Writer: JD Murray, Christopher Yost
Director: Ginny McSwain
Cast: Rino Romano, Alastair Duncan, Evan Sabara, Danielle Judovits, Kevin Michael Richardson, Tom Kenny, Richard Green, Grey DeLisle
Rating: Not Rated
Studio: Warner Home Video
Release Date:July 8, 2008
It’s an indisputable fact that Batman is one of the biggest superhero franchises worldwide. There have been plenty of movies, successful comic adventures, animated shows, merchandise, and more fans than you can imagine. While other superheroes find success in comics and sometimes in movies, animated television shows can be touch and go. The Batman goes above and beyond any other superhero cartoon that I can remember. Maybe it’s because I am partial to Batman. Maybe it’s because I’ve always viewed him as the coolest of the comic entities. Either way, The Batman was something special, and it’s sad to see this show end after just five small seasons.
One of the main things that sets The Batman apart from other animated series about the Dark Knight, is that the show didn’t follow one set storyline in the comics. It also strayed from looking or acting like other Batman animated series. The final season dropped the familiar presence of Batgirl and Commissioner Gordon. While these two are shown on occasion, the Dynamic Duo teamed up with members of the Justice League, more often than in previous seasons. Regardless of the slight changes, The Batman offers an amazing fifth season. In fact, the only thing wrong with it is that it’s over.
Release Information:
The Batman aired on the Kids WB lineup Saturday mornings from 2004-2008. In that time the series gained quite a following and secured some Emmy nominations and wins. The series was so popular that a spin-off comic book was created for younger readers. The Batman Strikes! had a 50 issue run and will release the final comic book in October 2008.
The final season of The Batman offers thirteen episodes and a couple of farewell bonus features. The set is currently available through both online and offline retailers. The set became available in stores on July 8, 2008. If you are interested in purchasing <em>The Batman: The Complete Fifth Season</em> you can pick this up at Amazon for $13.99.
The The Batman: The Complete Fifth Season Plot
Fans of the show are well aware of how things go at this point. Batman (Rino Romano - Dragonlance: Dragons of Autumn Twilight) defends Gotham (the equivalent of New York City) with the help of Robin (Evan Sabara - Spy Kids). In the beginning of the series, Batgirl (Danielle Judovits) was Batman’s right hand helper, but she was on the outs in season three, and last season (Season Four), Robin took her place. Season Five is special, because the Dynamic Duo also team up with several members of the Justice League. This enters what the creators have called the Brave and the Bold phase.
The Batman is one of those rare shows that was made for children, but that will please adult Batman fans, as well. There have been so many adaptations of this character from vigilante to the character that is shown here in this series. While they all carry the name Batman, the different sides of this masked hero, allow fans to all have a different interpretation and favorite of Batman.
As I stated earlier, Batman and Robin end up working with the Justice League this season. Various episodes include Superman (George Newbern - A Dennis the Menace Christmas), Green Arrow (Chris Hardwick - House of 1000 Corpses), Green Lantern (Dermot Mulroney - Zodiac), Flash (Charlie Schlatter), and Hawkman (Robert Patrick - Walk the Line).
While it is awesome to see that there is so much action with these heroes working together, the creators of the show do not disappoint in the appearance of villains either. The villains this season range from Lex Luthor and Count Vertigo to Mirror Master, The Joker (Kevin Michael Richardson), and The Penguin (Tom Kenny - Transformers Animated).
There were a lot more characters this season, but the season was handled well. The writers ensured that everyone got their time and things were handled in a way where the story was told completely, without rushing through to the ending. Every character receives fair time, though Batgirl fans will be disappointed, because she is the only one that really takes a back seat this time around. She has a few episodes that she is in, though it feels almost like a cameo performance because she appears so sporadically in these 13 episodes.
The addition of the Justice League is a nice touch. The interactions that Batman makes with the members of the Justice League make the show more enjoyable and offer a bit of Batman that mimics other series and comics that fans love. This season pays homage to the entire Batman franchise. It is well written and enjoyable from beginning to end.
The episodes with short description are as follows:
“The Batman/Superman Story: Part 1”: Batman and Superman team up for the first time in the series in order to bring down, the new to town, Lex Luthor.
“The Batman/Superman Story: Part 2”: Lex Luthor takes control of Superman, causing Batman and Robin to have to take down Superman in a huge battle.
“Vertigo”: Batman and The Green Arrow are forced to team up when Count Vertigo comes to town.
