Likes and Dislikes of the Timmverse

I really, really like the approach taken in the original seasons of Batman. That series is the one that transcends the “entertaining kids show” category into “legitimate art,” a la the Fleischer Superman shorts of the 1940s. I’m not a fan of every single decision made in the show (e.g. their take on Catwoman, who was a tad boring and always seemed to end up in the worst episodes, despite some perfectly good voice acting), but overall, I deeply respect BTAS and its take on the source material. (The sequel series on The WB is a huge disappointment, though.)

I feel quite the opposite about the seasons of Superman. It’s aesthetically ugly, and the stories are bland. On top of that, it has quite possibly my least-favorite portrayal of Superman in any adaptation. Part of the problem is that he comes off so condescending that I actually find myself rooting for Luthor to knock that self-righteous glare off his face. The other issue is that his power level is in a strange place where it’s both too strong and too weak to be all that interesting. I get quite tired of hearing him strain every single time he lifts something. The supporting cast is good, but that can only do so much to make up for a totally unlikable lead character.

The rest of the shows are fine, but I could never get into them.

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