Batman: The Animated Series

[MikeandRaph87]

We got off track in the Batman crossover thread and the latest movirs seen thread talking abourmt this show so I thought it was brst to create a thread for it. This show more than any other iteration defines Batman for me. Not the WB! season, but the three seasons worth of 85 or so episides front the Fox run. It has Robin and Batgirl gurst starring, though not enough. Love those two characters and would like to have seen more individual focus with them. The character designs are iconic and the tone is nearly perfect. As said before I have a handful of nitpicks of this show, but it oresents Batman and co. better than anything before or after. It captures nearly all of the villains as victims of society, sympathic and colorful. Even a few episodes that shelf the traditional villain un fa or of an episode that focuses on humanism. So what are your tboughts?

[Pollyparrot]

I think its the best animated Batman ever made. The Superman and Batman World's Finest crossover movie is awesome. Mark Hamill has another winner as The Joker, first winner being Luke Skywalker.

Kevin's Batman is the Batman voice to me. That's how I think he should sound.

[CyberCubed]

Originally Posted by MikeandRaph87

This show more than any other iteration defines Batman for me. Not the WB! season, but the three seasons worth of 85 or so episides front the Fox run

What is that supposed to mean? The last season of 24 episodes is a direct continuation of B:TAS, and its largely considered the same show on the DVD sets and by Bruce Timm.

[drgon78]

Best version of Batman ever.

[Leo656]

Originally Posted by CyberCubed

What is that supposed to mean? The last season of 24 episodes is a direct continuation of B:TAS, and its largely considered the same show on the DVD sets and by Bruce Timm.

Big drop-off in quality, though, and the redesigned art style was awful. Where the f*** did Joker's lips go?!

[MikeandRaph87]

Originally Posted by Leo656

Big drop-off in quality, though, and the redesigned art style was awful. Where the f*** did Joker's lips go?!

Exactly. Only about 4 episodes of that set do I care for personally and the redesigns are atrocious. I also felt WB!'s attempt to relate to the audience by getting a younger Robin was a bad idea as I feel put off by the Jason Todd 2.0/ Tim Drake hybrid and love Dick Grayson as Robin. I did like having Firefly added in even late in the run. I wish that Mr. Freeze did not appear in the fourth season wither. He got a good ending that was only ruined by further appearances. Sure we are made to feel sorry for the likes of Two Face and Clayface, but Victor Fries should at least get a good ending ot his storyline with the idea even if he was not cured he got back with Nora and reintegrated into society.

The creators said the hardest character to write for was The Riddler as to why he did not show up in season 1 and only made 3 full appearances along with his two cameos. Most of the rejected scripts for the series featured him. I can understand why as it is hard to make him a cerebral threat and Batman always get him in the end. I would argue Catwoman is the hardest to write for. Is she a villain? Is she an a protector with a compulsion to steal the finer things? How is her relationship with both Batman and Bruce Wayne? Honestly, aside from the blonde hair before the redesign giving her short black hair there is not much to nitpick over. Here are her list of appearances:

The Cat and The Claw Part 1- season 1
The Cat and The Claw Part 2-season 1
Cat Scratch Fever- season 2
Tyger, Tyger- season 2
Almost Got 'Im- season 2
Catwalk- season 3
Batgirl Returns- season 3
You Scratch My Back- season 4
Cult of The Cat- season 4

[Leo656]

Yeah, I'm a huge Tim Drake fan, that's the Robin I grew up with, so I was a little bit tickled when I saw/heard they were using him in the show. Then I saw it was really just Jason with Tim's name and that turned me off a little bit.

I missed most of the "Redesign Season" when it originally aired and only caught it way later on. The whole thing just felt like a tacked-on addendum to a series that was already finished.

[Mew]

I like this series. You can watch it on Amazon Prime, for free, if you have Prime.

[CyberCubed]

The final season had plenty of great episodes.

[LeotheLateBloomer]

I wouldn't mind seeing another Batman cartoon series that takes influences from The Animated Series and adds in elements from other takes such as the comics, the 1966s series, Batman 89, Nolan, and combined them together.

[Redeemer]

Originally Posted by LeotheLateBloomer

I wouldn't mind seeing another Batman cartoon series that takes influences from The Animated Series and adds in elements from other takes such as the comics, the 1966s series, Batman 89, Nolan, and combined them together.

I don't know if you have seen "The Batman" its probably the best thing sense Batman TAS.

[plastroncafe]

I remember watching the show as it aired, and thinking it was the most amazing animation I'd ever seen....in terms of style and execution.

While the stories and voice acting remain amazing, wow the animation has not aged well. Having said that, it's still my default Batman chronology.

[Cure]

Originally Posted by plastroncafe

wow the animation has not aged well.

Yeah, it's not great, especially when it rains. The rain looks bad and odd.

[CyberCubed]

People think B:TAS looks bad? Its animation is better than most modern looking shows.

[The Stryker]

Droopy nose Batman and Fat Bruce Wayne. Not my favorite designs in the pre-relaunch stuff.

[Cure]

Originally Posted by CyberCubed

People think B:TAS looks bad? Its animation is better than most modern looking shows.

Haha, sure pal. That's not the goggles speaking.

[Etsyturtle2]

Love it, simply put. And mew, I don't need prime yo, I got youtube.

[MikeandRaph87]

Aside from Dark Knight In The City and Batgirl Begins I could not get into it until tbe 4th season oremiee. Ironically with the inclusion of Dick Grayson it got darker and the entainment as well in The Batman. Black Mask makes his debut in The Batman is one Batman: The Animated Series left out.

If you want to see wither series go to kisscartoons.me.

[sdp]

I really need to re-watch the show and the DCAU in general, haven't watched them since the DVDs were being released so it's been ten years since i've watched some BTAS episodes, a little less for the other DCAU shows. Simply fantastic show and BTAS made me a fan of Batman as a kid. As a teenager it was JLU that got me to be a fan of cartoons in general again. The re=launch might not have as many highs as BTAS but it's probably more consistent than BTAS. I also loved returning to that universe years later and seeing what had happened in all those years.

The Batman got a lot of unwarranted hate but it has more than enough decent episodes and created some awesome original characters. It's darker than what people give it credit for but sadly it's legacy is tainted by the terrible version of the Penguin/Joker they have and select mediocre episodes.

[CyberCubed]

Originally Posted by sdp

I really need to re-watch the show and the DCAU in general, haven't watched them since the DVDs were being released so it's been ten years since i've watched some BTAS episodes, a little less for the other DCAU shows. Simply fantastic show and BTAS made me a fan of Batman as a kid. As a teenager it was JLU that got me to be a fan of cartoons in general again. The re=launch might not have as many highs as BTAS but it's probably more consistent than BTAS. I also loved returning to that universe years later and seeing what had happened in all those years.

I rewatch the entire DCAU every 2 years or so.