Batman's Neglected Foe: Hugo Strange | Batman The Animated Series

In this video I take a look at how Batman the Animated Series made use of one of Batman's first recurring foes, Professor Hugo Strange - or should I say, didn't make use of him...
Chapters:
0:00 Introduction
0:15 Comic Book Origins
1:20 Strange Apparitions
2:48 Post Crisis: Prey
3:38 BTAS: The Strange Secret of Bruce Wayne
5:45 BTAS Tie-In Comics
7:05 Conclusion

[@ianfinrir8724]

You can hate The Strange Secret of Bruce Wayne all you want but it has my favorite interaction: Two-Face: Get outta my face, clown! Joker: Which one?

[@DTheCritical]

To be fair that line could have worked in multiple situations

[@Lowkeylie]

@@DTheCriticalIt did! “Hello Harvey. You’re looking… Halfway decent.” “Half of me wants to strangle ya!” “What about the other half?” “Hit ya with a truck.”

[@hansonlee5847]

Another funny line from the Joker 😂 "Ah, freah sunlight and clean air! Ugh, I hate it."

[@flaco3462]

joker's delivery in that scene lives fresh in my memory but funny enough the setup to it didn't so thanks for reminding me

[@freshbread4039]

tbf he walked right into that one

[@ralphmueller3725]

I think that bringing the villains together was brilliant. It allowed the viewers to see things that set them apart more in the open as they argue about differing viewpoints on how to do things.

[@The_Phantasm]

I think it's fair to say that the series didn't fully explore Hugo Strange's psychological expertise and his obsession with understanding Batman's true identity, which are significant aspects of his character. It also just didn't fully capture Hugo Strange's ability to manipulate others. Instead, he was portrayed as a generic mad scientist which he kind of was back in the Golden Age but he had since been long reinvented for the better. The show overlooked Hugo Strange's intellectual prowess and his obsession with understanding the human mind. The show's depiction of Hugo Strange's physical appearance was another point of criticism. The animation style of the show, while iconic and beloved, did not lend itself well to capturing the intricacies of Hugo Strange's character. They drew him too goofy with his exaggerated features, such as his misshapen oversized head, bulging eyes, and comically thin goatee as opposed to his usual Amish beard. The exaggerated and overly cartoonish design of Hugo Strange in the show made it harder to perceive him as a highly intelligent and formidable adversary, diminishing his credibility as a villain. It was probably somewhat modelled after Hugo Strange's first appearance but still I think it didn't do the character justice. I really love Dave Franciosa's redesign of Hugo's BTAS design which I used for my current profile picture to see it. Ray Buktenica's voice I think lacked the distinct gravitas and sinister tone usually associated with the character. Buktenica's delivery lacked the necessary intensity and nuance, making the character feel one-dimensional and less captivating than other versions of Hugo Strange.

[@Kacpa2]

Hugo Strange got a bit more justice done to him in Arkham City even if he is a pawn of Ras al Ghul.

[@Chadius]

The Batman (uh, the 2004 cartoon, not the live action movie) really shined the spotlight on him. Since they couldn't use the Scarecrow, Strange got to be the psychological foe. All of his episodes revolve around Batman and what makes him a hero. I feel each one was made to counter a common criticism about Batman's vigilantism. There's a fantastic episode where he causes a zombie outbreak and gives Batman and Robin the cure. When Robin is captured and zombified, Batman has to go alone to build the cure, fight off the infected police, and deal with zombie Batgirl. But when he realizes zombie Robin is talking to him, he finally stops and thinks about it. Strange gave them a hallucinogen to make him think there's a zombie outbreak, and the "cure" is more hallucinogen that will drive the entire city insane. Strange wanted to see if Batman was willing to surrender and have faith without cold hard facts. Later, he also gets to be the human agent on behalf of an alien invasion that pulls the police and Arkham's inmates together. He was promised all of their knowledge if he would help, and The Joining kept their word. They never asked if he would be able to withstand the knowledge transfer, though. Now he's just a vegetable. A fitting end for the man who wanted everything.

[@Lemuel928]

I know that cartoon,it tells the origin of Robin before he became the leader of Teen Titans.

