Beware the Batman preview

[skjam]

Hey folks!

One of the new shows coming up from DC's animation division is Beware the Batman. It's...different.

There was a ten-page preview comic in the Winter issue of DC Nation Super Spectacular, and I'm showing three pages.



Batman's riding along in his Batmobile when it's taken out by a shoulder-fired missile.




Tobias Whale seems a bit more "street" in this version, less the One Hundred, and more the Ten.

Batman demonstrates his escape artist skills, and just as his oxygen runs out, Alfred shows up.



Batman explodes the shipment and leaves the goons for the police, but Tobias Whale escapes. He then heads to Gotham Pier, where he meets his client. I won't spoil precisely who that is, but it appears to be the less beloved version of the character that the show is drawing from.

Also, there's an ad for an upcoming Green Lantern episode in which he meets Gil Broome, the Steam Lantern (and there's hints of Alan Scott in there too!)




Your thoughts and comments?
SKJAM!

Comments

[rainspirit]

Ew.

The belt's cool, but as a glowing insignia... I don't know.

[skjam]

I'm hoping he can mute it for vital stealth.

[amaniwolf]

Wow......ummm....yuck. I am the night......with a shiny belt you can see in the shadows. And really, what have they done to poor Alfred?

[leoboiko]

It makes more sense than making the preteen wear the bright-colored uniform while you dress in dark during the night. It’s almost as if he’s setting up the boys as easy targets to distract the enemies…

[icon_uk]

I've said for years that the Wayne Foundation gets a large amount of it's funding from the payouts from the insurance policies on Mr Wayne's wards...

[shadowpsykie]

O_o.... o_o... o_O.... O_O

Is batman fighting popeye?

[nefrekeptah]

No, I don't think so.

See, because that would be awesome, and this... really isn't.

[icon_uk]

Superman fought Popeye analogue Captain Strong a couple of times

http://www.comicscube.com/2010/09/easter-eggs-in-comics-popeye-vs.html

[superfangirl1]

That would be awesome fight to see.

[auggie18]

Huh. I wasn't excited about this before, but now that I've seen this, my opinion hasn't changed at all.

Maybe it will be good, maybe not. None of the promotional materials are making it seem that interesting.

[skjam]

I'm hoping it will be like a lot of the DC cartoons and their tie-in comics; not so hot initially, then much better once the writers find their footing.

[darkknightjrk]

I liked the little trailer they did a while back--the new voice actor they got for Batman sounds decent. I also like that they're using more obscure villains for him to fight, but yeah, nothing's really jumping out to me as of yet.

[skemono]

Dum Dum Dugan, what happened to your mustache??

[onceaskrull]

LOL my first thoughts were it's Alfred meets Dum Dum.

[silverzeo]

I really don't like the Batman design here... seems too close to Shoemocker...

[rebecky_mo]

Now see, it kind of reminds me of Batman Beyond's style and silhouette.

That might be due to the lips Bruce has going on, but even the face shape seems very 'Terry McInnis', and if you shaded the whole batsuit black it would look a lot like the BB suit...

[robinzegblu]

He calls Batman "Bruce?" I remember when he called him "Mr. Wayne." I also remember "Master Wayne" and occasionally "Master Bruce," but this level of informality seems a little odd.

On an unrelated note, I'm digging the quasi-golden age style Batman design.

[randyripoff]

Alfred just looks...wrong.

We'll see, I guess. The Batman ultimately grew on me, maybe this will too.

[darth_cloudo]

Alfred here reminds me of the Crimson Chin in the Fairly Odd Parents. Also he looks a bit like a gangster...?

[darkknightjrk]

He kind-of reminds me of the design they did for Alfred in Batman: Earth One but with a chin you can cut cheese with and a bowler hat.

[espanolbot]

|Lookd interesting, a blend of old ideas and new ones.

Needless to say everyone will hate it, then get really upset when it's eventually cancelled, just like they did with Brave an the Bold and Young Justice.

[arilou_skiff]

Why is Batman fighting the Kingpin?

[kamino_neko]

That's Tobias Whale, a Black Lightning villain (who appeared a little under 10 years after Kingpin). He's similar to the Kingpin in that he's a corpulent but strong crime boss, but he's generally smaller time.

[icon_uk]

And has the gimmick IIRC that he's an albino black guy.

[skjam]

You are correct! Thus combining "scary black man", "evil albino" and "oppressive white The Man" into one large package.

[kamino_neko]

You know what Batman's design here brings to mind?

This Shortpacked strip.

[zabilac]

Batman looks emancipated. I thought all his tough training was supposed to build muscle.

[wizardru]

I'm assuming you meant 'emiciated'? And I agree with you.

[akodo_rokku]

No, he's empancipated, just like this batman.

[icon_uk]

Or even emaciated?

[wizardru]

LOL, yes. I honestly wasn't trying to be a grammar nazi, there...I honestly wasn't sure if there was some reason that I'd missed related to the new series that he would have been emancipated. Given the weirdness of stuff like Professor Pyg being a character and Alfred looking like a cockney brawler, I have no idea what to expect. :)

Mod Note

[salinea]

Please, don't use the word "Nazi" in playful expressions such as "Grammar Nazis".

[crinos]

Is that guy in the bowler derby supposed to be Alfred?

Also, Tobias Whale, nice to know they're dipping into the deep end for Batman rogues.

[sean_613]

It looks better in the comic instead of 3d

[icon_uk]

Tonight the part of Alfred Pennyworth will be played by someone in Dum Dum Duggan's hat. (Weirdly, Alfred calling him "Bruce" is perhaps the thing that seemed most wrong about this)

[wizardru]

Agreed. On the other hand, we've had a lot of Batman series over the last 20 years...seeing one with a fresh take on Alfred is not necessarily unwelcome, if done well.

[crinos]

So... evidently this and the Chibi Teen Titans cartoon are what are going to replace Green Lantern and Young Justice next season.

[skjam]

That's what the magazine says, yes. The Teen Titans comic in this issue was more in the style of the previous TT cartoon.

[darkknightjrk]

Which I'm not looking forward to. The Teen Titans cartoon had some good stuff, but it almost NEVER had anything to do with it's boring attempts at humor.

[drexer]

"Also, there's an ad for an upcoming Green Lantern episode in which he meets Gil Broome, the Steam Lantern (and there's hints of Alan Scott in there too!)"

As in, a new episode? Or is it just bad marketing again that should have come out ages ago?

[skjam]

The Teen Titans story is a Christmas special, so for all I know this issue came out in early December.

[aeka]

I wish I was more excited for this, but truthfully, I'd wish DC would give the spotlight to their wide array of characters that have yet to get exposure outside of the comics. Batman doesn't have a shortage of exposure and I'm kind of tired of seeing him at this point despite loving him as a character. :/

[cainofdreaming]

Beware the...? So, it's Creeper in a bat-suit?