Suddenly, I'm reminded of just how great the show was, back in the day. One need only compare it to the X-Men cartoon series that came out at more or less the same time to see how most comics-to-cartoon series super-hero adaptations of the period turned out. Wildly uneven, mostly cheap-looking animation. Overloaded with characters, garbled story-telling, lots of gimmicks. Complicated character designs, many of them eyesores.
(Granted, the comics of the time were usually worse. Ah, the early 90s.)
Batman: The Animated Series went in the opposite direction. They stripped the continuity down to the very bare bones. Batman is a mysterious detective in a dark costume who fights crime. Period. The art style was simple, highly stylized. The stories were straightforward and simple. And somehow being so straightforward and simple made them powerfully effective. Coherence works. Who knew?
The show started out with it being obvious that Batman had already been active for a few years (Robin was off in college, he'd already met the Joker and the Penguin), but not everything was in place yet. (He met the rest of the Rogue's gallery for the first time. Most of the GCPD only gradually got as cozy with him as Gordon was.)
As with the main character, any comics lore and additional cast members were freely stripped down to the core, revised in an attempt to find out what made them work, made them cool. Trust me, in the 90s that was -very- refreshing. Still is.
I'd held off on getting the cheap discs aimed at kids and the season-by-season boxed sets, hoping something like this was on the way.
Glad my patience paid off. Posted by neo-dragon (Member # 7168) on :
Does this collection include the later episodes that they referred to as "The New Batman Adventures" or something, with Tim Drake as Robin and Grayson as Nightwing?
Posted by Puffy Treat (Member # 7210) on :
Yes. The Kids WB incarnation of the show (where Batgirl graduated from guest star to series regular and the artwork style shifted) is included.
Posted by Lyrhawn (Member # 7039) on :
::wistful sigh::
I love this show. I have the first two seasons on DVD. The thing I like the most about it is their treatment of the villains, and the fantastic voice acting. The Joker, as voiced by Mark Hamill, is chilling. And of course my all time favorite villain, Mr. Freeze, is complex, tragic, diabolical, and I think all throughout, a little reluctant. But he perfectly fits the mold of a sympathetic bad guy, which is my favorite kind.
I don't see a link to anywhere Puffy, where is the complete collection? Amazon? How much is it?
Price looks pretty good, and the special features look attractive as well.
Posted by Humean316 (Member # 8175) on :
quote:the fantastic voice acting.
Don't forget Kevin Conroy as Batman.
This show was absolutely great, I agree. In fact, most of what most call the Timmverse (named for Bruce Timm) is great. The Justice League cartoons are amazing, especially season 2 of Justice League: Unlimited, and the Batman Beyond series is highly dark and effective.
Have you suys seen Superman: Doomsday? I would recommend that movie as well. It features the death of Superman done by people who loved the comic book and seek to not only make a good movie but to keep it true to the comic. Well, that really describes most of the Timmverse, but still high recommendation.
Posted by Puffy Treat (Member # 7210) on :
Certainly, watching the set has reminded me how much the show liked to push the envelope. There's a Poison Ivy episode that's easily one of the most disturbing cartoons I've ever seen. She's just not right in the head.
Posted by Irish Snake (Member # 6336) on :
quote:Originally posted by Puffy Treat: Certainly, watching the set has reminded me how much the show liked to push the envelope. There's a Poison Ivy episode that's easily one of the most disturbing cartoons I've ever seen. She's just not right in the head.
I'm guessing the one where she grew her own family to settle down with?
Posted by Puffy Treat (Member # 7210) on :
Yeah. Especially the scene where Batman discovers her "sons" ripening.
*shudder*
Posted by BlackBlade (Member # 8376) on :
This is also why I REALLY enjoyed Batman Beyond: The Return of the Joker. It's almost like the awesomeness of the animated series perfectly assimilated BB and made a terrific story.
Also the scene where they show Robin after the Joker's "treatment" is some of the most disturbing television I have ever seen.
Also I second Lyrhawn's assertion that Mark Hamill was a brilliant voice for the joker.
Posted by Lyrhawn (Member # 7039) on :
quote:Also the scene where they show Robin after the Joker's "treatment" is some of the most disturbing television I have ever seen.
Seriously.
I'm not even sure how to describe my reaction to that scene. I think the horror I felt was something similar to the horror I felt watching The Last King of Scotland, and at the same time, I was a little misty eyed because it was just so damned sad. I mean crushingly sad.
I had some freaky dreams after that too. It's not something I ever care to see again.
quote:Mark Hamill was a brilliant voice for the joker.
His voice in general is good, but it's the laugh that pulls it all together. It's just...CRAZY. It's maniacal. And it perfectly matches just how crazy the Joker is, but it's not super scary Saw kind of scary, it's crazy, a tiny bit funny, chilling, and perhaps deceptively dangerous. I like that the Joker is often portrayed as being more interested in being Batman's nemesis than he is in the ends of his crimes. Every other villain wants to accomplish something, whereas the Joker just wants to be Batman's nemesis.
Another note on Batman Beyond - I love when Mr. Freeze came back and reprised his role as pseudo bad guy but still kind of good at heart. He started off bad, but had a change of heart and eneded up saving Batman and Robin. And as always, attempted a little self sacrifice.
Posted by T:man (Member # 11614) on :
I love that show!
Although I barely remember it I loved Mr.Freeze, I don't remember the Joker to well, but Poison Ivy was creepy...
Posted by Vadon (Member # 4561) on :
I have the first three seasons on DVD, but I didn't get the WB hand-over with the change in style.
I absolutely love the show, and the timmverse in general. I want to echo they praise for Mark Hamill's work as the Joker. If you haven't yet, I recommend watching the special features included on the DVDs with the crew commentaries. They love to point out their own little mistakes, with the show. Like how they never really did get a good green color for Robin, or when they accidentally inverted the colors on Batman's chest, or the smiley face they put on the computer's eye in Heart of Steel: Part 2.
Yup, it was a fantastic show.
Oh, and it introduced Harley Quinn which I think added a whole new level of development for the Joker through his interactions with her.
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