Customer Reviews

Batman Beyond Season 1

5 star:		(53)
4 star:		(14)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Gotham, the future. Dark Knight Terry McGinnis and his mentor Bruce Wayne fight to rid the city of the criminal element which infests it. Armed with a high-tech Batsuit, a hover-converted Batmobile and the vast training and guidance of the original Batman, McGinnis transcends the Batman legacy as a new hero for a new era.

It may have been created [by the producers of "Batman: The Animated Series" at the request of Warner Bros.] to attract a new generation of viewers by injecting the dark detective with new, younger blood, but the futuristic "Batman Beyond" (like Batman: TAS) was a show for Batfans of all ages. Ironically, much of Batman Beyond's charm can be attributed to the generation gap between Terry and Bruce as displayed in "Dead Man's Hand" where they clash over their pursuit of the Royal Flush Gang. One of whom (Melanie/Ten) Terry has romantic feelings for and later reluctantly places into police custody. "This sort of thing ever happen to you?," Terry asks. Bruce warmly smiles with "Let me tell you about a woman named Selina Kyle." Great stuff. Batman Beyond was a cool series that featured the phenomenal voice talents of Will Friedle (Boy Meets World), Kevin Conroy (Batman: TAS), Lauren Tom (Superman: TAS), Teri Garr (Mr. Mom), and Sherman Howard (Superboy); first-rate scripts; frenetic action; and one of TV's coolest opening main titles; Not to mention sensational main title and score music by Kristopher Carter.

Previously released as single disc individual episode releases, Warner Home Video finally delivers Batman Beyond - The Complete First Season DVD on March 21st! The 2-disc set features all 13 episodes from the first season; Full Frame (1.33:1) video; English Dolby Digital Stereo audio; Spanish, French subtitles; (Note: If you own all of the original BB single disc releases, then you already have Batman Beyond - Season One minus the previously unreleased episode "Ascension", and should consider it plus the exclusive EXTRAS on this set before deciding.) Here are the contents of this schway set:


Disc 1:

Rebirth Part 1
Rebirth Part 2
Black Out
Golem
Meltdown
Heroes
Shriek
Dead Man's Hand


Disc 2:

The Winning Edge
Spellbound
Disappearing Inque
A Touch of Curare
Ascension


Special Features:

Commentary: "Rebirth Part 1" by Bruce Timm (Producer), Alan Burnett (Producer), Paul Dini (Producer), Glen Murakami (Producer), and Curt Geda (Director)

Commentary: "Shriek" by Bruce Timm (Producer), Alan Burnett (Producer), Glen Murakami (Producer), Stan Berkowitz (Writer), and Curt Geda (Director)

Featurette: "Inside Batman Beyond": Roundtable discussion with the creators of the series plus a few surprises

Bonus: "Music of The Knight": Viewer-selectable dramatic music from five key scenes of Batman Beyond introduced by Bruce Timm


Highly Recommended!

A long time coming, I'm so glad Warner Bros has finally decided to give us box sets of this show. We get all 13 season 1 episodes here, which introduce us to the new Batman Terry McGinnis, and also most of his major foes: Shriek, Spellbinder, Curare, Inque, a new Royal Flush Gang, and also Derek Powers/Blight, the show's Lex Luthor equivalent. Also notable are revelations to past Batman villains, namely Mr. Freeze and Bane.

If you liked the recent animated Batman volume sets, Batman Beyond is worth checking out. True it's a new take on Batman, but it's also one that adds to the continuity of the classic shows and portrays the same mature sensabilities, sharp dialogue, and fun action we got before. Old Bruce Wayne is a cranky extension of his younger self, and his relationship with Terry is a new dynamic not seen with the previous Robins or Batgirl. Considering that this series originated as KidsWB wanting to sell more toys and appeal to "younger demographics," it says something that not only does this show not destroy the Batman legacy, but in fact enriches it and gives the Timm/Dini/Burnett collaboration something they can proudly call their own.

This set will include commentaries, interviews, and even a music-only track. I should note that this set only includes 1 episode that has not been released to dvd in some form so far. If you bought the previous releases, you technically own most of the content already. However, having a box set is such a nice way to own this series that I'd recommend you sell those discs off in preparation for this one and prepare for Batman...Beyond.

Despite what others may say about this show, make no mistake that Batman Beyond is pure animated bliss for comic fans. When an aging Bruce Wayne (once again voiced by Kevin Conroy, now sounding aged and sardonic) hangs up the cape and cowl, he becomes the reluctant mentor to young Terry McGiness (voiced by Will Friedle); a resourceful and revenge driven teen whose father has been murdered. With a new, high tech Bat-suit and fancy, futuristic gadgets, Batman Beyond was a smashing new foray into the Batman mythos brought to us by Batman: The Animated Series vets Paul Dini and Bruce Timm. This new Batman also finds a strong rogue gallery in the tradition of the classic Batman, including the shape shifting Inque, Shriek, Spellbinder, the Royal Flush Gang, and a returning Mr. Freeze as well. Sadly, Batman Beyond didn't go down very well with a majority of Bat-fans, but the show really was something special, and it's lightyears beyond the current Batman animated incarnation, The Batman.

