- Warner Bros finally announced their new Batman cartoon for 2013, Beware the Batman. Apparently instead of Robin, Batman’s sidekick will be Katana, and the bad guys will include Professor Pyg, Mister Toad, and what looks like maybe Harley Quinn?
- I agree with most of the comments from Bat-fans: Bruce Timm’s art style does not work in CGI, Batman’s head looks like a bug, and while I don’t mind the idea of making Alfred a more active badass, arming him with guns is just wrong. Yes, Alfred sometimes picks up a rifle to protect Wayne Manor, but Batman allowing or encouraging the butler to carry guns as part of his crimefighting crusade is painfully out of character.
- Also, I have to say that I find Grant Morrison’s work on the Batman comics very hit and miss, and in my opinion Professor Pyg and Mister Toad are big whiffas. Pyg’s gimmick (he performs unnecessary cosmetic surgery on his victims to make them “beautiful”) isn’t exactly something kids will find compelling, while Mister Toad is just…Mister Toad, apparently. Except evil. Oh, and he’s dead in the comics. I suspect these characters will be very different in the show. Professor Pyg will be some sort of generic crime boss and Mister Toad will be his Slythe-like lackey.
- All that said, I applaud the obvious effort to do something new here. Let’s face it–Batman: The Animated Series is the definitive animated take on the classic Batman. I really don’t know how you can top it without waiting for a few generations to pass. So I guess we’ll see how the kids react to this one. If they love it, then I’ll concede that maybe the people behind the show know what they’re doing. Except for Alfred’s guns. That is just so wrong.
- In more Bat-news, two new characters have been revealed for Arkham City: Nightwing and the Mad Hatter. Both are looking great, especially Nightwing. I hope we get an figure of him from DCD or Mattel. I’m sure we will.
- On another Bat-related note, there is now a dedicated Batman Ask Matty forum on Mattycollector.
- Apparently people still don’t know what the deal is with the 1970s Batman Arkham City repaint figure, which is supposed to be free if you preorder Arkham City at Toys R Us. Details are allegedly coming soon.
- Also, we may getting a DCUC-style First Appearance Batman, which would be awesome. I’ve always loved that early look.
- I mentioned this elsewhere, but that mystery prototype Joker is in fact an NYCC exclusive. Which I’ll be getting, since I’ll be at NYCC (along with Poester MisterBigBo). The figure still kind of grosses me out, though.
- Mattel is going to have another Mad Matty Monday on October 10. Three mystery packs–DCU, MOTUC, and Ghostbusters–for $40.
- The Four Horsemen have announced where and how you can buy their NYCC-exclusive Outer Space Men Beta Phase Waves 3 & 4 figures, if you’re at NYCC. They’ll also be selling some on their website after NYCC, but if history repeats itself, those will sell out right quick.
Thomas
My problem with the apparent focus of this new Batman cartoon, with Katanna and a gun-wielding Alfred and the inclusion of the Morrison characters, which is also true of the entire rebooted DC Universe, is that none of this is really for kids anymore.
I started reading DC comics at age 7, which started a lifelong love of comics and action figures. There wasn’t a comic that DC published that couldn’t be read by kids. Today, I would NEVER give a DC comic book to a 7 year old, with all of their violent and sexual content, making them entirely inappropriate for kids.
I assume (hope) the new cartoon will be age-appropriate, but that doesn’t change the fact that the ‘heroes’ are using swords and guns or that the villains have adult and very disturbing roots.
It’s just a shame that comics aren’t fun for all ages anymore.
Thrawn
Throw me in the pile of people who find Grant Morrison to be highly overrated.
Monte
BtAS is great… it's also wildly inconsistent and somewhat overrated.
The Batman is underrated; right around season 3 it got balls-out awesome. There were moments that literally had me gasping in surprise.
Batman Brave and the Bold is a great palate cleanser.
This new show will probably be cooler than we expect. If not, there will be a new Batman cartoon in a few years.
googum
I don't know: I enjoyed "The Batman," and while it was a bit uneven, I don't think it got a lot of props since fans weren't ready to let go of Batman: the Animated Series. Right now, Brave and the Bold is awesome, and trading it for…this, probably doesn't seem a fair deal. Hopefully, Alfred's shooting mercy bullets or something…
And Braystreet, while he pulls a bit too much shock-for-shock's-sake sometimes, Ennis has got the storytelling skills. His run on Punisher MAX is one of my favorites, ever.
Andy
Morrison is NOT a terrible writer. He’s a very smart person who layers his work with subtex, and tries to push the medium forward. This means his work on mainstream superheroes won’t be the comforting nostalgia that a majority of readers look for every Wednesday. With Batman, he took the approach that all the adventures of Batman actually happened, including the Adam West camp era. Granted, they may have been joker toxin halluconations, but they were real in the moment. Whether this interpretation works is subjective. But the man gets paid a lot of money to write comics for many a year.
Braystreet
He doesn't try to push the medium forward, he revels in his own esoteric behavior and writings, can't put an actual story together or doesn't want to, and couldn't care less about comic books. He's just like Garth Ennis, a sub-par storyteller that couldn't hack it in a medium with higher expectations and actual critics, so he flourished in at time when comic books only asked for violence or sexuality masquerading as maturity.
At least when James Cameron stole from the Twilight Zone, he had to offer an acknowledgement to Harlan Ellison. Where's Rod Serling's acknowledgement for providing every single detail of Professor Pyg?
toyman
Exactly. He's terrible. I challenge anyone to read Final Crisis and not only explain exactly what happened but do so without tearing the books to shreds in a fit of rage.
A.J.
I wouldn't position 'Final Crisis' as the apex of Morrison's output. Furthermore, 'We3', 'All-Star Superman', and the first twelve issues or so of 'New X-Men' are brilliant, and his 'JLA' run was superb.
AJ7
Beware the Batman seems all kinds of wrong. I realise Katana has been used on Brave and the Bold, but if they wanted a female sidekick for Batman, why not use one of the Batgirls? Or a younger version of Huntress who was also seem on Brave and the Bold.
As for Alfred with guns as Batman's partner-in-crime fighting. Well … that also seems all kinds of wrong. Batman hides his identity with a mask, while Alfred will be fighting crime in a bowler hat? Couldn't criminals easily link Alfred to Bruce Wayne and therefore learn that Bruce Wayne is Batman? And the guns are just so wrong. Batman hates guns. Batman usually doesn't kill his villains, especially in cartoons. Now it appears that Batman endorses Alfred's use of guns which itself implies that Batman endorses killing villains, unless Alfred is going to be using rubber bullets or something?
@grim4321
lasers…. 😛
toyman
You mean to tell me that someone read those first few issues of Batman and Robin with Pyg and Toad, and not only did they like it, they thought it would work for a new Batman cartoon?! Grant Morrison is a terrible writer. And I agree, Batman doesn't approve of guns so no way would Alfred be bustin' caps.
@grim4321
lasers… 😛
Mario
Oh man! If they reveal a first appearance Batman, I'll go bonkers.
I know this question's going to blow, but Poe or MisterBigBo, could I possibly, kindly get either of you to possibly pick me up a Sorceress figure? I can pre- pay it & all, so no worries on that front.
misterbigbo
I thought that Sorceress was for the 2012 cons…?
Mario
Dang! I think you're right. I guess they meant NYCC 2012.
Reverend Ender
Does anyone know what was in those first mystery assortments?
misterbigbo
The MOTUC ones were Buzz-Offs, Titus’, and King Grayskulls, for the most part. I think.
Reverend Ender
Damn, I totally wanted Buzz Off and Grayskull!