As much as I love Batman and Batman:The Animated Series(one of the best animated shows in general), while there are some undeniably good elements there are one too many frustrating ones too.
Pros: The voice acting is superb, Kevin Conroy is the embodiment of Batman and always has been. Mark Hamill brings menace and gravitas to the Joker. There are some effective villains too, Penguin, Nightwing and Scarecrow were the best ones for me. Likewise with some compelling story lines, the overall standard is not as dark or complex as Batman: The Animated Series and some of the animated movies but there are some well-written ones, Old Wounds, Joker's Millions and Sins of the Father were a few of the standouts. The dialogue has its sharpness also, and the action has some exciting moments.
Cons: The animation is a disappointment. Everything here looks too bright and pointy. The brightness jarred with the dark, haunting atmosphere often associated with Batman, which I also found generally lacking in The New Batman Adventures, and I hated the designs of Joker and Catwoman. The characters vary in terms of interest, more leaning towards the disappointing end of the spectrum, Nightwing and Penguin are the most interesting, however Joker is too thuggish often in manner. Batman occasionally is dark and brooding though this is more on Conroy's part than the writing but he also comes across as too cold. Tim is annoyingly childish and Barbara Gordon feels out of place.
As an overall whole, has the voice acting, a few of the villains and some good story lines in its favour but the animation, lack of atmosphere and the way some of the characters are written makes the show inconsistent and frustratingly so. 6/10 Bethany Cox
