The Batman Everyone Can Agree On

[@ShirDeutch]

Most importantly, this is a compassionate Batman who tries to help his enemies if he can and believes they can be reformed. He's intimidating but he doesn't go around cracking skulls for the fun of it. This aspect is so desperately missing in most iterations of the character in the past two decades.

[@jacobsabastian3871]

Exactly

[@Torlik11]

Yeah, they focus too much on the brooding angry batman from the 80's. And even THAT batman isn't as dark, angry and brooding as they make him now.

[@cassiedevereaux-smith3890]

[SPOILER] That JLU episode with Ace of the Royal Flush Gang where he sits with her and holds her hand as she dies. 😭

[@empatheticrambo4890]

My favorite moment of that in the show is Batman encouraging Harley when she gets released by Arkham as a reformed patient. He’s firm, but also we so rarely see the concept of recovery in the context of Batman

[@smokedbeefandcheese4144]

This is very true I used to argue with my brother about how I didn’t like Batman because I felt he was just a mean rich guy. But then I learned about all the cool stuff he does in the comics and I realize it’s more complicated.

[@Parker8752]

There's a reason this cast was used for the Arkham games - for many people, the animated series was the definitive batman.

[@HobGungan]

"This Cast" meaning only Batman and Joker. I agree with your overall point, just want to make sure people don't mistake anyone else.

[@matthewstarkie4254]

@@HobGungan Also Harley in the first game, though Tara Strong took over from City onwards.

[@bohemianbeaumontfilms7892]

I agree,The Batman games are all good.I still think Arkham city is over rated9but good) and Batman Origins is under rated.The first boss fight against death stroke...some people found it frustrating.But its all about Batman's ability to counter anything that life throws at him.p e a c e

[@fredericchristie3472]

I love how many people point out the decency of this Batman. That scene with Ace in Justice League is just a gut punch. This is a Batman who would risk his death just to not let someone die alone and scared.

[@sabrinaloizides-merideth9874]

Kevin Conroy is my favorite Batman ever. He is so iconic. I am one of those who considers "Mask of the Phantasm" to be my favorite theatrical Batman film and I saw it opening weekend with my dad when it was released. he used to watch the cartoon with me on Saturday mornings. Great video. Keep up the good work.

[@inkstatic_art]

I remember watching Mask of the Phantasm in the theater with my brother. Kevin Conroy is the GOAT.

[@galactic85]

I miss this batman. He actually showed compassion to his enemies and worked to help them as much as possible. These days people just want batman to be a masked serial killer who kills the "right people."

[@billmalcolm4291]

I mean, if you watch even the Keaton Batmans, his body count is definitely not zero. I get what you're saying though. You ever watch the Pete Holmes Badman parodies? The one with Patton Oswalt as Penguin is hilarious and relevant here

[@Cythil]

@@billmalcolm4291 Though it should be noted that the Keaton batman does not focus on the violence or body count. I admit I find it a bit lazy since it seems is more as a quick way to get rid of crocks. And my favourite versions of batman do actually try to avoid casualties. But is not violence for the shock value that is often the idea for more "edgy" batmans. But that is not so odd ether, since Burton clearly is going with a more stylized, almost fairytale sort of story. A very Burton style of story telling. Not a realistic, gritty take.

[@reservoirfrogs2177]

@@Cythil The only depiction of Batman being gratuitous with violence is from Batman V Superman. Batman isn't like that in Nolans trilogy, any of the new animated movies and games nor in The Batman. He is MORE violent in the new movie but A. Batman has always been a little violent, 3 of his villains are just blatant serial killers, and B. It's a younger Batman who is still finding his way, he is the same way in Year Ome and similar media

[@JanusKastin]

Taking nothing away from Ledger's Joker, the first time I was ever truly terrified by the Joker was in TAS episode "Joker's Favor". Ordinary middle-class nobody Charlie has a lousy day at work, and has a case of road rage on the way home. The target of his rage is none other than the Joker himself. After realizing he done f***ed up, Charlie tries to get away, but the Joker runs him down an offramp. Joker is straight up gonna kill him, and Charlie begs for his life. Joker agrees to spare him in exchange for his driver's license. So now the Joker has your name, address, SSN, the works, and says you owe him a favor. That, my friends, is terror.

