It may make you feel incredibly old to read this but on this day twenty years ago Batman: The Animated Series first aired on American TV. Gotham's Dark Knight has been animated many, many times and Batman: The Animated Series has never been bettered in this writer's humble opinion. There aren't many shows like Batman: TAS. Over 85 episodes and a handful of feature length adventures we were given one of the most rewarding incarnations of Batman. Even twenty years on this show can be enjoyed by both children and adults.
Perfect is a word that is too easy to toss around but Batman: The Animated Series was almost perfect. Probably as close to perfection a cartoon about a man dressed as a bat could ever get. The episodes were mature, the characters were realistic and the voice actors are now the stuff of legend. Mark Hamill's performances as The Joker make you doubt whether it's the same Mark Hamill that played lovable farm boy Luke Skywalker. And in my book Kevin Conroy is the greatest actor to ever have portrayed the Dark Knight. There's no one that puts a foot wrong on this series and if you haven't seen it it's time you did. The box sets are readily available on sites like Amazon. Last time I checked the UK Amazon you could pick up the first 28 episodes for less than a fiver.
To celebrate the show's birthday I've compiled a list of ten of my favourite episodes of Batman: The Animated Series (and the New Batman Adventures) in no particular order. It's nearly impossible to pick just ten and every single episode is well worth checking out. This is by no means a definitive list of the "best" episodes of the series. These are just the ones I enjoyed the most and that have stayed with me. I'll give a brief explanation on why I enjoy each episode and I'll try and avoid giving too much away so those who have yet to see these awesome episodes can enjoy them for what they really are.
10) Perchance To Dream
Bruce Wayne wakes up to discover his parents are alive and he isn't the Batman. It's all a dream of course but the most interesting aspect of the episode is how desperate Bruce is to prove it is. True to the character Bruce is unable to enjoy this fantasy that has taken away his reasons for becoming the Batman. Watching this episode then remembering that this is actually a show targeted at children is rather mind blowing.
9) Joker's Millions
A mob boss dies and leaves a fortune to The Joker but is it all as good as it seems? This episode is hilarious and the revelation at the end is the icing on the cake.
8) Trial
Batman is put on trial by the inmates of Arkham Asylum. 'Nuff said.
7) Robin's Reckoning
This two parter covers the origins of Batman's young sidekick and his quest for revenge against the murderer of his parents. I am a Robin fan (though not in his big screen outings) and I think Batman: TAS made excellent use of the character. Rather than shoe horn him into every episode they only used him when the story needed him. These episodes should provide the ground work for any future appearance of the boy wonder.
6) Mad Love
Harley Quinn was one of the greatest things to come out of Batman's animated universe. Originally created for the series she is now a major part of the Batman universe. If you got an episode with Harley in you knew you were in for a treat. This episode shows us how Harley got involved with her beloved Mr. J and features some rather saucy material you'd struggle to get in a kid's show these days.
5) Showdown
There's not a whole lot of Batman in this episode but it's still a great episode. This was my first introduction to the disfigured cowboy Jonah Hex and also sees the return of the legendary David Warner as Ra's Al Ghul with an adventure set in the old west.
4) Almost Got 'Im
A selection of Batman's rogues gallery play cards whilst discussing how close they came to taking down the Dark Knight. This episode is a lot of fun and features several of the major villains and has a nice twist at the end. Can't ask for much more.
3) Legends of the Dark Knight
A group of kids tell tales of the Batman and the writers take a pop at Joel Schumacher. This episode features nods to Dick Sprang and Frank Miller's The Dark Knight Returns and features one of the darkest lines muttered in the history of kid's TV.
2) Over The Edge
Over The Edge is one of the darkest episodes in what is a very dark show. Batgirl has been killed by the Scarecrow, Commissioner Gordon knows Batman's identity and holds him personally responsible for his daughter's death and the entire Bat family is falling apart. Even though you suspect none of this can actually be happening it's still an incredibly shocking episode.
1) Heart of Ice
I vaguely recall Mr. Freeze from the old Adam West TV show and he was hardly an A List villain. Batman: TAS redefined the character and turned him into something quite special. Mr. Freeze appeared several times throughout the series but none were quite as good as Heart of Ice. Mr. Freeze is a tortured soul who had dedicated his life to finding a cure for his terminally ill wife only to be stopped by villainous business man Ferris Boyle (voiced by Mark Hamill). This is a story with real heart and is rather an incredible episode of an incredible show.
Now go and watch every episode of Batman: The Animated Series you can get your hands on!
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