Episode 1269 Talkback: Spotlight on Batman: The Animated Series
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Batman: The Animated Series premiered on September 5th, 1992 almost twenty years ago so we thought it was a good time for a Spotlight episode. We discuss our favorite episodes, the voice actors, the toys, the movies and more. (1:10:06)
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Along w/ Superboy tv series & Lois & Clark ABC Superman series TV was pretty good back then for geeks. I watched the two BTAS movies this year, the first one was great & the second one was meh.
Matthew
Being 22, it's hard to believe that the show is pretty much as old as I am. The first film I remember seeing in theaters is Mask of the Phantasm, right after my 4th birthday. I think that, along with my first comic being a Batman Adventures issue, really implanted the character and mythos of Batman into my being. heh
There's a lot of moments that stick out with this cartoon and my life. I shared a metric crap-ton of Saturday mornings with my Dad watching Fox, and later KidsWB, and then afternoons and early evenings with Toonami. With him gone now, the TAS is almost bittersweet, but such a high point in my childhood.
Episodes that really stuck with me were Robins Reckoning and Old Wounds. Having older cousins, when we played with the Batman toys, I was always Robin, and eventually, I was always Nightwing. Dick Grayson has, and probably always will be, my favorite fictional character. In how Dick always wanted to be the best of Batman, and be his own man, was just an inspiration for me as a young kid and pre-teen. Taking the best elements of the people you admire, and leaving out the bad, just speaks of the strength of Dick's character.
The voice talents on the show still pop into my head when reading comics. Kevin Conroy IS Batman (sorry Christian) and Mark Hamill will always be MY Joker. Andrea Romano is one of the best, and really created a definitive idea for the characters in terms of casting.
The Timm-verse Batmobile is still my favorite version, and the only Batmobile besides the Lego ones I have on display. I think B:TAS really hammers home why I love Dustin Nguyen's Batman so much.
Batman Beyond is still rad on so many levels. It was Batman + Spidey + Nightwing. I will never forget hearing Eric Mathews as freaking Batman though. Feeeeeeeeeeny. But, in all seriousness, how they played with the elements of the past series with that idea, was always super fun. Epilogue (JLU ep) was a beautiful ending to that universe.
I think the only element that ever got my gears grinding, was the Bruce/Babs teasing. I'm biased, blame Chuck Dixon.
Now, if you excuse me, I need to pack my B:TAS boxset into my work bag. I know what I'm watching in my office for the next couple of days. Thanks for this ep guys, definitely made my day!
Also, check out Kevin Smith's "Fatman on Batman" podcast where he's interviewed Kevin Conroy, Mark Hamill, Arlene Sorkin, & Paul Dini.
Recently I've been getting on comixology the 1990's tie in comics. Surprised how well they hold up. For those interested the first issue from each of the various series on comixology is free. The other issues are only 99 cents. And so far for the most part they are more or less done in ones.
The main reason they changed the design of the show between B:TAS and TNAB&R was because they were no longer able to use THS. THS was no longer animating any shows they weren't directing themselves, and of course WB Animation wasn't going to hand over directorial control. The Korean studios were much improved, but there was still going to be a drop-off, so everything was redesigned in a simpler (in terms of animation) style that the overseas animators would be more comfortable with.
The “Legends of the Dark Knight” episode was definitely a highlight. It should be noted that Darwyn Cooke storyboarded the Dark Knight chapter, and James Tucker (who was a big Dick Sprang fan and would go on to produce Batman: The Brave & the Bold) storyboarded the Silver Age chapter.
The designs were changed (between BTAS and STAS/TNBA) because Timm though sleaker designs were be better, not because of the studios. TMS (not ths) did do episodes of TNBA.
Also, the Bruce Wayne TV series idea: that was live action, and it was basically to Batman, what Smallville was to Superman. The WB TV division was told by WB's Movie division that they coudn't do it because they were wanting a new Batman film, at the time Batman: Year One, but nothing was going on with Superman as Superman V was in development hell, so it was changed to Smallville.
I actually have all the info on the Batman V films, Superman V films, and this Bruce Wayne show.
Here is a great DC Animation site for you guys, and CGS:
http://www.worldsfinestonline.com/
“I didn’t want to go back and do more episodes of Batman. But we had tweaked our in-house design theories on Superman a bit. Superman was a bit more angular than the original Batman show was, and I was pretty pleased with the result. I thought the animation was much more consistent on Superman. So I thought, if we took that idea and went even further with it, what would be the result?”
