembered Batman:The Animated Series. Thanks largely to the contributions of artist Bruce Timm and writer Paul Dini, Batman:The Animated Series stands in the minds of many as the definitive Batman series. Of course, the series later evolved into Batman and Robin, and then Gotham Knights, becoming progressively lighter and more child-friendly in each incarnation. The Batman, on the other hand, features mostly different artists, writers, musicians, and even voice talent and moves even further into child-oriented Silver Age-style storytelling. The main titles’ font harkens back to the 1960s kids’ magazine Famous Monsters of Filmland, although this is a Batman whose adventures occur during the day as well as after dark.

In this version of the Batman saga, Bruce Wayne (voiced by Rino Romano) has just entered his third year as Gotham City’s prime vigilante. Alfred (Alastair Duncan), his loyal butler, also serves as an all-round technician, coordinator and assistant. Gotham’s television media remains skeptical about the intentions of a dark hero with multiple high-tech weaponry, so detectives Ethan Bennett (Steve Harris) and Ellen Yin (Ming-Na) are constantly on Batman’s trail. Each week, the Batman encounters an increasingly bizarre series of foes, while constantly avoiding both the media and the detectives assigned to trail him. So far, the series completely avoids the continuity that previous Batseries shared.

It’s unfair to compare Rino Romano’s voice acting with that of Kevin Conroy’s just as, ultimately, it’s unfair to judge The Batman by comparing it to Batman: The Animated Series. The current series stands alone as a new creation, and while I greatly prefer the Timm-Dini version, I’m willing to give The Batman more than a fair chance. Unlike Batman: The Animated Series, which loosely adapted many classic comic-book storylines, Burnett and his staff have chosen to create new stories from scratch. This is an admirable and difficult undertaking. Naturally, some of these risks succeed, and some fail.

On the positive side, the relationship between Bruce and Alfred is explored in a nontraditional way. In the comic books, Batman’s relationships with older males are frequently ambivalent. He relies on Commissioner Gordon’s expertise, for example, yet is often dismissive of the former detective, vanishing in the middle of conversations. In the current series Alfred serves as a surrogate father and even a mentor in ways, rather than being the supportive (if merely tolerant) butler of the comic books. Perhaps this foreshadows the changes in Alfred’s character that we will see in the upcoming live-action Batman film. Regardless, it’s an intriguing spin on a well-established relationship.

The series also features a fittingly atmospheric theme song written by the Edge, the master of moody electric guitars. This is isn’t the first time that the Edge contributed to a Batman project – his band, U2, performed a song on the Batman Forever soundtrack. I understand that the Edge’s recording and concert commitments prevent him from scoring incidental music for the series, but it would be nice to hear more of his playing within this context.

The series’ graphic style presents a mixed bag. The clean and cartoony redesigns of the backgrounds and heroes (reminiscent in many ways of Jackie Chan Adventures) are appropriate for a series aimed at younger children. They evoke the Silver Age Batman style without overly copying the old Dick Sprang-style illustrations. However, without exception, all the villains are designed to look psychotic. Sharpened fangs, claws, bulging eyes, and other physical deformities are the norm. They’re like toned-down versions of Todd McFarlane’s twisted re-imaginings of classic Wizard of Oz characters.

Is this a series worth watching? For now, the answer is yes. As with Batman Beyond, however, it’s unclear to me just how far this new version of Batman can be taken. Like many fans, I’ve missed seeing Batman outside of comic books for the past few years, and I welcome the return of one of my favorite pulp heroes. I’m not certain if Burnett and colleagues are going to succeed in their reinvention of Batman, but I am certain that they are giving the effort 100% of their skills and talent.

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