Everyone has their favorite television series; they can be a great place of escapism and can bring hoards of people together. I have fallen in love with many great series throughout my life: Mad Men, Parks and Recreation, Game of Thrones, Breaking Bad and The Wire but in the end, one series trumps them all. Batman: The Animated Series, created in 1992 by Bruce Timm and Eric Radomski. After the success of Tim Burton’s Batman, Warner Bros. Animation decided it was time to create an animated Batman series. Their short pilot episode would end up become part of the opening credits.
From the beginning, this series was praised for its animation, which to this day still holds up. The darker tones and overall thematic complexity of the series, dealing with mature situations and subjects. It had a noir look where bullets flew (but they never hit anyone, terrible aim those bad guys!), the villains were out for blood, and in certain episodes a lot was at stake. While it’s easy to dismiss it since this is just a cartoon, it certainly has an adult feel to it and this was one of the main reasons I fell in love with it from the start. This made series feel timeless and worth all the praise it received for its modernization of its title character.
One of the best parts of Batman: The Animated Series, aside from the storytelling has to be the cast. The voice acting is some of the best in any animated series. As the casting director Andrea Romano put it, they wanted to cast voices with character, not just actors doing cartoon voices. Kevin Conroy (Bruce Wayne/Batman) and Mark Hamill (The Joker) will always be those two iconic characters, and have been providing their voices in animation and video games for almost 30 years! The series works so well, because in the end it wasn’t made with a younger audience in mind which is arguably the main reason why the series still holds up so well today.
Considered to be one of the greatest animated series ever produced (actually only The Simpsons is held in higher regard), Batman: The Animated Series consisted of 109 episodes, all unique and special in their own way. This series is also responsible for some of the best Batman stories ever told, which is quite the feat, considering there are almost 80 years of Batman mythos and history. Another byproduct of the series was the creation of Harley Quinn thanks to writer Paul Dini. The only sore point was how the animation changed after season 3. For whatever reason, it never resonated with me. While the reason they did it was understandable, they wanted to have a more kid friendly series, but it almost ruined the experience.
I have a yearly tradition where I watch every episode, and I thought this time, I would rank every single episode of Batman: The Animated Series. So that’s exactly what I’m going to do (all the two part episodes will be considered as one, making a grand total of 102). Sit back, relax and enjoy as I break it all down into 5 parts, starting with episodes 102-83! The below grades don’t necessarily reflect my rankings; they are just there to give a better sense of the episodes.
102- Prophecy of Doom: Season 1, Episode 19 Director: Frank Paur Story: Dennis Marks
This guy was the villain of the episode need I say more? Starting off the list was this very forgetful episode, in which we see Batman take down a cult. The Brotherhood is lead by the mystic Nostromos who has the ability to “predict the future.” Turns out he’s just a con artist who rigs near fatal accidents so he can warm up to Gotham’s elite and later take their money. One of the few episodes I will actually skip in my yearly run through, it’s just that bad. Grade: F
“Do not apologize. She will believe. They all will believe….after the great fall” – Nostromos
101 – The Underdwellers: Season 1, Episode 6 Director: Frank Paur Story:Tom Ruegger
