Batman Beyond (1999-2001) (Series Review)

    The Kid’s WB network hit it big with animated Superhero programs in the late 90’s, with programs like “Superman: The Animated Series” and “The New Batman Adventures” being some of their most successful early animated shows, and launching what fans have come to know as the shared DC animated Universe. While I occasionally caught glimpses of those first two, I didn’t actively watch either of them back when I was a kid. The first of the animated DC universe programs I regularly watched was actually the follow-up to “Batman: The Animated Series” titled “Batman Beyond”. 

This series took place in the future of Gotham city, in which an aged Bruce Wayne teaches a young teen to be the cities new Batman. While it could never match its predecessor in terms of iconic status, “Batman Beyond” was a surprisingly worthy follow-up in the Batman universe, with all the same gothic storytelling, and complex characters that the Dark Knight was praised for … just with some techno-filled styles, and action thrown into the mix. I remember many of my fellow classmates snickered at this show, saying it could never match the classic, and while a part of me agreed with them … I also knew I liked this show back when I was a kid. Looking back all these years later, “Batman Beyond” has aged like fine wine, never once feels like the product of a specific decade, and stands tall as a genuinely great superhero program from my late 90’s-early 2000’s generation.

   Right off the bat … no pun intended … this series did something that no other Batman series has done yet … evolve the character further, and make Batman more than just one person, but a symbol that can be passed on through the ages, with different people adorning the name. Despite featuring a younger hero, the show didn’t make itself more kid-friendly, and still had more of a dark edge then other Kids WB programs … some of it actually scared, and disturbed me as a kid. 

The series even tackled relevant social issues, mainly the kind associated with teenagers, including peer pressure, substance abuse, neglect, child abuse, school violence, and street gangs. Yet, despite all that, the show was still able to appeal to kids with a very likable young hero, who could have a jokey side, but could also set good examples of heroism, and had just as much to learn as us kids watching him. This also had its own distinct look and personality separate from other Batman media, with a future setting that leaned into more Sci-Fi, and Cyberpunk esthetic. It also has a lot in common with Spider-Man, focusing on a teenage hero, who needs to balance his school life and responsibilities with that of being a crime fighter. Even the side characters, and new rouges are more like Spider-Man villains than Batman. This approach was intentional from the start, and I feel it works in making this a different show from what proceeded it.     

   The intro is one of my all-time favorites of any animated superhero program I’ve seen. It’s a fast-moving montage of images matched to a riveting score, and all throughout, my senses are hooked by this onslaught of flashy imagery, glimpses of important characters, cryptic villain designs, and epic hero poses. Popping between cuts are words that thematically tie-into what the show revolves around ... “Apathy”, “Courage”, “Greed”, “Hope”, “Corruption”, “Justice”, and “Honor”. It’s very stylish, atmospheric, and always gets me excited for a new Batman adventure.     

“Rebirth” … Also known as “Batman Beyond: The Movie” 

The series begins with a two-part piolet episode titled “Rebirth”, which was later edited together as a home-video feature called “Batman Beyond: The Movie”. This happened to be one of the first pieces of Batman media I owned on home video back when I was a kid, so I got some nostalgic ties to this one. Things kick off with a lengthy flashback of the original Batman, and his final night as a crime fighter. While adoring the new Beyond costume, he’s still too old to carry on the fight, is nearly beaten to death, and becomes so desperate that Batman himself pulls a gun on a thug … which is the moment he crossed the line, and vowed to never again go out as Batman. Years later, a young teenager named Terry McGinnis meets the elder Bruce Wayne while fighting off a street-gang, and soon learns of his long dormant secret, that he was once Batman. Shortly after, Terry’s father is killed by a shady business tycoon named Mr. Powers, who’s taken over Wayne industries, and is secretly dealing biological gas weapons to terrorists, which Terry’s father stumbled upon. 

With neither Bruce or the police able to help, Terry takes it upon himself to take Batman’s new cutting edge Beyond suit, and use it to defeat his father’s killer. In the process, he inadvertently turns Mr. Powers into the first of many new supervillains, a radioactive, glowing green skeleton called Blight. For all his mistakes, Bruce Wayne see’s the potential in the young Terry to be a worthy successor, and to continue on the legacy of Batman. This is a solid 10 out of 10 premier episode, one of the best of the series, and kicks things off on a strong note. 

