Each mini-installment of Gotham Girls takes a humorous look at some of Gotham City's female characters. Most of these are quite good, with a wit that just isn't found in many cartoons shown on TV recently. The animation reminds me a lot of how the Hanna-Barbera studios were originally able to use limited-animation as a technique (rather than as a crutch) - we never notice how limited the animatioon actually is, because it's done so well. The voice work, as in the TV series, is always superior to practically everything out there, and the music leans towards a lounge-retro mood.
The ultimate triumph of Gotham Girls belongs to Paul Dini. Dini wrote many of Batman's best episodes, and is a prime force behind Superman and Batman Beyond. While an awful lot of his recent work (including his War on Crime collaboration with artist Alex Ross) comes across as ponderous, Gotham Girls is quick witted, succinct, and sharp as a Batarang's blade. Yes, these shorts are comical but that's the point. Dini is clearly having fun with the DC Comics characters, and I'm having fun watching him. He's writing mini-scripts with all the good-natured spirit of online fanfiction but coupled with the experience of working on Warners TV productions like Tiny Toons. The combination is magical.
It'd be a real treat to see some of the Gotham Girls installments show up as light-hearted epilogues to Batman episodes on the Cartoon Network the way that the Lodoss War TV series is followed by cute adventures by chibi versions of the main characters.
Thank you, Paul Dini, for Gotham Girls!
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