Batman wrestles a few alligators in this one, and that’s the only highlight or memorable moment. The premise on the other hand, it deals with some wack job taking kids underground and essentially make them his servants and make them go up to the streets of Gotham at night and rob its citizens. When one of them gets taken away by Batman, he brings him home to Alfred to care for the boy. Early into Batman: The Animated Series, the series was still trying to get its feet wet. I just can’t take an episode seriously when the episodes villain was the Sewer King… Grade: F
“You play chicken long enough, you fry” – Batman
100 – Critters: Season 4, Episode 14 Director: Dan Riba Story: Steve Gerber
So when a farmer goes crazy, I guess it’s up to Batman to stop him. Farmer Brown is his name, and after his failed attempt at creating bigger livestock, he becomes the laughing stock of Gotham, leading him to lose all of his money. A year later, Gotham City is terrorized by giant animals and bugs. Farmer Brown plans to fire a rocket with all these critters into Gotham and watch it fall apart. All I can really do is shake my head at this episode, like this isn’t Batman, not at all. Just one of the many horrible episodes from season 4. Batman vs. a couple of hillbillies, come on Warner Bros. you can do better. Grade: F
“That’s a lot of bull” – Tim Drake
99 – Mean Seasons: Season 4, Episode 13 Director: Hiroyuki Aoyama Story: Rich Fogel
Honestly, it’s like they weren’t even trying for parts of season 4. Look out folks, Calendar Girl is on the loose!! Some has-been actress is kidnapping the people responsible for her apparent “botched” surgeries. Turning the dirty 30, once the brightest star of the film industry, now just a thing of the past. These botched surgeries aren’t true, she’s still the same beautiful woman she’s always been, but she cannot see that anymore. She just sees her flaws. Another painful episode to sit all the way through, because there’s nothing exciting happening whatsoever. Like one of her henchmen is a knock off Fabio, give me a break…. Grade: F
“Beware the Ides of March!” – Calender Girl
98 – Cat Scratch Fever: Season 2, Episode 8 Director: Boyd Kirkland Story: Sean Catherine Derek
Stray cats, this episode is about stray cats…. I might as well just end this review right now. Roland Dagget is planning on using the stray cats of Gotham and infecting them with a new viral plague. He will be the only person with the means to cure this new disease, for a quick and easy money grab. So When Isis goes missing (not that Isis, Catwoman’s cat) she investigates the matter and stumbles upon his scheme. When she becomes infected herself, it’s up to her beau Batman to save the day. Grade: F
“Tonight on the news they called you a hero. You keep this up and they’ll start making Catwoman dolls” – Maven
97 – Beware The Creeper: Season 4, Episode 23 Director: Dan Riba Story: Rich Fogel
A knockoff Joker, in an episode with the Joker. News reporter Jack Ryder, falls into the same vat of chemicals that made the Joker who he is. But Jack was also covered in Joker’s laughing gas which made for a weird combination. We get The Creeper out of it, all I can say is wow. Pretty much just a horny Joker, I’m not even kidding. They leave the episode open-ended and that’s the worst part, because as an audience we never get to see The Creeper again. So that makes it even worse, just another terrible villain season 4 managed to pump out. Grade: D
“They call me, Yellow-Skinned Wacky Man!” – The Creeper
96 -Birds of A Feather: Season 2, Episode 19 Director: Frank Paur Story: Chuck Menville
I feel like people might enjoy this episode much more than I do. Penguin gets out of the slammer and still thinks he’s high society. Until no one comes to pick him up or throw him an extravagant party for his return. Veronica Vreeland is also feeling the heat with her recent struggles to throw a great party. So she whips up the idea to invite the Penguin to her next bash. It works to perfection, actually too good, because the bird starts to fall for Ms. Vreeland. It’s not until he overhears her telling someone she’s just using him that everything falls apart. The Penguin is usually involved in great episodes, but this is by far the worst. Just rich snobs being rich snobs. Grade: D+
“I guess what they say is true: society is to blame. High society” – The Penguin.
