Batman Beyond was described by Paul Dini as meant for "selling toys." It goes without saying how much merchandise works into Batman- lord knows that the toys and videos and movies make more money than the comics have in general in years- but it slightly underrates the strengths in this show. As a kids program, it's often very exciting, and even as a guy now moving along in age (i.e. 20s), it's recognizably a cool, if updated, Batman reboot. To also say that it's nowhere near as groundbreaking or amazing or sometimes genius as Bruce Timm's original series from the 90s is also a given; they're out to carve some new ground here, but it's only with new variations on characters and bringing back the 'relics' (i.e. old Bruce Wayne, Barbara Gordon, Mr. Freeze and Bane in a couple of episodes) on top of the new 'versions' (i.e. Jokerz gang, which is in no relation to the Return of the Joker movie).
As it stands, solo episodes not dealing with that opening struggle between CEO-cum-radioactive man Derek Powers and Terry McGinnis are not always that great. Sometimes they are, in spots, and other times they're mired in predictable action, plots, and characters that come out of the stockpile of clichés that kids can gobble up like M&Ms without much afterthought. In a sense it's like Buffy the Vampire Slayer, only not quite as imaginative or funny, yet still filled with big amounts of action and cheesy one-liners and villains that spring out of nightmares of high school and craziness. That's part of it, anyway; as the series goes along some of the themes start to run deeper- not least of which Bruce Wayne's role as surrogate father/mentor to Terry- and occasionally it's even poignant. Most of the time, it is what it appears to be: Saturday morning fodder that is a step above The Batman series of late and is just a bit more than the 'toys' angle.
As it stands, solo episodes not dealing with that opening struggle between CEO-cum-radioactive man Derek Powers and Terry McGinnis are not always that great. Sometimes they are, in spots, and other times they're mired in predictable action, plots, and characters that come out of the stockpile of clichés that kids can gobble up like M&Ms without much afterthought. In a sense it's like Buffy the Vampire Slayer, only not quite as imaginative or funny, yet still filled with big amounts of action and cheesy one-liners and villains that spring out of nightmares of high school and craziness. That's part of it, anyway; as the series goes along some of the themes start to run deeper- not least of which Bruce Wayne's role as surrogate father/mentor to Terry- and occasionally it's even poignant. Most of the time, it is what it appears to be: Saturday morning fodder that is a step above The Batman series of late and is just a bit more than the 'toys' angle.