Finally, a series that nailed the real dark and gothic tone of the early Batman comic books while also bringing the caped crusader to the forefront in all of his majesty. Yes, we are talking about the groundbreaking Batman: the animated series that premiered in 1992 and ran for four seasons! We are not exaggerating when we claim that this animated series was innovative.
The outstanding voice acting, suspenseful stories, and unique animation style defined Batman in a way that had never been seen before. This series had such an impact that it influenced how people saw the character of Batman.
The Dark Knight was presented as heroic, empathetic, and dangerous all at the same time in most animated depictions of Batman that followed over the years. Aside from portraying Batman in his most complex and famous form, the series also explored his adventures in their purest form, combining the finest of comic-book storytelling from the past few decades.
It was a surefire hit, and fans still regard it as one of the best Batman adaptations of all time all these years later! We will walk you through a fun recap and tell you all you need to know about the concert in this video. We have also uncovered some lesser-known facts that you may have overlooked, so it is time to brush up on your Batman knowledge!
The impact of Tim Burton’s Batman
At times, the viewers can be a tad bit brutal when it comes to dismissing some projects as dated and unimportant. They often miss out on the powerful impact that these projects might have on the ones to follow! While Batman: The Animated Series is undoubtedly one of the starting points for the Dark Knight becoming a truly dark superhero character, the seeds of the bloom had been sown earlier. It was Tim Burton’s two Batman animated movies that set things in motion.
The dark, noir theme in the movies was appreciated by the fans, and it was one of the most accurate depictions of Batman till then. It did a wonderful job of making fans invested in the character, and by the time the animated series was released people were totally waiting for one to happen.
The animated series is clearly influenced by the tone of the movies, and the makers don’t shy away from accepting their inspiration. Even the musical score of the series was simply a variation of the theme of the movies by Danny Elfman. The visual influence also came from Dave Fleischer’s Superman cartoons, and it is amusing how even shows from the 1940s can contribute to the success of a legendary animated series.
It might be worthwhile to note that the studio involved with the series was not too keen to give the green light to the show. They were not too sure about the audience involvement and it seemed like a big gamble. It all changed with the popularity of Tim Burton’s Batman movies, and now, the studio executives were convinced that something playing on the same theme would strike a chord with the fans.
The voice actors were the real superheroes!
One of the main reasons behind the legacy of the animated series is the quality of voice actors and the brilliant performances. The likes of Kevin Conroy, Mark Hamill, Bob Hastings, Loren Lester, and the others put together something truly special as they effortlessly slipped into their characters. Kevin Conroy simply owned the role of Batman, and it was tough for anyone else to fill those shoes! Isn’t it quite obvious that Batman and Bruce Wayne should have two different voices? Well, it wasn’t until Kevin Conroy thought of the idea, thus prompting him to be the first one in animation to perfect the art of two different voices to suit Batman and his alter ego.
It is said that the makers auditioned over 150 actors before they came across Kevin Conroy, and it was an easy decision to finalize him after hearing him speak as Batman! Mark Hamill was a masterstroke as the Joker although initially Tim Curry was cast for the role. It was felt that he was making the role far too intimidating, and Mark Hamill was brought in to introduce the right balance of insanity and fear in the character.
He had previously worked as The Trickster in The Flash and the experience certainly helped his performance. He drew upon personal experiences, and his past roles, and observed certain people so as to get the entire act together. The unsettling cackle was one of the highlights of the character and it was a subtle hint at the darkness under the façade. All the voice actors and actresses would get together in a room and then read out their lines. This helped them complement each other, and it also set the right mood for the scenes.
Breezing through the series – some of the best episodes
The premise of the show is all too familiar for the fans. You have the Dark Knight protecting the honor of Gotham City as hordes of criminals and supervillains try to enjoy a free run. The gritty superhero has some able accomplices, but ultimately, it is mostly up to him to get the job done. The series started off with a terrific episode, which set the tone for what was about to come! On Leather Wings shows Batman fighting an imposter – the Man-Bat who is almost like his opposite number. It gives off a freakishly strong horror movie vibe, and the tension in the air is unmistakable!
Beware of the Gray Ghost is an emotional and nostalgic episode because of its tribute to Adam West, who even voices the titular character. West passing the baton to Kevin Conroy is heart-warming, and Bruce Timm himself played the bad guy in this episode. This standalone story has a special significance because of all the symbolism, and it shows that even the mighty Batman might have a hero he idolizes!
