The Batman

[Spitfire]

No not Batman TAS, not the movies, the short lived TV series "The Batman". In light of not knowing what the heck to ask for for the holiday, and believe me if I don't ask I end up with another nose hair trimmer, I asked for this series on DVD.

I read some mixed things about it, mainly that season 1 and 3 were abysmal, 2 was decent, and 4 and 5 were where it's at. I also read it won an Emmy, which I later found out was in sound editing woo. Anyways I ended up getting season 1-3 and the movie Batman Vs Dracula on DVD.

I just finished watching all of them, what can I say I'm on vacation I got free time, and I must say it's not at all what I expected. It feels a lot more like the Adam West Batman then anything. Well it did anyways for the first season it started to get a little more serious towards the end. I enjoyed what happened in the stories but getting to the climax could prove painful, or the execution.

The one liners are torture sometimes and really slap me in the face to remind me I'm watching a children's program. I also hate how The Penguin is a main villain. It's great they gave him some fighting ability and weird kabuki Hench women but he's even more annoying then he was in the previous series and I feel like I see him in almost every other episode. The same with the Joker. I understand he's a main villain but sometimes he's in up to 3 episodes in a row, it's over kill. When half the episodes in the season are the Joker or the Penguin, or *shudder* both that's a little too much.

I also don't like the Joker much in this show. The voice actor is interesting I don't mind him and sometimes he even sounds like Mark Hamil which is neat. My issue however is the same VA is used for several other characters and it's painfully obvious.

The other villains I have no gripe with, except Killer Croc who sounds a little too much like old toon Leatherhead, even says he's Cajun. Cat Woman is alright even if her one liners are horrid and her costume is retarded looking. The Riddler looks like Marylin Manson but he was interesting so of course they only used him in two episodes.

One thing that really annoys me, and you notice this more when you watch a few episodes in a row, is the constant use of stock animation. I mean seriously I've never ever noticed it this much in a show before. The suit-up parts are used to death and so are the car sequences. I guess they figured the kids wouldn't notice.

The way I rate it so far is like this
Season 1 - Pretty bad with the exception of a few episodes, the Clayface story was pretty good I must say.

Season 2 - Some crap here and there but mostly enjoyable.

Season 3 - At this point I had completely submitted to the series and gotten used to it. Not even Batgirl could make me turn it off. She was pretty annoying, and so is her voice actor in the interviews, but it works in the stories. Batman also thinks she's an idiot and doesn't include her in anything until the last episode she's in. Also the season finale was good.

Batman Vs Dracula - Eh I saw this and wondered "So we can have blood in this but not the show?" I also fail to see why they can't put handguns in shows anymore instead of retarded looking laser blasters, that always bugged me. It wasn't bad, it wasn't great, it was better then "Batman Mystery Of Bat Woman" so it has that going for it.

I ordered Season 4 and 5 because I read they got a redesign and Batman's chin no longer rivals "Jay Leno". I also read it's more friendly to fans of the Bruce Timm Universe so that intrigues me and lastly that the shows over, it ended earlier this year. That makes me sad because if it was just starting to get good what a waste.

Anyone else seen this series? What were your thoughts?

[ZariusTwo]

The Batman is one of those series that comes along, gets roasted for not being Batman: TAS, but acculminates it's own loyal fanbase over the course of it's run, as well as acclaim. It aqquired several daytime Emmys too.

I hated it at the beggining, but it became obvious the guys behind it could learn on the job. The first season finale remains one of my favourat Batman storylines ever, and a very good intro to a new, original version of Clayface.

Season two is great, it has it's flaws though, but they don't irritate. Some are just meant to be fun and are enjoyed that way (or skipped in my case). This season introduced a risque, and very underrated version of The Riddler, now more of a Marilon Manson figure. The Clayface subplot was resolved, and the finale introduced Commisioner Gordon...it also, unfortunatly, was the final episode to feature the original status quoe and supporting cast.

Season three failed in my opinion for several reasons: The ditching of the supporting cast, the introduction of Batgirl, and generally leaving the series breifly in the wilderness. I don't really know how the writers got away with Poison Ivy's design or character...she was all but practically a minor.

Season four is where many of the writers of Batman: TAS guys took over, and the series got much darker and probably much riskier than it had been. "Seconds" stands out as the episode where one normal guy does the unthinkable with the ability to freeze time...I won't spoil anything beyond that, but it's chilling.

Season four boasted some big time guest actors like Kevin Conroy, Brandon Rough, Allyson Mack, and Mark Hamil too. I'd easily call it the finest season next to the second.