With the set-up established, let’s take a closer look at the characters …

Batman/ Terry McGinnis (voiced by Will Friedle) 

As stated above, this new Batman had a lot in common with Spider-Man, both in terms of age, quippy personality, and life struggles. Yet, thanks to a consistently strong vocal performance from Will Friedle, and layered writing, this character never once feels like a one-note imitation. He still feels like a unique Batman, with his own personal flaws to overcome, and his own heroic strengths that separate him from his predecessor. For a good example of how Terry McGinnis can stand on his own, check out the season three episode “Unmasked”, in which he’s willing to throw his identity away just to rescue a kid, and let him know he’s a friend. 

Bruce Wayne (voiced by Kevin Conroy) 

An integral part of the show was the inclusion of the elderly Bruce Wayne, who gives our young new hero guidance, while trying to move beyond what were clearly some bitter tragedies in his own life. Kevin Conroy once again kicks it out of the park in his iconic role, and even as an old man, he’s still the coolest hero. For a solid Bruce Wayne outing, check out the season one episode “Shriek”, in which Bruce over comes the mental influence of another villain.

Max (voiced by Cree Summer) 

Rounding-up our core three hero’s is Terry’s best friend from school named Max, who’s the only other person who knows Batman’s identity, and is the figurative “friend in the chair”, who aids our hero on the side-lines. This character didn’t appear until season two, but quickly became a key ingredient that kept the show going strong. Thanks to a charismatic vocal performance from the legendary Cree Summer, Max added both levity, and someone trusting for our hero to fall back on. For a good Max episode, check out the season two venture titled “The Hidden Agenda”, in which she uses her own detective skills the unmask Batman’s identity.

 

Other Allies 

Terry also has his own Mary Jane equivalent in a high school teen named Dana, although despite being prominently spotlighted in the opening credits, she barley amounts to more than a likable supporting role. She could have potentially left more of an impression, if she just had a bigger role in the series. Batgirl is also grown-up, and is now the new Commissioner Gordon, but unlike her father, she’s not as trusting of the new Batman, and never uses the Bat-signal to call him for help. It makes for an interesting dynamic as both Batman and the commissioner have respect for each other, but there always at arm’s length, which makes for an engaging relation. One of their best episodes is their season one adventure titled “A Touch of Curare”, in which the two need to compromise in order to face a mysterious blue-skinned assassin called Curare.

That takes care of the heroes, so now let’s move onto the villains. Another wise choice from the writer’s was creating an original rouges gallery of villains for this new Batman to fight, as simply bringing back classic Batman villains would have been too easy, and repetitive. Thus, classic Batman rouges were seen sparingly, with a new ensemble of villains taking center stage.     

 

Blight/Derek Powers (voiced by Sherman Howard) 

Following after the events of the primer episode, the evil business tycoon Derek Powers remained Terry’s arch nemesis through the first season, concocting nefarious plans against both him and Bruce Wayne. On the side lines, he looks for a means to reverse his mutated condition, which has transformed him into the supervillain Blight … a radioactive, glowing green skeleton, who’s powers can melt anything with a touch. The design is awesome, and he is figuratively to Batman what the Green Goblin is to Spider-Man. One of his best episodes is his final appearance in the season one finale titled “Ascension”, in which the two have their climactic confrontation, as well as their best line exchange. Blight: “Who are you?” Batman: “Don’t you know … You killed my father!” Blight: “… Do you have the slightest idea how little that narrows it down!”

  

The Jokerz 

The most frequent reoccurring villains in the series are a violent group of street teens who model themselves after Gotham’s legendary Joker, and were heavily influenced by real life Juggalo Gangs. While they’re not Batman’s greatest threat, they represent the failing economy of Gotham, with their constant harassment of innocent citizens being depicted as “just another day in Gotham”. Through the shows run, we see different members, with different designs, and harmful goals. In the season two episode “Joyride”, we see how dangerous they can be when using stolen military weapons, and all so they can have a fun night on the town.

 

Inque (voiced by Shannon Kenny) 

Acting as a cross between Spider-Man’s Venom and the Terminators liquid metal T-1000, Inque is a shapeshifter, who could well be the deadliest of Batman’s foes, and one of my favorites of his main rouges. She’s the only villain who’s strategic enough to invade the Bat-cave, as well as force the aged Bruce Wayne out of retirement for one last night to suit-up as Batman. In the season three episode titled “Inqueling”, we discover that she’s also a victim of her own making, and her family by extension is just as nefarious, as her own loving daughter won’t hesitate to bump her off, just for a shot at the fortune she’s harbored. 

