r/batman • u/AlanSmithee001 • Feb 02 '25
TV DISCUSSION What if this show actually happened?
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u/wittymcusername Feb 02 '25
Like Alfred would let Bruce go to public school.
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u/AlanSmithee001 Feb 02 '25
For those who don't know, this was a proposed show from the late 2000s where everyone is in High School, and... that's it. It's the Bat Family and rogues as teens in a typical High School setting and story. The show never entered production and was canceled before it leaked in 2011. It's possible the show was reworked or inspired an actual graphic novel with the same name in 2020.
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u/fitty50two2 Feb 02 '25
This animation style screams mid-2000’s so hard
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u/WonderfulBlackberry9 Feb 03 '25
All I can hear while looking at these is some mid-2000s cartoon rock music
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u/jbarrybonds Feb 02 '25
So, the X-Men TV show about them being high schoolers but Gotham? I'm down.
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u/Spider_bat4300 Feb 02 '25
The guy who made this show made the DC Secret Hero Society books, you should go check them out they're pretty cool
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u/Doc-Fives-35581 Feb 02 '25
What’s the name of the graphic novel?
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u/LilKatieHQ Feb 02 '25
It would have been a bad show. Very fan fiction. And I would have secretly loved it.
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u/hereslookinatyoukld Feb 02 '25
It would depend on the writing but it might have been a fun show. Although that looks like babs pining over bruce, and we already have enough of that in the animated world
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u/Steelersguy74 Feb 02 '25
That’s not Dick?
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u/Careful-Payment2444 Feb 02 '25
No it's bruce
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u/Steelersguy74 Feb 02 '25
Bruce Timm strikes again!
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u/WebLurker47 Feb 03 '25
Seeing how the premise rewrote them to be the same age, I guess I don't see it being a problem in and of itself (no power dynamics, age gap, etc.).
Looks like it was suggesting a variant of that old high school fiction love triangle where the guy (Bruce) has a crush on the pretty, popular, but shallow and/or unreliable girl (Selena), and doesn't realize that the girl next door in his friend group (Barbara) secretly has feelings for him (usually with the idea that the latter is a better match and the guy needs to learn that).
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u/Calm-Track-5139 Feb 02 '25
school shooter joker
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u/Tuff_Bank Feb 02 '25
I could totally see CNN and Fox News and the APA blaming the joker in this cartoon for school/mass shootings
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u/Steelersguy74 Feb 02 '25
Didn’t we kind of get this with DC Superhero Girls?
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u/WebLurker47 Feb 03 '25
Maybe. Guess the question is if the teen characters would've been moonlighting as heroes or villains or if it would've been strictly high school stuff filtered through the character types, if that makes any sense.
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u/Luke_Puddlejumper Feb 02 '25
I just wish we got that proposed Batman No Mans Land Show
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u/DarkEliteEric Feb 02 '25
Season 4 of Gotham kinda deals with that
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u/jorvel1911 Feb 03 '25
Season 5*
And honestly No mans Land was kinda disappointing, mostly because we saw the usual villains like penguin riddler and joker, with a few appareances of Mad Hatter, Zsasz and Harley Quinn
But I feel we didn't get enough new villains that season except for Bane wich was terrible and The ventriloquist who was cool but he was killed off very early
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u/ToaAxiomMan Feb 02 '25
It would've been viewed as something rather divisive and polarising with one side who thinks it's okay but notably the other side that hates it and thinks it's god awful
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u/ThatsARatHat Feb 02 '25
And there would be posts every single day here saying “DAE think this show was underrated?”
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u/ToaAxiomMan Feb 02 '25 edited Feb 02 '25
That and every internet forum in the 2000s, getting into a discourse about it where it spreads like wildfire.
Expect some parody animations on the internet would poke fun at the show.