Season five really was more or less about testing the waters for "The Brave and The Bold" than really caring about The Batman. I think they knew they had done all they could and just tossed out another thirteen episodes without much care. The best episodes are the Superman team-up, "The End of The Batman", and "Lost Powers", but that's like a rehashed version of the fourth season finale

[Drtooth]

Jeez, Zarius... you wrapped that all up in a nice little package... but no bow? :tpizza:

I have to say, I did enjoy the series. Some things I just didn't think fit the series...

I really thought the nod to Gilligan's Island in one episode was something straight out of Darkwing Duck or even Freakazoid... and no matter how light the series seemed at points, it gave it a cartoonish quality I really didn't like.

And I Hatehatehatehatehated Batgirl.... I know we got a lot of Jackie Chan writers in thei one, but did they have to recycle the character of Jade for Batgirl? She even has that same aloof expression of contempt when Bats says to stay behind. I liked how Robin came in and gave her someone to talk to.

I agree, season 3 was cartoonish and somewhat closer to a slightly darker version of the 1968 series with the obvious splash of (as I said) Jackie Chan Adventures. I especially hated the episode with the plant zombies. Another one straight out of Darkwing Duck.

Season 5 was alright, I must say... too much work went into trying to warm up for Brave and the Bold, and at times it seemed like "Who can we draw in The Batman style." The only episode I out and out hated in that season was the one about the genetic mutation gang. The part where the guy turns into a griffin... was that supposed to be scary? Cuz I kinda burst a lung laughing at it.

[Spitfire]

Yeah it's sad they canned the series for that "Brave and the Bold" crap. We had a great Justice League series already that for canceled. I don't see why people feel the need to cancel shows all the time now instead of leaving the current ones running.

[Brodie]

I fell into the same boat you did, Spitfire, only last year. I got the entire run of the series that was on DVD as of Christmas last year. Then I snagged Season 5 the week it came out.

Generally, I agree with most of whats been said. The later seasons were pretty decent, and the series suffered from some annoying characters, but it was usually entertaining and mostly endearing.

I actually liked the designs for the most part....except for Clayface.

[DrSpengler]

"The Laughing Bat" is one of the best Joker stories ever written, regardless of medium. A really dark, genuinely funny, ingenius story. A perfect Joker tale.

So far as The Batman is concerned on the whole, I could drone on endlessly about it, but I haven't the time.

The show was a little unbalanced, which really becomes obvious after season 2 when Jim Gordon is introduced and Yin is completely written out of the series on the spot.

Still, the series has its own charms, particularly in regards to many of the reinterpreted villains. Kevin Michael Richardson's performance as the Joker is tremendous. Tom Kenny provides a very offbeat but loveable Penguin (though they did use him a bit too much). Robert Englund's Riddler has some great spotlights. Even lame-os like Firefly and Manbat who hardly featured in Batman TAS at all are given some great reimaginings (and I loved their version of Killer Moth).

Harley Quinn's adjusted origin (by Paul Dini, no less) was some great fun, though she barely featured in the show at all. The lead up to Clayface was great, though they kind of squandered him after that. The Batman also featured the best version of Catwoman I've seen, which is great, as I never really dug her in TAS.

Some of the original villains (like that weak Toyman wannabe) mark the lower points of the series, while the only classic villain to really get the short end of the stick was Mr. Freeze (though the episode homaging Dark Knight Returns handled him fairly well).

The last season can be a little rough. It's basically one superhero teamup after another, which can wear on you.


Anyhow, I think what I liked about this series is that you could tell that while Batman was dark, he wasn't going to turn into a bitter old man with a dismal future like TAS Batman did. He was hard, but there was a softer edge to him that made him more human. The show also featured some great interactions between Robin and Batgirl which no other animated version had (they were close enough in age so they could just hang and make observations, but far enough apart so that the romance angle was never a factor).

The Batman received a lot of instant hate at the time it was on because it signaled the end of the Timmverse. With all that behind us, though, the better qualities of the show really do stand out. It has its lows, sure, but when it hit the mark it could be fantastic (the aforementioned "Laughing Bat" being the best episode of the series, IMO).

[IamtheKnight]

The show was ok but the worst season has to be season 5. I barely watched that season. They also ruined Mr. Freeze's character too.

[Brodie]

You're an idiot. How could you say it was the worst if you barely watched it?

I thought the last episode with Mr Freeze was great.

Your opinion is wrong. Normal feeling, right?

[IamtheKnight]

Well I hmm... I agree the episode that was in the future with Freeze was good but I might try looking into season 5.

[Jelly Bean]

You're an idiot. How could you say it was the worst if you barely watched it?

