This is a collection of unused character designs for the 2004 cartoon The Batman. These were available exclusively on Legions of Gotham from 2005 onward. This behind the scenes look at the cartoon is part of our History of Batman in Animation series.
The art team on The Batman was comprised of Jose Lopez, Thomas Perkins and helmed by Jeff Matsuda. This was the first Batman cartoon to not be a part of the iconic "Timmverse" since Batman: The Animated Series debuted back in 1992.
The fresh look, dubbed "Batsuda", and whole new tone brought Batman into a new era for a new generation. The show would run for five seasons and spawn a direct to DVD movie, The Batman vs. Dracula. There were plans for a The Batman: Hush movie, based on the popular Loeb/Lee comic book series, but those were scrapped. Legions of Gotham has the exclusive artwork from that scrapped film, which we will share with you all here soon.
The unused character designs were part of the initial process of crafting the world of The Batman. The most interesting design may be that of Scarecrow, who was not allowed to be in the series by Warner Brothers, since he was slated to be the villain in the live action film Batman Begins at the time. Warner Brothers cited worry of brand confusion, which was met by a lot of raised eyebrows by fans at the time. The most radical departure from what we saw on the series may come in the form of The Riddler, who more closely resembles the design that would evolve into The Cluemaster on the series.
We hope that you enjoy this exclusive behind the scenes offering from the Legions of Gotham vault. Stay tuned for more soon, and of course the latest news on all things Batman.
