Rediscovering Batman: TAS

[VintageMike]

With a break in vintage Superhero DVD releases, I was looking for something to buy. I've shunned buying most "newer" stuff thinking it wasn't old enough, I'd remember it too well, etc. Wanting some fresh DVD's I gave in
bought the first volume of Batman: The Animated Series. I forgot how good the show was! I quickly polished off the first volume and currently going through volume 2. Also jumped ahead a bit and checked out some of volume 4since there specific episodes I wanted to see. I have no doubt after I get & finish vol 3 I'll wind up picking up the Superman series and the other three Justice League sets I don't have already.

[toys2cool]

Yeah I own a couple of the Batman animated series and love them,the stories were pretty darn good,it doesn't even feel like a kids cartoon to me sometimes

[GlobalObserver]

I just recently bought all of the Batman TAS on DVD, and they're even better than I remember. I also bought all of the recent Superman, Justice League, and JLU sets. Good stuff.

[Earth 2 Chris]

I have all the BTAS, STAS and Batman Beyond DVDs now. The story quality of these has never been equaled (except by JLU). I only got to see STAS spoaradically, due to not having access to WB when it was airing. I found it is just as good as BTAS, and in fact more consistent in quality. Some of very early BTAS are a bit clunky, as they hadn't found their niche yet, but those are few and far between.

[jds1911a1]

Like E2 Chris I have all of the "timm" verse stuff.
BTAS seasons 1-3 are my faves just becuase they used so many classic comic stories and the Fleicher superman look is amazing. These are one of the few DVD's the directors comentary are worth watching
Season 4 I didn't like as much, but the Legends episode alone was worth the "price of admission" especailly the comentary track. Timm and his crew are comic fans who became animators so they have a reverence for the material

SAS season 1 was a little bland but 2 and 3 rock especially for those fans of Jack Kirby

if you want to view them "chronologically" by release date
BAS vol1
Batman Mask of the Phantasm (theatrical release continuity wise it would seem to fall in mid season 1 due to the lack of Robin)
BAS vol2
BAS vol3
SAS vol1
batman Sub zero (movie lentgth direct to vid still in style of 1st 3 seasons)
SAS Vol2
BAS vol3 (began airing after worlds finest in vol 2 and ran concurrent with SAS vol 3)
SAS Vol 3
Batman Beyond vol 1(began airing while BAS vol 4 and SAS vol 3 were airing)
Bayman Beyond Return of the Joker (movie lenght vid)
batman beyond vol 2
batman beyond vol 3
Justice League vol 1
batman Mystery of the Batwoman (released in 2003 direct to video not great but not awful)
Justice leage vol 2
JLU vol 1
JLU vol 2
Superman Braniac attacks (released after the last season of JLU began airing this is a direct to video and for a reason). only high point was return of Tim daly as Superman but they had to recast Luthor with powers boothe and braniac with lance henrickson. visually looks like SAS but the b team must have wrote it because it isn't even as good as mystery of the batwoman.

and if by the timeline for the Timm verse
BAS vol1
Batman Mask of the Phantasm (theatrical release continuity wise it would seem to fall in mid season 1 due to the lack of Robin)
BAS vol2
BAS vol3
SAS vol1
batman Sub zero (movie lentgth direct to vid still in style of 1st 3 seasons)
SAS Vol2
BAS vol3 (began airing after worlds finest in vol 2 and ran concurrent with SAS vol 3)
SAS Vol 3
Superman Braniac attacks - not sure where this really falls in continuity with other Timm stuff seams to really belong pre JL to me
batman Mystery of the Batwoman - to me seems to belong pre JL
Justice League vol 1
Justice leage vol 2
JLU vol 1
JLU vol 2

Batman Beyond vol 1(began airing while BAS vol 4 and SAS vol 3 were airing)
Bayman Beyond Return of the Joker (movie lenght vid)
Batman Beyon vol 2
batman beyond vol 3

[BlackKnight]

Like E2 Chris I have all of the "timm" verse stuff.
BTAS seasons 1-3 are my faves just becuase they used so many classic comic stories and the Fleicher superman look is amazing. These are one of the few DVD's the directors comentary are worth watching
Season 4 I didn't like as much, but the Legends episode alone was worth the "price of admission" especailly the comentary track. Timm and his crew are comic fans who became animators so they have a reverence for the material

