Batman: The Animated Series -- A 19 Year Retrospective

[Alien]

Are you all gonna watch Batman of the Future/Beyond after you've watched this? Or JL(U)?

[PG Cooper]

Originally Posted by Alien

Are you all gonna watch Batman of the Future/Beyond after you've watched this? Or JL(U)?

I'm considering doing Superman, Batman Beyond, and JL/JLU later on since I own them all anyway, but I don't know for sure.

[Daniel]

I'm also trying to get through 30 Rock, Mad Men, and The Wire right now. Once 30 Rock and Mad Men are caught up I'll probably start watching B:TAS and Adventures of Batman and Robin and also chime in here.

[Daniel]

Also, great reviews. I still keep forgetting to take photos of my figure collection...

[Alien]

Originally Posted by PG Cooper

I'm considering doing Superman, Batman Beyond, and JL/JLU later on since I own them all anyway, but I don't know for sure.

I found that Superman cartoon a bit boring but that might just be becuase I find Superman really boring.

[PG Cooper]

Originally Posted by Alien

I found that Superman cartoon a bit boring but that might just be becuase I find Superman really boring.

It's definitely the weakest of their shows (not counting Zeta and Static Shock).

[Neverending]

I liked the Superman cartoon, but it did lack - heart - for the most part.

[Alien]

Originally Posted by PG Cooper

It's definitely the weakest of their shows (not counting Zeta and Static Shock).

I've not seen any of Zeta and only a limited number of Static Shock episodes. I like the Static Shock stuff I have seen, it was better than the Superman episodes I've seen.

[Dracula]

I remember thinking as a kid that the Superman cartoon was dull and usually jsut a waste of a half hour until the next Batman came on. I also remember Static Shock being really lame.

[PG Cooper]

Yeah, I watched a bit of Static as a kid and hated it.

As for Superman, while it's definitely a weaker effort, it's still mostly enjoyable and had some pretty good episodes.

[MovieBuff801]

Originally Posted by PG Cooper

It's definitely the weakest of their shows (not counting Zeta and Static Shock).

There's no question...Batman: TAS is a MUCH better cartoon than the Superman one. I'm with Drac, I always found the Superman cartoon to be pretty boring...then again, I never thought that highly of Superman to begin with.

[PG Cooper]

Batman: The Animated Series

Volume One, Disc Four


022-Joker's Favor

Written by Paul Dini. Directed by Boyd Kirkland.

With "Joker's Favor", we have our first Joker episode since "Be A Clown". The premise is pretty neat. A middle-class guy named Charlie is driving home from work after a bad day and one he's cut off by another driver, starts to cuss him out on the road. Until he realizes the other driver is The Joker. Joker follows him and ends up cornering him on foot alone in a forest. Charlie tells Joker he'll do anything if Joker lets him go. Joker let's him go, but keeps tabs on him for years until he needs him. I really like the idea for the episode, it's a good merger of the Joker's humorous side, as well as his psychotic side. This episode is also pretty important because it was the first appearance of Harley Quinn. She's voiced by Arleen Sorkin, who would voice her throughout all the series and it's subsequent spin offs. Arleen is great as Harley and her character is a lot of fun. Harley herself is pretty good her, and her character wouldn't stray from this much. The only thing that would change is in later episodes she's a much more efficient criminal. This episode also has some nice interaction between Batman and Gordon. There are some small problems. At times, it feels a little over animated, and I feel the action near the end goes too far given the setting. Still, this is a good episode on the same level as "Be A Clown". That is to say, it's good, but not great.

023-Vendetta

Written by Michael Reaves. Directed by Frank Paur.

The episode revolves around various individuals from Detective Bullock's past being kidnapped. Evidence suggests that it was Bullock, but as Batman investigates, he discovers the real culprit; C-villain Killer Croc. I don't really find Killer Croc to be a great villain, but I do enjoy this episode. The detective stuff is done well, and the fight scenes between Batman and Croc are pretty good. I also like how we see a bit more of Bullock. We see that he's actually an efficient cop, and his relationship with Batman does evolve. This episode isn't anything particularly special or memorable, but it's solid none the less, and impressive considering how boring a villain Killer Croc is.

