"Batwheels" Season One Talkback (Spoilers)

[Yojimbo]

Zoomsday

I liked Badcomputer, like us, did not think they could pull off the theft, lol. Badcomputer not being able to turn off was cute.

A new short I think aired between episodes, Wheelin' and Dealin' where Bam rushes off before Moe finishes tire install and he loses a tire while cleaning up after and stopping Prank's graffiti spree. A brief cameo of the Gotham Point Lighthouse from a past episode. Bam takes one for the Batman statue in Gotham Central Park.

Logline on zap2it was "After losing one of his wheels on his way to stop Prank, Bam comically attempts to replace his tire with all sorts of zany objects while chasing the prankster van around the city."

Rev and Let Rev

Hm, lot of Redbird-centric episodes lately. Not that that's bad or anything.

First mention of Bruce Wayne by name in the show?

Played up how agile Catwoman is. The stray cats scene was pretty funny.

 

[SweetShop209]

Gina Rodriguez is basically just channeling Carmen Sandiego when playing Catwoman, but she nails the role.

 

[Frontier]

Rev and Let Rev

I'm surprised no one pointed out that the stealth tech was obviously installed for the sake of crime-fighting and would probably be inconvenient in the field not to have, but they obviously weren't thinking that far ahead .

I've actually been where Robin was of not realizing where all the noise in my car was coming from .

It's interesting we had an episode with Robin and Catwoman instead of Batman and Catwoman. It makes me wonder how, if at all, they would handle the typical flirty interplay between Batman and Catwoman .

It kind of looked like Catwoman had her whip before it turned out to be a rappel .

It is kind of funny that they had Gina Rodriguez, the modern voice of Carmen Sandiego, to voice probably the most famous female thief in fiction. And you can tell she was enjoying every second of it as Catwoman, who is as much the beautiful and athletic feline femme fatale as ever. And of course a purely villainous Catwoman has cat puns aplenty .

Leaving her dangling with the stuff she stole hanging right in front of her but beyond reach when the police show up was so savage .

 

[Fone Bone]

Batwheels "Zoomsday"

Snowy is back to being a villain, which is disappointing, but it seems at points that he's a reluctant one. However that is not entirely consistent, so only partial credit. ***.

Batwheels "Rev And Let Rev"

The toddler moral grated. I mean, it IS a show for toddlers, but still.

I am willing to bet I have written that exact review above hundreds of times before, maybe even for this show. But it feels like I've seen that specific episode hundreds of times before too. I'll save my originality in my reviews for actual new material. That's fair, right? *.

 

[Yojimbo]

It's interesting we had an episode with Robin and Catwoman instead of Batman and Catwoman. It makes me wonder how, if at all, they would handle the typical flirty interplay between Batman and Catwoman .

Odds are we'll see Batman and Catwoman in an episode and/or short. In this episode they said Catwoman broke into a penthouse downtown and stole a Siamese idol owned by Bruce Wayne. If Bruce owns anymore cat artifacts, odds are better. lol.

 

[Frontier]

Odds are we'll see Batman and Catwoman in an episode and/or short. In this episode they said Catwoman broke into a penthouse downtown and stole a Siamese idol owned by Bruce Wayne. If Bruce owns anymore cat artifacts, odds are better. lol.

I would love for that and to see the female villains team-up for an episode .

 

[RoyalRubble]

Batwheels "Batcomputer for a Day"
Debut - November 28, 2022

When Batcomputer shuts down for a system update, the other Batwheels must take over for her while aiding Batman in a battle against Harley Quinn.

Batwheels "Grass is Greener"
Debut - November 28, 2022

MOE wants to know what it's like to be a member of the Batwheels, but the bot gets more than he bargained for when Bam invites him along for an exciting mission to stop Poison Ivy.

Batwheels "Holidays on Ice"
Debut - December 5, 2022

Frustrated by the Batwheels' holiday distractions, Batwing decides to go solo to thwart Mr. Freeze's evil Christmas-time plot. But Batwing soon realizes how hard it is to stop Mr. Freeze on her own!

