Mystery of the Batwoman

BATTASS returns for the final (ok, almost final, but…give us a break on that Harley movie, please) entry in the classic era of Batman: TAS animation, the direct to video film Batman: Mystery of the Batwoman from 2003! It’s been a while since the end of the animated series, and Batman Beyond has also been over for a couple years, so this final entry is a bit of an anomaly, but it’s well worth the watch for fans of the original run!

 Batman: Mystery of the Batwoman is a DCAU direct-to-video animated film set in the time period between the end of The New Batman Adventures and the flashback sequence in Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker. It introduces the characters of Rupert Thorne and Batwoman to The New Batman Adventures. It was released on DVD and VHS on October 21, 2003, and on Blu-ray on March 12, 2013.

 As if the Penguin wasn’t enough to contend with, a female vigilante has surfaced in Gotham City and her strong-arm tactics give Batman cause for concern. Batman has to contend with three villains all bent on destruction, as well as this new bat-themed glider rider as he and Robin try to solve the mystery of the Batwoman! The gang gets back together for one last adventure in the Gotham city of The New Batman Adventures, but with a shaky story and some jarring recasting, it ultimately can’t help but feel a bit superfluous, like your favorite band doing a reunion album without the entire original lineup. You can kinda tell as Sean and Clay take the scenic route through many sidetracks, but hey, we’re just happy to be back in Gotham, so grab your programable liquid metal, meet some like-minded co-vigilantes in art class, and join us for Batman: Mystery of the Batwoman!