024-Fear of Victory


This episode marks the return of the Scarecrow, who is using his fear toxin on athletes in order to make money by betting against them. This episode is the exact opposite of Scarecrow's first appearance, "Nothing to Fear". With that episode, I had issues with the execution of Scarecrow, but overall really enjoyed the plot itself. Here I have issues with the plot itself, but overall I really enjoyed the execution of Scarecrow. The same actor from "Nothing to Fear" (Henry Polic II) reprises his role as Scarecrow, but in this episode I find him much better. His voice sounds more in control and he's much more menacing. They also redesigned his costume, and I really like what they did. Apparently producers still weren't satisfied with the design, but personally, I dig it. The problem with the episode is the actual plot. Scarecrow using his toxin to fix sports games feels like a plot beneath the Scarecrow. Scarecrow himself admits that he's just doing it for easy cash. The episode just doesn't feel like much is at stake. Early on Robin is exposed to the fear gas, but the episode doesn't really do anything interesting with. All in all, while this episode isn't horrible, it's very forgettable.

025-The Clock King

Written by David Wise. Directed by Kevin Altieri.

Another villain revenge episode. This time we follow Temple Fugate (a.k.a The Clock King) as he attempts to bring down Mayor Hamilton Hill for inadvertently getting Fugate fired years earlier, and in the process ruining Fugate's life. A lot of the villains in this show started because of revenge. Poison Ivy, Scarecrow, Mr. Freeze, Clayface, etc. While are there origins worked well, this one doesn't really. Mainly because the whole back story just seems silly. His motivation for hating Hill just doesn't work. I also don't like how much of a physical challenge the Clock King seems to give Batman despite being vastly inferior physically, or the fact that Batman rides around in a regular car (well, regular for a rich person) driven by Alfred in broad day light. Despite all these problems, I do still enjoy this episode. Mainly because I find Temple himself, a really fun villain to watch, mostly because of the voice provided by Alan Rachins. Despite being a heavily flawed episode, I can't really bring myself to hate it.

026-Appointment in Crime Alley

Written by Gerry Conway. Directed by Boyd Kirkland.

Roland Daggett wants to expand his business and to do so, he wants to build on an area of the city called Park Row, though more commonly known as Crime Alley. He sends in demolition experts to destroy the area but the residents living there have no where to go. Personally, I find the main conflict of the episode kind of boring. But what saves it is Batman's story in this. We're introduced to Dr. Leslie Thompkins in this episode, who was there for Bruce when his parents were killed. The relationship between the two is the most interesting thing in the episode, and we get it in small but effective doses. I also love what the actual appointment in Crime Alley is, Batman and Leslie laying flowers at the site Batman's parents were killed. All in all, it's a pretty standard episode, made memorable because of the introduction to Crime Alley, a location that will play an important role in an episode next volume.

027-Mad as a Hatter

Written by Paul Dini. Directed by Frank Paur.

Jervis Tetch is a lonely and bitter Wayne tech employ who's obsessed with the secretary where he works, a young girl named Alice. Tetch is an expert in mind control, and begins to use that to draw Alice to him. The Mad Hatter is a villain that can be tough to make work. A villain using mind control with his gimmick inspired by Lewis Carol. But here they really did a good job. What makes him so good is the fact that he feels really creepy and pathetic. While Alice is an adult, she's still far younger than Jervis, and his obsession with her is really creepy. Alice seems oblivious to this and views Jervis as just a quirky friend. Another reason I love the Mad Hatter is because of his voice, provided by Roddy McDowall. McDowall's voice sounds kind of classy and eloquent, but also really menacing and sinister. Another great thing about the Hatter as the mixed emotions you have for him. You pity him, you're afraid of him, and you're intrigued by him. I remember with one line, McDowall managed to embody all of that, the line being, "I'll cut that cowl of your neck before you take her. I've waited my whole lonely life for her." Anyway, I really enjoy this episode, you could not ask for a better introduction to the Mad Hatter.

028-Dreams in Darkness

Written by Judith and Garfield Reeves-Stevens. Directed by Dick Sebast.

"Dreams in Darkness" is a high concept episode in which Batman is locked away in Arkham Asylum after being exposed to Scarecrow's fear gas. I'm not gonna beat around the bush, I love this episode. Writers have always toyed with the idea of Batman in Arkham, and this is a great example of that story. Seeing Batman locked in Arkham gives the episode a tense feel. It also delves into Batman's psyche, not extensively mind you. In one of the best scenes in the episode, and really, one of the best scenes of the series so far, we see Batman wandering through a dis proportioned version of Crime Alley, before he sees his parents walking through a tunnel. Batman chases them, calling at them, warning them not to go in there. The ground begins to shake as the tunnel rises from the ground, revealing itself to be the barrel of a pistol. Blood looks like it's dripping out of the barrel, before firing at Batman, snapping him out of the hallucination. It's a great and very dark scene. I remember as a kid it scared the s*** out of me. The other aspect of the episode that works very well is the Scarecrow. And I must say, bravo for finally making a great Scarecrow episode. Henry Polic II is even more sinister in this episode and he actually is pretty scary. And of course there's still that great Scarecrow theme. Bottom line, this episode is great and it's packed full of memorable moments. One of my favourites.