[@TimThomason]

Great episode. Then Charlie gets his life together, changes his name, moves away and goes into hiding with his family. And then, two years later, Joker calls him up. Sheer terror.

[@patrickdodds7162]

Thank you for this, Steve. I've been a major fan of Batman: TAS for nearly 3 decades as so many others. Batman: TAS is like Star Trek: TNG--it's widely beloved by the mainstream, it's insanely influential to the entire franchise, and it holds up pretty damned well over the decades. There are clunker episodes in both shows to be sure, but when the episodes of the respective shows work: they knock it out of the galaxy!

[@beatsarebroken]

Can't argue with any of this. TAS Batman defined a generation and continues to inspire the best takes on the character.

[@docweidner]

The scene of Bruce at his parent's grave in Mask of the Phantasm always makes me mist up. The initial misdirection where you think he is talking to Andrea only to have the camera pull back to show you he is at the cemetery adds an extra twist. Even just thinking about it now, I am moved. His desperation to get them to let him give up his life's work and to just be happy is so tragic, on several levels, especially given how it ends. That is why I consider it one of the best.

[@adamlytle2615]

It's funny I very much remember "The Forgotten" - not that it's a favourite or anything, but it's a prime example of why I prefer Batman in a TV series vs a movie. An ongoing series allows for breathing room to explore things that they would never have time for in a feature film. So in this case, an episode where Batman doesn't wear his costume past the first few minutes, and Alfred gets to shine in a more active role than usual - guy gets to fly the Batjet to go find Batman!

[@katarishigusimokirochepona6611]

Amazing retrospective! Thank you so much! "Remember, Bats! It's not the fall: it's the sudden stop at the end!" is easily one of the funniest oneliners of the entire 1990s.

[@MargaliMorwentari]

BATMAN: TAS is the distilled essence of Batman and his world, and while it may have originally been run on Saturday mornings and weekday afternoons, it was never written as a "kids' show." That's why it holds up decades later as more than just a nostalgic memory.

[@EmeralBookwise]

"Is _Tiger, Tiger_ anyone's favorite episode?" Maybe not favorite, but certainly one of the more memorable episodes of my formative years for... reasons ;-)

[@maxdunn1989]

The fact that Steve brought attention to TIger, Tiger specifically makes me think he knows that it is a favorite/memoriable one for...certain people.

[@meg2249]

Baby Doll was one of my favorite episodes. It was so wonderfully tragic!

[@ROMANTIKILLER2]

@@meg2249 Mean Seasons is another little often forgotten gem in my opinion, especially the very ending.

[@1chiTheKiller]

Literally every time I read Batman comics I hear Conroy's voice reading all the Batman parts in my mind, and I hear Mark Hamill when I'm reading the Joker. They have so clearly defined those 2 characters. I also hear a mix of the Animated Series and Tim Burton versions of Alfred when I read him in the comics as well. Same for Harley.

[@Icypenguigo]

I went to college for animation in the mid-2000's, and we regularly studied examples from this show in my various classes on how to do animation well. I still have this big, thick handout about just the show's opening sequence. It goes in depth about how the show's intro is constructed, how it sets the tone, and why it's effective. It was quite interesting.

[@jessewilley531]

I think my favorite Batman: TAS episode is 'Almost Got'em!'

[@Panzer4F2]

It was a really big rock

[@Cyrus21100]

Roddy McDowell was also a Batman '66 Allumni as The Bookworm. And you can really see it when watching The Bookworm just losing his mind in some scenes.

[@romewilliams3526]

I also appreciate how’s the city is just as much a part of Batman as Bruce. Does Gotham reflect Batman or does Batman reflect Gotham.

[@mborok]

I love how Gotham and Metropolis not only look different in terms of their architecture, but the people in them drive different-looking cars.

[@emmabowen8205]

I've been a fan of Batman my entire life, one of my earliest memories is watching the premier of Batman: TAS when I was 3, to me it's the best version of Batman with my favorite version of Batman.

[@annettemalaski1967]

The most memorable one for me was Adam West playing the Batman robot, and Ace was his friend. Batman showed real heart and soul.

[@Tadicuslegion78]

Thing I like most about this version of Batman is he makes mistakes, he bleeds, he fails, he's haunted by his actions. the two parter Two-Face, Heart of Ice, Mask of the Phantasm. I much prefer the more grounded detective batman over Super OP broken Gary Stu greatest at everything Batman that can beat the Justice League in 5 minutes.

