Movie Info
Movie Name: Batman: Mystery of the Batwoman
Studio: DC Comics/Warner Bros. Animation
Genre(s): Animated/Comic Book/Action/Adventure
Release Date(s): October 21, 2003
MPAA Rating: PG
We shall rule this city…I mean protect it…
A mysterious new Batwoman has been sighted in Gotham City and is ruthlessly targeting criminals. Batman sets out to uncover the identity of the Batwoman as she goes after Penguin and his allies. When three women Kathy Duquesne, Rocky Ballantine, and Detective Sonia Alcana appear in Bruce’s life, Bruce questions if one of the woman could be Batwoman. When the Penguin, Carlton Duquesne, and Rupert Thorne plot an arms deal with Bane, Batwoman’s real identity will be revealed.
Directed by Curt Geda, Batman: Mystery of the Batwoman is a straight-to-DVD movie released on October 21, 2003. The movie spins off The New Batman Adventures which ran from 1997 to 1999.
Penguin…you’re kinkier than I though!
I loved the original Batman: The Animated Series, but didn’t get to watch The New Batman Adventures very often. The series continued the great stories and fun animation and this movie managed to even clean it up more.
The movie is a fun (simple) little mystery. It does feel bigger and better than some of the other DC animated films, and unlike many of the movies that spin-off of cartoons, it doesn’t simply feel like a segmented cartoon strung together. Though the mystery is pretty simple to figure out (it is for kids after all), it is a fun little ride to get there.
Nice get-up “Bane”
I do like Batwoman but she isn’t the recent Batwoman of the comics. *****Spoiler Alert***** It is revealed through the course of the story that all three women play Batwoman and in a kind of unusual twist, their identities are exposed. I wish that this film had come out during the series so they could have been more developed for the series and the characters are a better pairing for Bruce than Batgirl (I think the relationship between Batman and Batgirl is still kind of creepy though I know Batman isn’t supposed to be as old as we probably think).
I like the inclusion of Penguin, but I have to admit that Bane’s design is pretty stupid looking. Fortunately, the show employs good vocal actors. Longtime Batman voice Kevin Conroy returns as Batman and Kyra Sedgwick provides the voice of Batwoman. Kelly Ripa appears as Rocky Ballantine and John Vernon provides the voice for Rupert Thorne for the last time. The movie features David Ogden Stiers as Penguin instead of regular Penguin voicer Paul Williams.
Thanks, Bane…I needed a hug.
Visually, the movie still has that great Batman: The Animated Series look, though it is a bit cleaner and smoother than the regular series. The series always did a great job framing interesting compositions for the art and that has continued on to the films like this. Plus, I kind of like the Batwoman costume design (though an all-black costume would have been nice too).
If you like Batman: The Animated Series or The New Batman Adventures, you should definitely check out Batman: Mystery of the Batwoman. If you are a fan of Batman in general, it is a pretty solid and fun story though it doesn’t fit in with any of the series or films…just have fun with it and enjoy the ride.
Related Links:
Batman: Mask of the Phantasm (1993)
Batman Beyond—Season 1 Review and Complete Episode Guide
Batman Beyond—Season 2 Review and Complete Episode Guide
