DC Could Rival Batman Beyond With An Absolute Batman Anime
DC is sitting on the perfect Batman anime, which could be the spiritual successor to animated hits like Batman Beyond and Batman: The Animated Series. Batman is undoubtedly DC’s top property across all media. Every time a DC adaptation becomes a massive hit, there’s a high chance Batman is the main character: the Dark Knight trilogy, the Arkham Games, the DC Animated Universe, and the Absolute universe are only a few examples.
In the late 1990s, Batman Beyond took a drastic detour from Bruce Wayne’s traditional adventures to present a brand-new hero in a brand-new setting. It succeeded at the nearly impossible task of engaging fans with a different hero wearing the Batman cowl while preserving the spirit of Bruce Wayne’s legacy. Despite Terry McGinnis lasting popularity, however, Batman Beyond has been largely sidelined, and DC has yet to recapture its innovation more than two decades later.
Absolute Batman Is The Perfect Source Material For A New DC Anime Series
An Absolute Batman Anime Could Be A Massive Hit
DC’s Absolute Batman comics are a massive success due to their bold, stylized aesthetic and larger-than-life storytelling. Absolute Batman‘s exaggerated hero and villain designs, drastically different origins, and massive power upgrades fit naturally into the dynamic language of anime. It would be very easy to put these qualities into motion through detailed animation, with the addition of explosive fight choreography and visual effects.
DC’s Absolute Universe is fortunately here to stay, and even though certain characters like Absolute Mister Freeze or Absolute Black Mask have already been defeated, an anime adaptation could expand on their arcs. In the ’90s, Batman: The Animated Series introduced Harley Quinn and turned Mister Freeze into a beloved antagonist. Decades later, an Absolute Batman anime could pull off similar feats with DC’s Absolute lore.
Just like Batman: The Animated Series grew into a full-fledged DC Animated Universe, an Absolute Batman anime could be the start of a whole new animated continuity. Its success could naturally lead to Absolute Superman, Absolute Wonder Woman, and perhaps even an Absolute Justice League crossover, each with interconnected stories and visual styles. The Absolute universe seems custom-built for an animated adaptation.
A Spiritual Successor To Batman: The Animated Series & Batman Beyond Is Long Overdue
Batman Hasn’t Starred In A Widely Successful Animated Show In A Long Time
Batman: The Animated Series adapted most, if not all, of Batman’s lore with heartfelt storytelling in traditional 2D animation, to resounding success. At the same time, Batman Beyond expanded the Dark Knight’s legacy with fully original lore. Yet, no animated series has matched their innovation or cultural impact since the early 2000s.
The 2000s delivered the cult show The Batman and the lighthearted cartoon The Brave and the Bold, though neither gained the same popularity as their predecessors. The 2010s offered Beware the Batman, which flew under the radar. And so far, the 2020s’ Batman: Caped Crusader has yet to incite any particular reaction. It’s time DC recaptures Batman’s animated prime with a groundbreaking idea, and an Absolute Batman anime seems like the perfect concept to achieve it.
