B:TAS Begins

[sdelmonte]

So I found what was supposedly the first DVD set of episodes of Batman: The Animated Series at my library. Oddly, what it turned out to be was the third and fourth discs of the first set and the first two discs of the second set. No matter. Here, at last, my favorite animated series was in my hands. And I had a week to watch most of the 28 episodes enclosed.

But a funny thing happened...

Of the 18 or so episodes I watched, many did not hold up. Some, such as one involving a ninja and one featuring Killer Croc and Harvey Bullock, were pedestrian. Others, while still entertaining, where not what I remembered. "Robin's Reckoning," a retelling of Dick Grayson's origin, had some stromg moments but offered what I thought was a subpar version of this oft-retold story. "The Laughing Fish," based in part on a classic 1970s Batman story, felt flat. What's more, none of the Joker episodes - all written by Paul Dini - were that thrilling. And all that music!!! Nearly every one of these episodes was over-scored. Shirley Walker and her cadre of composers used little restrain.

Was it possible that this show was never as good as I thought? Was it possible that what in 1992 seemed revolutionary is now old hat? Perhaps. We rewatched

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So I found what was supposedly the first DVD set of episodes of <i>Batman: The Animated Series</i> at my library. Oddly, what it turned out to be was the third and fourth discs of the first set and the first two discs of the second set. No matter. Here, at last, my favorite animated series was in my hands. And I had a week to watch most of the 28 episodes enclosed.

But a funny thing happened...

<lj-cut>Of the 18 or so episodes I watched, many did not hold up. Some, such as one involving a ninja and one featuring Killer Croc and Harvey Bullock, were pedestrian. Others, while still entertaining, where not what I remembered. "Robin's Reckoning," a retelling of Dick Grayson's origin, had some stromg moments but offered what I thought was a subpar version of this oft-retold story. "The Laughing Fish," based in part on a classic 1970s Batman story, felt flat. What's more, none of the Joker episodes - all written by Paul Dini - were that thrilling. And all that music!!! Nearly every one of these episodes was over-scored. Shirley Walker and her cadre of composers used little restrain.

Was it possible that this show was never as good as I thought? Was it possible that what in 1992 seemed revolutionary is now old hat? Perhaps. We rewatched <Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker</i> last night, and I found it a far more gripping a Joker story than any of the ones I watched on the original. Clearly, B:TAS opened the door to all the good stuff we've seen since. But did everything that came later make B:TAS obselete?

No. For as I reached the end of my re-viewings, I came across both stories that held up and ones that I didn't expect to like. In the latter category was "The Cape and Cowl Conspiracy," which pitted Batman in a battle of wits against a cunning foe with great tech but with no costume. I had forgotten how much I missed Batman as a detective as opposed to a bruiser. Also in the latter category was "Heart of Steel," which introduced the animated Barbara Gordon, and boasts some amazing Art Deco style animation.

In the former category were two episodes featuring the Mad Hatter, who was far more interesting hre than in the comics, and "Beware the Gray Ghost." This story features Adam West as a washed up actor who once played a TV hero named the Gray Ghost, a hero whose exploits were watched by a young Bruce Wayne. This was the last episode I watched, and it's one of the best things the show ever did. And shockingly, West did a great job acting.

That's one thing that never changed - the quality of the acting. The show, like almost every good cartoon since, mixed big name actors with character actors and experienced voice actors. Among the best guests were Roddy McDowall as the Mad Hatter, John Glover as the Riddler, William Sanderson as Carl Rossum in "Heart of Steel," and Bud Cort in "The Cape and Cowl Conspiracy."

But this show belonged to the regulars. To Mark Hamill as the Joker. To Efrem Zimbalist as Alfred. And of course to Kevin Conroy, who is the only voice of Batman. As much as I like Keaton and Bale as Batman actors, the voice I hear when I read the comics is Conroy.

So does it all hold up? More or less. It could have been a bit more mature, a bit less cartoony sometimes. But I still love it, warts and all.</lj-cut>

Comments

[dotsomething.livejournal.com]

I think if we all compared notes, my favorites might end up on your weak list, and your favorites might be the episodes that bored me on rewatching. So far I've found some of the animation a disappointment in some episodes and still superb in others. I don't think there's such a thing as a "badly written" BTAS episode, but there are some that are stronger and some that are weaker, and sometimes the relatively primitive animation makes the episode seem worse.

Which means that overall, it's still a winner.

And I won't let anyone say anything bad about Robin's Reckoning *g* *clutches episode*

If you wanted to complain about "Christmas with the Joker" OTOH...