what does it say about me that my first post is about cartoons?
I'm a lover of animation and the type of stories that the genre ( there are many sub-genres of animation. so art form? ) can convey from it. So it's no surprise that my mind wonders to what could be made or adapted to this media and I've came up with a few. So here's the one I've been think about recently. Maybe I'll post some more later. I promise those will be shorter.
What I really want ( and know I won't get ) is a Batman & Robin series based on Dick Grayson's comic book adventures as Batman ( I guess sense Winick got his own movie Morrison gets his own god damn series... wait that joke does make sense. oh well, It all Batman to me.) The show would obviously be about Dick and Damian, but also the minor or other wise supporting Batman characters dealing with a Gotham without the original Batman. All this would be called the New dynamic duo! ( or something cooler. the new new adventures of Batman & robin? Double D's? )
Cause I'm such a dork I thought up a possible pilot (wanna hear? NO? Here it goes!)
The scene shows the glow of the bat-computer illuminating the cave casting the shadows of tiny dangling legs form the computer chair. The camera panes to show a boy in some variation of a robin suit furrowing his brow, indicating confusion. He howls 'Batman' far too irritated than a 10 year old should sound. We cut to see a familiar black kevlar armor, but not a face ( up to the famous bat-emblem). We assume that the armor wearer is looking at the electric blue and black uniform in the case in front of him.
Another howler is heard, louder this time. The armored figure sighs and moves over to the computer. The cameras on robin (body a glow from the light) now so you still can't see the figure behind him. The figure asks in a cheery Non-Batman voice ' what can I do you for, robin'. The child scowls/cringes and ASKS ( you can tell it's killing him) if Batman were to shed some light onto to why the first robin did what he did. Dick launches into his back story graciously glossing over robins two-four landing on five. Conversation as follows...
Dick: ( grins broadly ) There you have it. * removes cowl*
Damian:( blinks ) You are an imbecile.
Dick: ( grin morphs into a pout ) Why am I an idiot?
Damian: Firstly I said imbecile not idiot. Secondly you are one of those too. And thirdly, you are an imbecile because you and I both know my history. Why tell it?
Dick: ( grins back now full force) Oh, that! I was just informing are new occasional team-up-mate, Batgirl!
Steph: ( enters cave *right, hehe* via shadows) I prefer the term casual partner.
*insert Damian bitching about the to-bit-hack fatgirl. Hints about Cassandra Cain via grumbling about the good batgirl throw around. Steph and Dick are too excited about getting a one up on him to care much.
Steph: ( getting fed up) At least I got the drop on you, you little brat! * tongue sticks out. With that declaration of war bickering ensues. Dick sighs but a smile still on his wary face. Fade to black.
The show should do with out those ' becoming a team/duo 'episodes ( I love those but it just doesn't feel right for the mood ) they should know how to work together ( they're professionals after all) but with ever episode there is less back talk about orders ( Damian will always be a little troll just not about orders.) and the visible trust increases. With the team dynamic episodes it can get a little heavy handed and preachy ( though yj should have more of those instead of romance...). Every other episode Damian should gain a little more insight on his father's/family's ways, Gotham, and life as a whole (I would say gain some humanity but his stabbiness and cruelty is not TV approved. He would just be a brat with harsh views and little understanding of the world).
I want this to not only help with the mood of a chaotic Gotham with several heroes/villains trying to get shit together, but also to keep the series into a series of one shots with few episodes of the "plot" (the 'where's Brucie? plot ). Kinda like Cowboy Bebop. Speak of 'where's Brucie' I think those episodes should feature Tim Drake gathering information on Bruce's trail in the sleaziest parts of not only Gotham but the world ;dealing with the mafioso and bangers while B&R deal with Joker and the like. Theses Bruce episodes would have snips of B & R but would focus mostly on Red Robin until the show establishes him as a solo hero/character. And by then Tim could have flash backs with Bruce in them that help him piece together the mystery. I would like the reason of his disappearance different than that of the comics.
Wouldn't be an interesting "plot" point if Tim some how got Jason to work with him (Hey! It could happen. Don't look at me like that.) More like Jason demanded in. He's also just a little lost bird that misses daddy Bats! I don't know maybe Tim needs his info and connections with the scum of the Earth and Jason needs his equipment and brains (I made him sound like a zombie which he kinda is). I'm going with that. Word gets out about this new development and B & R get wind of it thinking he's gone rouge. Well Robin thinks he's gone rouge Batman's not so sure. Dick wants to believe in his baby brother, but each encounter is more incriminating than the last. It doesn't help matters that Damian is locked and ready to fire.
