From Newsgroup: rec.arts.animation



Absolute Batman's Exciting TV Show Announcement
May Have a Hidden Downside
-----------------------------------------------
Some major news emerged from DC Studios and Warner Bros. Animation's
joint Annecy showcase this morning. An Absolute Batman animated
series is in the works, and its arrival all but confirms that
another popular DC cartoon's time is over.

An Absolute Batman cartoon makes perfect sense when you think about
it. The comic book has sold more than six million copies since its
launch in 2024, with the first issue alone on its 11th print run.
So, of course, DC wants to replicate that success with an animated
series that will reach a wider audience (specifically those who
don't read comics but like superheroes).

By all accounts, Absolute Batman is being positioned as the next
major animated series adaptation of the Batman mythos. This likely
means that the current main Batman cartoon, Batman: Caped Crusader,
will end after its second season, which arrives on Prime Video on
July 31.

Why Batman: Caped Crusader could be the biggest casualty of Absolute
Batman
Historically, there's only ever been one animated Batman cartoon on
the air at once. Batman: The Animated Series, The New Adventures of
Batman, and Batman Beyond all followed one another as part of the
DC Animated Universe. When Batman Beyond ended, The Batman premiered,
and following its conclusion, Batman: The Brave and the Bold began
its run. Beware the Batman followed suit and aired after The Brave
and the Bold had ended.

Of course, things change over time. There are currently three
Batman-centric animated shows airing right now, although each one
taps into a different age demographic. Batwheels is geared towards
the preschool crowd, while Bat-Fam is for young kids. Caped Crusader,
on the other hand, targets teens and adults, a demographic that
Absolute Batman is definitely being made for.

Age demographic alone isn't the reason why it's not looking good for
Caped Crusader Season 3, though. Caped Crusader is about to complete
the two-season order it had received from Prime Video, and there has
been no word yet on a third season renewal.

Also, Caped Crusader airs on Prime Video, a rival streaming service
of the Warner Bros.-owned HBO Max. While no network or streamer has
been announced yet for Absolute Batman, all signs point to it
streaming on HBO Max.

Finally, both Caped Crusader and Absolute Batman are known for
reimagining the superhero's storied history, reworking and
reinventing major parts of his mythos in unexpected new ways.
Granted, Caped Crusader is a noir-tinged period piece while Absolute
is set in the modern day, so both could exist alongside one another,
but, as I said, it doesn't make much sense for DC to develop a third
season of Caped Crusader for a non-WB platform that hits the same
demo as Absolute Batman.

Caped Crusader had a lot of hype behind it when it was first
announced due to bringing together Bruce Timm, J. J. Abrams, and
Matt Reeves. However, despite positive reviews, Caped Crusader isn't
what Batman fans are talking about: Absolute Batman is, and has been
since 2024.

Now, maybe Caped Crusader gets a third season to finish its story, or
maybe DC just quietly cancels it without much fanfare. Whatever
decision DC ultimately goes with, today's Annecy announcement makes
it crystal clear that Caped Crusader is no longer DC's golden
(bat)child. I can say that with absolute certainty.



<https://www.comingsoon.net/tv/features/2153925-absolute-batman-tv-show-hidden-downside-batman-caped-crusader>





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