Beware the Batman (Season 1)

Beware the Batman (2013) is a Warner Bros. Animation series you can watch online on iFILM. This is early Gotham, where Bruce Wayne is still learning the cowl and squaring off against villains far stranger than the usual rogues' gallery.

Bruce is green, and two people stand beside him. Alfred Pennyworth no longer just pours the tea — he drills his charge in combat. And Tatsu Yamashiro, Alfred's goddaughter and a master swordswoman, comes aboard first as a bodyguard, then as Batman's partner under the name Katana. Their opponents skip the obvious names. No Joker, no Penguin — instead the deranged Professor Pyg, the anarchist Anarky, the hypnotist called Magpie. The whole thing is rendered in 3D CGI animation, unusual for a Batman cartoon of its era.

The tone runs darker and more grown-up than the bright superhero shows aimed at kids, leaning on detective work and martial arts over slapstick. One season, 26 episodes. It's a good pick if you're tired of the same recycled villains and want a lesser-seen corner of the Dark Knight's world. Stream every episode of Beware the Batman (2013) online on iFILM.