Official Synopsis:
Terry McGinnis was just an ordinary teenager...until his father was mysteriously murdered. Suspecting foul play at his father's company Wayne/Powers Corporation, Terry meets Bruce Wayne and learns a secret identity hidden for decades. Now too old to battle injustice, Wayne refuses to help. So Terry does what any brash young kid would do: steal the Batsuit and take matters into his own hands! Vowing to avenge his father's death, Terry dons the high-tech suit ? tricked out with jetpacks, a supersensitive microphone and even camouflage capabilities ? in search of his father's assassin. Get in on the action from the beginning of a new partnership between an ex-crimefighter and his apprentice.
Our Take:
It's been a few years since I've seen an episode of Batman Beyond, and I forgot just how good the show is. The show works on a number of levels: for one thing, the future part of the show is realistic. It's definitely a science-fiction view of tomorrow, and while it's not so far gone that it seems like another planet, it doesn't seem like today with bad clothes, either. The show also pays respect to the fans and the character's heritage by keeping the past sacred. This isn't just some futuristic superhero calling himself Batman; Terry McGinnis is actually mentored by an aged Bruce Wayne. With Barbara Gordon as commissioner of Gotham City and The Jokerz motorcycle gang causing havoc, the show pays respect to its roots.
The team behind the watershed Batman: The Animated Series brought their collective talents to Batman Beyond and the show is a winner because of it. The characters are engaging, the action is fantastic, and the villians are dynamic. The show is never afraid to find inspiration in the past, but it never uses past storylines or adventures as a crutch, either. And with Kevin Conroy (the voice of Batman from the Animated Series) back for the ride as Bruce Wayne, Batman Beyond has a wonderful continuity.
This two-disc DVD set collects the first 13 episodes of the series and still manages to find room to throw in a few extra features.
* Commentaries - Two commentary tracks by Bruce Timm, Alan Burnett, Paul Dini, Glen Murakami, Curt Geda, and Stan Berkowitz.
* Music of the Knight (1 minute) - A music only version of a scene from the show.
* Inside Batman Beyond (9 minutes) - A round table discussion with the show's creators, including Bruce Timm and Paul Dini.
I would have been happy with a few more extra features, but hopefully as the later season collections include more discs, there will be room for more extras. With 13 episodes over two discs and two commentary tracks, these discs are a bit crowded.
I can't recommend Batman Beyond highly enough for fans of the Dark Knight. I know there are some purists out there who never watched the show because it doesn't feature Bruce Wayne as Batman, but if you give Batman Beyond a chance, you'll be hooked. It's a fun, action-packed, intelligent, witty series that any cartoon or superhero (or cartoon superhero) fan should enjoy.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!
Overall Picture:
Show: A
DVD: B
- Mike Spring
Editor
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