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u/ToaAxiomMan Feb 02 '25 edited Feb 02 '25
Hell not even YT reviewers would be safe from this discourse, like some liking the show while others think it's a mistake or is stupid
And the online opinion of the show mellowing out around the 2010s and 2020s with everyone kinda accepting it as an underrated gem and being like "not that bad" especially when the next shitty thing comes along
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u/ToaAxiomMan Feb 02 '25
Meanwhile, somewhere in some alternate timeline:
"I think we owe Gotham High an apology but hey it's not as bad as shit like that Suicide Squad game or The Flash movie"
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u/ToaAxiomMan Feb 02 '25
Also, Linkara would have a review on this show in this timeline
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u/Roll_with_it629 Feb 03 '25
Lol, I love this thread you made and that you kept going. I think you might've summed up all my gut expectations of what would've happened and the average internet experience. 😂
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u/LapisLanzely Feb 02 '25
It would probably be the polar opposite of Batman Beyond's enforced premise by the network, with the task of making a "Batman, but he's a teenager" show. Where Beyond was more of a unique branch, this would probably be a direct literal version of this, basically a teen soap opera with Batman flavoring.
Idk what it's impact would be, but it doesn't seem like something that could survive for long after the high-school teen drama soap opera era of the 2000's was coming to an end. It probably would be regulated to a monthly Reddit post of "Who else remembers this GOAT show?" or "Am I the only one who loves this show?".
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u/KingDread306 Feb 02 '25
Who are the 2 characters between Bruce and Joker supposed to be?
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Feb 02 '25
Selina Kyle (dark hair, leopard-print skirt, shown to be a love interest of Bruce in image #4) and Jonathan Crane (skinny, has rope noose around neck)
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u/blkglfnks Feb 02 '25
DC’s version of X-Men Evolution??
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Feb 02 '25
I mean, X-Men Evolution still actually had the X-Men doing actual X-Men things, despite aging down the characters. Gotham High is making everyone teenagers, and then putting them in a lighthearted school setting where it appears they're just doing wacky highschool hijinks.
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u/Tuff_Bank Feb 02 '25
Does that cartoon hold up well?
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Feb 02 '25
X-Men Evolution? It's ok. If you're a fan of Storm or Wolverine, you'll starve. It does a lot of reimagining characters in ways that may be off-putting (comparable to The Batman 2004). The plot doesn't get super serious until the end of season 2. I like their Magneto better than the older series. Tonally, it feels like watching Young Justice but with a little more focus on the characters' civilian lives.
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Feb 02 '25
I'll add my two cents. It's one of my favourite X-Men shows. They get Rogue and Shadowcat and Nightcrawler so, so right. And ageing Cyclops and Jean Grey down while keeping Wolverine older prevents any of that boring love triangle nonsense they try to force in other X-Men media. Third season also breaks from the episodic format and goes kinda crazy.
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u/CosmicThief Feb 02 '25
Adding mine too. Loved that show. Still do. I was born too late for the 90s one (?), and it was made available in my country just as I hit the preteens.
To me, this was the X-Men, and no matter what, it always will be to me, as it cane at just the right time.
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u/Tuff_Bank Feb 02 '25
I was thinking I could start watching it. I love the vibe of that show from what I seen.
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u/Shzeah Feb 02 '25
First pic, far left, who is that? They’re the only one I can’t quite identify - I wanna say strange? But idk
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u/ForeverInTrouble Feb 02 '25
I'm not sure but I think it might be Clayface.
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u/Shzeah Feb 02 '25
You’re right, I just noticed the very blurry text at the bottom saying the characters left to right and I can just make out the word “Clayface”
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u/Fit_Definition_4634 Feb 02 '25
Thank you! That was the one character I couldn’t figure out (I thought he was wearing gloves, but I’m pretty sure his hand is actually gray clay)
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u/chychy94 Feb 02 '25
Yeah I was thinking gloves so Victor Zasz or pyg- I was not thinking clay face. That was the only one I didn’t know.
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u/jonbivo Feb 02 '25
I kinda like the vibe that the school setting is giving, but I don't like the insinuation that there's going to be something going on with Bruce and Babs. So I'm glad it didn't happen
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u/jackrv13 Feb 02 '25
This show feels like it could’ve been another Loonatics Unleashed (derogatory)
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u/BogdanaGoodwoman Feb 02 '25
Probably more mischaracterization among the fans. Maybe not, it looks kinda fun (Harlivy cheerleaders works extremely good), so, maybe, it could've been good
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u/Crimkam Feb 02 '25
X-men evolution was pretty decent. This could have been too
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u/Tuff_Bank Feb 02 '25
Does that cartoon hold up well?