Batwheels "Bam's Clawful Mistake"
Debut - May 1, 2023

Bam brings Catwoman's catmobile, Kitty, to life so the Batwheels can have even teams for their game of bat-ball, but Kitty is too wild to be contained, despite Bam's best attempts to convince her to play along.

Batwheels "Harley Did It"
Debut - May 1, 2023

Everyone assumes that Harley Quinn is the culprit in a recent burglary, but as Batman and Bam pursue Harley, Bibi and Redbird begin to suspect that she may actually be innocent.

Batwheels "Buff in a China Shop"
Debut - May 1, 2023

Buff trains with Batwing to improve his gracefulness and uses her lessons on a delicate mission against the Riddler.

Batwheels "A Tale of Two Bibis"
Debut - May 1, 2023

Badcomputer captures Bibi and disguises Jestah to take her place with the Batwheels so that Jestah can steal the Batcomputer's motherboard.

Batwheels "Batty Race"
Debut - May 1, 2023

When the Legion of Zoom plans to cheat its way to winning the Gotham Grand Prix, the Batwheels zoom into action to ensure the race is won fairly.

Batwheels "When You're a Jet"
Debut - July 3, 2023

Green Arrow and his Arrowplane, Goldie, come to help Batman take on the Riddler; Batwing is so happy to have another flying vehicle around that she brings Goldie to life and the two become BFFs.

Batwheels "Ride Along"
Debut - July 10, 2023

After Kitty the Catmobile saves Bam when he's in a tight spot, Bam decides to take her on a ride-along patrol in hopes of recruiting her as a Batwheel if he can convince her to stop playing enough to focus on their mission.

Batwheels "Wheels Just Want to Have Fun"
Debut - July 17, 2023

Bibi cannot hit the brakes once she learns to have fun outside the rulebook. In no time, she exhausts herself and powers down at an inopportune moment.

Batwheels "Tough Buff Blues"
Debut - July 24, 2023

After he takes down Riddler with an impressive wheel slam move, the Batwheels give Buff the nickname "Tough Buff"; but Buff abruptly bristles at the name, leading the Batwheels to realize not to call friends nicknames that they don't like.

Batwheels "Wheel Side Story"
Debut - July 31, 2023

After being zapped by Penguin's Songinator ray, the Batwheels find themselves only able to communicate through song! They'll need to learn to harmonize as a team to defeat the musical prankster.

Comments?

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[Yojimbo]

Meet The Batwheels Shorts also premiered on Cartoonito.

Episode 13: Silly Stowaway
February 13, 2023
The Batcave's cutest resident bat Alfie sneaks into Bam the Batmobile and causes adorable chaos during a mission to stop the Ducky Boat down at Gotham Docks.

Episode 14: The Knight Shift
February 13, 2023
Bam can't wait to recharge after a long night of heroism in Gotham, but first, the Batwheels need all kinds of help, delaying his much-needed nap just a little bit longer...

Episode 15: Rockin' Robin
March 6, 2023
Redbird gushes about his favorite hero and driver, Robin, as he shows off their action-packed adventures and gadgets in his own personal vlog.

Episode 16: Bibi Bops
May 1, 2023
Bibi hosts an interactive workout featuring jumping, spinning and other athletic feats.

Episode 17: Batwingin' It
May 15, 2023
Batwing flies high over Gotham in her video diary as she shares exciting tips and tricks to what makes her brand of crimefighting so special!

Episode 18: Bad to the Chrome
June 5, 2023
This music video introduces the villainous vehicle squad -- The Legion of Zoom -- including their shifty skills and pernicious personalities.

Episode 19: A Joking Matter
July 3, 2023
A musical montage features the Joker, Gotham's most prickling prankster, as he causes trouble big and small for Batman, the Batwheels, and Gothamites alike!

Episode 20: Parking Problems
August 7, 2023
The Batwheels face off with the Legion of Zoom as they attempt to recover Batman's stolen cowl from the villainous vehicles.

 

[Fone Bone]

08/30:
Batwheels "Batcomputer For A Day"

I considered it equal parts boring and inoffensive. When it comes to toddler shows, that boils down to a positive reception from me. ***.

Batwheels "Grass Is Greener"

I still love the bright and colorful animation in Gotham City. Poison Ivy's glowing design and plants in particular are eye-popping. ***1/2.

