Epilogue

BTAS broke so many barriers and set a new standard for animation when it was released. A children's cartoon (the only kind of cartoon at the time) with intrigue and action and drama that rivaled any live action show of the time. It had it's fair share of camp and wackiness, but it also defined Batman as we know him today as well as start the long dynasty of interconnected cartoons that became known as the DC Animated Universe.

While JL and JLU are great shows for many reasons, Batman and his gallery of rogues and to a lesser degree the various bat children was the main draw as is with every DC property. If you've watched the series up to this point, The Batman we see in JL and JLU is distinctly different than that of his early days in BTAS and it's incarnations and much more similar to the cantankerous old man who mentored Terry Mcguinnes. He's more cynical, more focused and determined. He rarely smiles, he never jokes. The years and years of cleaning up the streets seem to have diminished his faith in humanity. He's sharper and more cunning in battle, but his rigid morals and sense of mercy and justice have eroded to raw pragmatism and duty which he demonstrates on a regular basis, even hinting that he will take a life it means protecting innocents. it seems Any trace of Bruce Wayne is gone, there is only the Bat and his sworn oath to protect Gotham and now the World in JLU.

I'm deliberately keeping many plot details out of this review because seeing it unfold is extremely powerful. Batman again distinguishes himself from his "super" friends not only in combat and intellect, but compassion and understanding. When everyone else saw a monster, he saw someone who needed help. Someone in a place that he had been before. When the nigh-invincibles and inhumans deemed the situation too dangerous, the mortal put himself in harm's way not just because it was the right thing to do, but because He couldn't - wouldn't - let someone else experience what he had to.

After the tearjerking emotional gut-punch of a flashback, we return to present (future) Gotham and reveal the bombshell final mystery of the DCAU Batman Universe that ties together the Story of Bruce and Terry to a conclusion that feels satisfying, comforting, and makes sense poetically if not practically.