[@piotrmroczkowski2324]

I was watching it on German tv (Pro7), because in this time in Poland comics and animated shows with superheroes were extremely hard to get. Prior to this my only experience with Batman were movie version with Michael Keaton and some comic books. And I can say the animated series made me a life long fan, and can 100% agree it's the best Batman ever.

[@kaitlyn__L]

Oh damn, I got here early. Was definitely looking forward to the TAS video! I didn’t see TAS when it was new but watched it and JL/JLU with a partner about 6 or 7 years ago, and they totally changed my perception of Batman! And you’ve just finished the intro so I’ll enjoy the rest :)

[@kaitlyn__L]

Pausing at 6 minutes to say, I haven’t yet watched Beyond even tho the Beyond stories in JLU really piqued my interest. I should get on that. I’ve been interested in the new Harley show, isn’t that the one where she’s actually legitimately going out with Ivy like in the best TAS episodes but with less suggesting? I’d been under the impression the other shows you mentioned after JLU were actually part of their own continuity and I hadn’t really bothered with them for that reason. But I’m not actually sure exactly where I got that idea… And lastly, for me the number one thing I like about TAS Batman is this: he’s an ACTUAL detective way more often. And he’s a lot more sympathetic to some of the villains instead of just immediately profiling or beating them up (Harley’s Day where she gets freaked out setting off the clothes tag detector comes to mind for that). Now to see what you said!

[@kaitlyn__L]

I was proud of myself for spotting Diana Muldaur but I missed Kate Mulgrew every time! Damn! Also I had NO idea that some of these movies are actually TAS movies rather than DC animated films with the same VA for Batman, so now I want to go check them out! And I realised by the time I got to the end that the feature I brought up in an earlier comment about this Batman probably isn’t unique if you take into account all the comics, but I’m a casual who has only seen some films and TV shows 😅 I really liked the way the culturally-familiar aspects were already in place but otherwise we get introduced to them. This was my introduction to a lot of the Batman rogues gallery. Like you said: streamlined, accessible. It’s interesting to imagine Batman’s years fighting just regular mob guys (and the Penguin as their fence) and occasionally the Joker, then he suddenly has this influx of new people! I wonder what that’s like for Batman. If Tiger Tiger was the one where a guy got turned into a cat and almost mauled Batman in a greenhouse jungle, that actually is one of my favourites, heh. I think Mr Freeze should probably not have come back after his initial great episode though. The follow-ups are fun but increasingly lacking until they kinda detract from the tragedy and beauty of his introduction. I loved that little girl with the murderous doll though. I need to find my discs and watch that one again…

[@kaitlyn__L]

Oh yeah and I loved the voice thing too. He sounded different as each guy without either of them sounding forced or fake. Although as you say his Batman voice is more vocally relaxed. The gruff growly voices in some of the movies just, honestly break my suspension of disbelief - no way is he doing that for more than 30-60 minutes! Get him a glass of water! Etc.

[@CptMagnus]

The opening is legendary as well. Perfect music.

[@lexxstrum]

I actually love "Tiger, Tiger"; loved an original villain and if you look at it, from Tigris to Man-Bat to a few of the other misfits of science you see in the series, you see the early Splice tech that would show up in Batman Beyond. Feat of Clay was my favorite: didn't that win an award for music or something?

[@spacemanspiff3052]

“It’s Never Too Late” was one of my favorite episodes. Take a really classic movie concept fitting of the 1940s and mix it with the tragedy of drug epidemic more relevant to the 1990s and you have a quiet masterpiece.

[@Jason-hg1pc]

The cartoon burlesque portrait painting (vs. cheesecake) in the background @18:56 says a lot regarding the illustrations' tone. Specifically Picasso.

[@josealmeida2842]

What made TAS so amazing is that the staff took all their favorite attributes from different Batman eras and blended them all in the series. Artists like Bill Finger, Denis O Neil, Neal Adams, Frank Miller, and as you mentioned even the Tim Burton movies. Sometimes it could even be as campy as the Adam West series. Heck, even Bat-Mite had a brief cameo in the series.

[@RaptorJesus]

Don't forget "Beware the Gray Ghost", such a beautiful love-letter to Adam West.

