The Underrated Batman Cartoon Even Hardcore DC Fans Forgot About

Batman is arguably the most popular superhero character today, and it is in no small part due to on-screen portrayals of the character. More than any other superhero (except maybe Spider-Man), Batman has the best superhero movies of all time, and even the very bad ones do some interesting things. Then there's the impact Batman has had on television, not just in the hugely influential '60s TV show, but in animation. Though there had been plenty of superhero cartoons before, "Batman: The Animated Series" changed the game forever, not only influencing superhero animated shows for the next three decades but even Batman comics.

Any Batman show that came after suffered from comparisons to Bruce Timm's masterpiece, not getting a fair shot from audiences — even if every cartoon after it still did some interesting things with the character. Whether in the best Batman animated movies, where we've seen some of the best comic books adapted to the screen as well as some incredible original stories, or on television, where each series had a unique visual style. There's the cyberpunk aesthetic of "Batman Beyond," the martial arts focus of "The Batman," the delightful camp and humor of "Batman: The Brave and The Bold," and the recent gritty noir-inspired "Batman: Caped Crusader."

But there is another Batman cartoon that even many hardcore DC fans forget about — one that was maligned when it came out, but is actually an underrated and worthy portrayal of The Dark Knight. That show is "Beware The Batman."

Developed by Glen Murakami (creator of the excellent "Teen Titans"), "Beware the Batman" was a return to a more serious tone for the character after the comedic "The Brave and the Bold," as well as a visual departure for Batman as the cartoon was 3D animated (continuing the brief trend from the similarly underrated "Green Lantern: The Animated Series"). These two things were met with heavy criticism from fans even before the show started airing, drawing unfair comparisons to "The Animated Series."

And yet, there is a lot to like about "Beware the Batman." The show has a bigger focus on detective work than previous cartoons as it is set in the early years of Bruce Wayne's career as Batman (becoming something more akin to Matt Reeves' "The Batman"), with a particular focus on organized crime and on lesser-known villains. Indeed, the biggest strength of this show was how it gave the spotlight to villains like Humpty Dumpty, Magpie, Cypher, Silver Monkey, and Anarky (who brought some timely politics to the show). It also showcased the martial arts section of Batman's rogues' gallery — like Deathstroke, Katana, and Lady Shiva — which gave the series a distinct tone and vibe that was different from previous Batman cartoons.

The best part of "Beware the Batman" is how the show brought along elements of The Outsiders, like Meramorpho having a recurring role, or — most importantly — having Katana be Batman's sidekick rather than any of the many Robins. That's right, Katana acts as Batman's main companion, here portrayed as his goddaughter. It shows just how much variety there is to the character and his mythos that we can have different sidekicks with different dynamics to Batman. Oh, and this show also portrays Alfred as a former secret agent, which rules.

Unfortunately, even if the show continues to have fans, it didn't find its audience while on the air. Just three months after its premiere, Cartoon Network pulled "Beware the Batman" from its schedule without an explanation, moving the remaining episodes to the Toonami programming block on Adult Swim — exactly when kids are watching TV. Still, the show is now available in its entirety on HBO Max where it is finding a new audience.