The Man Who Killed Batman is another memorable episode that takes you through the ambitions of a small-time thug Sid the Squid who dreams of being a mob boss. When it looks like he has put an end to the Dark Knight all by himself, he suddenly has all the limelight on him! The episode has the perfect mix of comedy and clever twists that keep you guessing. It was one of the most creative storylines, and there were plenty to choose from! Another episode that immediately comes to mind is Joker’s Favor – something so random and yet so interesting. This is one of the episodes that can cheer you up very quickly, and you won’t find too many like this in the animated series.
There are several other episodes that demand your attention – the one that deals with the tragic past of Mr. Freeze, or the one telling you the story of Harley Quinn, there are plenty of memorable episodes. Robin’s Reckoning and other story arcs featuring the backstory of Robin are equally impressive. In short, you should just watch it all because this is like picking from an orchard with all the perfect apples in the world!
How the animation was perfected – the contribution of creators Paul Dini and Bruce Timm!
You don’t create art without the artists, and this animated series had some of the best creative minds working on the project. Bruce Timm, for instance, was the main character designer for the series, and his innovative sketches paved the way for future animated shows as well. He added a new dimension to various characters, and his sketches of the Batman characters in their animated designs were simply too good! They also came up with the iconic character of Harley Quinn.
She was initially intended to be a sidekick, a comic relief to the maniacal and scary side of the Joker. The character was inspired by a soap opera starring Arleen Sorkin, and watching her in a costume sparked the idea of Harley Quinn. It was a grand success, and after all these years, she is still one of the lead villains in the DC cinematic universe.
This cartoon series also altered the landscape of animation and brought about some new ideas that enhanced the visual experience. The cartoon industry was struggling back then with the level of animation, and Batman: the animated series changed that pretty quickly. We have already spoken about how accurately the comic book themes were brought into the show, but for this to materialize the developers needed people who knew just about everything in the comic universe.
They got the right people on board, and the animation was a breath of fresh air from the customary Saturday Morning style. The theme was more aligned with anime, and it was all about strategic staging in the layout process with the perfect timing. The dark atmospheric tone was achieved by using black paper instead of white, and the red sky covering Gotham City looked absolutely surreal! In short, it was tons of innovative techniques, some out-of-the-box thinking, and daring to do what hadn’t been done before.
Kevin Conroy almost ended up with another role – so did Al Pacino!
For many of the die-hard fans, Kevin Conroy and Batman are almost synonymous terms! However, it almost ended up not happening because the actor was keen on being the voice for Harvey Bullock. He also auditioned for the Joker and Commissioner Gordon, but Batman was hardly the character he had in mind. He had to be persuaded to lend his voice to Batman, and the rest, as they say, is history! He went on to star in several other Batman animated adaptations and he was also instrumental in the Arkham series of games.
Speaking of legendary voice actors in the cast, Al Pacino would have been a part of the show if he had agreed to the offer of him playing Two-Face. This role was planned with extreme intensity and seriousness and someone like Al Pacino would have made it truly exceptional. Richard Moll did a decent job, but the creators were still hung over the idea of Al Pacino playing the role. In fact, they even added one of his lines for the character from the movie Dog Day Afternoon, and it was supposed to be a small tribute.
Working through censorship – increasing Dick Grayson’s age
It was really tough for a show airing on Fox Kids to get away with any form of serious or mature content. Batman: The Animated Series also stood the test of rigorous censorship, and the broadcaster wanted them to tune their stories so that they were suitable for children. A lot of the scenes had to be toned down, and some of the death sequences had to be arranged off-screen. However, it did not really affect the quality of the show. Sometimes, showing less and letting people imagine the worst has a deeper impact on the audience. Moments like the death of Robin’s parents wouldn’t have been as tragic and impactful if they had gone ahead and shown them explicitly.
Another noticeable change brought about by the strict censorship was the way Dick Grayson was presented. He is shown to be of college-going age, and this was done to avoid some rules against showing the endangered state of children. One of the episodes titled Robin’s reckoning was dedicated to exploring his tragic backstory, and it was established that he was not a child anymore. It certainly made things more believable than a kid taking down the mightiest of villains! Even with all the caution, the producers later revealed that they often went home thinking that they would be taken off air the next day! The main idea they said, was to treat the series like a motion picture and not just some animated show.
The show had another name!
Many of you probably remember this show as titled The Adventures of Batman and Robin. Even the blue-ray variant will show certain episodes without the signature intro sequence, and they are not called Batman: The Animated Series. The reason behind this confusion with the title, however, is quite simple. The studio executives always wanted to focus on younger audiences, and the idea was to include Robin a lot more so that children would be interested to watch his adventures. They probably felt that putting it out explicitly in the title would probably have a better selling point for the show.
Why you don’t see the Riddler enough!