[@empatheticrambo4890]

I just finished watching Batman: The Animated Series for the first time. As a longtime Batman fan who somehow missed this show as a child and young adult, it and The Batman 2022 have revitalized my love for the character I’ve been most impressed by the body horror and emotional tragedy of the characters. I’ve been brought to tears a number of times by the themes and moments of loss, regret, abuse, guilt, etc. And the iconic moment in the first season “I am vengeance, I am the night, I am...BATMAN” gave me chills and intense emotions. It’s a beautiful moment of Batman confronting the lies of the fear toxin with an assertion of his identity to ground himself. Intentionally or not, that’s an actual technique taught by therapists to deal with fear and negative thoughts, and it inspires me to do so in my own life

[@bohemianbeaumontfilms7892]

Batman the animated series was just so well grounded & kept the goth in Gotham. Coming off straight after Tim Burtons "Batman versions" its was one of the best.And a great cast of voice actors.Mark Hamill is,...The Joker.But it takes team work.And the writers,animators,editors did a great job.

[@TheInternetHelpdeskPlays]

Actually, one bit that always amazed me. Watch any episodes with Mr Friez, all the highlights and reflections on his helmet were all drawn in by hand, frane by frame, to look as realistic as possible. Such an achievement.

[@dm121984]

I love the Harley Quinn version of batman: "I don't WANT pigs in a blanket, I want to fight crime..... I will take that tea though."

[@Frosteegirl]

My absolute favorite line: "And here you thought I was just another bubble headed, blonde bimbo. Well the joke's on you, I'm not even a real blonde..."

[@QuintessentialQs]

Stroke of genius getting Dietrich Bader back for the role. BTBAB was an amazing and frankly underrated show, and they needed someone who could say the most ridiculous shit and play it absolutely straight.

[@adamboard1446]

For me, I grew up watching Batman TAS as well as growing up watching Burton's Batman, and it was an absolute joy. Unlike "Tiny toon adventures" "Gooftroop" and "animaniacs" which were fun and always a guaranteed laugh the moment you saw the WB logo behind it's almost clear blue sky background suddenly without warning turn night chilly music swells and the the WB logo becomes two search lights that almost seems to center right on the viewer You KNEW what's happened, you've just left the colorful and wacky toon world and have just entered Gotham! Also one of the best decisions the team made was the title. Most superhero cartoons either during or shortly after Batman's cartoon debut in the 90s always ended it's intro with it's classic comic title like X-Men or spiderman. But for Batman it didn't have a title throughout the whole intro. It ends with Batman taking out a cpl of robbers the camera pans higher and higher until finally we see Batman entirely in a shadowy silhouette having only his white eyes visible then a crack of thunder and lightning revealing his body and fades to black as if to say "c'mon you know who I am do u even need to see the title of my name?" One of the BEST cartoon intros of all time imo.

[@seanbrogan8667]

I was listening to a radio show the other day, that shall remain nameless, and they were listing out the best versions of the Joker. They didn't even mention Mark Hamill. I will never listen to that radio station again

[@chemmerling]

The score for btas is my utmost favorite for a cartoon (theatrical cartoon releases aside). Gargoyles being a close second. The music made the series for me. Even now you can listen to the whole thing on KZbin, and it feels triumphant and quirky all at the same time. The emotions it conveys really added to the story and animations.

[@MultiMackD]

Kevin Conroy Batman will always be MY Batman

[@Puffausten]

A friend of mine gave me a blu ray box set of this series for my birthday this year. My boyfriend and I have been re watching the series for the first time since we were kids. I am stunned by how well it holds up.

[@TaliaIGhul]

Kevin Conroy, not the best animated Batman. He's the best Batman....period.

[@shadowtech9158]

It is amazing how if it wasn't for the animate show we wouldn't have Harley Quinn either and that character is a basically a house hold name now.

[@Superman679]

R.I.P. Kevin

[@LordToast]

No age is too old to go to the movies with one's granny. Anyone lucky enough to have a good grandmother should cherish her.

[@geraldstephens6612]

It had some of Batman's best writers writing some of the episodes.

[@Chaosic]

Batman the animated series is still the best Batman cartoon and one of the best comic cartoons from 90s as well,Kevin Conroy and Mark Hamill were amazing in that show.