Strongest Episode: Dreams in Darkness

Weakest Episode: Fear of Victory

[Daniel]

Wasn't Fear of Victory the first episode w/ Robin in it, or am I mistaken?

[PG Cooper]

Originally Posted by Daniel

Wasn't Fear of Victory the first episode w/ Robin in it, or am I mistaken?

No, Christmas with the Joker was.

[Neverending]

I think Appointment in Crime Alley is a great episode because of all the backstory. Keep in mind that Batman was already an established character when the series began. We didn't get a full origin till Mask of the Phantasm. So, episodes like these were neat.

[PG Cooper]

Originally Posted by Neverending

I think Appointment in Crime Alley is a great episode because of all the backstory. Keep in mind that Batman was already an established character when the series began. We didn't get a full origin till Mask of the Phantasm. So, episodes like these were neat.

It was neat, and I do find the back story interesting, it's just the main story is really nothing special.

[Neverending]

Originally Posted by PG Cooper

it's just the main story is really nothing special.

The main plot was just there to give Batman something to do. But it wasn't the focus.

[PG Cooper]

Originally Posted by Neverending

The main plot was just there to give Batman something to do. But it wasn't the focus.

I know that, but it doesn't mean I can completely excuse it.

[Daniel]

I don't mean to jack the thread, but since we are on the topic of Batman and I mentioned my Batman collection earlier, here goes:

[PG Cooper]

Stated in the other Batman thread but worth repeating, Damn those are awesome!

And don't worry about hijacking the thread or whatever. My current writing priority is my Harry Potter retrospective, so I'll get back to this later.

[Alien]

Originally Posted by Daniel

Do I see Azrael maybe another Azrael and then some templar of some kind? And then some old bald Batman? A Batman with a gun and something over his face? Some kid in white and some weird guy next to the Blue Beeta?. These are just the people I have no idea of who they are.

[MovieBuff801]

Dude, that's pretty damn impressive. Wow.

[Daniel]

Originally Posted by Alien

Do I see Azrael maybe another Azrael and then some templar of some kind? And then some old bald Batman? A Batman with a gun and something over his face? Some kid in white and some weird guy next to the Blue Beeta?. These are just the people I have no idea of who they are.

haha.

So, yes, there is Azrael (not Jean Paul Valley) in his own Azrael garb in the first photo on the right, then Azrael Batman ( Jean Paul Valley, second costume) behind him, then Azrael Batman (Jean Paul Valley, first costume) to his left.

Old, bald Batman is Dr Hugo Strange; the only figure they have of his thusfar.

The Batman with the guns is Jason Todd. There is another figure of him unmasked, but I haven't gotten the urge to spend $125 on him. After Batman "dies," a series of people vie to take up the mantle. Jason, who had been killed by the Joker in "Death in the Family," came back crazed and bent on revenge. He decides to be a more vicious and murdering Batman, complete with an arsenal of guns and knives.

The kid in white is Damien: the son of Bruce Wayne and Talia al Ghoul.

Next to blue Beetle is Tengu Batman. When Bruce recovered from Bane breaking his back he was first required to go through a series of tests by Lady Shiva before he could go back to Gotham to reclaim the mantle of the Bat. To give him hands-on training, Shiva framed him for the death of a sensei by leaving a Tengu Bat mask at the scene of the sensei's murder, and 7 waves of assassins came to hunt him down. It was some great comic book material. Shiva tried to convince Bruce he failed Gotham and against Bane because he would not kill, so she tried to get him to kill the last assassin, but of course he didn't.

[Daniel]

I will also add that I have not had to buy any of these figures for over their value on eBay. I have scoured comic stores in Dallas and Austin for the past few years to find all of these.

The Knightfall series: Bane, Knightfall Batman, Tengu Batman, Catwoman on the bottom shelf, and Nightwing (not pictured since his paint sucked and I went with the DC Direct Hush Nightwing) was a Christmas present from my folks a couple years back.

[FranklinTard]

wait those things cost 125 bucks a pop? for dolls?


if this is the case... i'm coming to texas for your collection!