One of the most acclaimed on-screen depictions of Batman ever made didn’t happen on the silver screen. Instead, it was a small-screen after-school cartoon, Batman: The Animated Series, which paid homage to The Caped Crusader’s film noir origins and influenced many of the Batman films to come, including, arguably, Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight Trilogy.
Join us on Gone But Not Forgotten as we examine the legacy of the classic TV cartoon. It was such a critical success of Fox that it spawned a big-screen spin-off, Batman: Mask of the Phantasm, as well as a whole slew of shows including The New Batman Adventures, Batman Beyond, and more! It also began the DC Animated Universe, which continues to this day.
In this video, we dig into just what exactly made Batman: The Animated Series so great. We discuss the animation style, the writing, the incredible music by Shirley Walker (and others), as well as the fantastic voice cast, including Kevin Conroy’s outstanding performance as Batman, Mark Hamill’s iconic Joker, Arleen Sorkin as Harley Quinn, and many more. The show also, arguably, featured the greatest ever version of Mr. Freeze, spawning a spin-off, Batman: Sub-Zero, which had to be delayed a year because the movie it was supposed to tie into (Batman & Robin) was so bad. We also examine the creative team behind the show: Bruce Timm, Paul Dini, and Mitch Brian. Finally, we give our picks for the best episodes of its two-season, eighty-five-episode run.
Do you think Batman: The Animated Series lives up to the hype and its heralded place in the DC Animated Universe? Please let us know in the comments below and tell us what your favorite episodes of this iconic TV series are!
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