I won't waste your time recounting the episodes. Instead, let's look at the execution:

Impressive visualization. Thin, precise lines, balancing straight (futuristic) against curved (human); nothing muddy. Carefully chosen colors, nothing garish, but nothing mundane. Lots of flat, one-color surfaces: no attempt to be realistic (face it: reality is dusty, dirty, messy). Style convincingly Americanizes anime.

Setting has some overtones of Akira or William Gibson's cyberpunk Tokyo, but hardly a slavish imitation, and no worship of futurific technology.

Stories are imaginative, well written, with a generous share of telling one-liners. Example: in "Dead Man's Hand," a society blonde protests being robbed of her jewels, and Jack, one of the robbers, comments, "She probably got them the old-fashioned way." That cruelty is acted out later when King, top dog of the outfit, slaps 10 across the face, drawing blood: this criminal family is bound together, finally, by greed and violence. The plot makes much of parallel relationships: 10's need for personal freedom brings her into conflict with her father, as does Terry's with Bruce.

Imaginative stories make for imaginative animation. To my mind, the best are the two Inque stories. The protean Inque lets the animators run wild, so to speak (rather like Jack Cole with Plasticman).

Voices (Will Friedle, Kevin Conroy, Stockard Channing) are superb, ditto the music. One of the DVD "Additional Features" is "Music of the Knight": five segments from four episodes, shown with music alone, no dialogue. A great idea--except that the music selections aren't mine. It would have been nice to have the option to turn off dialogue for the whole of each episode. Oh, well . . .

So what's the problem? The packaging sucks. It's thin cardboard with a single plastic mount inside. The cardboard slipcover is so tight that I have to open one end and push the contents out the other. (Cardboard doesn't suffer abuse nicely.) My plastic mounting piece was damaged some time before it got to me. Now one of the two discs is always sliding around inside the package or falling on the floor. I think I'll buy a used Brittany Spears double-decker, ditch the contents, and use the case as a replacement.

It's a pity that WB cancelled the show after only three seasons.

Batman Beyond is an extension of Batman. It takes place 20 or so years after Bruce Wayne, the original Batman, retires. Terry McGinnis is a teenager in high school who accidentally stumbles upon the Batcave while helping Mr. Wayne. Fast forward and obviously Terry manages to become Batman with Bruce Wayne as his mentor and ally...like another Alfred only not as nice. BB is about Terry managing his social life and his Batman life and the tribulations that come with being a superhero.

At first, I doubted if BB would ever be able to top the old Batman cartoons; especially with a teenager as the Bat. Worked out just fine though. Batman Beyond is impressive. It stayed true to the old Batman but was still able to stay original and fresh. BB is definitely not the old Batman but it is just as entertaining.

With the introduction of many new villains (Inque, Shriek, Kobra, etc.) and the return of some old (Mr. Freeze, the Joker...kind of), the aging of a cranky but still sharp Bruce Wayne, and a well-drawn teenager out to save the world BB has the perfect blend of action, witty humor, and suspenseful story lines.

BB helps with the nostalgia of the original Batman cartoons. But after watching them, can't help feel a little nostalgia for those good ol' Batman Beyond days ;D.

If you're a fan of the original Batman cartoons, I suggest you check out Batman Beyond.

ok when i first saw this show i was very skeptical..i come from the batman the animated series old school...after watching the return of the joker film ..i was impressed . the show fast forwards 20 yrs later after bruce wayne retires from being the batman(still voiced to perfection by kevin conroy)..and we find that wayne has a new protege..and new high tech weapons . this is a worty follow up to BTAS and is worth a look...although the storylines could have been better though

ps its cool to see wayne's dog ace from the early 90s books in the show as well.

As a fan of the Batman Beyond series, I was extremely pleased with the product when I bought it. First thing I did was plop it in my DVD player and watch the series straight through with no interruptions, and it just made me crave for season two already.

The episodes are in wonderful quality and the bonus features/special features are great especially hearing Bruce Timm, Alan Burnett etc that worked on the series, but for a Batman Beyond fan, there wasn't enough! The music bonus feature is great and after exploring every possibly inch of the two discs, I was seriously craving for more Batman Beyond.

Overall, the condidtion of the series is excellent, if not better than when it first aired. The DVD casing is unusual though. The packaging consists of a cover slip that you see on Amazon's page for the product and inside the cover slip, the two disc carrying case. Basically, the packaging is very similar to the first two Harry Potter movie DVD packaging. Inside, the carrying case that holds the two discs is designed so that the discs will be slightly overlapped, which might be a little annoying for some, but it's not that big of a mishap. Also, instead of having the binding of the two-disc carrying case face the outside of the cover slip like the first two Harry Potter movie DVD cases, the binding is facing inside, which might prove to be a little difficult to take out, a minor flaw in the design of the packaging. But otherwise, Batman Beyond the First Season is excellent, I really am looking forward to season two, which hopefully, the WB will include more bonus features.