Moving on to the last to the last finale details, the introduction of characters will go as thus. Batman and robin are on a case and they either get info from, team up with, or fight 'new' character ( to them they usually won't be new people unless it is a new villain ) with well written snip-bits of exposition in dialog to Damian or to Dick via bat-computer ,etc. With the vigilantes closer to Bruce (the robins & batgirls) they would get appearances in an episode or three ( so that the audience gets a feel for them) before they get origin episodes. Over all I want this series to be a character study.
Reasons why this show would not work: They ( the writers) would have to do majorly water down some of the darker elements of the source material. Like Damian's personality, which I stated a possible solution above, parents would not like comic book Damian on screen at all. They would have to make him more likable without angering the fans. Kids might not relate to this robin ( I think parents would find his bratty behavior familiar) or they might think his usefulness awesome, too many variables. I don't want the same thing that happened with Jason to happen to Damian metaphorically.
Speaking of Jason regardless of my earlier mussing it would be difficult to get him it the series because of his grizzly background ( like what happened in Btas) they'd have to leave his past up in the air and just say its for mystery sake. That or raise the rating which I doubt they'd do. Also his homicidal tendencies would have to be replaced with just saying he works with villains to get the job do.( and also acts like one at times, like holding hostages though not harming, or paying off cops) Though I think he still can have guns sense there were plenty of guns in the Btas and I think yj. In Jlu Vigilante used real guns so there.
They could easily edit out Stephanie's Pregnancy and kind of death. There are a lot more 'heroes' in this story so unlike Btas the stories would focus more on them not villains .People might not like that one of the reason Btas was so successful is being left out if it did become a series. There are more problems than content though. If they try to do the one-shot thing they would need multiple seasons ( like Btas) to get any of the plot done and they might not be guaranteed that amount of time or episodes to get it all done ( think batman beyond). This project would have to be treated like a baby by its creators and fed a spoonful mashed up heart every day to be successful.
Feel free to leave comment as how you think a series like this would work.
Epspecially about how Stephanie, Cass, and the birds could fit in on all of this.
What I really want ( and know I won't get ) is a Batman & Robin series based on Dick Grayson's comic book adventures as Batman ( I guess sense Winick got his own movie Morrison gets his own god damn series... wait that joke does make sense. oh well, It all Batman to me.) The show would obviously be about Dick and Damian, but also the minor or other wise supporting Batman characters dealing with a Gotham without the original Batman. All this would be called the New dynamic duo! ( or something cooler. the new new adventures of Batman & robin? Double D's? )
Cause I'm such a dork I thought up a possible pilot (wanna hear? NO? Here it goes!)
The scene shows the glow of the bat-computer illuminating the cave casting the shadows of tiny dangling legs form the computer chair. The camera panes to show a boy in some variation of a robin suit furrowing his brow, indicating confusion. He howls 'Batman' far too irritated than a 10 year old should sound. We cut to see a familiar black kevlar armor, but not a face ( up to the famous bat-emblem). We assume that the armor wearer is looking at the electric blue and black uniform in the case in front of him.
Another howler is heard, louder this time. The armored figure sighs and moves over to the computer. The cameras on robin (body a glow from the light) now so you still can't see the figure behind him. The figure asks in a cheery Non-Batman voice ' what can I do you for, robin'. The child scowls/cringes and ASKS ( you can tell it's killing him) if Batman were to shed some light onto to why the first robin did what he did. Dick launches into his back story graciously glossing over robins two-four landing on five. Conversation as follows...
Dick: ( grins broadly ) There you have it. * removes cowl*
Damian:( blinks ) You are an imbecile.
Dick: ( grin morphs into a pout ) Why am I an idiot?
Damian: Firstly I said imbecile not idiot. Secondly you are one of those too. And thirdly, you are an imbecile because you and I both know my history. Why tell it?
Dick: ( grins back now full force) Oh, that! I was just informing are new occasional team-up-mate, Batgirl!
Steph: ( enters cave *right, hehe* via shadows) I prefer the term casual partner.