Batwheels "Holidays On Ice"

That was 22 minutes? That actually flew by. That's a compliment, by the way. Big time.

And I don't love the show. I can't pretend I do. But upon seeing the cute cartoons cars and trucks driving around the Batcave singing Christmas Carols my response was "DC needs more continuities like this, and fewer like Titans, Doom Patrol, and Peacemaker." If this sort of nice DC material were more common I could dismiss the show for being dumb. But it being nice is its biggest selling point. Why aren't more DC projects nice? The DCAU was nice. Batman: The Brave And The Bold was nice. Justice League Action was nice. Whenever DC does a nice project people like it. Why has this become such an ordeal?

I like the Christmas-themed main title. But as far as Carols go, the Jingle Bells Batman Smells one shouldn't be sung by heroes, especially if one of them IS the Batmobile. In fact I'd argue Bam, Batman, and Robin are the three beings in existence who should NEVER sing the carol.

Batman being Ike Cicle was a nice surprise. As in preschool shows never surprise me, so this doing so counted as nice. I mentioned the show was nice, right?

That will never be confused for high art. But for 22 minutes it was pretty damn fast. ***1/2.

Batwheels "Bam's Clawful Mistake"

The toddler morals grate, but the truth is Kitty is pretty much just the cutest. ****.

Batwheels "Harley Did It"

You can't Bugs Bunny Batman. However, when Harley actually has to explain the Bugs Bunny gag to toddlers in the audience who have never seen an old Bugs Bunny cartoon, she lets all of the humor out of it. A famous comic once said "If you have to explain a joke, there IS no joke!" Who was that anyways?

The song was pretty great this week. The original music on this show is above average from most cartoons made for TV.

For the toddlers watching this, the clues pointing to the Penguin make the mystery solvable. As a Batman fan, they make the mystery tedious instead.

Also how does one lose a corner piece when you are missing only one when the jigsaw puzzle is almost finished? Puzzle solvers always build from the corners FIRST.

The cartoon was all right though. ***1/2.

Batwheels "Buff In A China Shop"

That was straight up terrible on every level. The show is telling clumsy kids in the audience that the way to become more coordinated is to believe in yourself. This is what is known as a lie. Adults LOVE telling kids those. A responsible preschool show would NEVER preach that specific moral.

Also the Riddler EXPLAINING his Batpuns really makes me think less of the show.

The sand riddle was awful. To the show's credit, Batman thinks it's too easy. To the show's demerit the Riddler is actually surprised he solved it.

Riddler's motivation to destroy the sand castles makes no sense. If he destroyed them (and he didn't try to hide his identity in the episode when he attempted to), not only would he have been disqualified, the contest would have been postponed at best, canceled at worst. But frankly, what is Batman doing there at all? What Riddler is doing isn't an actual crime.

Sometimes I enjoy this dumb show in spite of myself. This was not one of those times. The flaws were simply too great to overlook. Sometimes I can shut my brain off for this show. But the problem with the episode is it thinks I don't actually have one. That's not okay. 0.

Batwheels "A Tale Of Two Bibis"

Cute and not overly insulting to my intelligence which is all I ask for.

Although to be honest, the fake Bibi learning the location of the Batcave seems like a serious oversight on the writer's end. It's a preschool show, so they couldn't exactly kill her off either.

Still, I like that Fake Bibi mentions that chassis are made of metal and cannot stretch. This is not an observation another preschool show would normally make, which is another reason I liked it.

Cute and inoffensive. My jam. ***.

Batwheels "Batty Race"

"Cheater never win" is a nice lesson to drill into toddlers, but it's simply put, not remotely true. Cheaters win FAR more often than good guys do.

The thing I liked is that Buff doesn't take Snowy's betrayal personally. He knows he knows better, but believes he's just misguided. His "Bye, Snowy!" shows he knows they are still friends. I don't much like Snowy later happily boasting to his friends that he "iced" him, but if the show handled that idea perfectly, it would be a miracle. It's impressive Buff and Snowy's friendship usually works as well as it does.

All right, but outside of the Buff and Snowy stuff, nothing special either. **1/2.