95 – seriesdown: Season 3, Episode 22 Director: Kevin Altieri Story: Kevin Altieri
Again another episode that I think would be higher on other people’s lists. Involving Jonah Hex, this episode just never clicked with me. I’ve never liked it, maybe for being salty about this being the last episode we get to see Ra’s Al Ghul and he is completely WASTED! One of the best villains from Batman: The Animated Series, this was supposed to be his swan song and honestly, it’s somewhat heartbreaking when you think about it. He tells this story to Batman about Jonah Hex and how his son, who is part of the story as well, is still alive today. He was also exposed to the Lazarus Pits and is very old. So when Batman finds him at a retirement home and they chase them to the nearby airport, Batman actually lets him walk free. showing that deep down Batman actually has some feelings. Fun fact about his episode though, Robin straight up dick punches a guy, the one and only punch of the series! Grade: D
“Come now detective, I still have a few good years left. We will cross swords another day” – Ra’s Al Ghul
94 – Love Is A Croc: Season 4, Episode 9 Director: Butch Lukic Story: Steve Gerber
Okay, quick rant before I briefly talk about this episode. How bad does Croc look in the new animation style? My god, it’s painful, he looks so bad and they even changed his voice and the new guy just sucks. He was so good in the first three seasons and they completely ruined him, including in this putrid episode. Baby Doll is back (yay – that’s sarcasm) she feels for Croc for being an outsider, as she’s always felt that way. So they team up and become a common law couple and live in the sewers and the whole thing is just a disaster and it turns out chicks dig guys who look like crocodiles, who knew. Just the weirdest pairing of two rogues from Batman’s famous gallery that I can remember and truthfully it just didn’t work out. Croc straight up beats Baby Doll also, which I found to be a little disturbing. Grade: F
“Ordinarily, I don’t approve of spanking but in her case…” – Batgirl
93 – The Demon Within: Season 4, Episode 18 Director: Atsuko Tanaka Story: Rusti Bjornhoel
Without question one of the weirdest, most out of place episodes. When you compare it to other episodes, it just feels so out of place, so far from the realm of what the original feel of what Batman: The Animated Series was. Also they have the creepiest villain, Klarion the Witch Boy, who possesses Jason Blood’s alter ego Etrigan the Demon. Definitely a mouthful to take in. I don’t even know what I’m talking about when it comes to this episode. It’s weird and certainly not the BTAS I grew to love. Grade: D
“Whoa! So all of this is what I think it is, right? Magic? Sorcery?” – Tim Drake.
92 – The Lion and The Unicorn: Season 3, Episode 21 Director: Boyd Kirkland Story: Diane Duane
A call back to British spy films – this episode focuses on Alfred. When he gets a mysterious phone call from his cousin, Alfred drops everything at Wayne Manor and heads across the pond to London. I really tried to like this episode but I never really could get into it. The one enjoyable thing though, is how they dive into Alfred’s past. Even Dick doesn’t know about how much of a badass Alfred used to be back in the day working as a British government spy. His cousin, who turns out to be his old partner, and Alfred have the secret launch codes for a nuclear missile silo. They showcase his skills throughout the episode, but it’s biggest downfall has to be having Red Claw. She’s a terrible villain and we never really get to understand why she’s a terrorist or why she does the things she does. Her voice is also incredibly annoying. Grade: D-
“There’s only one London Master Bruce” – Alfred
91 – Moon of The Wolf: Season 2, Episode 15 Director: Dick Sebast Story: Len Wein
So this episode is hilariously bad, but I don’t hate it as strongly now as the first few times I watched it. It kind of grows on you to be honest, but that doesn’t excuse it from being laughable. Batman is supposed to be the world’s greatest detective, yet he thinks this werewolf is just a mugger in a mask. I don’t like when the writing dumbs down Batman, making him appear not so smart. Anthony Romulus was a star athlete, but wanted to be the very best. So he’s offered a chance of a lifetime, to experiment with a new drug provided by Dr. Milo. Turns out that there’s some timberwolf estrogen in the steroids, so it ultimately turns him into a wolfman. Basically just a classic filler episode, making Batman seem weak and stupid at times. Bruce Tinm once said that it was a “Tuesday” episode. Whatever that means. Grade: D
