It was pretty obvious around the time the fourth season of the dubious success of "The Batman" had all but been questioned, and the writers had run out of ideas. This is when Batman finally took a back seat and a range of characters were introduced which would set the stages for the fifth season which became mainly a jumping point for potential spin-offs of better superheroes in the DC Universe. "The Batman" had run out of ideas by this time, and a slew of new characters were introduced, further bringing the watered down concoction to a level of a chaotic ensemble piece.

Here we saw the likes of Robin and Batgirl, both of whom became Batman's smart mouthed sidekicks Batman interacted with while on the battlefield. Suffice it to say, they're the most irritating parts of this new season. Concerned more with youth than the actual main character, they're always the first on a crime scene and have their Power Rangers moments before Batman steps in to investigate. Meanwhile we saw the re-introduction of a few characters. There's Harley Quinn who looks very interesting, but lacks the depth and psychoses of the original incarnation. It helps though that she's voiced by Hynden Walch who sounds eerily similar to Arleen Sorkin. "Two of a Kind" is one of the banner episodes of the fourth season, exploring the twisted talk show host drawn to madness by the Joker becoming his second in command.

Robin and Batgirl often have no focus on them and they really are turned into kid characters to reduce the atmosphere. But all the caveats aside, "The Batman" still has some great animation going for it, even if the series is severely flawed. The characters of Green Arrow and Superman look excellent in the style, and they're a natural fit. As much of a loyalist as I am with Bruce Timm's style, I think this new animation would be a great backdrop for a new spin-off involving one of these characters. There's also the consistently strong voice work from Rino Romano who is an interesting take in personality on Kevin Conroy. The two better episodes of the season are "The Joining," which involves Batman meeting with Martian Manhunter who must help him prevent an alien invasion. Not only are these two episodes an immense departure from the series' tone, but continued the sentiment that the people working on the series all but gave up on Batman lore.

This set the stages for a very stylish finale taking off from the Timm Animated universe where Martian Manhunter has convinced Batman to consider joining the Justice League, comprised of a few cameos by established DC characters. Thankfully, season five is a rebound. Folks like The Flash, Green Lantern, and Green Arrow have excellent guest spots in all their fanatic glory, but the best is the appearance of Superman. Not only do we get most of the original voice actors from the animated series, but Superman looks great in this animation style. Season Four is more of the same of this series, with Batman further pushed into the background, but that was only a matter of time. "The Batman" was always a very watered down and bland take on the lore. I welcome another interpretation with a better creative team behind it. The only special feature for this two disc season installment is "The Batman: Season Four Unmasked." At only nine minutes, it's simply just an excuse to play back a lot of the scenes from the season with an homage to the Adam West Batman theme, in spite of the good interviews with Rino Romano and Andrea Romano. You won't get too much supplemental material here.

Overall, "The Batman" is still nothing but mediocrity personified with a series that's continuously watered down and neutered as a family superhero show, rather than a dark loner fighting crime. Season five was a big step up, so wait for that set.

[   Link to Us   |   FAQ   |   Top^   ]
All written reviews material and content are a copyright of Felix Vasquez Jr. and Cinema Crazed.
Content borrowed without written permission will not be permitted.

¤ ¤ ¤