Batwheels "When You're A Jet"

Green Arrow, huh? I didn't know other DC heroes would be allowed to guest star. This show just became slightly more interesting.

But while the animation is colorful, and the montage song doesn't suck, I feel like the writing and dialogue are subpar. And unfortunately, I think that many preschool shows believe writing NEEDS to be for toddlers to follow along. That's not actually true and Bluey spends every second of every day proving this mindset totally wrong. I wish more preschool shows were like Bluey. **.

Batwheels "Ride Along"

Kitty is just the cutest.

The Gray Ghost! The legacies of both Batman: The Animated Series and Adam West live on.

Penguin is a spoiler troll? He's an even bigger monster than I thought.

Adorable. ***.

Batwheels "Wheels Just Want To Have Fun"

Underwhelming. Before you counter with "Well, Matt it's a preschool show, of course it is," both Bluey and Elena Of Avalor say that does NOT need to be a given. It's a choice.

Now I'll give the show this: It's not awful like Spidey And His Amazing Friends and Rescue Bots Academy. But underwhelming isn't a great thing to be either. **.

Batwheels "Tough Buff Blues"

It's not great, but unlike Spidey And His Amazing Friends and Rescue Bots Academy, it's not horrid either.

So, y'know, partial credit. **1/2.

Batwheels "Wheel Side Story"

Pretty lame, even for this show. The songs were cute though. **1/2.




Meet The Batwheels "The Knight Shift"

Cute. (Ish). ***1/2.

Meet The Batwheels "Silly Stowaway"

They aren't fooling me. I actually know bats aren't really cute. They're totally gross.

I'll keep the Duckie car though. ***.

Haven't seen the other shorts yet. Will post reviews when I do.

09/02:
Meet The Batwheels "Rockin' Robin"

I am sure there are plenty of purists griping that Robin is a person of color on this show now and is an example of wokeness gone amuck. But see, I think that's a good thing. That means he is NOT Damian Wayne. Can't you just take the fact that this specific corner of the DC Multiverse is Damianless as the HUGE gift it actually is? Stop complaining about good things. ***1/2.

Meet The Batwheels "Bibi Bops"

That was super dumb and weirdly adorable at the exact same time. This show in a nutshell. ****.

Meet The Batwheels "Batwingin' It"

At first glance, it pisses me off. Batwing is essentially making a social media post, not only revealing the closely guarded secret than she and the other Batwheels can talk, but the actual damn location of the Batcave!

As the short went on, it becomes clear this "post" is solely for BC and the other Batwheels, and is a mission report of sorts. I find the idea that the show is using the spirit of a social media influencer in the premise, but holding true to the spirit of the secret and the rules in the execution is great. I find that unbelievably clever. Mostly because most preschool shows simply don't care enough about the premise to bother to do that. If you asked me before this short if the Batwheels cartoon had narrative integrity, I'd have said no. Now, I think it does, and this short is the receipt for that.

Yes, the show is often dumb. That doesn't stop it from eating Spidey And His Amazing Friends' lunch every damn episode. ****.

Meet The Batwheels "Bad To The Chrome"

The show often has poor writing and sloppy and obvious toddler morals. But what I don't think the show gets enough credit for is a strength more preschool shows should have, but don't. The original songs are quite often great. They aren't all as great as this one here, but usually even the least memorable of them is a hummably pleasant earworm compared to other songs on other shows for this age-group. Great kiddie songs in a preschool show are rare. It's amazing this show does that specific thing right better than any other current toddler show. ****1/2.

 

[Yojimbo]

Keeping track of these shorts is... a chore. Noticed on schedule sites like zap2it and TV passport that some more are now listed. Then some streaming site called Now had the loglines and a grab from each episode. None of these are up on Max's page for Meet The Batwheels. If anyone has recordings from these days and can check, please do!

Episode 21: Bat Surfin'

Surf-riding musical mayhem with Batman, Robin, and the Batwheels!

Schedule sites had it on June 10 while the Batwheels wiki has it for August 28.

Episode 22: I'll Be Your Shelter

A musical tribute to Ace, the super-brave bat-hound!

Schedule sites had it on June 17 while the Batwheels wiki has it unaired.

Episode 23: Jet Set

Take to the skis over Gotham with Batwing and her friend best jet-friend Goldie the Arrowplane!

