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Things are somewhat grim for WB animation. The ratings for the ambitious, expensive Kids WB! lineup are stagnating as the UPN's Sunday-morning lineup of action/adventure animation re-runs closes in. Histeria! and Pinky and the Brain have been pulled. Animaniacs has officially closed up shop too. Not promising for a lover of mature animation.

Things didn't seem to be going well for the fans of Batman: The Animated Series either. What was once one of the most groundbreaking and promising shows on television devolved into merely an above-par action series (which has improved lately, I might add). After moves to include more Dick Grayson and Batgirl, less drama, more action and the addition of a kid Robin, the series has reached a new level of corporate intervention: the toy-based series.

Sorry to say it, folks: The "suits" have finally brought Batman to the dark side.

Here's the Batman Beyond gimmicks: a futuristic setting with a modern soundtrack and a sleek, cutting-edge Batsuit with funky electric coloring. Forget the melodramatic blah of Eric Radomski's "dark deco noir." Give us generic sci-fi!

Here's the funny thing about this suit: it uses performance enhancers that offer the amenities of super strength and agility, as well as flight. These features allow the elderly Bruce Wayne to continue fighting crime as Batman 20 years from now. (Kinda kills any suspense the present-day Batman series has left, knowing Bruce Wayne will live to be an old man.) After heart murmurs leave him weakened during a rumble with a few thugs and a well-placed pistol saves him, Bruce shuts down the Batcave and vows to never again don the outfit.