[@michaelandreipalon359]

A surprisingly good movie, but man, its all too similar title sure makes us be forced to call the cartoon The Batman *2004* so to differentiate. And in a sidenote, same goes for Star Wars and its Tales of the Jedi stuff... the Legends comic is way better than the Alt-universe miniseries.

[@michaelandreipalon359]

​@@Lemuel928The idea of The Batman 2004 being a prequel to Teen Titans is still a fan theory though.

[@ajerjavec4723]

I love how you mentioned the Batman but you forgot three episodes that really show how messed up he is as a psychiatrist. And as great villain, as he can be The first is basically when he goes inside the jokers brain, the purpose was to find out where a detective was being hidden and he’s trying to figure out the psychological reason for the joker. the second where he basically cures the ventriloquist where he gets a nicer puppet and then just gives him back Scarface and he falls back into life of crime and then there’s the episode with the ultimate criminal mastermind where he creates a super computer the pro be a very effective villain who not only figures out who is Batman is basically using the same thing Hugo did in Arkham city and the reason Batman won in the end the computer program thought he was just a guy who was trapped in a computer and when Batman spelt it out, that’s how he won

[@ivannatinkle8196]

I've always wondered why characters like the scarecrow, Harvey dent, and a few others never appeared in the show

[@yan13502]

I'm gonna be honest, I prefer the Strange from The Batman (2004) than the one from the BTAS. The fact that he priorities his curiosity more than people's safety is a good interpretation. The nest exemple for me is an episode with the Ventriloquist. He got Scarface away from the poor man and gave him a new puppet, the result: The Ventriloquist stopped being a criminal. He was happy with his new life, kids loved his shows in Gotham, he finally could do what he really wanted. But later, he secretely replaced the new doll with Scarface to see if the Ventriloquist would go back to crime.

[@deadcool3227]

I really love how Strange is called "The Moriarty to Batman's Sherlock Holmes"

[@flaco3462]

i like this comparison

[@changvasejarik62]

It got me thinking, during any of the marvel dc crossovers did Hugo ever meet Stephen?

[@cheezemonkeyeater]

Perhaps they meant "philosopher" in the classical sense, in that he's a person who enjoys studying.

[@SerumLake]

That would certainly make more sense!

[@cheezemonkeyeater]

@@SerumLake Yeah. I'm totally with you on this video. for a long time, I thought Dr. Strange was just a one-off villain invented for the show because he just kinda of disappeared. It was only years later that I found who Strange was in the comics and was shocked at how much this messes him up. The machine is gimmicky, whereas his original idea that he just finds out who Batman is through psychoanalysis makes him a very intellectual threat. That said, we've seen earlier that the writers didn't seem to ever be able to figure out how to use intellectual villains very well.

[@zemox2534]

Hugo is another rogue who was handled better in other Batman shows, such as The Batman. The Batman version of Hugo is my favourite. He was calculating and manipulative and arguably came close to defeating Batman on several occasions. As far as Bruce Tim's thoughts on the villain team ups....well. Let's just say this isn't the first time Tim has made questionable decisions (Killing Joke adaptation). I like to hear your thoughts on the invisible man from See no evil one day. He was based on a very obscure villain from the silver age Batman comics.

[@SerumLake]

That episode is on the list. Not sure when I’ll get to it, but it will be covered eventually

[@jordanloux3883]

Man, Hugo was a great villain in The Batman, always seeing just how far you could bend someone until they broke. Plus it helped explain why no one at Arkham ever really got cured, as seen in the episode where The Ventriloquist was cured, but he gave Arnold Scarface back just to see what would happen.

[@michaelandreipalon359]

Timm can also be notorious for kinda ruining Mr. Freeze with TNBA's "Cold Comfort". Thank goodness Batman Beyond's "Meltdown" feels like an author's saving throw, alongside some Gotham Adventures tie-in stuff.

[@JanjoZone]

Let's not forget that the idea of capturing Batman's memory was used in Batman Forever.

[@SerumLake]

Yeah, that movie owes a lot to BTAS - funnily enough, this is something I discuss with my guest on Sunday’s episode of Totally Schway **cheap plug**

[@thedukeofchutney468]

I always felt like strange would have been a better choice for the villain of “Perchance to Dream” then who they went with.