Schedule sites had it on June 24 while the Batwheels wiki has it unaired.

Episode 24: Bad Day

Bam gushes over his personal hero and idol - Batman! During an ongoing mission, Bam awes at all the cool moves and awesome antics that Batman shows off. Potentially can be done with existing footage.

No dates.

Meet The Batwheels "Bad To The Chrome"

I missed it. Do you still have the recording and can check who the credited writer was?

 

[Fone Bone]

Keeping track of these shorts is... a chore. Noticed on schedule sites like zap2it and TV passport that some more are now listed. Then some streaming site called Now had the loglines and a grab from each episode. None of these are up on Max's page for Meet The Batwheels. If anyone has recordings from these days and can check, please do!

Episode 21: Bat-Surfing

Schedule sites had it on June 10 while the Batwheels wiki has it for August 28.

Episode 22: I'll Be Your Shelter

Schedule sites had it on June 17 while the Batwheels wiki has it unaired.

Episode 23: Jet Set

Schedule sites had it on June 24 while the Batwheels wiki has it unaired.

Episode 24: Bad Day

No dates.


I missed it. Do you still have the recording and can check who the credited writer was?

It was on HBO Max. Still is. No writer credited because it was a music video. The song was written by Andy Strurmer and Michael G Stern.

 

[Yojimbo]

It was on HBO Max. Still is. No writer credited because it was a music video. The song was written by Andy Strurmer and Michael G Stern.

Thanks. Bat-Surfing is the newest one up on Max or are these others I found up, too?

 

[Fone Bone]

Bat-Surfing isn't on Max yet. I've reviewed all the one that are.

Update:

It's on YouTube TV though...

Batwheels "Bat-Surfin'"

I usually like the musical numbers on the show but I didn't like this one. It's done as a tribute to 50's beach movies and the problem is it sounds exactly like them. It's not an homage, it's a generic copy. It doesn't sound like it's own thing, which is a failing. *1/2.

 

[Yojimbo]

Yeah, Bat Surfin' re-aired like at 7 am today before a Gumball rerun started.

 

[RoyalRubble]

Batwheels "Ace in the Hole"
Debut - September 11, 2023

When a group of alley dogs, aided by a heroic stray, are saved from Catwoman by kind-hearted Buff, he brings them all back to live in the Batcave, unbeknownst to the rest of the Bat-Family.

Batwheels "Mechanic Panic"
Debut - September 12, 2023

When Jestah injures herself preparing for an extreme sports competition with the other Zoomers, Bibi helps her overcome her fear of going to the mechanic so she can heal up in time to compete.

Batwheels "Improvise My Ride"
Debut - September 13, 2023

When Buff's trusty winch is knocked out of action by Poison Ivy, he must learn to improvise and come up with creative solutions on the fly.

Batwheels "Dynamic Du-Oh-No"
Debut - September 14, 2023

When Snowy and Jestah team up to execute a mysterious plan involving rare freeze-berries, Batwing and Buff pair up to take on the dastardly duo, but Batwing decides to carry out the mission herself, putting both her and Buff at risk

Batwheels "To The Batmobile!"
Debut - September 15, 2023

When the Batwheels mysteriously disappear, Bam enlists the help of A.D.A.M, the original Batmobile, to help save his friends.

Mod Note: We appreciate and encourage discussion, but please keep your posts civil, relevant and insightful. Please do not post any improper or inflammatory material, as we will issue warnings if we believe it necessary. And remember to keep the discussion ON-TOPIC!

 

[Yojimbo]

Now it's questionable if "The Dark Night" airs today, Monday. CN usually posts the episode on their site a few hours early. Instead of "The Dark Knight," they posted Ace in the Hole. Note your TV schedules will erroneously have "Secret Origin of the Batwheels" listed in the 7:45 slot today.

EDIT: Yup, "Ace in the Hole" aired on TV. Not "The Dark Night".

 

[Fone Bone]

Batwheels "Ace In The Hole"

Kind of miffed we didn't get to see the cape and mask by the end.

Also, Batman keeps random Bat-dog-collars in his utility belt? If you ask me that crosses the line from totally prepared for anything to completely insane. It make Bat-Shark-Repellent seem outright rational by comparison.