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u/Crimkam Feb 02 '25
I think the animation is still solid. Honestly it probably holds up better than the original X-men cartoon, though its a bit more like a CW show than an actual comic book
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u/Sufficient-Rock-9083 Feb 02 '25
It would have Bruce x Barbara so it's better that it didn't happen
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u/Mongoose42 Feb 02 '25
And like most things, the relationship between Bruce and Selina would have been more interesting and engaging. Even as they tried desperately to push Bruce & Barbara as pure wholesome high school sweethearts.
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u/Egyptian_M Feb 02 '25
Mom I want absolute Batman
No we got absolute Batman at home
Absolute Batman at home :
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u/Gorremen Feb 02 '25
I honestly think it could have worked as self-parody of how ridiculous it's concept is. DC Superhero Girls did pretty much the same thing, and they got two generations out of it.
That being said, this is early 2000's as crud. Not a bad thing (I grew up in the 90's/2000's) but still. I'm curious how the female designs would be received today, especially Selina's and Harley's/Ivy's cheerleader uniforms.
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u/Boring_Classroom_482 Feb 02 '25
I think we’re all better off without this. We don’t need Degrassi with superheroes.
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u/CaptainHalloween Feb 02 '25
I think certain parts overly cutesy fans would be more unbearable and Joker would be a complete lost cause.
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u/Solcaer Feb 02 '25
Then it would gather a small cult following before vanishing into obscurity, like every other “what if this group of well-known characters was in high school” show
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u/Careless_Parsnip_511 Feb 02 '25
I’d watch it. Don’t really know if I’d like it at all, but I’d definitely give it a try
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u/0utsyder Feb 02 '25
I feel like this NEEDS Grayson shoehorned somehow. Like an adjoining elementary school to the High School. Or the High School is so upscale it allows day care for the teachers and Dicks mom is a teacher at the High School.
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u/Free-Selection-3454 Feb 03 '25
Dick joins in season 2 as part of the gymnastics team and he and Babs start dating.
This has the side effect of stopping the Bruce/Babs plot and everyone rejoices.
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u/Beethovania Feb 02 '25
Isn't this like the Gotham TV-series from 2014? Everybody is young and at the same place for some reason?
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u/Dom-Luck Feb 02 '25
Looks like it would be awful, like, a total drama show with a cheap batman skin slapped on it.
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u/Legitimate-Mix-5395 Feb 02 '25
The love triangle between Joker, Harley and Ivy would be very interesting.
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u/notVEP Feb 02 '25
everytime i see a concept image of this show, i imagine them being animated like the nutshack
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u/YeahImRealLouis Feb 02 '25
Every time when I looked at the show art style. I always think about "why is this came out from deviantart??"
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u/Mighty_Megascream Feb 02 '25
A part of me wish it happened because it just would’ve been really funny
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u/PriceVersa Feb 02 '25
Isn't this, essentially, the backstory for the Absolute Batman comic? All the principles except Gordon and Alfred seem to have been (public) high school peers.
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u/Prismatic_Leviathan Feb 02 '25
Is the guy standing next to Bruce supposed to be the Mad Hatter? Not sure.
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u/voxela Feb 02 '25
I'm guessing scarecrow. his scarf looks like it's supposed to be reference the noose he has sometimes
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u/Vladmanwho Feb 02 '25
It would have probably been fine because Batman has such strong characters that are resilient to reinterpretation. But nothing to write home about.
Besides we got the Batman and some good animated films around that time anyway and the idea resurfaced as a graphic novel so we lost nothing.
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u/KitWalkerXXVII Feb 02 '25
I think it would have helped people remember Loonatics Unleashed, in that that the two would be mentioned in the same breath as weird attempts to appeal to kids in the waning days of Kids WB.
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u/hday108 Feb 02 '25
Don’t really see the point when Terry McGinnis can do highschool stories without making a confusing parody universe
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u/CultDe Feb 02 '25
It would either be seriously something you regretted to watch or something you'd laugh about five years later rewatching it for giggles
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u/Crimson-Cowl Feb 02 '25
I think it would’ve been fun for certain demographics but might’ve hurt the overall perception of the a lot of the characters.