[@SerumLake]

I suppose his motivation would've had to have been slightly different - he wouldn't want to give Batman his dream life, he probably would've wanted to prove that Bruce Wayne was Batman? Or something else, maybe?

[@thedukeofchutney468]

@@SerumLake Sure. I personally think that any one of those motivations you gave would make a bit more sense than the one they went with, especially with the villan they went with. That being said all this still doesn't change the fact that he episode is still one of (if not the) the greatest BTAS episodes ever made.

[@The_Phantasm]

Which interview tape from Arkham City of Hugo Strange talking to the villains was your favourite? They're all really great. The Riddler one explores Riddler's overconfidence and many complexes as well as Hugo wearing the Batsuit in secret. The Mr. Freeze one talks about Freeze's inability to accept help from others and Hugo's utter lack of emotion. The Catwoman one talks about her true feelings towards Batman and her unwillingness to trust men and shows Hugo's need to prove he is better than Batman. The Joker one shows Joker talking about the Killing Joke and shows that Hugo won't be as easily manipulated by his sob stories as Harley was. The Penguin one explores his Napoleon complex and how easily Hugo made Penguin think he actually had any leverage. The Mad Hatter shows how far lost Jervis is and how Hugo used him to gain his mind control technology. The Two-Face one shows more of Harvey's inner duality and dependency on the coin and how close he could have been to a road of redemption with Hugo's help had he just not grabbed that coin from the air.

[@SerumLake]

They all kind of blur together in my mind, but I remember thinking that the Two-Face audio diaries were good. I remember there being a really good Scarecrow audio tape, but I’m pretty certain it was in Arkham Asylum

[@The_Phantasm]

@@SerumLake Yeah. In the Scarecrow one from Arkham Asylum there's a reference to Jeffrey Combs and Cillian Murphy.

[@nicholasfarrell5981]

​@@SerumLakeI personally enjoyed Riddler's audio logs from Asylum the most, especially the one about his childhood.

[@nataliapanfichi9933]

​@@SerumLakeHugo strange appears in the movie Gotham by gaslight as a psychiciatrist who is way too interested in the madness of his patients and works at Arkam asylum which is the 19th century Gotham equivalent of the bedlam hospital for the mad.

[@flaco3462]

arkham city is definitely one of the pinnacles of hugo strange, i think he got in a lotta peoples good books thanks to how he was shown off in that game. his interview tapes with other villains in that game are fun to listen to as well

[@LegoReader12345hello]

4:11, lol distinctly shaped Skull, that reminds me of the part when Joker says, "I'm going to use your head as a bowling ball Strange!", I then said, "Okay then, I mean it will be a weird shaped bowling ball but do whatever you want Joker"

[@nick6var]

Perhaps Dr H. Strange would've been a better fit for Perchance To Dream, playing Batman in Bruce's mind.

[@SerumLake]

That's an interesting idea...

[@A_Andromeda_a]

The one from the Gotham tv show was interesting, being responsible for creating a good amount of Batman’s villains in the series by playing god and bringing the dead back to life resulting however in bizarre mutations happening and memory loss so he’d create new identities for these criminals and all of this was thanks to Mr. Freeze and his research. A very interesting take on the Batman mythos in my opinion

[@chojinkid]

Thank you! Hugo Strange really deserved his own video and a refresh of his development, IIRC among the most popular and recurring villains he was the very first rogue to appear in comics. And as far as Bruce Timm says all the episodes where the classic rogues teamed up are fans favorites, Almost Got 'im, Trial, and even the Strange case of Bruce Wayne was one of the most memorable episode.

[@SerumLake]

I’d classify him as one of the first recurring villains - I think Doctor Death and the Mad Monk came before Hugo Strange but they were killed off almost immediately (I’ll have to double check that…)

[@chojinkid]

@@SerumLake Yes they came before but never showed up again, so we can say Strange was the very first recurring villain Batman has ever faced

[@bloke7127]

His depiction in Arkham City was easily my favourite, I love how he almost appears like a big brother type of figure who oversees Arkham city not to mention is incredible voice acting.