The cars talk but Ace doesn't. Weird show. **1/2.

 

[Yojimbo]

Hmm, guess they're finally going with consecutive stories on the main show that don't have all 5 Batwheels in it after 31 episodes.

I assumed Batman already anticipated Batgirl and Robin wanted to adopt a dog and made a collar but still put on some bravado when they actually asked.

Yeah, Ace's going to need his cowl if he's going to be going around with the Batwheels on patrol in this show. Unless, in their civies, they're not going to reveal to the public-at-large they own a dog... idk. Crash and most of the Zoomers know where the Batcave is already. No, I'm overthinking this.

 

[SweetShop209]

The first episode to not have all the Batwheels was "Ride Along", which is episode 24. It aired July 10, with Bam being the only one of the Batwheels to appear in that episode.

As for this week's episodes, I'm liking them so far. It's hard to believe it took over for 30 episodes to have a role reprisal from other DC media (Dee Bradley Baker as Ace, who he voiced in Batman: The Brave And The Bold and DC Superhero Girls 2019).

 

[Fone Bone]

Batwheels "Mechanic Panic"

Jestah questions the logic of Bibi being willing to help her since they aren't exactly on the same team. Bibi says that doesn't matter in this circumstance. I disagree. Bibi and the Batwheels deciding to repair Harley Quinn's getaway car is the definition of mattering. They shouldn't be doing it.

While we're talking crap they shouldn't be doing, why are they taking Jestah to the secret location of the Batcave? **.

Batwheels "Improvise My Ride"

I'd say this was a REALLY inferior version of Poison Ivy, but thinking back on all the interpretations I've ever seen, the one on "Harley Quinn" is really the only one I like. They aren't wrecking a character high in my esteem. Not at all.

Ace needs his cape, mask, and cowl. Now please.

The song sucked. It doesn't always.

Eh. **1/2.

Batwheels "Dynamic Du-Oh-No"

I like that they remembered to make Snowy a reluctant villain. They don't always remember to do that. I like that he still likes Buff.

I love that they had vocalists harmonize the instrumental theme song during the climax and at the end.

Batwing is kinda annoying.

A cute one. ***1/2.

Batwheels "To The Batmobile!"

That was awesomely delightful.

Yes, this show routinely delivers turkeys. But I value it and poop on Spidey And His Amazing Friends because it occasionally does stuff like this and Spidey never does.

Let us itemize the awesomesauce.

Normally I frown on dead actors' likenesses and archival footage being used posthumously. You really think Gene and Grace Kelly wanted to be last remembered for selling vacuum cleaners? The difference here is Adam West genuinely loved being Batman. Despite the role typecasting him, and causing work to dry up for him for decades, he was proud of it and tickled by how many fans he made. Every other live-action Batman I can think of seems embarrassed of the role in hindsight. Every return to the franchise is wearily done with caveats for that reason. It was like pulling teeth for all of them. West, no matter what, was always game. The only other actor who loved being Batman as much as he did was probably Kevin Conroy. But I think if someone told Adam he'd still be playing a version of the character years after he died the idea would thrill and amuse him. I'm not just using that as a b.s. justification to feel better about a practice I think is usually shady. I actually believe it.

Batman 66 stuff:

Crazily, they somehow managed to make Adam's dotted eyes and smile look exactly like Adam West's. No clue how they possibly pulled that off, but they did.

We heard the sound effects but didn't see the word panels. Preschool show, understandable. Like many of Batman 66's similar VFX failures, I accepted it, because I Got What They Were Going For.

Climbing up the building and Green Arrow popping out of a window is also a must.

And of course while the Batman 66 theme isn't played (I assumed because of rights issues with Fox) they Batwheels theme itself was a bit "da na na na na na naed" up a bit during the episode itself.

It's not just that this show is always eating Spidey's lunch that pisses me off. It's that they make it so damn effortless. It's not even because it seems that. It's because making a decent preschool should actually be this simple. The fact that Spidey is terrible is a conscious choice Disney made that I think is both stupid and unnecessary. If they wanted to, that show could easily be good. Batwheels is the proof. *****.