Kevin Conroy, the Voice of Batman, reads the first chapter of "Batman: The Adventures Continue"

Giving fans a little treat amidst the trying times, Batman: The Animated Series voice actor Kevin Conroy has taken to social media recently to read the first chapter of the new digital fist comic book series - "Batman: The Adventures Continue".  As a sequel to BTAS and "The New Batman Adventures", it's fitting Conroy is the narrator and guiding us in the new adventures of the Caped Crusader and his Batfamily as they continue to defend Gotham City and the innocent against evil and villainy wherever it may be.


Kevin Conroy Reads Batman: The Adventures Continues #1
Batman: The Adventures Continue is written by Paul Dini and Alan Burnett, with Ty Templeton providing art duties.

DC returns to the world of BTAS with “Batman: The Adventures Continue”

Over 25 years after the critically acclaimed animated series first launched and spawned the DC Animated Universe we all know and love, DC Comics is once again stepping back into the world of “Batman: The Animated Series” and its sequel “The New Batman Adventures”, as a brand new six issue miniseries has been announced called “Batman: The Adventures Continue” - with show veterans and producers Paul Dini and Alan Burnett returning to write the series and Tye Templeton set to illustrate!

The new comic series serves as part of an initiative to help introduce the new line of BTAS style DC Collectibles coming into the market. Jason Todd, aka the second Robin and Red Hood, for instance never appeared in the animated series - but he is getting a toy and this comic series aims to help explain his existence in the DCAU! You can read more about this exciting new series coming from DC via the exclusive report via Entertainment Weekly!

Batman: The Adventures Continue begins this April!

Batman Beyond: Celebrating 20 years of The Tomorrow Knight

Following on the footsteps of a critically acclaimed animated series based on DC's flagship hero is no small feat, let alone being a drastic idea of a sequel that pushes forward some decades past The Dark Knight's prime and seeing a new successor take on the mantle of the bat altogether. That pretty much sums up 1999's "Batman Beyond" - the futuristic sequel to "Batman The Animated Series" and "The New Batman Adventures" and created by the triple threat team of Bruce Timm, Paul Dini, and Alan Burnett. Set primarily in the year 2039, the story follows Terry McGinnis - a young teenager living in Neo-Gotham who meets the elderly Bruce Wayne and stumbles upon his secrets during his days as the Caped Crusader. After crime and corruption claim the life of Terry's father and circumstances see the need for new blood to defend his city, Bruce reluctantly takes the headstrong youth under his wing and trains him to become the new Batman.

Released in 1999, Batman Beyond became a critical and commercial success - thanks in no small part to the brilliant writing and animation put together by the team of Bruce Timm, Paul Dini, and the rest of Warner Bros. Animation. Reprising his role as Bruce Wayne of course is Kevin Conroy - the voice of Batman - who plays the mentor role this time around as the spotlight now turns to Terry McGinnis/ Batman Beyond, who is voiced by Will Friedle.

Batman Beyond Intro (HD Widescreen)
As the show explored a time when Bruce's life moved ahead and many of his allies and villains have either grown older, retired, or died - the series reflects the toll and consequences his crusade has taken on him - his last outing (ironically set in 2019 in the Pilot epiode "Rebirth Part 1") as Batman almost cost him his life and an act of desperation caused him to almost rely on the very weapon that took his parents life - leading to his subsequent retirement and life as a recluse. However because crime never sleeps and villains new and old continue to prey on Gotham and the innocent, he is forced to reevaluate his self-imposed exile and lend his knowledge and wisdom to a new ally in Terry McGinnis. Most of Batman Beyond's episodes deal with the growing relationship and respect Bruce and Terry have as mentor and student - as both face enemies from the past and a new rogues gallery that has risen in the wake of the new Batman's emergence. Terry's crusade would see him face off new opponents like Inque, Shriek, Spellbinder, and Wayne's corrupt business rival partner turned mutant Blight, while also encountering his mentor's own adversaries who have returned in the future such as Mister Freeze, Ra's Al Ghul, and later the Clown Prince of Crime himself in the animated movie feature "Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker".

As someone who grew up idolizing and admiring the adventures of the one true Batman, Batman Beyond is undoubtedly a worthy follow-up to the saga of The Dark Knight and now stands with its own legacy 20 years later. The show has spawned various merchandise, toys, and multiple comic book sequel series and spin-offs, and has become a part of the DC Multiverse canon altogether. As Frank Miller told the story of an elderly Bruce Wayne returning to fight crime in his "Dark Knight" universe of stories, Bruce Timm and Paul Dini have done the same with Old Man Wayne in their DC Animated Universe and giving him a worthy successor in Terry McGinnis. If you haven't watched this show - you are truly missing out. As they would say in 2039 - it is very "Schway".

Flashback Friday: Batman: Mystery of the Batwoman and "Chase Me"

With this being the FINAL Flashback Friday and following the commemoration of the 20th Anniversary of "Batman: Mask of the Phantasm", it's time to delve a little bit further back to Batman lore and celebrate another animated Bat-film and it's accompanying short's 10th Anniversary.

Released in October 21, 2003, Batman: Mystery of the Batwoman was one of the final animated films released that was set on the DC Animated Universe and set on the same timeline as Batman: The Animated Series/ The New Batman Adventures. The film introduced viewers to a new "Batwoman", one heavily inspired in design by the costume worn by the Batman of The Future himself, Terry McGiness, aka Batman Beyond.

"Batman: Mystery of the Batwoman" (2003) Trailer
As the title notes, the identity of this Batwoman remains a mystery... Even to the deductive and brilliant mind of Batman himself. Wearing the symbol of the Bat, this Batwoman operates on a more ruthless scale, and takes down criminals and mob bosses like Penguin and Rupert Thorne without any moral restrictions like The Dark Knight and his allies practice. Ultimately, the plot thickens as Bane arrives, and the "identity" of the Batwoman is found to be quite the surprise.

Following the success of Batman: Mask of the Phantasm and Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker, a film set on the timeline of The New Batman Adventures was inevitable, and Mystery of the Batwoman does not fail to entertain and does a good job of showing how intrinsic and elaborate Batman's universe can be. The Batwoman mystery was a good way of introducing a version of the character to the DC Univcrse, not to mention tying things in to Batman Beyond in a certain degree. In fact, some years later would see DC Comics adapting that approach and bring a regular Batwoman with a "Batman Beyond" inspired design to regular DC Continuity, with Kate Kane becoming the modern AND New 52 version of Batwoman to date.

Aside from the main feature of this direct to DVD release, Mystery of the Batwoman also included a short silent film featurette called "Chase Me", which saw The Dark Knight going after his on-and-off love interest Catwoman in, as you'd expect, a grand chase. The jazzy and excellent musical score just punctuates the feeling of this great showcase right here.

Catwoman: Chase Me
So there you have it... Happy 10th Anniversary to Batman: Mystery of the Batwoman and Chase Me! Next year, 75 years of Batman celebrated!