Johnny H. The Batman is basically a show with all flash and not nearly enough pizazz to it; the writing's repetitive, the voice-acting's respectable at best but not entirely suiting for some of the characters and the animation doesn't even compare to Batman: The Animated Series (Batman: T.A.S.). Considering DC's great animation track-record, this is one of the few noticeable blemishes on the company's overall filmography.Sure it LOOKS nice here and there, but the animation's simplistic look basically informs you early on that the writing is also going to be similarly weak as well. It's disappointing because you'd expect so much better from the likes of Batman, especially in the world of animation. There's nothing really subversive about the show, the music's forgettable and the direction is weak. While Kevin Michael Richardson does a decent Joker, his performance is hindered by being out-of-place in the context and aesthetic the show sets for itself, which is to be a kid-friendlier yet edgy-but-not-so-much kind of superhero show.As a diehard Batman fan I don't recommend this. As a television watcher I think this show doesn't hold a candle to its CLASSIC predecessor. I'm sorry if I offended anyone who read this all the way through, but I can't really forgive the show for its inherent shortcomings that should never have been a problem in the first place.

SlyGuy21 I feel bad for this series, I really do. A lot of episodes were more comedic than dark, and I'm guessing that's why people look down on it. The absence of Kevin Conroy and Mark Hamill could also be a reason why people don't like this as much. Instead of dwelling in the past, this series decided to go down it's own path, the character designs are cool, the episodes that are written well are phenomenal, and Rino Romano is a great Bruce Wayne. Kevin Michael Richardson is also a great person to voice Joker in this. Adding in other voice actors like Robert Englund and Tom Kenny was an awesome idea. The series had it's faults sure, some of the comedy episodes fall flat, but overall the show was very good, great even. It decided to take chances, chances that a lot of fans would like and some fans would hate. It's "The Little Animated Batman Show That Could" of Batman cartoons, it had a lot of odds stacked against it, but it managed to survive for 5 seasons and have a definitive end.

imaad-shahrukh This series is a victim of being bashed by fans and critics due to not being like the predecessor. The Batman, aired originally from 2004 to 2008, is a series with ups and downs. People did not like the redesigns for the characters or the tone, but what's the problem. Unlike the live-action Gotham, which airs on FOX, this series keeps everyone in character, rather than changing them to a state similar to Goku from Dragonball Evolution or Deadpool from X-Men Origins Wolverine. The series may be light, but it gets darker as it reaches the 4th season. The series is still watchable. Batman is perfectly portrayed. Since it is set during Bruce Wayne's earlier years as Batman, it certainly makes sense why he gets his back broken by Bane in episode 2 and why he is new in knowing those villains. Of course, the predecessor may be better, but this series contains consistent animation and character development with Batman becoming more prepared to face his enemies and Joker becoming more monstrous as seen by the episode Joker Express. The series even uses obscure villains properly, by using them alongside classic villains, not like Beware the Batman where they shoved most of the good villains and replaced them with obscure ones. Batgirl before Robin is not bad is Batgirl is legitimately Batman's sidekick, not like Katana in Beware the Batman, who replaces Robin entirely. The series even had a good direct-to- video film follow-up, The Batman vs Dracula. This movie is to The Batman what Return of the Joker was to Batman Beyond and Mask of the Phantasm was to Batman the Animated Series, having a darker tone than the series. The lack of Two-Face, Scarecrow and Ra's al Ghul was mainly due to Nolan movies, not to make the series child-friendly. And Gordon does appear from the third season and is just as well depicted, despite not being there from the start. Lucius Fox is also portrayed in a way reminiscent of the Nolan films. Enjoy it if you have an open mind.

John T. Ryan AS FAR AS adaptations of Super Heroes from the Comics to the screen is concerned, no one is more severe a critic than are we. Any deviation from long established comics "facts" are looked upon as being unacceptable. (Death to the Revisionists!)FOR EXAMPLE, TAKE the treatment of the Joker in both BATMAN (1989) and in THE DARK KNIGHT (2008). In the first Michael Keaton outing, what would have been an ideal treatment of the character, was turned into a heretical foray into the realm of the untrue. THEIR HANDDLING OF the character went haywire with the deviant storyline in which Jack Napier,* the Joker, was the killer of Bruce Wayne's parents. Forb good measure, they had the Joker dead at film's end.THE PRODUCTION COMPANY that gave us the DARK KNIOGHT was no better; turning the Joker into some sort of grimy, grubby and commonplace psychotic killer. And, if this wasn't enough, for good measure they also killed him at this end, also. It seems that Joker is the Batman Franchise's answer to that kid on SOUTH PARK; who dies in every episode. (But we digress!)WE FIND THAT this animated TV series, THE BATMAN (2004-08) is the finest example of making comics panels come to life and move, talk, interact; that is for television. It's inherent craftsmanship is deep, extending to all aspects. The rendering of the dark panel look and mood combine with a high level of animation that makes it a serious rival to the Max Fleischer produced SUPERMAN Cartoon Series of the 1940's. (No small feat that!)ONCE AGAIN, THE careful attention to making the night the element of operation that Batman thrived in. This is one aspect of the feature that had been largely abandoned in the comics; forgetting that in the early days, Batman owed an ancestral debt to the pulp & radio character, THE SHADOW. IN MAKING GOOD use of the extensive roster of characters accumulated over the years, the production company assured the series of conforming with the comics storyline. Prominently featured also were Dick Grayson/Robin, Barbara Gordon/Batgirl, Commissioner Gordon and Alfred the Butler.A LARGE NUMBER OF voice actors were used in bringing life to the multitude of master criminals; who provided the wrong doings in Gotham. Why, the producers even had an under-appreciated, though highly talented actor cast as Gotham City's Mayor. (Who is he? Why he's none other than ADAM WEST!)NOTE: * We commend the production team for the story; which combined elements of the very first Joker story in the comics as well as the later story of Joker's origin. They even gave the character something he hadn't had before, a REAL NAME!