[@jamesbourgeois1357]

This show defined my childhood. Mask of the Phantasm was the last movie I saw in the theater with my mother before she died. I also met Kevin Conroy at a convention once. It's part of my life I've shared with my kids as they've started to watch "Saturday cartoons". So yeah for me best batman ever made bar none.

[@tonyah.960]

I think the Batman from Young Justice League is the best Batman ever! He taught the youth all his moves, he was more decisive and he's the most upstanding Batman I have ever seen.

[@chrishandy9172]

I'm a strange one here, but "Tiger, Tiger" was, and remains, one if my favorite episodes. Mainly because it takes its very silly premise seriously.

[@HobGungan]

I've always liked Tiger Tiger. Probably not in my Top 10 or even 20, but definitely in the upper-middle of the pack

[@gutshtuff]

Bruce Tim has one on record saying they made Bane lame on purpous because they were forced to use him against their will so they decided to make him suck so he wouldn't have to use him repeatedly. Mostly the same for Doomsday on jla.

[@Toypapi]

I watch BTAS with my son and daughter and they love the show. I'm glad I can share a peace of my childhood with my kids

[@tonyjackson4078]

I liked some of the oddball episodes like "The Man Who Killed Batman", "Fire from Olympus", and "Almost Got 'Em" all are great.

[@TheInternetHelpdeskPlays]

For me, the animated series had the music I will always associate with Batman. I love how they animated it on black card rather than white, so everything was defaulted dark. It was perfect for the cartoon.

[@ThePorpoisepower]

Batman Brave and the Bold is under-rated.... it does take a season to really gel but it's high points are among the highest of all Batman media.

[@axllebeer]

And it's time to go watch it now. I missed a lot of it as a kid and have the Mask of the Phantasm film. I need to catch up

[@darthgoku90]

Man, with each new video I watch that discuss the greatness of BTAS, it sure becomes harder and harder for me to come up with some decent comments. There's just no one way to define what made BTAS so awesome, or Mask of the Phantasm or the rest of the DCAU. At the end of the day though, it gave us the greatest Batman voice actor there ever was and every will be. Rest in peace Kevin Conroy.

[@davesfriendhal]

Another great video. But lol I actually LOVE the forgotten. It having its own little theme and Bruce getting to just flex on his own, showing that at his core he's a hero who helps the downtrodden, with or without the mask, that even when he doesn't know who he is, he knows *who he is*, probably did a lot to define the character for me.

[@thescifiZipacna]

Batman TAS made me a Batman fan. I was probably 7 when it debuted here on TV and it made a big impression. For a kid, it was scary, but not too scary, thrilling, memorable. And while selling toys was not what they were trying to do, they definitely sold toys. For a few years there, I always asked for Batman toys for Christmas. The first year I asked for Batman and Two-Face so clearly he was the villain that I latched on to first. I certainly have the image of Harvey turning his mangled face towards his fiancé, backlit by lightning, seared in my memory. I also got the batmobile and that design is just beautiful and iconic.

[@MultiMackD]

Stylistically, the New Batman Adventures through the Justice League Unlimited version of Batman will always be my personal favorite. He was the version I saw the most, mix that with Conroy's performance and you have gold. I guess it's just one of those things that just feels right. Like Tim Daly as Superman or Worf as Kalibak

[@Feamara]

I love BTAS so much. My favorite scene or at least the scene that I remember the most is definitely like every Mr.Freeze monologue from Heart of Ice. I've seen those episodes several times and it gives me shivers every time.

[@tempestfury8324]

Anagram of BTAS?........ BATS! 😆

[@maryqualls5086]

Steve, you and I are the same age. And yeah, totally agree! Love this Batman for all those reasons. Currently re-watching the Animated Series. And for me Kevin Conway IS the voice of Batman. No one else should even try. Lol!

[@benuticone3079]

Batman The Animated Series felt like the first cartoon show I ever watched whose main purpose was to tell stories rather than to sell merchandise.

[@calebleland8390]

I was in high school when this premiered, and I absolutely loved it. I still enjoy sitting down and binging a few episodes now. As for Mask of the Phantasm, I would rank it second behind Dark Knight. Awesome video, Steve!

