As cartoon series season openers go, this one was pretty nicely done. The animation was great, the plot was well-written, and there was some nice character development on the part of the three leads (Batman, Barbara, and the Commish). They took a very clever two-part episode idea- show a cliffhanger where we're not clear what is going on, then flashback to show what is going on, then end the first part with another cliffhanger, then in the second part develop things further and resolve both cliffhangers- and did a nice job with it. My applause.

On the characters- Batgirl is a nice addition to the show's cast. The witty banter between Batman and his various allies has always been my second favorite part of the Batman mystique (my first is the many Bat-gadgets). Bringing another ally onto the show to further interact with Batman is surely a good thing. And once again this show has taken a well-established character of the Batman saga and redefined that character in a positive way. I already like the show's Clayface and Catwoman better than the original versions, its Riddler and Penguin have also been great (though not as good as Burgess Meredith or Jim Carrey, these characters have at least shown me why Penguin and Riddler are good Bat-villains)- and the show's Batgirl is great too. A well-developed (for only two episodes) character, a source of much comedy, and a good role model for young women. I especially liked the way Batman came to see himself in her and how he immediately figured out who she was. A detective he is indeed (which reminds me- this show needs Ras! :). I only hope that Batman's relationship with his newest ally doesn't come to eclipse his relationships with his other allies. Detective Yin was a good addition to the cast, the first Gotham police officer I've really liked other than Gordon (IMO Bullock and Montoya were always very stereotypical and little more than that). She just has this certain vibe about her that would charm a gargoyle (:), and Gordon can't always be the cop Batman talks with. Plus they can't just throw away all the great moments Yin and Bruce Wayne have had this season (Fire and Ice, Night and the City). That would be a mistake.

Speaking of great moments, this show had quite a few of them. Since I can't post quotes till I'm Level 2 I will mention them herein:

Barbara : "Hello, Commissioner. This is the Batman. Care to go bowling?"

Alfred: A Bat...girl, sir? Perhaps I should have the Batcave equipped with a doggie door in case a Bat-Hound decides to join the team!

Gordon: Batgirl, I'm in your debt.
Batgirl: It's Batwo...Forget it. Batgirl it is. Uh, thank you, uh, citizen. Just doing my job.
Gordon: Another red. What are the odds?

Batman: Not every child gets to rescue their parent.

Great lines, all of these. I hope more are ahead. I can hardly wait to see how Batgirl interacts with the more established villains of the show- like Catwoman and Riddler. Those two have had the best moments of interplay so far with our hero (Ragdolls to Riches, Riddled, Night and the City) and their reactions to his new sidekick will doubtless be interesting. (Riddler- "There is now another riddle in the hearts and minds of Gotham City- who is Batgirl?)

My only complaints about this season-opener are the somewhat abrupt ending of the second part, and the fact that Poison Ivy was a bit over the top. Should her power really have developed that quickly? It was almost too much for Batman to handle, even with new gadgets and Batgirl's help. I think they may have given the audience a very heavy impact on their suspension of disbelief. The script did make up for this a bit, though- I got the idea that a lot of Ivy's power was unconscious, instinctual- like nature itself. It seemed she was just reacting to whatever situation she was in and trying to win however she could- and the powers that popped out both surprised and gladdened her. Yes, it was sudden and over-the-top, but Ivy soon got used to it and developed it well. The writers of shows like Teen Titans and X-Men Evolution could take lessons from how well this process was written here. I shudder to consider the kind of threat Ivy will be to Gotham City once she further learns just how to control her powers and use them wisely. It was also a good thing the writers gave her an in-depth relationship with Barbara on par with Bruce's relationships with Ethan/Clayface and Catwoman/Selina. That's more than any Batman writer I've seen has ever done for Ivy- and very welcome. She's hardly the show's most original antagonist (that award has to go to Chief Rojas, who was very well-written and showed what was probably the most likely response a police chief would give to someone like Batman in the real world- ), but in this two-parter Ivy was very good. A welcome addition to the ranks of Joker, Penguin, Riddler, and the rest. Let's hope the other incoming new villains measure up.

All in all, this episode was one of my favorites thus far. I hope the third season continues in this vein.

This show didn't get me overly excited, I have to admit. Like many I consider Looney Tunes a classic and was unimpressed by the idea of a new futuristic take on the characters we all know and love so much. The show's first episode, though, has left me with mixed feelings. I still don't like the idea of Looney Tunes getting redefined, but the new generation holds some of my interest. They certainly are good in a fight. The antics of Duck and Tech also had me laughing, though not as hard as I have at their ancestors. I did find the powers of Ace and Lexi Bunny disturbingly similar to those of a certain famous X-Men couple (Lexi resembles Jean a lot in her look too) but as long as Marvel doesn't sue I suppose that's alright. The two bunnies are okay, but need some less obvious humor. Slam and Rev seem like one-trick ponies thus far, but perhaps they will improve with character development.

That's what this show needs more than anything else- character development. The thing I loved about Looney Tunes wasn't just the gimmicks and laughs. It was the brilliant interaction and comedy timing all the characters had that was reflected to a lesser extent in Tiny Toons and has found no equal in any other Looney Tunes spinoff. If Warner Bros. wants to make this spinoff as much of a classic as Looney Tunes is, they need to establish that same feeling. To start that, they need to flesh out the characters and the environment more and bring in the rest of the LT cast. Fill out Zadavia more with a past and developed relationships (many past failed superhero shows have shown us a mere video display mission-giver does not work- Mission Impossible being the one exception I can recall) and since we've never seen this character before give her a superior- the Governor of Acmeopolis- with whom the Loonatics can also interact. If the Governor has pink skin, a curly tail, a large belly, and a speech impediment (abee abee abee), the show would bring in another classic well-known Looney Tunes character and have another great source of laughs. The show needs some good classic Looney Tunes villains too. Fuzzballs and techno-Vikings are okay for the series openers, I guess, but to be really great the show needs villains descended from classic talent like Yosemite Sam and Elmer Fudd (not their Tiny Toons counterparts though- I don't think I'll be the only fan who's upset if we see anything like Elmyra again) to interact with the heroes. A certain helmeted villain from the distant past of their ancestors would also be interesting- we don't know exactly how long the Marsin race lives and Marvin could still be around, with his hench-dog and bird army of course. Pinky and the Brain would also be welcome in this show as antagonists or maybe even Tech's mentors- if WB wants to bring back another classic franchise of theirs. Foghorn Leghorn would make a great villain too, with Henry Hawk as his number one henchman who's forever plotting against him even while carrying out his orders. Not sure how Sylvester and Tweety could fit in, but other great Looney Tunes characters could be absorbed as incidental characters in this show. Like Alonzo "Lightning" Gomez, Rev's only rival in speed, who is always feuding with Rev and Duck. Or Lexie's friend Kitty, who in one episode needs help with an odiferous stalker. :) If Warner Bros truly tries to revitalize its classic Looney Tunes and brings back all the characters in new ways with new great jokes and plots (as they have with The Batman IMO), they will do what they wish here and create another classic.

If they concentrate on stupid gimmicks and tired predictable gags, though (and I hate to say it, but this is more likely given WB's track record), they will justify the opinions of many and create another unworthy successor to the Looney Tunes name.