 

The Royal Flush Gang 

My personal favorite reoccurring villains of “Batman Beyond” come in the form of this unusual crime family, who consist of five members, and all adorning the look of the spaded royal flush playing cards. They have the most layered history, as part of a family line that pass on the look over the decades, have a long-standing history with Batman, and each member of the family has their own distinct character arc. The most notable being the young female named Ten, who forms a forbidden romance with our hero. Personally, I feel The Royal Flush Gang has the strongest trilogy of episodes, beginning with season one’s “Dead Man’s Hand”, continuing with season two’s “Once Burdened”, and concluding with season three’s “King’s Ransom”.   

 

The Spellbinder (voiced by Jon Cypher) 

A standout foe for our new Batman is this mysterious illusionist called The Spellbinder, who can either bring to life ones hidden desires and fantasies, or subject them to their darkest fears. Once again, we have a villain who combines elements from previously known villains, and in the case of The Spellbinder, he’s a mix between Batman’s Scarecrow, and Spider-Man’s Mysterio. Regardless, he still fits right at home in this series, and his abilities lend themselves to some solid episodes. His introduction episode titled “Spellbound” is a very effective first look at the duality of his character, between indulging in teen fantasies, or making people feel trapped in a nightmare.  

 

Shriek (voiced by Chris Mulkey) 

One of the more unique threats in this new Batman’s arsenal is a technician in a power suit, who can affect sound waves, and use either intense volume or silence as his weapon. He’s all around another memorable new character, and his powers lend themselves to some very creative set-pieces, with brilliant sound editing. His greatest episode by far is the season two episode titled “Babel”, in which he unleashes his full powers on the city in an effort to turn everyone against Batman.   

 

The Kobra Cult 

The last of the new Batman’s main villains comes in the form of a terrorist organization called Kobra, who also function as an underground death cult that worships snakes. While admittedly derivative of the villains from “G. I. Joe”, these characters were a fresh and original concept for me when I first watched this as a kid. I also loved snakes, so the concept of a cult basing their own twisted religion around them was kind of exciting. Their first appearance is the season-two episode title “Plague”, in which they prove such a danger, that Batman has to make an alliance of convenience with another one of his rouges called The Stalker ... which is always an awesome concept.

 

My Top 10 favorite Episodes

With all the hero’s and villains established, I’ll simplify things by highlighting my personal, top 10 favorite episodes of "Batman Beyond". I already covered the primer episode, so no need to mention that story again, even though that one’s arguably the best of the series.

 

#10 “Zeta” 

In one of the show’s more unique episode’s, Terry’s friend Max is kidnaped by an assassin robot, which has the ability to take on the likeness of any person it comes into contact with. At first, it seems like a dangerous threat has been unleashed on Gotham City, when behind the scenes, we discover that this killer robot has actually developed a conscience, no-longer wants to kill, and aims to explore the realms of humanity. He explains his epiphany to both Max and Batman, as well as his need to escape a team of agents who are hunting him down. This leads into an ethical debate on whether or not Batman can put faith into a robot designed to kill, even when it claims to want peace. It’s an exciting premise, worth exploring in its own show … which is exactly what happened. 

This episode launched a spin-off show called “The Zeta Project”, which followed this robot on his quest to explore humanity, while constantly on the run from the law. The concept of exploring the metaphorical soul in a machine has obviously been done before, but seeing this as a little kid made it my first exposure to the topic, and it paved the way for me to discover other great robot themed stories ranging from “The Iron Giant”, to select episodes from “Star Trek: TNG”, and even “Terminator 2: Judgment Day”.  

 

#9 “Rats” 

It’s not easy being Batman, and it’s even harder to maintain a steady relationship with his high school love interest. Things finally reach a breaking point as Terry’s girlfriend Dana is feeling rejected, and more alone than ever. This gets the attention of another lonely teenager, who just happens to be a disfigured looking rat-boy that lives in the sewers. 

One night, he abducts Dana, taking her to his underground home, and hopes they can fill the loneliness in each other’s lives. It’s a very “Phantom of the Opera” inspired set-up, with a sympathetic, under dweller seeking companionship in a beautiful young woman. However, the longer she stays down there, the darker, and twisted secrets are revealed. This episode happens to be the very first I ever saw of the whole series, and I was instantly intrigued at how this show pays homage to classic, gothic stories. The big reason this episode stands out is that it's Dana’s only episode as a leading character, and highlights what a great presence she could have been … if given more involvement.   

