Reading the internet discourse, the prevailing reason why The Batman is not viewed favorably is because people compare it to BTAS, so I agree with you there, though that\'s not to say it doesn\'t have elements that can be criticized on their own.
I personally straight-up like the series better than BTAS. I like that Batman has an arc and that they chose to show Bruce Wayne a lot in the earlier seasons, which helps round out Batman\'s characterization.
And yeah, a lot of the villains are just cool, regardless of the supposed lack of depth. This is a show that defined a lot of my early aesthetic taste and I still think it holds up today as one of the slickest action adventures ever made. It feels every bit as high tech today as it did roughly two decades ago.
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An overlooked masterpiece
I think the main reason everyone dunks on The Batman is because everyone is too busy comparing it to B:TAS. Such a comparison is simply unjust; that's like trying to compare Chick-fil-A to Chicken Guy. The Batman tries to do its own thing, and it excels at adding their own spin to characters.
One thing I don't see people talk about more often is that Batman has an actual character arc throughout the show. He starts out as a feared lonesome vigilante being hunted down by the cops, before gaining a secret ally among them, then being fully welcomed thanks to Gordon, then gaining two partners in Batgirl and Robin, before finally being a part of the Justice League. It's very fitting that the opening scene of the series is Batman defeating a mob boss and leaving when the cops show up, and the final scene is of him on the Watchtower, surrounded by his allies and friends.
The original characters, no one talks about the original characters enough. DAVE is an awesome concept for a villain; an AI comprised of the personalities of his rogues gallery who's done in by its own flaws as a computer program? And Francis Grey's tragic origin and unique ability to save scum is an awesome power. Not to mention the Kabuki twins are just intriguing, and made their way to the Lego Batman movie.
And honestly, I'm going to go out of my way and say that some of these characters we do know may as well be the defining versions of said characters. Cajun Killer Croc who's a genius bruiser? Yes, please! Riddler's questionable design is literally the only flaw about him; he's the Riddler we all know and love from the comics, shows, and games. His origin is also great. Mr. Freeze, though it's a bit of a shame that the dying wife backstory was dropped, makes up for it with his freakin' sick design, and Clancy Brown voicing him. And Firefly? So good that his design was used for the Lego version more than a decade later.
This show doesn't get talked about enough; maybe in a decade or so, the people who grew up with this show will change that. Until then, I will be here and preach the glory of The Batman.