“Do me a favour, Shaggy!” – Batman
90 – Tyger, Tyger: Season 2, Episode 14 Director: Frank Paur Story: Michael Reaves
I don’t know what the producers of Batman: The Animated Series were thinking when it comes to Catwoman’s story arc. She’s such an incredible character, yet she’s apart of some of the most bizarre and quite frankly some of the worst episodes. Like she gets turned into a cat this episode… that’s right. Dr. Dorian has other pet projects, a giant ape like man, and Tygrus. Another giant cat, Tygrus serves as another love interest for Selina Kyle in this episode, and it makes the whole thing even stranger. She has such a complex relationship with our hero, and that’s kind of explored, but she’s just always part of some half-assed story. We just never get that great Batman/Catwoman story, like again SHE GETS TURNED INTO AN ACTUAL CAT. Grade: D+
“Tyger, Tyger, burning bright. In the forests of the night. What immortal hand or eye. Could frame thy fearful symmetry?” – Batman
89 – Chemistry: Season 4, Episode 22 Director: Butch Lukic Story: Stan Berkowitz
Another fine example of the writers making our Caped Crusader looking kind of stupid. Bruce Wayne magically falls for a woman and decides pretty easily that it’s time to hang up the cape and cowl for good, really Batman? Just like that, regardless if she is the one, something seems off and Batman really doesn’t take notice, until it’s almost too late. Susan is her name, well that’s the name Poison Ivy gives her, see she’s one of her newest creations. She makes the perfect match for the wealthy of Gotham and poor Bruce can do nothing to stop his affection for dear old Susan. I just could never believe Bruce Wayne would fall that hard for someone, even if it’s out of his control somehow. He’s Batman, his mind is like no other, and the fact that they just make him seem pretty weak and stupid in this episode bothers me a bit. Grade: D +
“Everything’s changed for me in the past few weeks. The pain of my parents deaths…it’s still there, but it seems smaller” – Bruce Wayne
88 – The Cult of The Cat: Season 4, Episode 15 Director: Butch Lukic Story: Stan Berkowitz
Another episode involving cats….I get it, she’s Catwoman and all but come on. Some original ideas would be nice. Here we find Selina stealing a rare cat statue from a cult, to only find out she has a lot in common with these people. Like a lot of episodes in the final season, we see Batman square off against larger than life animals, this time around it’s a saber-tooth cat. For this being the last time we ever get to see her in Batman: The Animated Series, it was just overall a lacklustre episode to say the least. In the end we realize that no matter how much she loves Batman, her true loves lies with her cats and stolen jewellery. Grade: D+
“You can’t get rid of them. They are like old boyfriends. Or warts.” – Catwoman.
87 – Cold Comfort: Season 4, Episode 3 Director: Dan Riba Story: Hilary J. Bader
Remember when Paul Dini came up with the idea that Mr. Freeze shouldn’t be a joke anymore. From there, we got one of the best Batman stories ever told with “Heart of Ice”. Mr. Freeze is one of the more sympathetic characters in Batman: The Animated Series and here, he has lost all emotion and you feel for the guy after he loses his wife to a rare disease (Well she’s frozen, but you knew that already!). That being said, he arguably sees the biggest change during the animation revamp and I HATE IT. He was literally perfect in the few episodes he appeared in with the old animation style, and now he just looks stupid. On top of that, he’s just a head with a robot body, are you kidding me? They ruined his character completely, and the only saving grace is that they didn’t change his voice actor (Michael Ansara) who does such a terrific job at portraying a heartbroken and completely lost man. This episode deals with Freeze being pissed off after his now cured wife has moved on with her life and she has remarried, leading him to go around Gotham destroying a bunch of things. Move on buddy and find another gal, I guess that’s hard to do though, when you are just a head I guess. He’s even got two stupid lady sidekicks and the whole thing makes me mad, so I’m going to stop writing now. Grade: D
“You don’t have to do this. Wayne Enterprises helped save your wife’s life, and we can help you” – Bruce Wayne
86 – Animal Act: Season 4, Episode 16 Director: Curt Geda Story: Hilary J. Bader