SAS season 1 was a little bland but 2 and 3 rock especially for those fans of Jack Kirby

if you want to view them "chronologically" by release date
BAS vol1
Batman Mask of the Phantasm (theatrical release continuity wise it would seem to fall in mid season 1 due to the lack of Robin)
BAS vol2
BAS vol3
SAS vol1
batman Sub zero (movie lentgth direct to vid still in style of 1st 3 seasons)
SAS Vol2
BAS vol3 (began airing after worlds finest in vol 2 and ran concurrent with SAS vol 3)
SAS Vol 3
Batman Beyond vol 1(began airing while BAS vol 4 and SAS vol 3 were airing)
Bayman Beyond Return of the Joker (movie lenght vid)
Justice League vol 1
batman Mystery of the Batwoman (released in 2003 direct to video not great but not awful)
Justice leage vol 2
JLU vol 1
JLU vol 2
Superman Braniac attacks (released after the last season of JLU began airing this is a direct to video and for a reason). only high point was return of Tim daly as Superman but they had to recast Luthor with powers boothe and braniac with lance henrickson. visually looks like SAS but the b team must have wrote it because it isn't even as good as mystery of the batwoman.

and if by the timeline for the Timm verse
BAS vol1
Batman Mask of the Phantasm (theatrical release continuity wise it would seem to fall in mid season 1 due to the lack of Robin)
BAS vol2
BAS vol3
SAS vol1
batman Sub zero (movie lentgth direct to vid still in style of 1st 3 seasons)
SAS Vol2
BAS vol3 (began airing after worlds finest in vol 2 and ran concurrent with SAS vol 3)
SAS Vol 3
Superman Braniac attacks - not sure where this really falls in continuity with other Timm stuff seams to really belong pre JL to me
batman Mystery of the Batwoman - to me seems to belong pre JL
Justice League vol 1
Justice leage vol 2
JLU vol 1
JLU vol 2

Batman Beyond vol 1(began airing while BAS vol 4 and SAS vol 3 were airing)
Bayman Beyond Return of the Joker (movie lenght vid)
Batman Beyon vol 2

I have all these.. the best DC Super Hero cartoons EVER.

[Goblin19]

I've been watching Batman: TAS too. It is still just as great as ever. I'm on the second set right now.

[Earth 2 Chris]

Brianiac Attacks muddles with STAS continuity quite a bit. It really can't fit.

It's like a Bob Haney animated story.:biggrin:

Chris

[Wee67]

I really believe this is a case of seeing a classic early on. This show was really well done, clearly appealing to kids and adults. Years from now there will be 30-yr-olds waxing nostalgic over their version of Super Friends and they'll be right to do it.

[johnmiic]

I picked up every set when they went on sale during the summer. I've been wanting to catch up on these shows for a long time. I blazed thru them.

I had only ever seen a handful of any of these shows and always knew the quality was great from the interviews with the animators. What really helped were they were big fans and always would try to make something work. I was also blown away by how the continuity added up in the end. Each new series seemed to compliment the one previous. By the time they got to JL and JLU the climaxes were just mind-blowing.

I have a friend who is also catching up on them now and all he does is find fault with the show. He doesn't like the drawing style-says they are built too big, he doesn't like many of the male the voices, ( I think he thinks they should all be voiced by caucasian actors in the Superfriends booming hero style), he doesn't like the animation. I'm like, what the hell did you bother to buy them for!?!?!?!?! If you're not going to get past your qualms and enjoy the show why bother watching them??? These are awsome!

[Earth 2 Chris]

I let a friend borrow the first season of BTAS. He had never seen the shows before, but really liked Batman Begins. I thought for sure he'd dig them, but he said they were too cartoony looking, and the plots were silly. He compared them to the Super Friends. I was floored. Maybe if I'd given him a later set, he would have thought differently. While BTAS opens strong with shows like "On Leather Wings" there are a few early clunkers on the first set. Like "I've Got Batman in My Basement".

I think there is something that has to click in you to make you open to the Timm style, but it WORKS. I had my doubts when I saw the first images from BTAS in a Comics Scene magazine 15 years ago(!), but I was proven wrong. BTAS holds up much better visually than the 90s X-Men toon with it's overdone comic anatomy and use of heavy blacks for shadowing.

For those of us who grew up with it Super Friends will always have a nostalgic value. But I think the production, story, and acting quality of the Timm-verse stuff puts it on a level with any live-action "adult" entertainment.

Chris

[jds1911a1]

I let a friend borrow the first season of BTAS. He had never seen the shows before, but really liked Batman Begins. I thought for sure he'd dig them, but he said they were too cartoony looking, and the plots were silly. He compared them to the Super Friends. I was floored. Maybe if I'd given him a later set, he would have thought differently. While BTAS opens strong with shows like "On Leather Wings" there are a few early clunkers on the first set. Like "I've Got Batman in My Basement".

I think there is something that has to click in you to make you open to the Timm style, but it WORKS. I had my doubts when I saw the first images from BTAS in a Comics Scene magazine 15 years ago(!), but I was proven wrong. BTAS holds up much better visually than the 90s X-Men toon with it's overdone comic anatomy and use of heavy blacks for shadowing.