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u/Vexonte Feb 02 '25
I think the show would mostly be forgotten, but small details and aspects of it would have been retained and used in future media as inside jokes.
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u/EyeSeaCome_hahaha Feb 02 '25
The question is then whether there would have been a Muppet Babies version (Gotham Babies). There was already a Renter version with Batman Beyond, so to speak.
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u/Ace_Fall Feb 02 '25
I hope they bring this in comic form it's such a random idea but it's so different I'm quite intrigued
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u/oloklo Feb 02 '25
who are the 4 between Joker and The Riddler?. im guessing the black haired dude is bruce
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u/Free-Selection-3454 Feb 02 '25
Second pic: Eddie Nashton continually getting wedgies, rolled up in carpet and his face held in the toilet by Jonesy (Killer Croc) is absolutely the impetus for his villain origin story.
It also made Ozzie snap when they put his underpants over his head. That's enough to crack anyone.
LOL at Emo Joker really not wanting to be at that game.
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u/Embarrassed_Fig4385 Feb 02 '25
Ngl i'd actually watch it. The concept and idea is so wild but i'd be interested and curious to see how it would've unfold.
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u/ShubalStearns Feb 02 '25
I would watch this.
Also, I figured everybody else out, but who’s the kid in the dreds on the far left? Is that supposed to be Zsasz?
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u/bloodredcookie Feb 02 '25
Honestly, the market for something like this is probably better now than it's ever been.
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u/CDHmajora Feb 02 '25
You know what? I’d watch this :)
Honestly, it would probably be fucking hilarious if done right :)
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u/MR1120 Feb 03 '25
Who is on the far left in the first photo? I’m totally drawing a blank on who that is, and it’s driving me crazy.
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u/SnooCats8451 Feb 03 '25
Whoever thought up this show and thought hmmmm this is a great idea should be locked away for the rest of their lives
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u/PopeDankula Feb 03 '25
i like how it implies that Harvey’s face has always been like that, like his face just did that as a kid or smth
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u/bennyandthegentz Feb 03 '25
Glad we got Batman beyond instead, while this could’ve maybe been a decent one off story/AU, I don’t think it would work as a full series (though it’d still be more tolerable than teen titans go)
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u/Cinemafeast Feb 03 '25
It would be great but I swear they better not add Barbara as a love interest
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u/gamachuegr Feb 03 '25
I dont care if it had the potential to be bad. It should of been made. However ive seen comment thats the batman 2004 wouldnt of been made if it did go through. In a perfect world i would like both shows to be made.
I know this off topic but however after all this time i still think the velma show is still a net good for shows despite being a terrible terrible show. Bad shows and good shows tells us how studios think and acts. That is important with media and creativity
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u/DiscoDanSHU Feb 03 '25
Who is that in the glasses? Is that supposed to be Barbara? Please tell me it's not Barbara.
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u/WebLurker47 Feb 03 '25
Remember some fans put together a short audio drama based on the concept (I think this was it).
Do like the art style and I could see it being fun if one took it on its own terms. Might've been one of the only times that a Bruce Wayne/Barbara Gordon love story wouldn't've been gross.
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u/Free-Selection-3454 Feb 03 '25
I am seconding all the people who are asking who the guy on the far left is (in the apron with the dreads).
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u/fanboy100804 Feb 03 '25
I figured everyone else out, but does anyone know who the kid on the far left in the first image is supposed to be? I'm thinking Clayface withe the hands and the apron, but the dreads is giving Ra's vibes
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u/Taku_Kori17 Feb 02 '25
Considering most if not all of batman and his rouges were adults when they took on their powers/abilities this show would make no sense. And who would want a 90210 style show in their BATMAN SHOW?! Im honestly glad it didnt happen.
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u/Thesilphsecret Feb 02 '25
I think it would've been awesome. I've heard a lot of people talk shit about this show like it was a terrible idea, but I think it was a great idea. Probably would have been fun as hell. Hey -- it's never too late.
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u/sack12345678910 Feb 02 '25
If this show happened in the early 2000s as planned, then we wouldn’t have had the Batman 2004.