*insert Damian bitching about the to-bit-hack fatgirl. Hints about Cassandra Cain via grumbling about the good batgirl throw around. Steph and Dick are too excited about getting a one up on him to care much.
Steph: ( getting fed up) At least I got the drop on you, you little brat! * tongue sticks out. With that declaration of war bickering ensues. Dick sighs but a smile still on his wary face. Fade to black.
The show should do with out those ' becoming a team/duo 'episodes ( I love those but it just doesn't feel right for the mood ) they should know how to work together ( they're professionals after all) but with ever episode there is less back talk about orders ( Damian will always be a little troll just not about orders.) and the visible trust increases. With the team dynamic episodes it can get a little heavy handed and preachy ( though yj should have more of those instead of romance...). Every other episode Damian should gain a little more insight on his father's/family's ways, Gotham, and life as a whole (I would say gain some humanity but his stabbiness and cruelty is not TV approved. He would just be a brat with harsh views and little understanding of the world).
I want this to not only help with the mood of a chaotic Gotham with several heroes/villains trying to get shit together, but also to keep the series into a series of one shots with few episodes of the "plot" (the 'where's Brucie? plot ). Kinda like Cowboy Bebop. Speak of 'where's Brucie' I think those episodes should feature Tim Drake gathering information on Bruce's trail in the sleaziest parts of not only Gotham but the world ;dealing with the mafioso and bangers while B&R deal with Joker and the like. Theses Bruce episodes would have snips of B & R but would focus mostly on Red Robin until the show establishes him as a solo hero/character. And by then Tim could have flash backs with Bruce in them that help him piece together the mystery. I would like the reason of his disappearance different than that of the comics.
Wouldn't be an interesting "plot" point if Tim some how got Jason to work with him (Hey! It could happen. Don't look at me like that.) More like Jason demanded in. He's also just a little lost bird that misses daddy Bats! I don't know maybe Tim needs his info and connections with the scum of the Earth and Jason needs his equipment and brains (I made him sound like a zombie which he kinda is). I'm going with that. Word gets out about this new development and B & R get wind of it thinking he's gone rouge. Well Robin thinks he's gone rouge Batman's not so sure. Dick wants to believe in his baby brother, but each encounter is more incriminating than the last. It doesn't help matters that Damian is locked and ready to fire.
Moving on to the last to the last finale details, the introduction of characters will go as thus. Batman and robin are on a case and they either get info from, team up with, or fight 'new' character ( to them they usually won't be new people unless it is a new villain ) with well written snip-bits of exposition in dialog to Damian or to Dick via bat-computer ,etc. With the vigilantes closer to Bruce (the robins & batgirls) they would get appearances in an episode or three ( so that the audience gets a feel for them) before they get origin episodes. Over all I want this series to be a character study.
Reasons why this show would not work: They ( the writers) would have to do majorly water down some of the darker elements of the source material. Like Damian's personality, which I stated a possible solution above, parents would not like comic book Damian on screen at all. They would have to make him more likable without angering the fans. Kids might not relate to this robin ( I think parents would find his bratty behavior familiar) or they might think his usefulness awesome, too many variables. I don't want the same thing that happened with Jason to happen to Damian metaphorically.
Speaking of Jason regardless of my earlier mussing it would be difficult to get him it the series because of his grizzly background ( like what happened in Btas) they'd have to leave his past up in the air and just say its for mystery sake. That or raise the rating which I doubt they'd do. Also his homicidal tendencies would have to be replaced with just saying he works with villains to get the job do.( and also acts like one at times, like holding hostages though not harming, or paying off cops) Though I think he still can have guns sense there were plenty of guns in the Btas and I think yj. In Jlu Vigilante used real guns so there.
They could easily edit out Stephanie's Pregnancy and kind of death. There are a lot more 'heroes' in this story so unlike Btas the stories would focus more on them not villains .People might not like that one of the reason Btas was so successful is being left out if it did become a series. There are more problems than content though. If they try to do the one-shot thing they would need multiple seasons ( like Btas) to get any of the plot done and they might not be guaranteed that amount of time or episodes to get it all done ( think batman beyond). This project would have to be treated like a baby by its creators and fed a spoonful mashed up heart every day to be successful.
Feel free to leave comment as how you think a series like this would work.
Epspecially about how Stephanie, Cass, and the birds could fit in on all of this.