My Thoughts on “The Batman”

Yesterday morning KidsWB aired the series finale for The Batman. This post will not discuss that episode (though for the record it was very good). Instead this post will focus on my thoughts on “The Batman” show as a whole.

I first learned about The Batman back in 2004. My friend told me about commercials he saw hyping up the show. I was immediately intrigued. Being such a massive fan of the Batman TAS, I was eager to see what this new animated show would do with Batman and his world.

As the series moved on from season to season I made sure to catch every episode. I enjoyed what the show did with the Batman material. The show succeeded in taking long standing elements from the Batman mythos and playing around with them in interesting ways. Perhaps nowhere was that more visible than in the villains.

The Batman took the classic Batman villains and provided unique interpretations. At times elements of their back-story where changed while other times the characters’ look was completely altered. Understandably, such changes angered many fans. Some felt that the changes were too much, that the show producers had taken it to far. I never felt that way. I truly believe that Batman characters are flexible, open to an infinite number of interpretations.

It seems there is a common consensus among fans of the show that the first few seasons were pretty bad, where as the last few seasons really shined. I can see where those fans are coming from. I think like any show The Batman took a while to really figure itself out. The process of self-discovery was complicated even more by the fact the show remained constantly in the shadow of Batman TAS.

In the end The Batman has left us with a lot of great Batman stories. I’m sad to see the show’s run come to an end, but I find comfort in knowing that 5 seasons is one hell of a run. For my money, “The Batman” lived up to expectations and cemented a solid place in the history of Batman.