Running for Four seasons was the one true cartoon I always looked forward to watching right after school.The series won four Emmy Awards and was nominated for six others. Batman: The Animated Series, which is noted for its thematic complexity, darkness, and high artistic quality, has been praised by critics and fans alike as one of the most faithful adaptations of the character. Many have called the series the best adaptation of Batman anywhere outside of comics, the best comic book cartoon of all time, and the second best animated series of all time So in this short editorial I will point out the four awesome elements on why this piece of Batman will always be embedded in my heart and mind!
Showcase of Villains:
Not only did the Joker make numerous appearances but they had pretty much every villain showcased in its LONG four season run. Clayface, Two Face, Penguin, Killer Croc, Scarecrow, Mr. Freeze, Poison Ivy, Harley Quinn, Bane, The Mad Hatter, and even some lesser villains that were then created for the comics; The Clock King and Lock-Up.
All of these Characters were portrayed not with a detailed origin but mainly showed up to create chaos within Gotham. There was even an episode where The Dark Knight Faced up to five villains in a three part mini series.
The Story:
Of course Bruce Wayne had his origins, his father and mother were murdered yada yada yada we know it, but later in the series when Ra's Al Ghul made his appearance it was briefly shown that Wayne had done some training with Ghul himself and the League of Assassins as it was called. Each Villain had his mini origin explained or shown in their first appropriate appearance. Most of them even stayed true to the comics. What made the series even better was that every time an antagonist/ villain had his episode it was a different gimmick on taking down the bat and Gotham. Whether it was Joker's Laughing Gas trick, or Ivy's extended Botanical Garden or even Riddlers Dark night of riddles to save Commissioner Gordon or Detective Bullock.
The Good Guys:
Consisting of Batman, Commissioner Gordon, detective Bullock, Dick Grayson/Robin, Barbara Gordon/Batgirl, Lucious Fox, and even good ol Jonah Hex made certain appearances. Halfway through the third season Robin had converged into Nightwing. Nolan's Batman series has Rachel Dawes and this series has Summer Gleeson. She in later episodes reveals that she is deeply in love with Batman and creates conflict when Catwoman makes her appearance in later seasons. All characters play their roles swiftly and in a neat manner.
I wrote this up mainly because last night i ran into the DVD set and decided to purchase it but also because this series was just so great and it got me thinking. Whoever helms the reboot or continuation of the next Batman should definitely seek this animated series for some inspiration or characters. Plenty of villains, characters, somewhat storylines, and amusing character lines. (Riddler and Joker). So sound off in the usual which would be right below!
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