[@QuintessentialQs]

Not to mention they had Mike Mignola contributing to the concept art. I didn't learn til only a few years ago that he designed the Mr. Freeze for the show, but now I can't unsee it.

[@groovysnake138]

Holy SHIT 🤯

[@rottensquid]

I think it's hard to put a finger on what's missing from most of the Batman depictions in the films. It's easy to say that the character has too much angst, or whatever. But that's not something missing, it's something present. And it would dismiss some of Batman TAS's best episodes to say that Kevin Conroy's performance isn't angsty. Hell, the signature lines of the show, "I am vengeance, etc" come from a particularly angsty episode about the guilt he carries. And Mask of the Phantasm is entirely about Batman's angst. I think what sets the show apart from any of the films is that its Batman seems to actually enjoy being Batman. Not all the time, of course, but he definitely seems to be having fun, thrilling in his own agency, taking satisfaction from his triumphs, and even a certain grim pleasure from the terror he instills in criminals. This Batman trades light banter with Alfred, Robin, Gordon, even the occasional villain. In one of the best episodes, Almost Got 'Em, he takes a bow after unveiling his trap to Gotham's deadliest rogues. Bale's Batman would never do that. He's too self-serious. Batman seems more grim and dour with every new reboot. Much as I adored Reeves' latest film, Pattinson's Batman never seemed comfortable in his own skin, in or out of the cowl (though that leather cowl, how sexy was that?) I feel like it'd be a welcome change to lighten up the character a bit, let him relax into himself. He'd be more fun to watch.

[@romewilliams3526]

Batman TAS was the definitive Superhero cartoon. Also you’d learn random stuff like in perchance to dream when Batman knew it was a dream because he couldn’t read.

[@sarahscott5305]

I think you need a Bat Hat to match the Bat Shirt.

[@sarahscott5305]

Was that the series where they drew it on black paper reels to accentuate the darkness of the narrative? I've read a lot about it, and it is on my "to watch" list. I've been told it's the only series better than the X-Men cartoon, which is also on my watchlist. EDIT Dangit, I NEED to watch the whole video before I comment!!!

[@andrewlivingston1590]

Yes.

[@williamboissonneault7280]

You are entitled to have your own favorite Batman. That's the beauty of it... Everyone is... i'd honestly like to see a collaboration like the one Nando V. Movies does and get a Whole collection of KZbinrs describing who their favorite Batman is... and why... "inquiring minds want to know !" - The National Inquirer

[@FreakyTeeth]

Conroy's Batman was SO WISE! The movie-verse batman in the 1989-1997 batman was a decent second. The 2005-2012 batman was....well they gave it a good try I'll give them that. Adam West's was the definition of child-friendly. The DCEU Batman he's...needs work. But TAS Batman is just perfect: he's the batman that really sold me on him being a symbol of justice, intelligence, skill and a man with a hard exterior but a human heart and a pure soul underneath it. I especially loved the "I didn't count on being happy." part in the mask of the phantom, watching him in tears. Conroy's batman isn't a "judge jury and executioner." vigilantee, he's really the world's greatest detective. That's what people don't get about what batman is supposed to be: he isn't meant to be primarily a ninja or an angsty badass emo sociopath, he is Sherlock Holmes in a costume with gadgets. Conroy in the Arkham verse was magnificent. My personal favorite Batman is the one you make yourself in TellTale, but Conroy's batman in the TAS, and in the Arkham-verse, has my deepest respect because they're basically the same save for their period-eras.

[@KingdomHeartsBrawler]

Michael Keaton and Kevin Conroy are tied for me. They were both great.

[@x1984x]

90s animated Batman is so great that I still go back and rewatch it.

[@jeanief.6036]

Agreed that this is what defined Batman and his portion of DC Comics to me. Mark Hamill is the voice I hear when I read any Joker lines in the comics. Let's ignore the fact I hear voices like that in my head. I got the first three seasons on DVD when they first came out back in 2005, during which time I was stationed in Iraq. Those sets made their way around the barracks a couple of times because of how good the series was and everyone knew it.

[@mr.l5071]

I’ve got Batman the animated series and Superman the animated series on Blu-ray.

[@davidarchibald449]

Loved how the villains were 3 dimensional and had tragic pathos. Clayface, Two-Face, and Mister Freeze come to come among the most memorable BTAS Villains ! There were also definite film noir, and Universal Studios Classic Monsters Influences! According to Mark Hamill behind the scenes interviews, the recording sessions were handled like an Old Time Radio Show!