Man I don’t know who Mad Hatter pissed off, but wow, just wow. Mad Hatter is a terrific villain, and is featured in some of the best episodes of Batman: The Animated Series. Why on Earth is this his last appearance? Why did they make him take control of circus animals as his final insane plot? So Robin’s old circus is back in town, and just like that, crazy robberies involving animals are happening all over Gotham. This is straight up one of the more childish episodes we ever see. Not a single dark tone, or adult vibe to it, and that was the big concern for the revamp. I hate to throw people under the bus, but Hilary J. Bader is responsible for writing some of the worst and more immature episodes ever. For having Dick Grayson re-visit the place where he lost everything, you would think this episode would pack a little bit more of an emotional punch, No! Talk about a missed opportunity, and for a life long Batman fan, that’s something us fans want to see. Grade: D-
“You sure it’s locked this time? We’ve got enough yahoos running around this city without having to deal with Yogi and Boo-Boo too.” – Harvey Bullock
85 – Double Talk: Season 4, Episode 4 Director: Curt Geda Story: Robert Goodman
The good old Ventriloquist, another great villain ruined by the revamp. Yes, he’s a little strange, but that’s the best part about him. I don’t mind that its a puppet, and to be honest it’s kind of scary that a man can get to be that insane. So Arnold Wesker is out of jail and got a sweet hook up by Bruce Wayne himself to start working at Wayne Enterprises. He’s “cured” of his aliment of being control by his other half Scarface. Well little does he know that’s not the case as he plans a little robbery at his newly acquired workplace. This was just not a great episode, they made Arnold look like a low budget grown up Charlie Brown. They even made Scarface look worse and he’s a puppet, just so not cool Warner Bros. Animation. Grade: D
“He’s not coming back! He’s gone!” – Arnold Wesker
84 – The Worry Men: Season 3, Episode 9 Director: Frank Paur Story: Paul Dini
Veronica Vreeland, one of Gotham’s rich girls heads overseas for a vacation and comes back with some little dolls. These dolls are suppose to take away all of your worries. When she was in Central America, these dolls according to legend were put under your pillow at night and would take away your worries. Little did she know, each doll had a tiny microchip placed inside by the Mad Hatter, and he was making the wealthy give him all of their money. Sneaky guy that Mad Hatter, I’ll give him props for the genius scheme, but the episode kind of falls flat, and I want to like this episode every time I watch it but I just can’t AND I DON’T KNOW WHY!!!! Grade: C-
“As the great Lewis Carrol himself once said, ‘One, two, one, two, through and through. And then the rope went snicker-snack. He left it dead and with its head, he went galloping back!” – Dr. Jervis Tetch/Mad Hatter
83 – Baby Doll: Season 3, Episode 20 Director: Dan Riba Story: Paul Dini
Let’s get this out of the way, I don’t hate this episode, any episode written by Paul Dini isn’t bad. I understand the meaning behind it and why some people think this episode is freaking genius and really good and I get it. The emotional punch and baggage of this episode was pretty haunting. It’s different and unique and I totally understand that. It always boils down to the fact, that it’s hard to picture Batman running around Gotham chasing a little girl. Yes, she’s actually 30 and she’s born with a rare disease that makes her not age or grow. But there’s something about the freaking Dark Knight chasing this little girl that’s funny because that just doesn’t happen. Or maybe that’s just me? Baby Doll, a once bright star, had herself a hit TV series, until someone stole the spotlight from her. When that happened, Baby Doll got super upset. She tried other methods of acting but nothing worked, so her career ended pretty quickly. Now ten years later, she’s out for revenge, kidnapping all her ex cast-mates. Essentially she wants to kill them all. I’ll admit the last few minutes of this episode are spectacular but that can’t justify putting it higher on the list. Baby Doll just never clicked with me as a villain. Grade: C+
“Remember that time when Poison Ivy nearly smothered us in those vines?” – Robin
Well there you have it, the first 20 episodes are now in the books! Please feel free to leave a comment and let me know how you feel about my rankings!
*still courtesy of Warner Bros.*
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