Cartoon Network has issues a press release and a sizzle trailer for their new Batman animated series, Beware The Batman, highlighting the CGI visuals as well as the character breakdowns, including new heroes and villains with some old ones with a different take than we've seen before. The sizzle trailer is pretty fun and flashy, hitting all the marks you've come to expect from a Batman show (lots of jumping, car chases, explosions, etc.). Many fans will have a hard time accepting anything that's not the original Batman: The Animated Series (myself included), but I'm definitely going to give this a shot. I wasn't impressed with the CGI in the Green Lantern animated series, but this looks a little more fluent than that.
Beware!:
Here's the press release, which included character breakdowns:
"The Caped Crusader will return to television screens this summer when Beware the Batman premieres on Cartoon Network Saturday, July 13 at 10 a.m. (ET/PT) as part of DC Nation. Featuring cutting-edge CGI visuals to match the intricate twists and turns of the narrative, Batman steps out of the shadows and into the spotlight for an entirely new generation of fans.
A cool, new take on the classic Dark Knight franchise, Beware the Batman incorporates Batman’s core characters with a rogues gallery of new villains not previously seen in animated form. Along with backup from ex-secret agent Alfred and lethal swordswoman Katana, the Dark Knight faces the twisted machinations of Gotham City’s criminal underworld led by the likes of Anarky, Professor Pyg, Mister Toad and Magpie. Produced by Warner Bros. Animation (WBA), this action-packed detective thriller deftly redefines what we have come to know as a ‘Batman show.’ WBA’s Sam Register serves as executive producer, with Glen Murakami (Batman Beyond) and Mitch Watson (Scooby-Doo! Mystery Inc.) producing.
Starring Anthony Ruivivar (Banshee) as Batman/Bruce Wayne, Beware The Batman boasts a stellar voice cast with JB Blanc (The Count of Monte Cristo) as Alfred and Sumalee Montano (ER) as Katana. Lending voices to the villains are Wallace Langham (CSI: Crime Scene Investigation) as Anarky, Grey DeLisle (Green Lantern: The Animated Series) as Magpie, Udo Kier (Scooby-Doo! Mystery Inc.) as Mr. Toad, Lance Reddick (Fringe) as Ra’s al Ghul and Brian George (The Big Bang Theory) as Professor Pyg.”
BRUCE WAYNE:
A Richard Branson type billionaire adventurer with a twist: he’s fixated on crime. So much so that he sees it everywhere, giving him the ability to predict criminal behavior and piece together clues like a modern day Sherlock Holmes. But this ability came with it’s own price. It isolated Bruce, and since he is famous, dealing with crime as Bruce Wayne was out of the question. So he created The Batman.
THE BATMAN:
A vigilante hero born of darkness that can carry out what Bruce Wayne can’t. Batman is Bruce Wayne’s release valve. Batman keeps Bruce in balance. They even refer to each other as separate people. But make no mistake: Bruce and Batman are two sides of one man, and they need each other to survive.
ALFRED PENNYWORTH:
A former British MI-6 operative now retired. Wise, good with his fists, and not to be trifled with. A father figure and mentor to Bruce. But Alfred is getting older. Won’t be there forever so he’s bringing in someone he can trust who can look after Bruce.
TATSU “KATANA” YAMASHIRO:
Former CIA, she is also Alfred’s goddaughter, and the child of his late MI-6 partner. Although she is cold and meticulous with a sword, Katana is not good at controlling her emotions. Despite being hired as Bruce Wayne’s bodyguard, it soon becomes clear that her real value is as Batman’s protégé.
Beware the Batman premieres on Cartoon Network Saturday, July 13 at 10 a.m. (ET/PT) as part of DC Nation