The Batman executive producer Jeff Matsuda reported on his blog that season 4 of the animated hit will be his last. Long-time Warner Bros. veteran producer Alan Burnett will be taking the reins after his departure. Matsuda's last work will be seen in the JLA-themed episode 'The Joining, Pt 2.' That iosn't to say he'll be idle; Matsuda was also the lead character designer for upcoming film 'Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles,' based on a certain other well-known franchise.

Matsuda's work on The Batman has put a specific stamp on the DC Animated properties. With the '90s Batman: The Animated Series, the DC stable of characters showed up with a trademark square jaw and wrestler's physique; Matsuda's redesign of these characters favors slimmer forms and more pointed features, with eyes just large enough for the fans to cry "Anime!" whenever the subject is mentioned on a BBS. These new designs have also shown up in cousin series The Legion of Superheroes. But even hardcore fans of BTAS have been won over by the new show, and more importantly to parent company AOL Time Warner, The Batman has carved out a solid niche with the younger viewers, something the aging DCAU franchise lost on a daily basis. With Matsuda's departure, the new era's beginning has come to an end; where it will go from ehre is in Burnett's capable, experienced hands.