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I'm from Wisconsin, and I like my cheese. One 1940's Batman serial just wouldn't be enough for me, then. I had to watch them both! Having finished 1943's Batman serial, I thus immediately leaped into the 1949 serial, Batman and Robin - The Complete 1949 Serial Collection.
 Naturally, one can't avoid comparing the two. Is the second serial better? That partly depends on your taste. Cheese comes in different flavors. Do you prefer Colby or do you prefer cheddar?
Let's begin with a look at our heroes. This time, Robert Lowery portrays Batman, and John Duncan plays Robin. Lowery is a more serious but also more noble Batman than Lewis Wilson, his 1943 predecessor. I've often argued that Christian Bale is a better Bruce Wayne, while Michael Keaton is a better Batman. Similarly, I'd argue here that Robert Lowery is a better Batman, while Lewis Wilson is a better Bruce Wayne. Lowery proves believably tough as the caped crusader, but overplays the snooty foppishness of his alter ego. Meanwhile, Duncan's Robin is older than the 1943 Robin, Douglas Croft. Presumably, he's a teenager, but seems more like a man in his early 20s. That makes him look a bit silly when he runs around in tights! In this case, I definitely prefer Croft, who more aptly fit the “boy wonder” label.
The differences go beyond ages or acting approaches. A mere six years have passed since the last serial and yet - Batman and Robin aren't quite the same characters. In 1943, they cowed criminals and took impish delight in showing up the police. Now, they're working directly with the police, and Commissioner Gordon calls them with the bat signal. At the same time, the Dynamic Duo possess a more deadpan, hard-boiled demeanor. If Joe Friday and Frank Smith were to don super hero costumes, they'd be much like Lowery and Duncan's Caped Crusaders.
Bat-fans will note some familiar supporting characters. Jane Adams plays the love interest, Vicki Vale. As in contemporary comics, Vicki suspects Bruce of being Batman, but can't quite prove it. Commissioner Gordon, absent in the earlier serial, reports for  duty here. He's played by Lyle Talbot, who also played Lex Luthor in Atom Man vs. Superman (1950). Eric Wilton gives us a more serious Alfred. Unfortunately, though, he isn't given a great deal to do.
One longs for a traditional Batman rogue like the Joker or Penguin. Alas, we get the Wizard - another “mystery villain” who operates from a secret lair. Like 1943's Dr. Daka, he continually sends henchmen to battle Batman and Robin, whom he avoids confrontingdirectly until the serial's ending approaches. Once again, the story often goes in circles: The villain continually hatches new plots, and Batman and Robin continually fall into death traps.
This time, however, the writers bring more variety to the formula. The villain's identity remains a mystery until the end, with several red herrings thrown tothe audience. While the first serial tried to give Bruce Wayne and Dick Grayson screen time in every chapter, the  second serial has no such compulsion. This saves the two leads from constantly changing clothes. The film quality is also improved here, and the costumes are much better, as well (although the bat-ears still look kind of silly). All this adds up to a much more watchable feature.
Watchability isn't everything, however. In some ways, the second serial is even easier to mock than the first! I mentioned Batman and Robin's deadpan demeanor. When did you last watch Dragnet without laughing? For many, the over-seriousness of Lowery and Duncan will evoke memories of Adam West and Burt Ward. In fact, Batman and Robin often plays like a straight versionof that latter show. As in the series, Batman's utility belt seems to have every gadget whenever he needs it. (In  one scene, he pulls out a miniature respirator and an acetylene torch.) The serial's choreographed fight scenes are also not dissimilar to the ones that the TV series later played for laughs. In fact, I would guess that Batman TV producer Bill Dozier must have seen Batman and Robin.
Ultimately, after all my objective assessments, what am I to conclude? My head tells me that the second serial is better, as it's slicker and moves at a much faster pace. My heart, though, begs to differ. I found the first serial more difficult to watch for prolonged periods, but I still liked it better. Why? Because I prefer Wilson and Croft in the lead roles, and because I vastly prefer that incarnation of the characters.
Again - it sometimes comes down to whether you prefer Colby or cheddar!
 Disc Quality
Compared to the 1943 Batman serial, the picture here seems quite sharp. Problems with old film remain, however, as viewers will see some crackling and occasional lines. These conditions never became so bad as to distract me from the story.
Bonus Features
The second disk contains trailers for Spider-Man 2, Hellboy and for DVD collections of 1970s cop shows. Beyond that, there are no extras.
The Bottom Line
The modern casual viewer will find little of interest here. As with the first serial, though, Batman fans, historically-minded comic fans and old serial buffs should definitely take a look. Fans of the 1960s Adam West series should most assuredly take a look - if only to see how this serial inspired that show.
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