“White Heat”: Firefly, a rather weak villain, gains some new powers after he is exposed to radioactive phosphorous. Taking the name of the thing that changed him, Phosphorous makes plans to destroy the city, so Batman needs to stop him.
“A Mirror Darkly”: The Flash, Batman, and Robin team up to show Mirror Master how unwelcome his presence is in Gotham City.
“Joker Express”: The city of Gotham experiences some odd events, when citizens randomly commit murders while having insane bouts of laughter. This leads Batman to hunting Joker, one more time.
“Ring Toss”: Green Lantern loses his ring during a fight with Sinestro. When The Penguin gets a hold of the ring, a new crime wave falls over the city.
“The Metal Face of Comedy”: Joker’s mind is downloaded through a computer, which creates Joker 2.0. This new mega villain attempts to destroy Batman, Robin, and the original Joker!
“Attack of the Terrible Trio”: Three mutagens that are stolen from Dr. Langstrom are able to transform into something stronger, and take revenge against those who tormented them.
“The End of the Batman”: Wrath learns that Batman is Bruce Wayne, but will this revelation change Batman’s career as a crime fighter?
“What Goes Up…”: The Shadow Thief is the villain of the hour. He’s been hired to break the Black Mask out of Arkham and Batman and Hawkman are working to make sure that doesn’t happen.
“Lost Heroes: Part 1”: Members of the Justice League are kidnapped, leaving it up to Batman, Robin, and Green Lantern to find out who is kidnapping the members of the League and what they want.
“Lost Heroes: Part 2”: The villains are exposed, as are the reasons behind the kidnappings. Now it is time for the League to ban together to stop villains from ruining the world.
Storyline/Plot: 
Replayability:
Acting:
Directing:
Audio/Visual:
The Batman might only be sporting an aspect ratio of 1.33:1, but this is a top of the line transfer in every possible way. The blacks look good, the colors stand out, and as it is marketed for children, it makes for incredibly kid friendly viewing. There are no noticeable compression issues, no dirt, and nothing negative to report. This transfer is about as close to flawless as you can get.
The audio is as good as the video. Presented with English and French Dolby Digital Stereo mixes, The Batman does not disappoint here. The sound is dynamic, entertaining, and will ensure that children stay involved in the show. The actor’s voices are expressive, and the sound effects are dynamic. They really couldn’t have done a better job if they had tried.
Visual:
Audio:
Bonus Features:
Since there had to be at least one complaint somewhere, this is going to be where mine is. When you consider the fact that this is the final season of an amazing series, it is depressing to see such a paltry selection of special features available. There are only two bonuses available in this two disc set and neither of them are what you would expect for the final season in this series to offer.
The first bonus is “Joining Forces: The Batman’s Legendary Team-Ups –How Series Producers Adapted the DC “Team Up Tales”. As you can see by the title this explains how producers worked together to bring the stories about Batman teaming up with others into the series. While this is interesting, it is for a more adult audience and it’s just one of many things that could have been shown as a bonus. The second bonus is profiles of the Justice League members. All in all, this is a highly disappointing bonus section.
Bonus Features: 
Bottom Line:
Despite offering a weak set of bonuses, The Batman comes highly recommended. If you have not seen this show, I recommend checking it out from start to finish. Whether that means renting it or buying it is up to you, but if you love superheroes you seriously need to see this! This is an amazing series that should have never been cancelled. It is also one of the best child-friendly adaptations of the Batman franchise. You really cannot go wrong with this fun and entertaining show.
Overall Rating:
Technorati Tags: Movie, DVD Review, Animated, DC Comics, Superhero, Batman, Robin, Batgirl, Joker, Green Lantern, Green Arrow, Flash, Justice League, Gotham City, Dick Grayson, Bruce Wayne, Hero, Children, Cartoon, Kids WB, Canceled, TV on DVD
Written by Ashtyn Evans - Visit Website
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Ashtyn lives in her home state of Michigan with her life partner, Dominick, her 14 year old son, and her baby, the Shih-Tzu, Oliver Twist. Ashtyn is in college, going for a degree in Psychology. She plans to get her Ph.D and work as a therapist in the field of human sexuality. Ashtyn is an experienced and talented chef. She also excels at writing and has worked as a professional writer for the past five years. Ashtyn enjoys spending time with her son and four year old nephew, watching movies, listening to music, and writing works of fiction.
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