I thought the last episode with Mr Freeze was great.

Your opinion is wrong. Normal feeling, right?

jeez, so much hate. Did his comment really warrant that kind of responce?

[The Terror of Death]

When I first watched this series during its original run I hated it. Now that I look back I really don’t know why I hated it so much but it was most likely because I was comparing it to the old series instead of just watching it without bias. This year I decided to buy the dvds of seasons 1-4 and see how it held up after a second viewing. After watching it again it became of my favorite cartoons. I still hate season 3 like I did when I first watched it but now I love both seasons 1 and 2. I didn’t rewatch season 5 but it was decent. It wasnt half as bad as season 3 but the only notable episodes were The Batman/Superman Story and White Heat. And the Batman vs Dracula movie is still one of my favorite DCAU movies after Justice League New Frontier.

Characters: I actually prefer a lot of The Batman versions of the characters over the BTAS ones. They weren’t trying to be imitations of the TAS ones so that’s probably why. This version of Bruce Wayne wanted to be Batman 24/7, fighting crime and working on new gadgets and he wanted to neglect his social life as much as possible especially in season 1. I also liked how that played up him being an awesome fighter and strategist. Although there was too much of them at times I also liked Penguin and the Joker. Instead of being sophisticated Penguin was an obnoxious and rude foil to Bruce and the Joker was much more spontaneous and crazy. They gave me some laughs a couple of times and provided some of the series best fight scenes. I also liked Firefly, Freeze (poor characterization but he gave off a more menacing and cooler air), Hugo, and Riddler more than the BTAS interpretations. Its true that the majority of the characters didn’t receive much back story or development and were played for laughs a lot but I thought they were entertaining.

Art: I also prefer them to TAS. The villains stood out more and had more detailed costumes. I liked that some of the buildings had a more renaissance than modern look and the night sky being colored purple, green, and red in different episodes was also awesome. Batman’s gadgets and costumes also looked more sleek and high-tech.

Story: A lot were extremely dull or just okay but there were a couple of gems such as the ClayFace episodes, Strange Minds, Strange New World, Seconds, and Riddler’s Revenge.

Presentation: Superb. Almost as good as Teen Titans. Most of it was in seasons one. There was a great sense of speed and movability during the fights and the scenes where you see Batman running and jumping across rooftops while the camera follows behind him were cool. There was some other great stuff that I cant think of right now but off the top of mind head was the bat vision in The Man Who Would Be Bat and the shaking cam effect in Swamped. I noticed that they started to decrease the focus on the awesome cinematography in the later seasons.

Fight Scenes: Also very well done. The best ones were in Batman VS Dracula and most fights involving multiple villains or Penguin and Joker. I liked how the villains didn’t rely solely on weapons or superpowers. Some of them like Ragdoll, Bane, Catwoman, Joker, Penguin, and Croc knew how to fight. They became less threatening in seasons 4 and 5 but to see some of them go toe to toe and actually beat Batman in the early seasons was awesome.

Music: Its weakest point. Not very memorable and some of it was annoying because it sounded too kiddy for my tastes. There were also some lame bat screeching or flying sound effects during the transition scenes.

People should definitely rewatch the series if you can. Your opinion of it might change like mine did. My fav episode hands down is Meltdown.

[IamtheKnight]

My favorite villains would have to be
Joker
Penguin(Better than TAS)
Firefly
Clayface
Catwoman(Better than TAS)
The Riddler
Manbat
Hugo Strange
Bane
Black Mask
D.A.V.E
Spellbinder

[Sage Ninja]

can I see a screen cap of Catwoman?

[IamtheKnight]

How long will it take to do a marathon of all 5 seasons?

[Ra]

can I see a screen cap of Catwoman?
http://www.worldsfinestonline.com/WF/thebatman/bios/catwoman/08.jpg

I'll just keep mine short, since what I mainly think has been said.

Season 1? Crap until the "Rubberface/Clayface" finale. Season 2? Awesome with some bad moments. I haven't seen the other three seasons, but oh well. The thing is, when you watch the series, you need to forget about the old show. Yes, The Animated Series was awesome, but if you try and compare the new to the old... well, I found I was constantly nit-picking if I compared the two shows. Because this show is aimed for kids. Batman: The Animated Series was aimed to be a bit darker.

The show has some awesome episodes, but it also has it's bad moments (Saying that "Q&A" was 'just a bit fail' is a bit of an understatement). There are episodes like "Riddler's Revenge", "Strange Minds", and "The Laughing Bat" which are memorable for all the right reasons. Then there are episodes like "Q&A" and "The Big Chill" that just make you gape at the screen, wondering what the **** the writers were thinking.