[@PhantomObserver]

Bit surprised you didn’t mention the Bruce Timm animated short “Strange Days,” which he did for Batman’s 75th anniversary. Really good summary of Strange’s Golden Age story with the monster henchman. Modern characterizations of Strange put him in the Amanda Waller class of antagonist; basically having a respectable public veneer (i.e. working for the government) but not having the trust of the heroes. That’s probably best for this character since any attempt to make him a costume villain tends to look a bit silly.

[@changvasejarik62]

Unless he’s written by Matt Wagner.

[@DMMDestroyer]

Definitely learned a lot about the Character after watching; had no idea he had such a long history in the series. It makes sense though, he does feel like a golden age comics kinda villian. While it was only one episode with him, it was a memorable one and many will agree it was a good episode with Joker, Two-Face and Penguin together (and since we didn't get much of Penguin either, it is another special touch).

[@GamerSlyRatchet1]

I completely agree with Hugo falling short of how the mainstream comics portray him. While his Batman Adventures story was pretty good, I didn't care for him being a sympathetic figure. Maybe Caped Crusader could bring the opportunity for a more faithful portrayal.

[@camerondodge2070]

Man, it was such a big moment to my child self when I realized the guy who voiced Strange in The Batman was the Riddler from the old VHS tapes my grandparents had. Nowadays, I mostly appreciate the characterization they gave Strange in that show, getting to see his descent into villainy and madness (even if the beloved Frank Gorshin could only be there for the first part of that story). I wish we could've gotten something like that for BTAS. I like Strange, he's in my top five Batman villains, and I think he deserved better animation, at the very least.

[@luis1237]

I wish he made more appearances It was funny of the Trick of the tape of him

[@daviddaniels4020]

Hmm... I think there's one Strange comic appearance missing. "The Triumph of Hugo Strange" involves the very not-dead Strange intimidating Wayne stockholders into giving up their shares to him, from scaring a horror novel fan with a fake ghost to flat-out breaking another guy's nose. Strange thus gains control of Bruce's company, fortune, and house. Child Welfare takes Jason due to Bruce's situation, and Strange's appearance at the mansion scares Alfred so badly he has a heart attack and is hospitalized. Bruce ends up so broke, he's barely able to afford a hot plate and some canned food. But he doesn't give up. As Batman, he uncovers the intimidation scheme, then he and Jason face off with Strange. In the end, Strange is defeated and jailed. Batman tells the police he _made_ Strange think Bruce is Batman with post-hypnotic suggestion--which even makes _Strange_ doubt the truth. 😵😳 All of this is in an 80's Batman Annual, but I don't recall the number. I'm pretty sure it's pre-Crisis, as were the two other DC's (one World's Finest and one All-Star Squadron) in my early comic collection. 😊

[@SerumLake]

You’re right, I completely forgot about that comic! It was something like Batman annual 10, and it had a purple cover. It’s sitting tucked away in one of my long boxes…

[@srstriker6420]

Yeah I think they could have done his monster-men creation, Teaming up with the Scarecrow and seen more of him in the Cadmus arc as he was originally supposed to torture the Question which was filled by Dr Moon because the Bat embargo because he could have been the one to Waller that Bruce is Batman and behind the creation of the not super friends clones with the false memories stuff and I don’t know how he was going to wear the bat suit because he is very short. Can you do a video on Professor Milo?

[@zemox2534]

The bat embargo was so stupid. The rogues couldn't appear but Batman was acceptable! I can't believe they would think children would be that stupid

[@therandombats2579]

Though he never discovered Batman's secret identity, I think Hugo Strange was given more time to shine in The Batman (2004).

[@evanbao93]

He may not have discovered Batman's secret identity, but his creation DAVE did. And it's all but stated that DAVE is essentially an android version of Strange.

[@flaco3462]

@@evanbao93and DAVE was cool as hell dude i love that guy, and strange was already great in that cartoon as well

[@Calamity_Skylark]

He peaked in Arkham city aswell but yeah, Bruce timm did him dirty but I'm glad The Batman(2004) cartoon and Rocksteady did him justice

[@CircussCake]

Hugo Strange is actually one of my favorite villains, especially in the Gotham TV show, because he was honestly a complete coward, but terrifying and a formidable force of evil when given a laboratory.

