Everyone has there Batman. For some its the regular Batman from the comics, for others its Nolans Batman. Heck, some people even see Adam West as there definitive Batman. Well for me its Terry Mcginnis, a very different opinion then most, and I'm sure there are some people who think
Oh,Terry doesn't count cause he's not Bruce Wayne, He's just some copy cat. Well i disagree with that belief. The entire show shows how Terry is this new Batman, and its been said before anyone can be Batman, they are just taking it in a more literal direction, im going to make a list here of why i feel the way i feel. Hope you enjoy it.
Reason 1:This is the Batman i grew up with.
The Animated Series of Batman was past my time, by the time i was watching Tv Batman the animated series wasn't even airing re runs. So the only Batman related show on TV was this show. It was my first exposure to what wasn't the comics for Batman. As a kid i was entranced by the great looking cities, the cool fights, and Terry as a character (although ill get into him later). The show holds a nostalgia value for me. Similar to the Spider-Man 90s series, I'll always see this as my Batman.
Reason 2: The Costume
Now don't get me wrong, I'm not putting the original suit down, its a classic, its what Batman always wore and its going to be his true image forever, regardless of him wearing armor or spandex> But from the standpoint of stealth and efficiency, Terrys suit is much better then Bruces. Of course thats the whole point, they bring that fact up in the show saying "This thing might be old but its still cutting edge". Bruces suit may be a classic sure, but there are a couple design flaws to his suit that i find it hard for him to hide in any location, the colors are one thing and i would think his cape has gotten in the way. Terrys suit is a bit more practical, a completely black suit with nothing but a belt and big red bat on it. Sure the Bat could be seen as a target, but i believe that Terry would have more maneuverability in a suit like that, especially with that cape not in the way. He's also got some new things in the suit, all of his arsenal is in the suit, making it easier to carry around, and of course he can turn invisible and really fly. Plus admittedly this is just a cool design, simple always works in my book.
Reason 3: Terrys Sense Of Humor.
A trait from this new Batman that makes him very different then the original Batman. We all love Bruce, sure, but for me the lighthearted heroes are who i like more as compared to the heroes who would be considered dark and brooding. This version of Batman is no exception, i love that this Batman is having fun while being Batman, cracking jokes, and funny ones at that. Sure, Batman is a dark character, and this character has his dark moments too. His orgin for instance is still pretty tragic, but unlike Bruce who pretty much grew up with no parents and no real joy in his life after his parents were killed, Terry is already in High School at this point, so it makes sense that he would have his own personality and identity. Plus Batman can use this to his advantage at times, for example this is how Terry beats the Joker, a much different way then Bruce, but still an actual method for getting the job done.
Reason 4: Terrys Fighting Style
As stated in the above video Terry does fight differently then Bruce. Terry likes to fight dirty, and more acrobatic. Which at least for me is more fun to watch, Batman can be agile and acrobatic in his combat, thats not the comabat we typically see from him. Terry is usually flying all over the place for combat, he's flying up buildings, doing flips. We know where this fight style for Terry came from, he grew up in the streets so he has more a street brawler way of going about things. So i guess for me i have to admit, Bruce may technically be the better fighter, but i enjoy seeing Terry fight a bit more.
Reason 5: His Rouges Gallery
Now I will say this, Bruces rouges gallery is better then Terrys, as a lot of terrys villains die after one fight and we never see them again. But for what we get this is a pretty good villain list. Blight being the best possible example, like the Joker to the original Batman, this is Terrys opposite in every way. A wealthy buisness man who is very serious and wants to destroy everything instead of do good. Plus that design, you have to admit Blight looks awesome. He even has one of the best moments of the show.
Of course there are other villains that Terry fights that are cool. As shown in an above video Dr. Able Cuvier was a pretty cool villain to see, even if there was not much to him he at least had a damn good design. Then of course there is Inque. Inque is a great villain one i won't show here, but the way her and Terry fight is beautiful to watch, the way she moves, everything its all great. Of course Terry also has Spellbinder, Shriek, and even The Royal Flush Gang, which includes Ten, his own personal Catwoman. A hero is only as good as his villains, and Terry? You got some good ones.
Reason 6: Terrys Motivation.
Terrys origin is very similar to Bruce, but i find his actual motivation for being Batman to be quite interesting, its just sad its not explored as much in the show. Bruce of course becomes Batman to avenge his parents, and to make sure no one has to suffer what he went through as a child. Terry starts off using the suit to get revenge on Derek Powers for killing his father. Later on its revealed the reason Terry is being Batman is because of his time in Juvy. He feels that this is his way for making up for his past, being apart of a street gang in his earlier days. He uses the Batman suit and identity to do good for the city instead of causing harm. It just seems that the death of his father pushed him over the edge. I do believe that even if Terrys father wouldn't have died Terry still would have found a way to fight crime, maybe not as Batman, but he would have done something to help, it was just a set of circumstances that set him on the path he's on. Like Bruce its an endless crusade, just to show he's not some punk, And that is a great way of showing he is different from Bruce, and i love him for it.
Well there you go guys. I have given a few reasons as to why i feel the way i do about Batman Beyond. I doubt you agree with me, but tell me what you think in the comments. I would love to hear what you all think. Thanks for reading, have a good day.