Batman Beyond : Season 2 DVD * NEW

Rating:

The Movie:

As cartoons go, "Batman Beyond" is simply the kind of cartoon they just don't make anymore. The series, which ran from 1999-2001, aired on Fox as a kids' show, but was decidedly darker and more clever than most of the usual afternoon fare. The series takes place years after the prior "Batman: Animated Series", which was also headed by by the same producers.

"Beyond" sees the legendary Bruce Wayne as an old man who's still tough, but incapable of fighting crime like he used to. In steps Terry McGinnis, a young man who has discovered Batman's true identity. Bruce watches over Terry has he takes on Batman's famed Batsuit and goes out into Gotham City to fight enemies like the Joker, Shriek and the Spellbinder.

It's easy to see why "Batman Beyond" caught on as well as it did when it hit the airwaves (and why it's become a cult hit since.) The show's animation, which has some anime influence, is gorgeously dark, stylish and moody. Additionally, the action sequences are beautifully staged and more cinematic than most live-action blockbusters. The show also remains superbly written (for an animated series like this), with intelligent stories and some powerful dramatic moments on occasion.

14. 2- 1 18 Sep 99 Splicers
15. 2- 2 25 Sep 99 Earth Mover
16. 2- 3 2 Oct 99 Joyride
17. 2- 4 9 Oct 99 Lost Soul
18. 2- 5 16 Oct 99 Hidden Agenda
19. 2- 6 23 Oct 99 Bloodsport
20. 2- 7 6 Nov 99 Once Burned
21. 2- 8 13 Nov 99 Hooked Up
22. 2- 9 20 Nov 99 Rats!
23. 2-10 4 Dec 99 Mind Games
24. 2-11 11 Dec 99 Revenant
25. 2-12 8 Jan 00 Babel
26. 2-13 15 Jan 00 Terry's Friend Dates a Robot
27. 2-14 22 Jan 00 Eyewitness
28. 2-15 5 Feb 00 Final Cut
29. 2-16 4 Mar 00 The Last Resort
30. 2-17 11 Mar 00 Armory
31. 2-18 25 Mar 00 Sneak Peek
32. 2-19 1 Apr 00 The Eggbaby
33. 2-20 8 Apr 00 Zeta
34. 2-21 15 Apr 00 Plague
35. 2-22 22 Apr 00 April Moon
36. 2-23 6 May 00 Sentries of the Last Cosmos
37. 2-24 13 May 00 Payback
38. 2-25 27 May 00 Where's Terry?
39. 2-26 19 Aug 00 Ace in the Hole


Bruce Wayne (Kevin Conroy, Batman: The Animated Series), the original Batman, is too old to continue his war on crime. Reluctantly, he has passed on the mantle of The Bat to high school student, Terry McGinnis (Will Friedle, Boy Meets World). While also borne of tragedy, McGinnis is an altogether different Batman, but one that continues the same battle to protect Gotham City from far more dangerous threats.

In Batman Beyond: Season Two, Batman (McGinnis not Wayne), is slipping more comfortably into this batshoes. While still being aided by Wayne, McGinnis is on the way to becoming his own man and less of Wayne's marionette. McGinnis expands his crimefighting circle by enlisting the help of friend and confidant, Max Gibson (Cree Summer, Tiny Toon Adventures). McGinnis also gains some reluctant advice from former-Batgirl, Commissioner Barbara Gordon (Stockard Channing, Six Degrees of Separation), who has followed in her father's footsteps. The threats, both personal and professional, have piled up this season—Shriek, the Jokerz, Spellbinder, and Ace all want a piece of The Batman.

On the relationship front, Terry's girlfriend, Dana, is incorporated into more stories than in Season One, fleshing out Batman's personal life. One thing Batman Beyond has over the shows involving his predecessor is the willingness to look at the man beneath the mask. Bruce Wayne, until this series, was little more than a man in dire need of therapy. In Terry McGinnis, we see a young man who is not driven by a mad vengeance, but by a greater sense of right and wrong. In many ways, McGinnis is a more realized Batman than Bruce Wayne ever was. In fact, it wasn't until this series came along that we saw any character development for Bruce Wayne. While still the same self-righteous loner who surrounds himself with allies, the elder Bruce manages to crack a smile; a man who has seen it all and reached some level acceptance. It took decades, but Bruce Wayne finally grew up.

Batman Beyond: Season Two includes commentary on two episodes by show producers, actors, and other crew, including creator Bruce Timm and Batman himself, Will Friedle. Both commentaries are full of insights and trivia, but painfully short. Two twenty-minute sessions just aren't enough time. Also included is a moderated panel of the show's producers, including Timm and show writer, Paul Dini. Unfortunately, the featurette is not as interesting as it should be and far inferior to the commentaries.

Spread out over four discs, all twenty-six episodes of Batman Beyond: Season Two look and sound fantastic. I didn't notice any problems in the picture or in the Dolby Digital 2.0 mix.

For a show intended for children, Batman Beyond is intense. Plenty of gunplay and fisticuffs might be too much for younger viewers. Still, the series will not disappoint fans of Paul Dini and Bruce Timm's other Warner Bros. animated series. And for those who are just discovering the wonder of the Dini/Timm shows, Batman Beyond is more connected to Justice League Unlimited than you may think.