Batman Beyond: A BRBTV Report

by Billie Rae Bates

Still basking in the glow of their smash hit " The Animated Series" in the late 1990s, the creative crew of Paul Dini, Bruce Timm, Alan Burnett and Glen Murakami went back to the drawing board, so to speak, for a fresh TV take on the Caped Crusader. Hmmm ... Something new ... something decidedly "young" ... something that moves this wildly popular animated franchise "forward" ...

The result? "Batman Beyond," which sets our hero 50 years beyond his "" days. Bruce Wayne is now old and alone, living in Wayne Manor with only Ace the hound as his companion. Along comes Terry McGinnis, a teen with a troubled past but a deep-down desire to do good. Donning the new high-tech Batsuit emblazoned in red and black, Terry is the next generation of the cape and cowl.

Informed by an interview with Dini when the show first hit the small screen in 1999, this BRBTV Report discusses this futuristic Bat-take, with an overview of the series and the continuing legacy of its predecessor, "" The magazine-length feature story is accompanied by the sidebars of full episode synopses and cast list. The report includes photos, appearing in color where available.

From the same place you'll find print reference guides to classic TV shows like "Dallas," "Dynasty" and "The Green Hornet," the BRBTV Reports are not designed to be "books," per se. Originally released through the Amazon Shorts program, they're shorter, snappier reads -- and oh-so conveniently electronic -- to celebrate the great TV shows you love!

59 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 30, 2007

About the author

A journalist of both print and broadcast, Billie Rae Bates has a long career as a professional writer and editor that includes 10 years in the daily newspaper industry in Detroit; Saginaw, Mich.; and Wausau, Wis. She's written three novels, two of which are set in Detroit, as well as the BRBTV series of fact books and reports, which cover the primetime soaps "Dynasty" and "Dallas," the action-adventure hits "Wonder Woman," "The Dukes of Hazzard" and "The Green Hornet," and a host of animated and kids' series. Since 2006, she's kept up a news blog focusing on these classic TV shows, and she's also blogged for other sites. BRB reviews books for Foreword Reviews. She's the creator, writer and photographer of two yearlong photo essays, the much-discussed "My Mother's Clothing" and "The Inexplicable Lives of Dolls."

A graduate of Michigan State University's School of Journalism, Bates' work over the years has included interviews with all manner of actors and other Hollywood pros for the BRBTV products, as well as many artists and writers in the comics industry for her on-camera work for the TV shows "Comics Continuum" and "Fantastic Forum." She's done a bit of acting on the side, as well.

Bates is a mid-Michigan native who has also lived in Detroit, Atlanta and Washington, D.C. You can visit her official site at BillieRae.com, as well as the home page for BRBTV at BRBTV.com.