Batman: Caped Crusader Cartoon Coming to HBOMax

[SiegePerilous02]

It sounds interesting, but there's still a glaring issue; they still haven't made a Super Sons cartoon. Or make it Super Kids, and bring the children of other heroes, and it would be a great way to appeal to kids. But no, they want to go back and retread the same stories.

The classic characters were designed to appeal to kids first and foremost and never had an issue of connecting to that audience.

What stories would they be re-telling? And if it's aimed at kids, it's not as if kids will have experienced much of those stories already anyway

[Amadeus Arkham]

BTAS was also designed to sell toys. So it needed to be aimed at a younger audience still. They don't have that restriction here probably as kids don't really buy toys like they did in the 90s, so it might lean more mature if that is what they want.

Actually, re-reading the article again it seems that this show will be airing simultaneously on HBO Max and Cartoon Network which means it will likely not have any PG-13 violence and language like the comics and DTV movies have. Which isn’t to say that’s a negative since Batman: The Animated Series worked just fine being aimed at younger audiences, and was able to be very mature despite the censorship restrictions. So I’m fine with this.

[SiegePerilous02]

Censorship restrictions forced the creators of BTAS to get more creative with conveying the Joker's menace rather than going the lazy route of him killing people left and right.

If it allows for a less excessively brutal Batman who solves mysteries and a Joker who is legitimately funny and more subtly menacing, a PG-13 or even PG rating is preferable

[Jackalope89]

The classic characters were designed to appeal to kids first and foremost and never had an issue of connecting to that audience.

What stories would they be re-telling? And if it's aimed at kids, it's not as if kids will have experienced much of those stories already anyway

Well, not the same exact stories, but retreading the same beats with Clark and Lois.

[AnakinFlair]

I was excited.... until I saw that JJ F'ing Abrams was involved.

[Amadeus Arkham]

I was excited.... until I saw that JJ F'ing Abrams was involved.

It’s not like Abrams is solely involved(he will be working with his childhood friend Matt Reeves) and Abrams has produced and co-created some good shows like Alias and Lost. Quite frankly, I’m far more worried about Timm given his track record of late but Reeves and Abrams feels me with ease about the project’s quality.

[SiegePerilous02]

Well, not the same exact stories, but retreading the same beats with Clark and Lois.

But those beats would be new to what is (hopefully/should be) the target audience, and creative teams always put their own twist on it. It's old hat to us, but we're not the main target audience anyway. Same with BTAS being the big introduction to Batman and his world in the 90s. Batman vs. Joker was new to those kids, even though it was a thing since 1939.

[Blue22]

Bruce Timm, huh? Whelp...keep Barbara Gordon far away from this and we might be alright xD

[Amadeus Arkham]

But those beats would be new to what is (hopefully/should be) the target audience, and creative teams always put their own twist on it. It's old hat to us, but we're not the main target audience anyway. Same with BTAS being the big introduction to Batman and his world in the 90s. Batman vs. Joker was new to those kids, even though it was a thing since 1939.

Technically since 1940, since Batman #1(the Joker’s first appearance) debuted in that year.

Sorry to get too nerdy for you, lol.

My bad, I shouldn’t had even bothered, but I would like to think I would make Comic Book Guy proud with me being that pedantically nerdy.

[SiegePerilous02]

Technically since 1940, since Batman #1(the Joker’s first appearance) debuted in that year.

Sorry to get too nerdy for you, lol.

My bad, I shouldn’t had even bothered, but I would like to think I would make Comic Book Guy proud with being that pedantically nerdy.

Lol no you're right, that one was fair. I am ashamed!

Bruce Timm, huh? Whelp...keep Barbara Gordon far away from this and we might be alright xD

I hate that I have to pray that she won't be in this for this very reason.

Unless Reeve and/or Abrhams can reign him in on that

[JBatmanFan05]

My reaction is a mixture of excitement along with great fear. Though the show need not be a straight continuation of BTAS, it should strive for the kind of quality storytelling and characterization BTAS achieved. And this "reimagining" needs to be familiar enough to BTAS and the comic Batman (both of which are popular and now more reflected in video games and animated/live action movies).

I hope many BTAS writers and successful Batman comic writers are involved. Dini, I'd love to see Scott Snyder contribute if possible, Matt Wagner, Alan Burnett, Michael Reaves, Grant Morrison, etc.

I also hope Michael Uslan is involved.

[Heeroyuy_Batman]

Censorship restrictions forced the creators of BTAS to get more creative with conveying the Joker's menace rather than going the lazy route of him killing people left and right.

If it allows for a less excessively brutal Batman who solves mysteries and a Joker who is legitimately funny and more subtly menacing, a PG-13 or even PG rating is preferable

I definitely fall in the category of those who hope it's more on the PG side. I don't see why the series would need to be R-rated. I think some PG-13 episodes on occasion would be okay, but the show doesn't have to be super dark. I feel like the material doesn't justify it. Batman: The Dark Knight Returns and Batman: Under the Red Hood were incredible and despite the mature material were PG-13 movies.

[Amadeus Arkham]

Just going off the image that uses the classic Kane ears, and it being described as a noir series I’m imagining this will look similar to this Golden Age Batman short that Bruce Timm did for Batman’s 75th anniversary a number of years ago.

[scary harpy]

Those bat-ears look more like horns.

Batman looks like Chernabog from that Disney Fantasia 'Night on Bald Mountain' cartoon.

[Frontier]

It has to be it’s own thing entirely. If it was set in the Reeves-verse that be too restrictive since I would assume certain villains that haven’t appeared yet in the trilogy yet like Joker would be on embargo, so by necessity this should be set in its own standalone world.

It would seem this would be, considering it was mentioned that this will be in the spirit of the BTAS.

I think it's relation to the Reeves movies will probably be like how B:TAS took cues from the Burton movies without directly emulating it, and I imagine the same will be true for this show with B:TAS.

Kind of difficult to get excited for another Batman animated project. The market is so oversaturated with them at this point where I don't think they can do anything really interesting with it. Wonder if it will be set in the same universe as the new Superman animated series, like what they did in the 90s with Timm's series, and is it going to be set really early in Batman's career or somewhat later.

Well, this is the first solo Batman cartoon we've had in 10 years after Beware the Batman ended.

Actually, re-reading the article again it seems that this show will be airing simultaneously on HBO Max and Cartoon Network which means it will likely not have any PG-13 violence and language like the comics and DTV movies have. Which isn’t to say that’s a negative since Batman: The Animated Series worked just fine being aimed at younger audiences, and was able to be very mature despite the censorship restrictions. So I’m fine with this.

Yeah, I think this is going to be ostensibly for all ages but still address darker and more mature themes like B:TAS did.

It’s not like Abrams is solely involved(he will be working with his childhood friend Matt Reeves) and Abrams has produced and co-created some good shows like Alias and Lost. Quite frankly, I’m far more worried about Timm given his track record of late but Reeves and Abrams feels me with ease about the project’s quality.

I did not know that.

Just going off the image that uses the classic Kane ears, and it being described as a noir series I’m imagining this will look similar to this Golden Age Batman short that Bruce Timm did for Batman’s 75th anniversary a number of years ago.

I had the same thought. It definitely looks like they might be going for a Golden Age aesthetic.