We are still in awe of Paul Dano’s unforgettable performance as Riddler in the recent Batman movie starring Robert Pattinson. This iconic Batman villain has some terrific stories revolving around him, and the mysterious modus operandi of this psychopath certainly makes the narrative a lot more thrilling. But you will notice that, unlike some other popular Batman villains, Riddler only appears in the show on a few occasions.
The reason behind not utilizing the character to the fullest will surely amuse you! Apparently, the creators did not have the luxury of time to sit down and think of tricky riddles for the caped crusader to solve. It was not a piece of cake to frame enjoyable riddles, and it seemed a lot easier to deal with some of the other villains. This increased the screen-time for some of the other baddies, and Riddler was avoided to save the writers all the trouble.
Adding a fresh twist to Mr. Freeze
Before the animated series won over the fans, Mr. Freeze was not one of the Batman villains that people took seriously. The comic book appearances weren’t all that impressive and he was presented as somewhat goofy and one-dimensional. Mr. Freeze was simply a rogue psychopath gone wrong who also had an ice ray. The animated series, however, changed him into a tragic villain with an extensive backstory.
The narrative focused on him, a helpless man trying to save his wife who got caught in a botched experiment, and his mega-failure announced the arrival of a mean villain. He took to a life of crime, but it was all an effort to bring her back. The tragic villain made sure that you felt sympathetic towards his cause, and Mr. Freeze was not one of the bad guys that you could hate! Not many are aware of the fact that Mike Mignola designed Mr. Freeze, and the old-school robotic design certainly worked wonders!
Ever wondered why the Scarecrow doesn’t speak much?
Scarecrow has to be one of our personal favorites when it comes to the underrated Batman villains. This rather innocuous fellow can land a lethal blow with his fear toxin that brings about deadly hallucinogenic effects in the victims. While you get to see the Scarecrow in several episodes, he doesn’t have a speaking role in many of them. This is because the voice actor who played Scarecrow, Henry Polic II had severe throat problems while the show was being made. It went to the point where he required surgery to fix his issues, and during this process, many Scarecrow appearances were simply silent, with non-speaking roles. The intimidating and creepy voice associated with the Scarecrow was sorely missed in the series!
A Senator in the House!
There are several fun cameos in Batman: the animated series, but the one by Patrick Leahy is something that many fans miss out on. He is a senator from Vermont, and he has served in Congress since 1975. The man was known to be a hardcore Batman fan, and he has been a part of several other cameos in Batman film adaptations. His most notable appearance was in Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight, where you can see him as the old man who stands up to Joker when he invades Harvey Dent’s fundraising dinner organized by Bruce Wayne. He is the one who apparently reminds the Joker of his father, and this gets him held at the knife’s edge during the scene. He played the role of a governor in the animated series, and he did a pretty fine job for someone who didn’t have too much acting experience.
Marvelous Verdict: Everything that a Batman series should be like!
The fans of Batman had been waiting for the right animated series that would reflect the greatness of the comic books. It seemed like their prayers had been answered because the character finally got the right treatment. The makers did not compromise on anything from the look and tone of the animation to the stories that they picked. Every episode seemed like a wondrous, dark trip through Batman’s world, as he dealt with the villains in Gotham City. We have already spoken about the greatness of the voice actors, and from Kevin Conroy’s heavy Batman voice to Mark Hamill’s sinister and fun portrayal of Joker, everything worked out perfectly.
We had a buffet of familiar faces for the notorious baddies that Batman encountered. Mr. Freeze, Joker, Penguin, Scarecrow, Two-Face, and many other adversaries provided ample challenges for the Dark Knight, and the stories were intelligent and fun at the same time. In fact, there were some aspects where the animated series improved from the comic books. Bane, for instance, was never really portrayed as well as is seen in this show, and even relatively lame villains like Clock King have been made engaging and exciting.
The show had something for both kids and adults, and such content doesn’t come around very often. This is a true masterpiece in every way imaginable, and it wouldn’t be a far stretch to call this one of the finest cartoon shows from the 90s. It was a show that made our childhood special, and as a definitive work in TV animation, the legacy of Batman: The Animated Series will be unchallenged for times to come!
Signing Off – a few final words
We are running short of adjectives here, trying to express the true greatness of the series! You have certainly got the drift, and there shouldn’t be too much opposition regarding its status as one of the greatest Batman adaptations ever. The episodes were full of thrill and surprises, and keeping up the intensity was one of the biggest challenges for the makers. It surely deserves a throwback, and watching it today will be just as rewarding as it was in the 90s. Do let us know in the comments below about your favorite things from the show, and do tell us which shows you would want us to explore next!