[@pizzalover346]

Just found this series and BLASTED through it today and then a new one premiered!? It's a good day to be watching character analysis' for a comic/show I'm not even really a fan of-

[@SerumLake]

Welcome aboard!

[@CapnAlces]

I hope we see a bit more Hugo Strange in the future. I always thought he was an underused badguy.

[@jacktoma21]

I couldn’t really get into btas Hugo. He’s to comical, without actually being funny, and not very menacing or interesting. I will always default to preferring Arkham’s adaptation of Strange. That man had presence

[@Xehanort10]

The only real problem with Arkham Strange is him working for Ra's. He should have been the main villain.

[@supremegroden3021]

​@@Xehanort10he was the main villain. Pretty much everything happened because of him. Ra's was just giving him the resources he needed.

[@The_Phantasm]

The DCAU version of Hugo Strange was rather lackluster. His visual design was too comical. Ray Buktenica's voice I think lacked the distinct gravitas and sinister tone usually associated with the character. He was much better handled in The Batman 2004 series where he was voiced by Frank Gorshin.

[@the_flyattractor8656]

Now I wonder how a Strange/Scarecrow Story could go? Team Up? VS?

[@SerumLake]

if it's anything like the comics, it'd be a bit of both!

[@calebe4266]

5:25 The guy is totally delusional! Harley and Ivy and almost got him totally proves him wrong. There are much more fun ways to put some villains together and see what they do to each other. Will they become friends or rivals? Think of the rivalry between Joker and riddler, or the friendship between harley and ivy, or (on the case of this show) the relationship between harvey and ivy. One episode that i think had an amazing idea but they absolutely scree up was the "love story" between mary dahl and killer croc. Imagine that, instead of what we got, we got a love story of two people persecuted by the police in order to get together. Both of them seeked the approval of society, but croc got tired of it and became agressive, so the love of mary dahl would save killer croc, or his bitterness would drag her down? Imagine batman conflict on letting to people that suffered live away of society happy, or to lock them separated from one another for the crimes they commited. Stories of villains meting each other is just as interesting as heroes meting each other

[@changvasejarik62]

Indeed, frankly my big issue with villian team ups was their willingness to work with joker. It’s been made clear multiple times most of the villains don’t like him, and acknowledge the possibility he’d betray and kill them if he thought it was funny. I guess if they just showed the villians putting joker in his place every now and then I’d be fine with it.

[@averageperson434]

6:02 I have this comic at home!!!! I got it from my dad who used to read Batman and Superman comics!!! I’m sooo excited 😆

[@dinosoid2000]

BD Wong was amazing as Dr. Strange in Gotham. One of my favorite roles of his.

[@changvasejarik62]

Wong…? Did the two dr stranges ever meet the comics?

[@cosmicspacething3474]

I would’ve liked to see this series’s take on the eraser

[@DozenthTurmoil]

Oh this will be very cool!

[@RikouHogashi]

you know, I kinda wish Hugo Strange was treated with the same respect as Ra's Al Ghul imho at least a good number of Batman games did him more justice

[@ericgaskins571]

Hey i just wanted to say thank you for such enjoyable content. I loved BTAS and have seen all your videos. Even if I disagree with your analysis (not often) it is still very well done and extremely professional. Once again thank you.

[@SerumLake]

You’re welcome, glad you’ve enjoyed most of them!

[@flaco3462]

i wish that comic of hugo erasing batman's parent memory was an episode, and while BTAS didnt do much with strange and his design is kinda bad i'm glad 2004 the batman did him justice and gave him a cool voice and sweet haircut the man made D.A.V.E. you can't top that

[@KasumiKenshirou]

I remember reading an unused script by Michael Reeves that he had on his website, but I don't actually remember anything about it. That Hugo Strange BTAS episode was not one of my favorites. Hugo Strange invented a machine that could let someone create a movie by just imagining it. He could've opened a visual effects studio in Hollywood and made a fortune with that thing! Why is he doing any of this blackmail stuff? With knowledge of the source material you could surmise that he is just a very sick man and he just enjoys abusing people in this way, but that is not really explained in the show itself. In the episode in just looks like he's trying to make money but overlooked a much easier way to do so. When you were discussing Akom's work on this episode and mentioning weird proportions, the gangster shown on screen reminded me of one of those 1990s Playmates Dick Tracy action figures.

