Beware the Batman: An underrated gem in the Batman lore
I am not saying this piece was perfect as nothing ever is, but after finally having the chance to stream it, I can say without a doubt that it is awesome. The animation and art holds up especially for CGI, the fight scenes are cool, the plots are well thought out, the character development was intriguing and most importantly, it gave us a glimpse into the parts of the Batman we don't get to see very often. Note that there will be spoilers ahead.
Number one, the fact that Alfred Pennyworth was a former MI6 Agent is not only explored, but also plays a crucial role in the series and his character. Instead of being comic relief or solely the doting father figure, he is a serious man who's still got it when it comes to being able to fight, he has a hand in Batman's training and he has his own story within the story. I can also put the rumor of him being "mean" to Bruce to rest as he is nothing of the sort. If anything, he is still as kind and loving a father figure as any other version. He's just not a big clown. You can't even fault him for Bruce reacting badly to him leaving to take care of some unfinished business. That's on Bruce not Alfred especially when you consider that as soon as he was asked to come home, he did. After seeing how big of a badass Alfred could be, I really wish this version of him became normalized and reverting him back to the bumbling, gone soft old man was a shame.
Number two, I really like Katana as a character and as Batman's sidekick. To start, I really like that she is not a love interest or crush at all. Her relationship with Bruce/Batman is sororal and her character contrasts him very nicely. While Bruce started off as a normal person who would become a fighter. Katana started off as a fighter who is still learning to be a person and have social skills. I also like that her being a fighter doesn't make her good at everything nor is it the same as being a superhero. My only complaint about her is that I wish she got a better costume. I don't mind her wearing all black or even her title, but I do wish they put just as much love into her costume as they did her backstory and character development.
Number three, they really tried to give us something fresh and new by giving us bad guys from Batman's rogues gallery that we don't often see and they were reimagined beautifully. Professor Pyg (who you see here) as a fanatical animal rights terrorist and Magpie as a psychotic kleptomaniac who is not above murder attempts to name a few were really well done. I would have used a few of the iconic enemies too like Joker and Catwoman because the lack of some amount of familiarity caused to show to not be tempting enough. I speak as someone who for the longest time was one of those people who just weren't initially attracted to how obscure it looked. The only familiar foe we got were Ras Al Ghul who was not that impressive in this show and Two-Face who only appeared near the end.
Number four, it tried to be independent and different in all the right ways. Rather than solely playing up Batman as this perfect hero, this show dared to show us how vulnerable he can be especially when dealing with loss. As mentioned before, when Alfred had to take a leave of absence to take care of some personal matters, Bruce handled it very badly. He became a borderline shut in and became especially aggressive and senseless towards danger as Batman. As controversial as this sounds, I like that they did that because it reminds us that Bruce has loss trauma so losing someone again even just socially and temporarily is not something he is going to take well. It also didn't follow the set rules in the usual way. Sure the constant points were respected, but on its terms in a way that worked. For instance, Batman has a sidekick, but they aren't a Batgirl or a Robin. Barbara becomes Oracle, but doesn't need to undergo trauma, be Batgirl first or become paraplegic. On a side note, I don't think this version of Barbara Gordon was destined to become Batgirl. Jim Gordon becomes an ally, but after Batman earns his trust. Batman gets allies, but they are not Flash, Superman or the usual DC heroes.
In short, this show was really neat and it is one I recommend watching as it is both delightful and inspiring. Like Batman the Animated Series, Beware the Batman took the best constant points of the Batman mythos and reimagined them as their own, but it took it one step further. It decided to pick the parts that are not often used and ran with them. Sadly, I think this series is also a case of something being too ahead of its time and while it is way too late for a season 2 to have ever been made, I think making a reimagining of this show that cleans up the flaws and goes further would be a great idea. Though that's just my thoughts.
What are yours?
PS: If you haven't seen Beware the Batman yet, please watch it at least once.