For those of us who grew up with it Super Friends will always have a nostalgic value. But I think the production, story, and acting quality of the Timm-verse stuff puts it on a level with any live-action "adult" entertainment.

Chris

I guess since I was exposed to the Fleicher Superman cartoons of th e40's as a younger kid I was immediately drawn to the Timm style. yes i loved superfriends but can anyone really say the wonder twins (or UGH wendy and marvin) episodes are better than I've got batman in my basement? yes the LOD superfreinds are still pretty good but over all the I'll take all the timm verse

[Earth 2 Chris]

I guess since I was exposed to the Fleicher Superman cartoons of th e40's as a younger kid I was immediately drawn to the Timm style. yes i loved superfriends but can anyone really say the wonder twins (or UGH wendy and marvin) episodes are better than I've got batman in my basement? yes the LOD superfreinds are still pretty good but over all the I'll take all the timm verse

Yes indeed, if I had to choose, I'd take ANY Timm episode over any SF episode. Well maybe not "Universe of Evil".:biggrin:

Chris

[jds1911a1]

here are my top 10 timm verse stories covering all the shows BAS, SAS, JL, JLU and the movies and why. and It was hard to narrow it down to 10
Honorable mention
Batman Beyond rebirth (pilot movie) bruce timm as the lead Joker "we're the Jokerz!!" Kevin Conroy as old Bruce "Sure you are" then beats the jokerz down plus ace the bat hound. good but missed the cut
if you're So Smart Why aren't you Rich?- great interpretation of the riddler but just missed out
Question Authority story arc (JLU Question Authority, Flashpoint, Panic in the Sky, Divided We Fall ) - I always like the question and cadmus anyway but other JLUs beat it out

10 The Laughing Fish (BAS) - one of my favorite Joker stories in the comics and well done in BAS.
9 Mask of the Phantasm (movie)- the Flashback scenes at the worlds fair were like reading All star squadron again plus the reveal of him donning the costume and Alfred's face plus Abe Vigoda
8 IN Rightest Day (SAS) Kyle Rayner's 1st animated apearance (lots of HAl Jordon references) and I had to have at least 1 SAS
7 Almost Got im - i love bats as Croc "I threw a rock at 'im...It was a big rock"
6 Clash - Superman Vs Capt marvel never gets old
5 The greatest Story Never Told (JLU) Booster gold was a classic
4 Once and Future thing (JLU) parts 1 and 2 Jonah hex and hal jordon alone made it worth it
3 Legends of the Darknight - the 50's style batman scene and Darknight returns segments never get old. really the only episode in the last (WB) season I like.
2 Legends - The Justice guild was great and Green guardsman as the Alan scott counterpart was Willam Katt
1 Beware the Grey ghost - adam west and Bruce timm as the Mad Bomber/toy collector "Oh the power of the toy"

[Bo8a_Fett]

Loved TAS, retro look worked so well, The best tv/film Batman????Certainly sub zero was better than Bats 1,3 &4 feature film wise. Got more disappointing once Robin was introduced but the stories were always well written and the animation always first class. Nice to see the continuity continue into Superman, JSA and Batman Beyond too.

[filmation batman fan]

Unlike with action figure lines, I seem to be right on the ball with collecting DVD sets as they come out. I acquired each season set as they were released on their release dates. I am now the proud owner of the entire Timmverse of DC Animated Shows.
My chronological look at the series goes like this:
Batman: The Animated Series volumes 1 & 2.
Batman: Mask of the Phantasm
Batman: The Animated Series volume 3 (aka The Adventures of Batman and Robin)
Superman: The Animated Series volume 1
Batman & Mr. Freeze: SubZero
Superman: The Animated Series volumes 2 &3
Batman: The Animated Series volume 4 (Gotham Knights)
Batman: Mystery of the Batwoman
Superman: Brainiac Attacks
Batman Beyond volumes 1&2
Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker
Batman Beyond: volume 3
Justice League volumes 1 & 2
Justice League Unlimited volumes 1 &2
I would treat the chronology starting with On Leather Wings and the final story being Destroyer.

