As we’ve noted, to considerable frustration, cartoons are rated not on the quality of their writing and animation nor on their viewership but on how many toys they sell. It’s what did in Beware The Batman and according to Reddit, DC has decided to stop goofing around and go the He-Man route. Hence, Chinstrap Batm-,er, Batman Unlimited.
The above photo was hanging, without explanation, at the Warner Bros. booth. For those unfamiliar, that’s the logo and name of a toy line exclusive to Target. As people have noted, it would be odd for Warner Bros. to be promoting a toy line they don’t (directly) make money off of, especially without a show involved. The fact that Chinstrap Batman there is some new art and looks rather like an animation design is also somewhat telling.
That said, I’m not entirely sold that this is true. It would make sense for DC Animation to address their merch woes by starting with a popular line of merch in the first place. And a Batman cartoon is as inevitable as the rise of the sun or the shifting of the wind. But at the same time, to just basically give up and start sketching action figures seems a bit unlikely.
If it is true, we have to admit to some concern, not least because, well, have you seen a cartoon from the ’80s lately? You could always tell when the new figures were coming out with those animated advertisements. How long before each episode centers around somebody getting a new suit?
For now, it’s just a rumor, but we’ll be keeping an eye on this. You just can’t trust a man who wears a chinstrap.