BB - Rebirth

This may be the single greatest pilot episode of all the series that comprise the DCAU. It's very realistic, uniquely stylized, and consistently dark.

This is the first episode of the DCAU in which the opening title sequence does not introduce the episode. Instead, we are shown a scene set approximately 20 years into the future, where Batman has donned a new red-and-black costume and is fighting to save a young girl who has been taken hostage. Several things are notale about this scene. First, Batman's suit is far darker than anything we've seen him wear before. Secondly, he is fighting to save the daughter of Veronica Vreeland, one of Bruce Wayne's former girlfriends. Thirdly, Batman's sidekicks are completely absent; Bruce is fighting alone. This is a future that feels familiar, yet has gone somewhat astray.

In the end, Batman has a heart attack in the middle of a fight, and, after being savagely beaten by a common thug, is forced to pull a gun on the man in order to save his own life.


This, of course, means that Bruce Wayne can no longer function as Batman, and he permanently puts away the suit, vowing "never again" to don the cowl. It is here that we see the enshrined costumes of Batman, Robin, Batgirl, and Nightwing, revealing that all of the former guardians of Gotham are gone. Gotham is now left to itself, and must survive without its protectors.

At this point, the show's intro begins, zooming in on a futuristic and somehow even darker Gotham City.


Rather than the traditional orchestral score, Batman Beyond has a dark-sounding electric guitar rock soundtrack, giving the entire show a harder edge. This is completely exemplified in the opening title by the art style, which has perhaps the most stylized visuals of any part of the DCAU. None of the intro is in the normal animation style, but instead uses a constantly shifting mixture of various lighting tricks and effects filters to create an extremely exciting sequence. Throughout the beginning of the intro, we are shown brief flashes of words that symbolize the themes of the series, and what Gotham has become:
Apathy.
Greed.
Corruption.
Power.

However, the next shot we see is of the main character, Terry McGinnis, as he looks bravely forward despite the graveyard visible behind him.


It is after this brief visual that we glimpse one more word:
Hope.
This gives way to a visual of Terry as the new Batman, who appears from behind a black swarm of bats. At this point, the electric guitar fully kicks in, and we see the title "Batman" appear for a moment before being overlaid with the word "Beyond."


Throughout the intro, we can clearly see that this is a futuristic, somewhat dystopian Gotham City. Once the main story of the episode begins, the tone and feel of this even-farther future has already been set.

"Rebirth" is dark, moody, and sometimes morbid. While some may say that this is inappropriate for a kids' series, it gave the series premiere great depth and believability.


This episode establishes the "Jokers" gang, the sad state of Bruce Wayne's life, and Terry's personal problems. From this point on, the series works to reverse this darkness, while still reveling in it.


"Rebirth" also establishes a higher level of violence in the series, showing blood and brutality. This actually makes a lot of sense, and--as an "older" viewer--I appreciate that.


The ending of this episode is both lighthearted and subtly foreboding. As Terry shakes Bruce's hand, we as the audience know that Terry is getting far in over his head, and his fate will be forever changed.


All in all, the episode was near-perfect.

9/10

Batman Beyond - Intro

Batman Beyond was a highly controversial concept when it was announced, and for many years after its release. On paper, the show's concept--a whiny teenager becoming the new Batman and fighting "newer, edgier" versions of the classic Batman villains--sounds like an abomination. However, in execution, it is surprisingly compelling, and by far the darkest and most mature series of the entire DCAU.



Batman Beyond was supposed to be a show for a much younger audience, as the late WB Network wanted a new animated series from the creators of Batman and Superman that would attract a slightly younger crowd, possibly with the idea of a "teenage Batman." It's ironic, then, that Batman Beyond was consistently far more mature than either or its predecessors.

Set in the future of 2039, Batman Beyond introduces us to a Gotham City that has gained the technologies and attitudes of the future, but has lost its sole protector, the Batman. Bruce Wayne has become too old to continue the fight against crime, and now lives as a solitary hermit, his only companions his dark memories. And a dog.


Seventeen-year-old Terry McGinnis is a smart young man, but has some serious anger issues. Through a chance meeting with Bruce, he accidentally discovers the identity of the Batman. When his father is murdered, he steals Bruce's high-tech "batsuit," which, with its Iron Man-like abilities, enables him to bring his father's killers to justice. Bruce, seeing the potential in Terry, trains him to become the new Batman.


Terry is a character that, by all rights, should not be entertaining. Normally the "young teenager" archetype is unskilled, stupid, and ultimately annoying. Terry, however, is already a skilled fighter, not entirely foolish, and quite compelling. His dialogue is quite clever, and his sense of humor is more than adequate--something that Bruce always lacked.
Terry is a character that has the naivete of youth, but the maturity of a young man who has seen the darker side of Gotham. He's already got some fighting skill, but, with the addition of the batsuit, is a formidable warrior.


The batsuit grants Terry all of these abilities:

• Enhanced strength by a factor of ten.
• Minimal reduction (or increase) in flexibility.
• Enhanced visual assistance that allows him to see in the dark (visual from the Batsuit can be fed back to the main computer in the Batcave; it can also receive visual from the main computer, allowing for superior tactical planning). The visor can also serve as digital binoculars and an infrared filter.
• Personal communicator allows Terry to keep in constant contact with Bruce at the Batcave.
• Enhanced ballistic protection.
• Significantly resistant to heat, electricity, water, and vibrations, but only slightly resistant to radiation.
• Built-in rebreather for underwater combat/exploration.
• Dispensable Batarangs with a range of auxiliary functions, such as producing electric shocks. However, there is a limit to the amount of Batarangs the Batsuit can dispense; Batman has run out on at least one occasion.
• Discs that can be fired from the tops of the hands.
• Electrical discharges throughout the suit that can be activated by pushing the button on the belt.
• Grappling guns built into the forearms.
• Flashbang grenades.
• Smoke pellets.
• Flexicuffs.
• Launchable tracers.
• A retractable PIN or password decipherer in the form of a key on the right index finger.
• Retractable wings under the arms.
• Rocket boots enabling limited flight.
• Electromagnetic pads in the soles of the boots for adhesion to certain surfaces.
• Sensitive touch microphone on index and middle fingers that permits eavesdropping through solid surfaces.
• Drug identifier, utilized by dipping fingers into the substance.
• Built-in cloaking device that enables almost complete camouflage (this function possibly consumes a good deal of the Batsuit's power, as Batman minimizes its usage). It allows camouflage extending into the visible light and infrared frequencies of the electromagnetic spectrum.
  
• Retractable claws which can be used to slice, clip, or facilitate climbing.
• Can uplink with the Batmobile for remote piloting.
• A remote kill function that can externally deactivate the suit from the Batcave.
• The belt buckle also serves as a buzz saw to get out of a room quickly or to cut through denser material.
• Electroshock circuitry, effective with direct contact, to protect Terry from attacks from Inque or to disable an opponent.

That list might seem too long, making Terry look like a completely unstoppable force of technological fury. However, it's important to note that the original Batman had a list of gadgets that was likely even longer, all stuffed into his belt alone.



The city of Gotham is a wonderful hybrid of the Gotham we know from BTAS, the Metropolis we've come to love from STAS, and the dystopian future city from Blade Runner. It's a very interesting place that serves as a great backdrop for the series.


All in all, this show is quite unique, and stands as one of the great original creations of superhero animated television.