The concept of a Batman for the next generation has been addressed in the comics with mixed results. Batman Jr., Batman II, Robin assuming Batman's identity, etc. Finally, the people who resurrected the animated Batman and Superman series comes Batman Beyond, an imaginative, realistic (in comic terms) passing of the mantle. Bruce Wayne has conquered many a foe, but Father Time has relegated the ailing Wayne into retirement. His final years as the caped crusader were spent fighting in a high-tech strength enhanced batsuit which was a radical departure from the original. When the suit is stolen by young Terry McGinness trying to avenge his own father's death, an uneasy apprenticeship begins. It is a dynamic that is entertaining and full of possibilities. Adding to the intrigue, McGinness is a high school student living at home with his mother and nosy brother, Wayne Enterprises is now run by a corrupt executive who moonlights as a supervillain, and Batgirl is still around, albeit in civilian mode as the new Commissioner Barbara Gordon.

Get this DVD and hang on for the ride of your life!!!

This was a great idea, I don't understand why more fans of Batman The Animated Series didn't like it. I like the futuristic touches, even though the characters are still not too far-removed from the present. The music, the action, and just plain ENERGY of the show are all top-notch.

Warner Bros. has done another great job of providing animation fans with an affordable way to collect our favorite shows. Can't wait for more!

In the past, Batman Beyond has been limited to single disc releases. Finally, WB gets a clue and decides to release Season One of this risky but popular series. While the original intent was to attract younger fans, older fans like the show as well as it stays true to the storyline from the original Batman: The Animated Series.

Disc One

Rebirth, Pts. 1 & 2 - Too old to battle injustice, Bruce Wayne is forced to hang up his cowl as Batman. Twenty years later, a young man named Terry McGinnus steals Bruce's costume to avenge the death of his father ordered by power broker Derek Powers (who also is the boss of Bruce's old company). We not only see the birth of a new Batman but the birth of a future enemy called Blight.

SPECIAL NOTE: Rebirth, Pt. 1 only has commentary by Bruce Timm, Alan Burnett, Paul Dini, Glen Murakami & Curt Geda.

Black Out - Inque, a corporate sabatoguer, is hired by Derek Powers to take out FOXTECHA. With her unique ability to blend in shadows and assume nearly any shape, Inque doesn't need weapons because her body is a weapon! I should note this eppy takes a somewhat personal tone since FOXTECHA is owned by the same family that worked for Bruce Wayne for years in the original Batman series before Powers took over. It is hinted as such at the beginning of this episode. This eppy also sees the first appearance of an older Barbara Gordon, who has now succeeded her late father James Gordon as police commissioner.

Golem - A kid, tired of being bullied and getting no support from his roughneck father, is merged with a contruction machine called a Golem. He seeks to extract a terrible revenge!

Meltdown - One of Terry's first encounters with one of Bruce's "Rogue's Gallery" as Mr. Freeze returns to get revenge on Derek Powers and Dr. Stephanie Lake for betraying him during an experiment to cure his condition! We also get to see Blight in action for the first time!

Heroes - A group of people take part in a dangerous experiment to create a team of crimefighters. But for Batman, things aren't what they seem.

Shriek - A engineer is hired by Derek Powers to kill Bruce Wayne but has to take out Batman as well. This eppy has a unique sequence near the end where very little sound is used to display the power of Shriek.

SPECIAL NOTE: This episode has alternate commentary by Bruce Timm, Alan Burnett, Glen Murakami, Curt Geda & Stan Berkowitz.

Dead Man's Hand - The Royal Flush Gang returns to Gotham to seek revenge on Batman though this isn't the same one that put them away (that was Bruce Wayne). We also see the first serious conflict between Bruce and Terry over the Gang which is complicated even further by Terry's romance with Melanie, who turns out to be one of the gang members!

Disc Two

The Winning Edge - Teens at Terry's high school are using drugs similiar to steroids to enhance their physical abilities. Bruce suspects one of his old enemies, Bane, may be behind what's happening since the compound is....VENOM!

Spellbound - A new villian, The Spellbinder, is using hypnosis to get kids to commit crimes. Its up to Batman to break the spell!

Disappearing Inque - Desperate for the compound which originally created her, Inque manipulates a lowly factory worker (who is obsessed with her) into helping her get revenge on Batman and Bruce Wayne. This also features one of the few times that Bruce himself gets in on the action during this series!

A Touch Of Curare - In only her second appearance in the series, Police Commissioner Barbara Gordon is trying to protect her husband, Sam, from assassination by a Curare before a big deposition that could put a big crime boss behind bars for good. She also has to face down her past as she doesn't want help from either the new Batman or Bruce Wayne. We also get new revelations into the past relationship between Bruce and the former Batgirl!

Ascension - Paxton Powers, the son of Derek Powers, is called in to temporarily take over his father's company as his "Blight" powers rage out of control! The younger Powers, however, has other ideas!

Features:

*Inside Batman Beyond: Meet Series Creators - A round table discussion about the series with Bruce Timm, Paul Dini and Alan Burnett

*Music Of The Knight: Enjoy Score-Only Versions Of Key Scenes

The lack of extras is the only reason this set gets a 4 from me instead of a 5. Many of these episodes I had at one point or another BUT it was still worth it to get this. Can't wait for Season Two!