[@metal87power]

the batman utilized him properly

[@fynnthefox9078]

I'd love to see Hugo Strange as the main antagonist in a Batman movie. Hmm... Maybe I should write a script for a Batman fan film?

[@DCMarvel2009]

I’m glad that Paul Dini had the chance to use Strange properly in the Arkham City game. That version more than overshadowed his DCAU counterpart by a mile in my opinion.

[@AvoozlPlays]

I do feel they did this character dirty in this show.

[@chiranjeevsaikia560]

Had the Bat Embargo not been there then we wouldve see Hugo Strange torture the Question. Also he would've played a more prominent role in Cadmus. Its implied that he told Waller about Batman's secret identity.

[@Gelimer32002]

I know this about Strange but for the villain team up episodes, I will say that I agree about it making the world feel more connected but it also makes the villains seems less deadly when Batman manages to beat them all in one episode then it would in a single episode

[@jjrsbigo]

So, I don’t know if others had mentioned it, but IIRC Hugo Strange got caught up in the “Bat Embargo,” where Batman characters that are in one adaptation (film, TV show) can’t appear in another adaptation (at least until the first adaptation is finished); there are of course exceptions (Batman, Joker, etc.). Which is why Strange never really showed up again in the DCAU (outside of his cameo in JLU, and why it’s Dr. Moon interrogating The Question instead of Strange. I believe this is also why Batgirl was introduced first in “The Batman” cartoon, and why Ra’s Al Ghul and Scarecrow never appear in that show (they were “used” in the Dark Knight films).

[@mediakira6621]

He could have had a better voice than …what ever we got

[@Wbfuhn]

It would be nice to have these villains be brought back as new.

[@toxictincan]

I can't find what the book was for the life of me, but I remember reading a small chapter book with illustrations thrown in between in the style of The New Batman Adventures, where Hugo Strange had been creating Monster Men, and even Batman himself was transformed during an investigation attempt.

[@Xehanort10]

For some reason they made him a generic blackmailer instead of a psychologist.

[@SerumLake]

I think it’s because they may not have known enough about psychology to write a psychologist convincingly - but this was a kids show, after all.

[@EnragedEnishiCCChakura]

Great Video!!! :D Also what´s the music you used at the ending at 7:52?I like it seems like Dragon Quest? xD

[@SerumLake]

thank you! It’s a track called Longitude from Apple’s royalty-free library

[@MichaelSpikes-pv6kl]

Nice show

[@KingofplsDean-Wilson]

hi i think you may have forgotten something strange did get another reimagining in the Arkham games and The batman from 2004 2008 in that iteration he did have hair and was the head psychiatrist at arkham asylum

[@notveryintelligent6239]

I only know this guy because of Arkham

[@changvasejarik62]

I’ll be frank I like strange more than a few of the more popular villains. He’s dreadfully underrated despite being their since the beginning years.

[@benjaminfeld6388]

It seems to me that Hugo strange, at least in the original Batman comics, could perhaps be compared to Prof. James Moriarty, thus making him the perfect counterbalance to Batman's Sherlock Holmes.

[@sarafontanini7051]

I feel what could be sued more is strange's obsession with batman and his identity, and his desire to match andd even best him. Too much focus is put on his scientist side, not so much on him like training his body to mirror batman's. Would make for a greater surprise when this bald older man throws off his labcoat and reveals a six pack (Or even a fake batman costume) and actually manages to give batman an even fight. yeah leave the pervy shit behind, it doesn't make him a better villain.