 

#8 “Final Cut” 

The deadly blue-skinned assassin Curare returns to Gotham City, but this time she’s targeting the leading members of her own organization, before they do her in for her failure in a previous episode. One of the members … voiced by the distinguished Tim Curry … makes a desperate ultimatum with Batman, either he gets protection from their rouge assassin, or he triggers a bomb that’s been hidden within the city. 

Things take a dark turn when the fonder is taken out of the picture, leaving Batman and Max on a desperate search to find and defuse the bomb before it goes off, and all while avoiding the deadly blades of Curare. It’s already a thrilling premise, but it also makes for one of the best Batman and Max paired episodes of the whole show. While she had always been a useful ally, this episode marks a special case in which she’s doing a lot of field work, and directly helping our hero save the day. It also culminates into one of the greatest final battles of the whole show, with the climactic showdown between Batman and Curare set in a museum, brilliantly staged, and features top-tier animation.    

 

#7 “The Call” (2 Parts) 

    Arguably the shows second biggest event behind the premier, is this exciting, two-part event, which see’s our new young Batman recruited by none other than the Justice League. This actually marked the first appearance of the Justice League in DC’s animated universe, well before their TV show aired. Rather then face a giant external threat, this first outing features Batman and the league facing a deadly internal threat. 

At the behest of Superman, Batman seeks out a trader within the famous team of hero’s, all while proving his worth as a possible member. It’s all around a rock-solid superhero team-up, with memorable twists, high-stakes, and an awesome climactic set-piece. There’s a satisfying payoff to the threat behind all the action, as well as a number of cool details among the league members that I love, like Aqua Girl is voiced by “The Little Mermaid” herself Jodi Benson. In many ways, this episode was like a test-run to hint at what a potential Justice League series would be like … and the rest is history.

 

#6 “Mind Games” 

    In one of the shows more haunting episodes, Terry finds himself receiving mysterious visions of a little girl, who’s asking for help, and is being held prisoner. It leads into a deeply thrilling investigation story, as Batman follows the trail of this missing girl, explores cryptic leads on new villains lurking in the shadows, and on top of everything, he finds himself at the mercy of foes with powerful psychic abilities. 

This episode has a note-worthy celebrity appearance from Mara Wilson of “Matilda” fame, who voices the lost girl with psychic powers. Beyond that, this episode offers a little bit of everything I love seeing from Batman. It’s a spooky mystery thriller, balanced with exciting action, and I’ve always loved stories of two-characters making a special connection over great distance before they actually meet in person. There are also subtle details I love, like Terry and Max going on a dinner stake-out, while refreshingly being served stake.    

 

#5 “Curse of KOBRA” (2 Parts) 

After failing to stop some villains, Bruce believes it’s time for Terry to receive proper training from an old friend, to perfect his combat skills. 

During his training he befriends a mysterious student, who just happens to be the air to the sinister KOBRA cult. The leader also takes a liking to Max, abducting her with the intention to make Max his sergeant Queen in KOBRA’s new world order. While this wasn’t the last episode of the series, I always looked back on it as Batman’s climactic grand finale, in which his longstanding enemies unleash their biggest threat, all the characters get proper involvement, and it goes out with a thrilling climax on a flying battleship. It’s just a straightforward exciting episode, with riveting action, and highlights one of the shows greatest threats at their deadliest.    

 

#4 “Hooked-Up” 

When Batman’s enemy Spellbinder returns, he seduces high-school students to do his bidding, by getting them addicted to his virtual reality fantasies. Things escalate when many of the teen’s turn-up as comatose patients at the hospital, and to make maters worse … Terry’s best friend Max falls to the same addiction of the Spellbinders fantasies. This gives us some in-sight into her character, that she comes from a broken family, and her illusion fantasy is that of a loving family who’ll always be there for her. 

It’s an effective contrast to the more obvious fantasies of the other teens, and it elevates the quality of her character when she needs to make a choice to either sacrifice this fantasy in order to do what’s ethically right, even if that means facing the grimness of her own reality. As stated above, this show was at its finest when it tackled relevant issues, mainly the ones associated with teenagers, and in the case of this episode … it’s addictions to our modern forms of entertainment, and how a young person can become so reliant on their escape, that it becomes their own world. It’s a strong episode that holds-up today, and highlights why Max was such an important contribution to this show.