The designs are brilliant for the most part. On the odd occasion you'll see one that rubs you the wrong way, but on the most part I loved it. Yet some designs can be coupled with some terrible... er... character. Mr. Freeze, who has one of the coolest (har har) designs on the show, spits out puns that are on par with "Batman & Robin". There is also the Joker, who seems to flip-flop between 'awesome' and 'annoying'. Which is painful for me, being a big Joker fan. It wasn't any easier seeing him in every second or third episode. But I have to hand it to his voice actor; when the situation calls for it, he can stop the theatrics and become quiet and controlled instead of hysterical all the time.

As for the music... eh.

[Ninjinister]

But I have to hand it to his voice actor; when the situation calls for it, he can stop the theatrics and become quiet and controlled instead of hysterical all the time.

Such is the talent of Kevin Michael Richardson. He and the multiple characters voiced by Ron Perlman were my favorite instances of voice acting on the show.

[ToTheNines]

I never hated it, but I really freakin love the "zombie" episode with Dr. Strange. It's better than a decent handful of TAS episodes.

And one more thing, I don't know how the show lasted 5 seasons without Ra's Al Ghul, Scarecrow and especially Two-Face... they're all top 5 Bat-villians, no question.

[Sage Ninja]

that's Catwoman! Oh...that custum makes me want to cry. :(

[Brodie]

She looks almost identical to the current costume, aside from the huge ass ears.
http://www.shamelessmag.com/media/content/2008/06/muddy-catwoman.jpg

As far as how long a marathon of all 5 seasons, including the movie, its over 24 hours.

[Ninjinister]

I never hated it, but I really freakin love the "zombie" episode with Dr. Strange. It's better than a decent handful of TAS episodes.


I had to pause for a moment, before realizing you were referring Hugo, and not Stephen. :lol:

[Drtooth]

that's Catwoman! Oh...that custum makes me want to cry. :(

I have to say, I'm not the biggest fan of the character designs here....

I never hated it, but I really freakin love the "zombie" episode with Dr. Strange. It's better than a decent handful of TAS episodes.

A brilliant episode it was. Especially after doing the whole Plant Zombies thing in the third season.

[ToTheNines]

I know this is out of place, but I'd rather not make a whole new thread about it:

Does anyone know where to get Batman (89) at a decent price? I can't find it for under 20 bucks... that just aint worth a movie that I already have on VHS.

[Brodie]

Have you checked Amazon used?

Or Bullmoose.com?

[Cure]

jeez, so much hate. Did his comment really warrant that kind of responce?

Sure it did. No one should say they dislike something when they have nothing to base their opinion on.

[ToTheNines]

Have you checked Amazon used?

Or Bullmoose.com?

It's $18 plus shipping used at amazon, I can't understand why.

And not at bullmoose... thanks tho.

[Spitfire]

I just finished watching Seasons 4 and 5. I gotta say all in all I really liked the series and it's a shame it ended. It really shaped up. The first episode of season 4 I could just tell it was different in tone.

Brave and the Bold is really what shoved this series off the air? That's sad.

[ZariusTwo]

It was going to happen regardless. It had reached it's 65 episode syndication limit

[Drtooth]

It was going to happen regardless. It had reached it's 65 episode syndication limit

Funny, since they don't syndicate that much anymore. Maybe to Cartoon Network or Disney XD or something... Production caps are why the return of Taurus Bulba and Darkwing's marriage to Morgana are purely fan fic fodder.


But the "The Batman" comics are still being produced, right?

[Candy Kappa]

its an ok show but I never got over batmans face, when he got his mask.. where is his nose?

[ZariusTwo]

Funny, since they don't syndicate that much anymore. Maybe to Cartoon Network or Disney XD or something... Production caps are why the return of Taurus Bulba and Darkwing's marriage to Morgana are purely fan fic fodder.


But the "The Batman" comics are still being produced, right?

Alas, no.

I thought they would sort of become an unofficial "sixth season" the way the Teen Titans title became

[Dan]

No not Batman TAS, not the movies, the short lived TV series "The Batman". Um it lasted 5 seasons I wouldn't exactly call that short lived.

[Spitfire]

Um it lasted 5 seasons I wouldn't exactly call that short lived.

Well since each season is only 13 episodes on for about 4 years, that's stretching it pretty thin. The 90's Batman series lasted 85 episodes, even more if you count the "New Adventures". Justice League lasted almost 100 episodes.

I guess lately shows just don't last as long but for a DC series I'm surprised it didn't make it a few more seasons, or at least longer seasons.