[@bendyropro1668]

This character reminded me about a musician called "Dr.Steel", Maybe I'm confused since it has a a quite smilar appearance to the "evil scientist stereotype" but i wanted to ask though

[@YouWinAFREEiPOD]

There sure are a lot of villains that know how to slow their heartbeats and stop their pulse as a ruse... Once was impressive and remarkable enough. 🤷

[@Modernww2fare]

Thankfully they learned their lesson with him in Arkham City. Paul Dini anyway

[@marcosperez6962]

you know you should about the batman(2004) more often,it was not great especially compared to the old show but it was good,it has its moments

[@AETorrePuerto]

Why the Mandalorian music?

[@michaelandreipalon359]

The DC Animated Universe is great, but really, it's flaws like the underutilization of the magnificent bastardry of Hugo Strange, the existence of Bruce x Barbara, and the lack of notable spotlights for the likes of the McGinnis family and Dana Tan that ensure of it not being perfect. At least The Batman 2004 and Batman: Arkham City brought back the mental bad*****y of the man though.

[@Xehanort10]

Yeah in Beyond "Terry's girlfriend" was all there was to Dana.

[@michaelandreipalon359]

@@Xehanort10 Not necessarily. She does do well in being a capable survivor the likes of the Ratboy in "Rats" and the Joker's new breed of Jokerz in Return of the Joker. But yeah, even Lois Lane got more spotlights even in episodes that don't make her a central character.

[@DwarfDaddy]

You know this brings up a point I’ve been wondering. When you run out of BTAS material will you move onto other Batman shows or media?

[@SerumLake]

Without spoiling anything, I have mapped out about a year’s worth of content and I’ve not come close to running out. If I do look at any other shows it’ll be the other DCAU shows (The New Batman Adventures, Superman the Animated Series, Justice League, Justice League Unlimited, Static Shock, The Zeta Project) and probably Caped Crusader too, if it ever comes out…

[@DwarfDaddy]

@@SerumLake Sweet!

[@michaelandreipalon359]

The DCAU is one gold mine... besides that, any other works of media you actually like that you may want to explore too, SL? Am curious if you're also into Marvel (particularly X-Men and Spider-Man, which have their numerous animated series), Disney's Gargoyles, and other contemporaries.

[@DwarfDaddy]

@@michaelandreipalon359 Gargoyles would be hilarious since Bruce Timm crapped on it.

[@michaelandreipalon359]

@@DwarfDaddy And yet, the show stood well on its own while actually sharing some notable writers (Len Wein is a familiar name), animators, and sometimes voice actors as B: TAS and other DCAU media. Also, I'll just take a metaphorical dump on his take on The Killing Joke.

[@ashesfrombones]

still better than Doctor Strange: multiverse of madness

[@mrefromninjago7665]

Wow

[@DoctorSanity]

😷What's interesting is how Hugo feels like that classic mad scientist type from golden era comics, even in this little story featuring him. It might just be why he wasn't featured as heavily in the dreary, more psychological tone of BTAS. Where there was certainly sci-fi fantasy elements, but most of them were meant to be commentary or be a unique situation to create tragedy on someone's mental state. Hugo feels very "Aha! Look at the power of science, Batman!" in his original incarnation, before shifting to the more psychological focus down the line. You are right when you say the Arkham games explore his more modern side in contrast to BTAS. Perhaps this Hugo Strange can serve as simply an example of the transformative, constantly evolving nature of comic book characters.

[@matthewschwartz6607]

I like Strange, but I HAAATE how he always dies and comes back! He’s been dead at least four times . It’s just a bad joke . And I like when he knew that Bruce was Batman . No writers seem to know what to do with him in the comics . I think that they should have kept him dead.

[@Lemuel928]

He wasn’t that neglected in Arkham City Game and The Batman Episodes.

[@njmfff]

They gave more prominent role to Hugo because WB didn't let them use some of the characters like Montoya, Scarecrow and Two Face. There was this one episode which was clearly written for Scarecrow (Batman is exposed to fear gas and has nightmare that everyone is turned into zombies), but Scarecrow was replaced by Hugo Strange instead.

[@Hack_Man_VII]

Agree to disagree. Professor Hugo strange was one of those characters I was glad to only see make one appearance. The tired tropes of the villain knowing the heroes identity, and using it to exploit them somehow or trying to ruin or control their lives always manages to frustrate me. It just feels like a colossal waste of time, and I do not enjoy seeing any series utilize it.