 

#3 “Meltdown”

As established above, this show was very wise to only use classic Batman villains sparingly, and only if they still had loose ends that needed closure. As such, Mr. Freezes story was left open ended in the original Batman series, and is given proper closure here, which is great as he was always my favorite of Batman’s rogues. During this time, Mr. Freeze’s condition has kept him in a state of hibernation, and thus, in the episode titled “Meltdown”, it was time for him to thaw. However, this time he returns in a new human body that’s no-longer frozen. 

As such, Mr. Freeze tries to make amends for his past sins, and aims to start a new life. The new young Batman wishes him well, all while the older and experienced Bruce Wayne is leery of his old foe. As is the case with Mr. Freeze, tragedy continues to dog his heals, even when trying to make a new life for himself. His condition reverses, and he’s betrayed by the doctors who initially revived him. As such, he becomes a villain for one last time, adorns a new super freezing suit, and goes on a suicide mission in an attempt to kill off all his enemies. The young Batman succeeds in thwarting his plans to commit genocide, but this time Mr. Freeze takes his final chilling breath ... and parishes during the battle. The final exchange between both the young and old Batman says so much with so little. They both reflect on their deceased foe, and note both the inexcusable monster who deserved his fate … and the sympathetic man who deserved better. 

Michael Ansara returned to voice his signature character one last time, and brought finality to the story of Mr. Freeze. This episode also marked Batman’s first confrontation with his arch enemy Blight, making this a passing of the baton between two generations of Batman villains. While this was a great send-off for Mr. Freeze, as well as continuation for Blight, I feel it would have been a pinch stronger if it was split into two parts.

 

#2 “Eyewitness” 

  One of the show’s most engaging dynamics was that Batman was always at odds with the police, and by extent the new commissioner Barbera Gordon. As this episode begins, Batman accidently spoils a sting operation set-up by the police, which only reaffirms the commissioners view-point that Batman is a loose canon who needs to be dealt with. This leads into a number of exciting debates, and raises the question of weather or not this new Batman is capable of crossing the line. Well, during a terrorist attack, a psychotic bomber called Mad Stan claims that being thrown in jail is pointless, as he’ll simply escape again, and inflict more harm on the innocent. 

This prompts Batman to do the unthinkable, and apparently … kills an enemy in cold blood … right in front of the commissioner. It’s the straw that brake’s the camel’s back, as she goes in full force to hunt him down, and arrest him. I distinctly remember watching this episode as a kid, and being on the edge of my seat the whole time, wondering if Batman really did cross the line, dreading if the police would actually nab him, and discovering all kinds of twists and turns along the way. It makes for an intriguing “What If” story, as well as a great mystery thriller, as Terry tries to convinces Bruce that the whole thing is a set-up with someone pulling the strings. While the climax is a little predictable, it’s never the less one of the shows most exciting offerings.      

 

Before I reveal my favorite episode, here are some quick Honorable Mentions …

“Disappearing Inque”

“The Eggbaby”

“The Last Resort”

“Earth Mover”

“Countdown”

 

#1 “Out of the Past” 

It’s Bruce Wayne’s birthday, and as he laments getting older, he also feels he’s outlived his usefulness, which is further punctuated when he fails to rescue a young girl from being pushed out into traffic. As if on que, out of the shadows comes an old flame from Bruce’s younger years … Talia Al’ Ghul, the daughter of Batman’s greatest original enemy Ra’s Al Ghul. After all the decades, she’s learned the secrets of her father’s restoration pit, which allowed her to maintain her youth, and now she offers Bruce the chance to return to his youthful days. In his depressed state, he accepts Talia’s offer, and uses the pit to rejuvenate his youth. 

At first, it seems too good to be true, but gradually his common senses kicks in, and he views his procedure as both abnormal and a cheat. He and Terry quickly learn that the whole thing was a trap, set in place by none other than Bruce’s late enemy Ra’s Al Ghul, who’s mind has been inhabiting Talia’s body, and now he aims to transfer himself into the now de-aged Bruce Wayne. While the show has mostly been about the journey of Terry as the new Batman, this is a perfect episode to bring closure to the story of Bruce Wayne, who finally learns to except his mortality, reflects on the good he’s done training his successor, and it concludes one of the best hold-over arches of the original series, as we’re finally treated to Bruce’s final confrontation with Ra’s Al Ghul. Also, for a twenty-minuet episode, it packs so many little highlights that make it easy to re-watch. 