And here’s what Darwyn Cooke told me in my interview with him: “When I got into it, TMS was still supplying animation for the shows, but only if they got to direct them too. They would not take a show we directed and animate it anymore because it was beneath them at that point.” So it appears TMS did a few of the first episodes of that season before they changed their policy, which means that wouldn't have been one of the reasons for the style change. But the consistency problem was definitely a big part of the decision.
And yes, the voice-casting was superb. Andrea Romano's name comes up a lot in the episodes of Rob Paulsen's Talkin' Toons podcast that I've heard, and every person who mentions her pretty much worships the woman.
Never could really get into Batman Beyond, though. I've liked what I've seen, but never enough to really seek out the rest of the series.
I like Batman Beyond quite a bit, perhaps even, dare I say it, better than B:TAS. The highs may not quite reach the highs of B:TAS, but even its worst episode was as good as an average episode of B:TAS, especially once you get past the first season.
For a long time Conroy was Batman's voice for me. Lately, I find that the voice actor for Graphic Audio has taken his place.
I want to add my voice to those that love World's Finest. I don't know if it's the first time we had Bruce vs. Lex. However, it's the first time I remember it happening.
I've written this on other threads, but I'll add it here. I wish WB would make Timm the Czar of the DC Movieverse.
Personally, I prefer the original designs to the newer ones. In particular I don't like the revamped look of the Joker. He didn't look human enough for me.
One episode that I didn't hear mentioned on the episode but has always been a favorite of mine is Tyger, Tyger. I loved the whole Island of Dr. Moreau feel it had to it. Avatar (which was mentioned) is another good. Neither of them is what I think of as a traditional Batman story but sometimes it is fun to see how the Batman functions outside of Gotham.
Wasn't there also a Jonah Hex episode or am I just remembering incorrectly?
There was and it is my favorite episode from the cartoon. Matter of fact when it aired it was the only episode I really enjoyed. But as I said earlier in recent years I have come to enjoy the series.
And if you want a great episode by episode review of BTAS all the way to Justice League Unlimited, "World's Finest Podcast" ended at 100 episodes a couple of years ago and although I'm not trying to plug another podcast, is quite good if you want an episode by episode review with some great comments added on. I am in no way affiliated with that podcast, but it helped me to relive all of the great episodes from the BTAS universe.
I love Duckman. Got every season on dvd and rewatch it every few years.
Matt is wrong, all these rumors about Warner Home Video being shut down are out of control.
Finally, I can't believe a man who owns and knows the value of a Robin Dragster doesn't want to do a podcast on toys
M
I don't have much to add that hasn't already been said. I grew up with B:TAS and Kevin Conroy's voice (or a slight imagined alteration of it) is the voice I hear in my head when I read Batman comics. B:TAS itself is basically the definitive take on Batman for me. There are some disclaimers I might give, in that no single B:TAS story is as good as Dark Knight Returns or whatever, but, overall, B:TAS represents the entire idea of Batman better than any other incarnation, in my opinion.
The only other thing I have to say is that the The New Batman Adventures seemed distinctly INFERIOR to me. Most of the redesigns were neat, and they did have a charm to them, but those episodes just seem... cheap and insubstantial compared to B:TAS. Yes, TNBA seemed sleeker and more contemporary. But B:TAS just seemed to have more WEIGHT and depth, and that was reflected both in the art styles and in the storytelling. The B:TAS episodes just seemed like they had more to them and (as you guys said) could be enjoyed on a variety of different levels by different age groups. With TNBA, though, it seemed like what you saw was what you got: a singular, angular take on Batman and friends. That's not to say that there weren't great TNBA episodes -- there certainly were some very, very good ones! -- but overall TNBA seems like a footnote to B:TAS.
But maybe some of that is just ME. Personally, aside from a couple great TNBA episodes, I'd take the animation of the WORST B:TAS over TNBA. I just like the style of those '92-'94 cartoons so much more. Maybe I'm an exception, though, since (horror of horrors) I was always a little disappointed in the Superman and Justice League cartoons as well. They were good, but they all felt a little flimsier than B:TAS, which had the look and feel of noir literature..