tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37940560.post3367775018588315381..comments2024-03-27T08:49:38.786-03:00Comments on Siskoid's Blog of Geekery: DCAU #182: Holiday KnightsSiskoidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08266365376486695812noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37940560.post-86382185221586642222016-07-18T11:33:46.920-03:002016-07-18T11:33:46.920-03:00Actually, I left a long treatise on the redesign- ...Actually, I left a long treatise on the redesign- and my phone swallowed it as I went to post it. In brief:<br /><br />Ugh. I mean, don't get me wrong- I like the overall style. And I think some characters (chunky-cheeked Bruce Wayne, whose look I never liked, Batgirl, who looks better than ever) benefit. Still much as I grew up with these designs, after watching all the preceding seasons- yeah, Joker fares worst. Gordon and Bullock look too simplistic; Ivy and Catwoman who have a new pallor (the latter's inexplicably, as we'll see in Cult of the Cat, since her out-of-the-suit skin tone is still normal). Tributes to Tim Burton are all well and good, but there needs to be some rhyme or reason to it.<br /><br />Worse is the much more juvenile tone that comes in to this era. The humor is sillier, the writing more kiddie, and even the action somehow less engaging, less gripping. Everything feels more in the realm of cartoon then animated adventure, and that's... just frustrating. It's not like this era can't still tell some good stories, but it has a much more uphill battle to do so.<br /><br />For the overall DCAU, I like this style. I think STAS is great, and the redesign is of benefit to the DCAU since it allowed the show to continue more cheaply and bring us great shows like STAS, Batman Beyond, and Justice League. But, looking at BTAS in isolation, this was not good for the show; it is kind of a pale shadow of its former self. BTAS took one for the team, and while this change was for the greater good, it wasn't for Batman's good. Still, the design changes themselves might not be so objectionable if it wasn't for the writing dropoff/re-targeting that came along with them; something that I never recognized until watching these all the way through. That's the real problem; it's just so inextricably linked with the visual redesign that it's hard to see the two as separate changes.<br /><br />Oh, and I agree with everything you say, LiamKav- particularly missing the titlecards. And I wish we did have the phenomenal Batman/Superman Adventures opening on the DVDs somewhere. Shirley Walker does it again- another magnificent theme tune.Andrew Gilbertsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10604304361825660940noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37940560.post-75192656512293039822016-07-18T10:12:00.093-03:002016-07-18T10:12:00.093-03:00I haven't skipped SubZero, it just isn't o...I haven't skipped SubZero, it just isn't out yet! By which I mean, the Freeze episode (come back tomorrow) was broadcast months before SubZero was released! I address the boneheadedness of this in the review, but I'm committed to reviewing these in the order they came out.<br /><br />Thanks for all the extra content about the redesign.Siskoidhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08266365376486695812noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37940560.post-17843454189617620342016-07-18T09:42:41.670-03:002016-07-18T09:42:41.670-03:00(Surprised there aren't more comments on the r...(Surprised there aren't more comments on the redesign...)<br /><br />From what I understand, there were two reasons for the revamp. One was to bring it inline with STAS, and the other was to make it cheaper to animate as the had a bit of a smaller budget. Batman's face has less lines, the blacks of his costume now blend in together so they don't have to draw seperate parts... it's certainly very distinctive. It's notable how lots of people aren't mad on the redesigns, considering how many of those elements (lack of yellow oval, pounches instead of capsules on the belt, the increased use of red on Robin's custome) ended up in the DC Universe proper.<br /><br />I think the producers have admitted that they went a bit too far with the Joker redesign, in particular losing the red lips. When he reappears in Justice League and BB:Return of the Joker (er, spoiler?) he's basically an amalgamation of both designs. Apparently part of the reasoning for his redesign was that some animation studios kept getting his face wrong, leading to costly re-takes. A similar reason is behind Ivy's redesign... some studios kept making her overly buxom, so she's been redesigned to make that harder to do.<br /><br />Other thoughts:<br /><br />- I think this is the last time we head Conroy's "Bruce Wayne" voice. From this point on he uses the same tones for both Bruce and Batman.<br />- Ivy and Harley in a single room with just a double bed in it. That subtext is becomming less and less "sub".<br />- I don't know if it's just me getting older, but the DCAU dedication to making women all sexy, all the time it starting to get a bit weird. Ivy's chunky sweater with the belly cut out is one thing, but if store elves looked like Montoya and wore outfits that tiny, I'm sure there would be complaints.<br />- Harley stands out as the BTAS character who has changed the least. A similar thing happens with Two-Face. As to who has changed the most, we'll get to him...<br />- I recall a fan-theory behind Gordon's weight loss as being that he'd suffered a stroke, or similar health issue. A bit depressing, but it makes sense.<br />- I really miss the old title cards. Again, I believe this was a money saving exercise and makes sense with the "modernisation" of the DCAU, but it's a shame. I have similar thoughts with the more modern but less distintive Batmobile.<br />- There actually was a new title sequence, but it was a combined one for <i>The New Batman/Superman Adventures</i>. For the DVDs they've just used the original, I believe.<br /><br />Hang on, have you skipped Sub-Zero? It definitely needs to be watched before the next Mr Feeze episode.LiamKavhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01996095233681105682noreply@blogger.com