Too often, Batman movies and TV shows are so excessively dark that they’re not suitable for kids who, you know, love superheroes. Even animated shows can be a bit much. So it’s nice to see DC Entertainment and Warner Bros. Animation launch “Bat-Fam,” a new Caped Crusader series aimed directly at young children.
The series just premiered on Prime Video, and it looks like the kind of animated superhero nonsense I would have dug when I was eight. “Bat-Fam” focuses on the misadventures of Bruce Wayne/Batman (Luke Wilson) and Damien Wayne/Little Batman (Yonas Kibreab), who live at Wayne Manor with Alfred (James Cromwell), Claire Selton/Volcana (Haley Tju), Alfred’s niece Alicia Pennyworth (London Hughes), and Kirk Langstron/Man-Bat (Bobby Moynihan), who lives at the Belfry. Also hanging around is the ghost of Ra’s Al Ghul (Michael Benyaer), who, as Bat fans know, is also Damien’s grandfather.
The series was developed by Mike Roth and Jase Ricci, who respectively directed and co-wrote the 2023 animated film “Merry Little Batman,” to which “Bat-Fam” is a sequel. These guys are veterans of the world of children’s animation, having worked on “Regular Show,” “SpongeBob SquarePants,” “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” and Disney’s “Tangled” franchise. They know how to enthuse a young audience, while slipping in gags from time to time that parents will appreciate. So, what can we expect from this first season of “Bat-Fam?”
The Bat-Fam fights against domestic and urban chaos
Judging by the trailer, “Bat-Fam” is going to split its action between Bruce Wayne battling the domestic chaos that comes with having trouble-making young superkids under your roof and crime-fighting missions that will see the Wayne collective battling the likes of Killer Croc, Clayface, Mad Hatter and Live Wire. These are some of the most colorful members of Batman’s rogues gallery and a welcome reprieve from returning to the Joker/Riddler/Penguin well. Let kids know just how tough a group of villains Batman has to face in the comics, and they’ll become devoted readers in no time.
There are only three reviews of the 10-episode first season listed on Rotten Tomatoes at the moment, but they all agree that “Bat-Fam” is a fresh and fun take on the Dark Knight mythos. Given the troubled times we live in, this is a refreshing and much-needed change of pace. The 1960s ABC series “Batman” was my introduction to the character, which allowed me to grow up and join Frank Miller’s “The Dark Knight Returns” and “Batman: Year One” (which he created with artist David Mazzucchelli). I hope it works well for DC Entertainment and Prime Video.