[@CulturePhilter]

Despite being prime age for it when it debuted (7) BTAS somehow passed me by. I later got into the DCAU with Batman beyond and then Justice League though and went back and watched the first few seasons of BTAS about 15 years ago when they first came out on DVD. I’m now doing a rewatch. And particularly looking forward to getting to The New Batman Adventures as I’ve never seen those.

[@TheYetixOUTx]

I was born september 7th 1992 and this show is essentially one of my parents.

[@philiusmaximus6517]

The Animated Batman series utterly iconic. I can imagine good Mr. Shives struggling to edit the script for this one down to a reasonable video length.

[@MatthewFincham]

To this day every time I read a Batman comic book I hear the voices of the Batman the Animated Series cast. That's just how iconic it and it's cast was and it made a huge impact on me.

[@phatstax2011]

Adam West is the definitive Batman and even Frank Miller, Burton, and Batman TAS were all heavily influenced by West in one way or another. West's series made Batman a household name and it was his show that inspired the Superfriends and all other things since.

[@n543576]

Its true, BTAS is indeed my favorite growing up in the mid to late 90's. I cringe at any older interpretation of the role and Kevin Conroy from the TAS or the video games has solidified himself to me as the highest tier of Batman. Not to say there aren't other good versions but Kevin Conroy has stolen my Bat heart and he won't give it back. Fun fact in Art college Kevin Conroy's roommate was Robin Williams!

[@scottwells8064]

Had to come back and watch this after Kevin's death. It's unbelievable how much he brought to the character for so many years.

[@biblegirl]

My husband and I have been rewatching it on HBO max. I'm so impressed with it from an adult perspective. Also, it was so awesome getting to see him on the CW as a live action Bruce Wayne (I'd have preferred a better version but live action none the less).

[@jamesadamsfl]

I got to see Conroy at Comic Con once. He credited his casting as Batman to his Shakespeare background; he claims when he did the auditions, he was the first person to explicitly compare Bruce Wayne to Hamlet. And, you can definitely see that in the way his Batman is portrayed--haunted and living a double life, concealing his true thoughts and feelings from everyone but, at first, his closest friend (Alfred). He also said Mark Hamill was a blast to work with. Rest in Peace, Keven Conroy, whether or not you were the best Batman ever, you will always and forever be the one against whom all others must be measured.

[@BarbarosaAlexander]

Kevin Conroy will always be my Batman. Like you, I was not ready for this show when it came out. I too has been a Super Friends fan, and was expecting more of the same cost-cutting animation (like Hanna Barbera and others). Mind blown!

[@acimagination7982]

I love batman the animated series. Favorite joker. Mask of the phantasm is just as amazing to view. the atmosphere. Need to go back and rewatch it.

[@castironchaos]

If not for Tim Burton and "Batman Returns" -- the second movie, not the first, -- Batman: The Animated Series never would have happened. I distinctly remember seeing the premiere of the first episode, which was aired the weekend before it premiered as a daily Monday-to-Friday series. And the premiere episode was, of course, the first episode with Catwoman. Who also happened to be the major villaness of "Batman Returns."

[@PatrickMersinger]

I seem to remember that the first episode was “On Leather Wings” a man-bat story. Fox showed it in prime time on a Sunday night. That’s how I remember it. You’re right about X-MEN and Spider-man too. Great shows all of them. Even the cheesy Brave and the Bold had some fun, well done moments.

[@Swenglish]

To me the Justice League show(s) took the Batman from BTAS and fleshed him out more. A lot of his best character moments were in that spinoff, and it had a lot more continuity of character, whereas BTAS episodes had a tendency to feel very self contained (which isn't a bad thing, but it does limit character work). Batman Beyond also gave Bruce some great moments (especially the fact that he "retired" after just almost shooting someone, but still couldn't get over his obsession...that says so much about the character and what drives him). I find it difficult to isolate the BTAS version of Batman from the spinoffs. The DCAU is one thing to me.

