This Saturday marks the premiere of the latest addition to the DC Nation block of animated programming on Cartoon Network—the brand-new “Beware the Batman!”

Excited to see the show and bring you guys the nitty-gritty, we bypassed Wayne Enterprises security measures, broke into the Batcave, hid behind the Giant Penny, snuck past Alfred during his dusting rounds, got distracted and fooled around with the Dark Knight’s various gadgets, gizmos and Batarangs, and hacked the Batcomputer in order to nab an advanced copy of the first episode.

That’s our story and we’re sticking to it.

After watching the episode we can safely say that the only thing to beware is freaking out from how great it all is—which is why to help prep you for this Saturday, we’re giving you the 5.2 Reasons  You Should be Aware of “Beware the Batman.”

 

1. A Different Type of Dark Knight

At the beginning of the episode, much about this version of the Dark Knight seems familiar—his intimidating presence, his menacing voice, his ability to beat the heck out of criminals. However, as the episode progresses, these familiar aspects are tinged with the inexperience of youth. Indeed, this Batman isn’t quite yet the Dark Knight we know. He’s younger, just starting out, it seems, and while there’s still a lot to learn, it excites us to go on that journey.

 

2. Not the Usual Arkham Inmates

Rather than open up with the usual act of the Joker, Two-Face, the Riddler, Catwoman, and the other familiar faces, “Beware the Batman” utilizes some of the Caped Crusaders lesser known villains—starting off with Professor Pyg and Mr. Toad. While the television version of Professor Pyg isn’t the same as his comic book counterpart (because, well, obviously) the show does a great job of reinventing the character. Plus, he’s voiced by Brian frickin’ George! Also set to appear are Magpie and Anarky. We never thought we’d be excited to see those characters but we most definitely are, simply because...

 

3. The Tone is Pitch Perfect

The Emmy Award-winning “Batman: The Animated Series” gained much acclaim for its darker, more adult tone; taking things seriously. Its reinvention of Mr. Freeze for example was so brilliant that it became the standard version of the character. “Beware the Batman” follows in its footsteps, which makes us very interested to see what they’ll do with a lot of those aforementioned lesser-known villains.

 

4. Action!

Strangely, there’s no action to be found in this show. None at all…… Hahahah. We’re joking. What’s a Batman show without the Dark Knight kicking some villainous butt?

 

5. The Greater DCU

In the first episode alone, there were at least three references we caught to the greater DC Universe—and they’re all pretty great. Keep your eyes open for the name of a particular club Bruce gets invited to, the name of a resident of Keystone City and a pretty Terrific guest star.

 

5.1 Alfred

Alfred is basically Jason Statham, and we’re totally okay with that.

 

5.2 Katana

We only get a tease in the first episode, but we can’t wait to see her in action!

 

What are you looking forward to seeing in “Beware the Batman?” Let us know in the comments below!