There’s a great opening sequence in which Terry treats Bruce out to the theater for his birthday, which happens to be a goofy musical of the classic Batman and Robin days, as they fought their iconic foes. This opening alone just has me smiling from ear-to-ear, as it’s silly, but also very charming, especially with Kevin Conroy providing the singing voice of Batman. The best moment of all is when the de-aged Bruce Wayne fights side by side with Terry against armed opponents, and all matched to a guitar-rift of the iconic “Adventures of Batman and Robin” score. It’s honestly kind of a perfect episode, and if you want to see “Batman Beyond” at it’s finest, “Out of the Past” gets my biggest stamp of recommendation.

 

Crossovers 

Being set in DC’s shared animated universe, it opened the door for a number of crossover episodes, which was always a treat. Once the spin-off show “The Zeta Project” aired side by side with “Batman Beyond”, the two would have a number of shared adventures together, including the episode “Shadows”, which focused on the two teaming-up to battle one of Zeta’s most lethal adversaries. 

Another one of my favorite superhero shows of this time was “Static Shock”, which kicked off his fourth season with “Future Shock” … an episode that featured Static being sent to the future setting of “Batman Beyond”, and the two join forces to foil the latest scheme from KOBRA. There were even crossovers in the “Justice League Unlimited” series, including the two-part event titled “The Once and Future Thing”. 

It was the first time featuring both generations of Batman teaming-up for the very first time, and most importantly … featured classic Batman meeting the elderly Bruce Wayne, and the two play a game of good-cop and bad-cop against one of the Joker gang members. The most notable crossover of all is the “Justice League Unlimited” season two finale titled “Epilogue”, which also functions as a series finale to “Batman Beyond”. While the episode makes the curious choice to have Terry discover himself a genetic descendent of Bruce Wayne, the episode absolutely succeeds in bringing finality to the overarching theme of “Batman Beyond”, which is that of preserving ones legacy, and keeping it alive through a new generation. 

“Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker” 

Following after Beyond’s third season came the series’ first, and only real animated movie in 2000 titled “Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker”. To call this my favorite instalment of the Batman Beyond franchise would be an understatement … as I view this as one of the greatest offerings in all of Batman media. For me, it is equal to Batman’s film line-up, as “Wrath of Kahn” is to the “Star Trek” franchise. It’s an absolute masterpiece, as its dark and brooding, but it’s also very exciting, smart, and manages to celebrate “Batman Beyond”, as well as the classic “Batman”. As you’d expect from the title, Mark Hamill’s Joker returns to battle the new Batman, and take vengeance on the aged Bruce Wayne … which could have been enough for a memorable outing. 

However, the story goes much deeper, tying in the new hero’s journey with that of the original Gotham crime fighters, and gives everyone a worthy curtain call. The long-established rivalry between Kevin Conroy’s Batman, and Mark Hamill's Joker truly was one for the ages, and this was the event that brought perfect finality to their legacy. However, the movie goes even deeper, focusing on the personal pain and loss that came with adorning the cape and cowl. 

There’s great focus on the characters, terrific action, and a stunning hero villain conflict at the center. It’s also quiet dark, violent, shocking and intense for a movie adapted from a children’s cartoon. This is a film that should have been released in theaters, because it’s right up there with some of the best Batman adventures ever. Personally, even if you’re not a fan of the “Batman Beyond” TV series, I still highly recommend checking this one movie out on its own. In my opinion, it’s the absolute best of Batman’s direct to video ventures, and one of his all-time best movies.

   While viewers may have initially been skeptical of "Batman Beyond", it has rightfully grown a fan base over the years, and is now considered a minor classic in its own right. 

It was smart, exciting, had a fun gallery of original villains, and had the courage to do something different with the established source material. I do feel this show was ahead of its time, as it feels like something that could have been made today. Of course, it was also cool to see a new Batman fighting a new gallery of original villains, each with memorable features, and twisted backstories. While nothing can surpass the iconic status of the original “Batman: The Animated Series”, “Batman Beyond” was absolutely a worthy follow-up in the established Batman universe. I’d honestly be more excited for a live action movie based on this series then yet another live action film following the classic Batman. It’s a show that’s only gotten better for me, and with its fan base growing, I hope we can see it return in some form in the future.

Thanks for reading my review of the late 90’s series “Batman Beyond” … and continue to enjoy the shows you love!