[@adamlytle2615]

The look of the animation is so damn good at points. In fact if I'm remembering correctly, it was so good it bankrupted at least one of the animation houses that they had contracted. If I'm not mistaken, the soft "highlight" painted onto Mr. Freeze's helmet was an extra touch an animation house put in without being asked... and it was that sort of commitment that caused them to go over budget. They talk about it in one of the commentaries on the DVDs.

[@BillyKamp]

It was the last time we saw a 3 dimensional batman, loving, caring, funny, but ruthless when needed, he was calm, smart, the other sides of intelligence and skills were always shown. Never since then was him showed like this.

[@McFazzer]

Steve, you are absolutely right. I still went to see movies with my nan when I was 18. I love going to see movies with her, sadly we can't do that nowadays due to... everything...

[@TJF588]

The respect for Sub-Zero! Had both on VHS, and Phantasm is a nice, moody, standalone piece, but Sub-Zero managed to take a character of the rogue's gallery and set his dynamics into a whole shebang, and pulled that throughline all the way through. And it's refreshing that such a treatment was given to someone in Batman's B-roll, really owning the characters beyond their market recognition. I'd almost be afraid to read Mr. Freeze's depictions prior to BTAS.

[@ConorCarlisle]

One of my favorite aspects of the show is that it makes Batman into a truly defined and well rounded character. In so many adaptations of Batman he is often playing second fiddle to his villains even though he's supposed to be the main character. The Animated Series is far more balanced and allows everyone to shine. Another thing I adore is that that addresses some of the critiques of the character. A lot of people, not without reason, criticize Batman for using his massive wealth to beat up poor and mentally ill people. This version of the character shows genuine compassion for his enemies and we see that he uses both his personas to make Gotham City a better place. In one of my favorite episodes, the one where we see why Dick Greyson transitioned from Robin, we see that a man he intimidated as Batman was given a job as Bruce Wayne. This Batman is well rounded and although he still keeps people at arm's length, he deeply cares about people.

[@collinwimbish4516]

once you get past the first season/volume the writing quality gets way better and more consistent

[@aratfac]

I seem to remember On Leather Wings being the first episode aired. And at 8PM on a Sunday night prior to the show’s regular run. There was nothing like it, and the fact that the adults were watching with us spoke volumes of its quality. And The Forgotten remains one of my favorites. Fantastic score for that episode and a fun standalone even if the villain was a throwaway.

[@wraithgames]

Great video Steve! I will say that I'm a bit shocked at the lack of love for Holiday Knights, though I will say I enjoyed the comic version better.

[@cassiedevereaux-smith3890]

Conroy's Batman is sooooo good. Since Batman Begins, he's been this goofy growling mess (fight me) but in this..... he managed to be menacing without sounding ridiculous.

[@tonystark106422]

I love that "Heart of Ice" is so good and so beautiful, it actually bankrupted the animation studio that made it.

[@allanolley4874]

I am about Steve's age and Batman the animated series is definitely the definitive version of Batman for me despite being familiar with both Super Friends and good old Adam West Batman before it (and I may have even seen the Burton movie before seeing BTAS). I have never been a fan/consumer of the comics. It was in a class by itself as a crafted TV series. I will stick up for the writing as being pretty solid also (for the original run, I only saw bits of the New Adventures). I remember Tyger, Tyger just for the use of the excerpt from Blake's poem, the rest of the story is no doubt a bit cliché and shallow but not forgettable. Also while I may not have seen it in a few years the Forgotten strikes me as a fairly memorable and solidly written episode. Perhaps because I too dream of recovering from amnesia to find myself a millionaire. Feels like a 1930s movie about the down and out being exploited that Batman wanders into. BTAS was in my mind a taste of things to come in terms of improving animation quality (that had already begun by the late 80s), but I'm not sure it stood completely alone in its era like Gargoyles (1994) may not have had quite as slick a production design, but otherwise I think rivals BTAS.

[@esean1]

(Looks at watch) Still waiting for CAPED CRUSADER.

[@chefnerd]

I totally agree since I am roughly your age, Steve. I was there - ten thousand years ago :D "Batman, the animated series" defined my personal gold-standard for future Batman iterations.

[@giladpellaeon1691]

This show probably got me into the Art Deco style. Also RIP Kevin Conroy, a great Batman and a great person who will be missed.

[@nutsandgum]

One thing TAS brought that isn't shown much elsewhere is Batman's sense of compassion. He is always trying to actually help people and his enemies better themselves.