Warner Bros. Animation has announced Beware the Batman, a CGI-animated series targeted for 2013 on Cartoon Network.

Batman is described as “classic-looking,” fighting alongside a, wait for it, “gun-toting Alfred Pennyworth.”

Looks like we'll also see villains from Grant Morrison's run; Professor Pyg, the Toad, etc.

There's also a Doom Patrol series in development...

http://blog.newsarama.com/2011/10/04/an ... -for-2013/

I'm not excited about the animation design but I wouldn't mind adding some new Bat villains to my animated figure collection.

That's...bizarre.

The Alfred angle reminds me of a Green Hornet and Kato type deal.

¡Hay, caramba!

I can't believe I'm saying this, but I hope the censors nix this idea. "Gun-toting" is so far off the Batman reservation that I can't even begin to describe how contrived that whole idea sounds to me. And yes... I know Alfred has used shotguns in the past, but they were used to kill Predators, and Aliens, and Evil Supermen, and Predators.

Totally, different scenarios IMHO.

Oh, well. On the plus side... I already have my Doom Patrol set and my Plastic Man. So I don't have to bother Mattel about anything. I'm already ahead of the curve, there.

"Hey, Alfred! Where were you and your Magnum .45 when my parents were getting killed?"--Bruce Wayne

interesting ....


no Robin, sub Katana.

Make Pennyworth a bit more involved.

Add in Morrison villains that have been castrated and sterilized for tv audiences ...

Stir,

and voila!

That animation looks horrible.

I agree. That looks awful.

Sounds like the first reactions to the character designs for Batman: The Animated Series back in '92...

I know I'm probably alone in this regard, but I've never been a fan of Timm's animation style anyway. I just loved JLU because it was extremely well written, for the most part action packed, and included a wealth of characters throughout the DCU. Long story short, I still don't like BTAS.

What about the New Adventures of Batman?

That last season of revamped episodes with Nightwing and Tim had some top notch animation.

This looks rancid. I can't believe WB continues to put this kind of dreck out as a tie-in with The Dark Knight Rises. Frankly, a darker Bruce Timm-style Batman would be great. The fans would go berzerk over it. Again, JMO.

doom patrol?

really!?

F*** YES! I WILL FINALLY WATCH A DC CARTOON REGULARLY! unless thay make it totally stupid, like the doom patrol's garbage appearance in garbage ass tiny titans.

Agreed. That's almost as bad of an idea as having Batman himself use guns. I can't picture Batman using Alfred as his "enforcer".

I also disagree with people who say this is exactly the kinds of complaints we had about The Batman, implying that fanboys can be nitpicky. I don't remember anyone complaining about Brave and the Bold's characters designs. It's just that when we see something sucky, we are going to speak up about it.

...but Batman has never had a problem with Jim Gordon or the GCPD carrying guns, it's his personal choice not to use them. And it's a kids' cartoon being put on the air for merchandising purposes, the chances that Alfred would actually shoot a human being (provided that he's still carrying guns by the time the show airs) are practically non-existant.



Sorry but I have to disagree with you here. I remember the very vocal majority lambasting Bruce Timm's designs for Batman (I am talking about Batman: The Animated Series, not The Batman) back in early '92 *until* we finally got to see finished footage and the fluid (for it's time) movement which had been all but missing from television animation.

The designs for Brave and the Bold may not have had much criticism (I honestly don't remember) but I *do* remember a great deal of eye-rolling at the thought of a "light hearted" Batman cartoon. Young Justice's character designs weren't that popular either when we first saw them, nor was the black Aqualad, and look what happened there...

Having a gun toting Alfred is really stupid imo. How do you explain that when someone comes over.

"HEY, that's that Alfred guy who runs around with Batman shooting people!"
"Umm no it's not"
"Yes it is! You must be Batman!"
"Umm no I'm not"
"Then you didn't know your butler was out fighting crime with Batman?"
"Umm no I didn't, Bruce Wayne out!"

Actually, there were several complaints about B&B before it aired. The style upset some people. The apparent mix of "old" characters and "new" characters upset people. The fact that it wasn't dark like B. Timm upset people. The fact that it was campy and more light-hearted upset people.

Yeah, Fanboys are EXTREMELY Nit-Picky. To think otherwise is delusional.

But, we are nit-picky for a reason. We LOVE these characters and properties. We want them to be as well received by everyone else in the world as we receive them. We want them to have longevity, and praise, and only to be spoken of in honor and awe, not derision. Which is very noble. Its just not realistic.

Timm's Art Deco style was a major point of contention at the time it was first "introduced" for BTAS. Especially with the people I hung out with in college (Cleveland Institute of Art among a bunch of Illustrators and future Animators I might add). At the time it was such a radical departure from everything else on tv. Compared to shows that were trying to make animation more "realsitic and illustrative" Timm went in completely the opposite direction and simplified. Today, we look back on it and marvel at how wonderful it is, but that was called to task heavily in the early stages of the show.

I agree that the new show seems odd. But I'm also intrigued. The art style is a bit odd based on that one image. But no more so than "The Batman" or "Brave and the Bold" were when we first saw those.

I'll wait to see how this shakes out. I have my doubts, sure. But I'll still watch it when it airs. And when it's done (whether as a hit or a flop) it will be replaced by a NEW Batman show and we'll all fall back into disparagement before it airs.

Sing it with me now ... "everything old is new again ...."