Review: Beware the Batman, Episode One

"Greeting my beautiful ones! The box is calling for-"
WHAM!
Sorry about that, Professor Pyg broke into my house and started carving up the furniture...damn bastard needs to learn that converting my stuff to "Pygmalism" equals a total asskicking.

Your existence, fatass.

Anyways, this week I decided to postpone my announced review of Lackadaisy Cats (as I mentioned in a previous post) in favor of reviewing the first episode of Beware the Batman.
Now before I start, let me point something out. I know for a fact that many Batman fans have been critisizing the series' existence months before it even came out, probably because of some of the choices used for casting in it (having Alfred pack heat for starters, and a better example being how they replaced Robin for it) and because of the fact it replaced Batman: Brave and the Bold.
Well let me tell you, maybe they did make some mistakes but that doesn't mean the show shouldn't be given a chance. Even in it's production stages I knew it could go either way, so if any such people who disapproved of it happen to be reading this, please just give this review a chance as I explain why it does anything but suck.

And the promo certainly didn't look 'lame.'

Anyways, the beginning clearly illustrates what kind of show this'll be. Batman is shown breaking up a bank robbery and beating the burglars senseless, but while he demonstrates a great deal of skill, and competence...it's also clear he's still a bit inexperienced at this, at one point getting a dislocated shoulder; that we actually see him pop back into place.
In this opening, we see superb animation and a clear picture of just how brutal this series can be (I myself was personally fond of the Dirty Harry esque approach Batman took to one of the gunmen.)
Now Batman has to go back to being Bruce Wayne eventually, and when he does Alfred 'gives him a wake up call' by attacking him in the morning with a baseball bat whilst dressed as a house thief. This is meant to help make sure he can look after himself (though he did hold back a tad due to Wayne's injury) and no damage (save a wrecked painting) was done.
Then Alfred removes his mask, and what do we see?

Uh, he certainly looked different in the promo.

I admit this was a bit jarring at first, but that's because I'm used to Alfred actually having hair. Liked the reference made to his service in M16 though (seeing as he was pretty much an elderly, retired version of James Bond in the comics.)
Looking back now, I actually think this may be a refreshing chance of pace for the series. They were planning to use more of Batman's lesser known characters for this after all, so a change to Alfred's appearence might not be that bad (plus I'm pleased at how he looks like almost exactly like Agent 47 in this.)
The story for this episode revolves around Alfred's desire to help protect his master by going into the field (while Bruce doesn't like the idea of, on the grounds that Alfred's job is to protect Bruce Wayne but not Batman) and stopping a pair of criminally insane eco-terrorists named Professor Pyg and Mr. Toad.
Now if anyone's unfamiliar with either of these names, let me fill you in.
The original Professor Pyg was a lesser known Batman villain made by Grant Morrison. He had an obsession with perfection and unlike most Batman villains...he was genuinely and truly insane, say what you will about the Joker, but he always struck me as having some remnant of sanity. But Pyg actually acts insane, disturbed, and twisted...and that's why I like this character a lot.

Uh, you ain't helping your case Pyggy.

Toad was still one of Pyg's minions, but aside from being a drug dealer with a penchant for reckless driving, not much was known about him as died in the second issue he appeared in.
How different that is here, where instead of dying quickly, Toad is a badass! Or at least a bit tougher than his comic incarnation, hopping around like a monkey, using a sonic croak to stun people and knock them over, and having a fondness for explosives too.
As for Pyg himself, despite the fact he was bowdlerized for television, he's still quite an intimidating figure. Using a buggy straight out of the Winds in the Willows to engage in a "stag hunt" against wealthy industrialist (and grade-A asshole) Simon Stagg.
See, part of their retooling of Pyg has made him into an eco-terrorist with a passion for animal rights. With a fondness for fighting with scalpels and bonesaws, taking a cue from the superstitious doctors of the Victorian era (and ages past.)
Now, the creators of this show said they weren't going to use the more known villains like Joker and Penguin for creative reasons. But in the case of Pyg, I think they've compensated for this by adding elements of these characters into the lesser known ones, with Pyg being similar to Poison Ivy with elements of the Mad Hatter for good measure.
Not that I'm complaining, making this Pyg being a polite, English gentleman in addition to a criminally minded eco-terrorist with a fondness for ironic whacking was a stroke of genius on the writer's part. (Though he was originally supposed to be a Gotham City crime boss, so while I'm a little disappointed he ain't, the idea behind this version is still awesome.)

"I say! Have you had your shots? No? Then allow me."

His plan won't be told here, lest I spoil the episode, though I will add that in tracking down Pyg and attempting to interfere with his scheme, Batman displayed the detective skills the creators plan to utilize more quite clearly.
Now as I close the review, let me mention one more important thing about the show, the character of Tatsu Yamashiro.
Now most people would take one look at her and assume she's an OC and rip-off of Sasha Bordeux. Now I'll forgive you for making such a mistake since her counterpart in the comics isn't generally associated with Batman, for in the comics she was known as...Katana!

Memory jogged now?

Regrettably though, her personality isn't developed much in episode one, her two brief appearances cement a connection between her and Alfred (both having been spies), and also reveals he's been trying to hire her as Bruce's bodyguard. She initially didn't accept but by the end of the episode, it's revealed she did.
Later I learned she was a former member of the League of Shadows, indicating that Ra's Al Ghul would be in here. Not sure how this is going to turn out yet though, though I personally hope he'll be based after his movie counterpart.

Because Liam Neeson is awesome.

All in all, great episode, it certainly turned out into an epic cartoon, and I hope to see the rest soon. I hope you'll take my advice and check it out, this show deserves more recognition (which I'm sure it'll get) and protection from trolls and haters.
Though on a side note, there is one way they could have portrayed Alfred that'd make him more awesome...

Just replace give him an eyepatch, mustache, balding head, and change his name to Norman Burg.