I will NEVER compare the Timmverse to the SuperFriends and the Filmation cartoons becase as old and as cheesy and child oriented as they are, the SuperFriends and Filmation shows all have a magic of their own. The Timmverse series were for all ages and some of the earlier episodes of Batman: The Animated Series made you feel like you were watching an old time classic movie.
No disrespect to the previous poster, but regarding Robin in the animated series, but I must respectfully disagree about Robin's introduction into the series........... as far as Dick Grayson was concerned. Now with Tim Drake on the WB, I may be inclined to agree with you. But I always grew up with Robin being a teenager around the ages of 16-18 years of age. Dick's version of Robin was the best. And while I enjoyed him as the under used Nightwing, I personally prefer his Robin episodes to that of Tim Drake's.
Regarding the friend who hated B:TAS, I can understand where he was coming from. The early model sheets looked so cartoony whereas the last time we saw Batman in animation was Hanna Babera's Super Powers Team: Galactic Guardians in 1985, and I expecteda Ruby Spears styled type of animated show after seeing their Superman series in 1988, so I was very skeptical in 1991. But it didn't take long to fall in love with the series, especially after seeing On Leather Wings in its prime time debut on Fox back in 1992. Now, the Timmverse is the style I expect to see and when I first began watching the SuperFriends again in the
90's,. I had to get reused to the Hanna Barbera style of animation. It's amazing what time will do to you. Anyway, that's my two cents.
Cheers.

[PCofmisfittoys]

i enjoy them all . of course I will always love the HB style and stories over the new junk. Lord knows the voice actors where better back in the day. The one I can stand to watch at all is Teen Titans. The artwork for me is like watching fairly odd parents ( equally kid-like artwork.)

[ctc]

Hmmmm....

I think TAS was the best incarnation of Batman we've had in a while. I'd always had the idea that they were inspired by some of the contemporary Japanese shows of the thime; hence the more serious take. (And a lot of in jokes....) Shows like Guyver and Akira were the vanguard of the 90's "cartoons 'aint just for kids!!!" wave, and TAS definitely benefitted from this. (Tragicly short as it was.)

I thought the designs from the first season or so were decent; but around the time of the Superman series they started simplifying things, and lost a lot of expression in the doing. (Especially with the Joker... where'd his face go?!?!?!) I was never a Timm fan though. I don't like the simplified designs, since a lot of them repeat. The female characters are all the same design with different hair. Bruce got them light blue eyes after the Superman series mostly so you could tell him apart from Clark. Stuff like that bugs me.

I have afriend who loves Timms stuff. He's an animator; and as he said "they've perfected a design that, no matter WHO they farm production out to, they can't screw it up!" Can't argue with that.

Don C.

[jds1911a1]

i enjoy them all . of course I will always love the HB style and stories over the new junk. Lord knows the voice actors where better back in the day. The one I can stand to watch at all is Teen Titans. The artwork for me is like watching fairly odd parents ( equally kid-like artwork.)

Funny I feel the exact opposite I think the majority of the vintage voices aren't as good as actors providing voice over today (at least in the Timm stories) except for Bud Collyer. Ofter there was no difference in how they portratyed to voice for the hero versus the alter ego.

[jds1911a1]

Hmmmm....

I think TAS was the best incarnation of Batman we've had in a while. I'd always had the idea that they were inspired by some of the contemporary Japanese shows of the thime; hence the more serious take. (And a lot of in jokes....) Shows like Guyver and Akira were the vanguard of the 90's "cartoons 'aint just for kids!!!" wave, and TAS definitely benefitted from this. (Tragicly short as it was.)

I thought the designs from the first season or so were decent; but around the time of the Superman series they started simplifying things, and lost a lot of expression in the doing. (Especially with the Joker... where'd his face go?!?!?!) I was never a Timm fan though. I don't like the simplified designs, since a lot of them repeat. The female characters are all the same design with different hair. Bruce got them light blue eyes after the Superman series mostly so you could tell him apart from Clark. Stuff like that bugs me.

I have afriend who loves Timms stuff. He's an animator; and as he said "they've perfected a design that, no matter WHO they farm production out to, they can't screw it up!" Can't argue with that.

Don C.

Actually I think they were far more influenced by the Batman stories of the 70's the BAS doesn't have the frenetic action of anime. Many of the stories are from the Neal Adams/Dennis O'neal Batman's

[filmation batman fan]

Actually I think they were far more influenced by the Batman stories of the 70's the BAS doesn't have the frenetic action of anime. Many of the stories are from the Neal Adams/Dennis O'neal Batman's
I couldn't agree more. I myself love the 1970's Batman stories, especially the Adams/O Neill stories. This definitely applies to the first 85 episodes that aired on Fox, whereas I think the 21 WB episodes probably had some inspiration from the 80's and 90's.
Cheers.

[jds1911a1]

I couldn't agree more. I myself love the 1970's Batman stories, especially the Adams/O Neill stories. This definitely applies to the first 85 episodes that aired on Fox, whereas I think the 21 WB episodes probably had some inspiration from the 80's and 90's.
Cheers.

Right I prefer to separate season 4 from the fox episodes as the new adventures since that is how they titled them. Yes they are much more like anime / 90's batman. if they had begun the run with the stories for season 4 I don't think we would have had 15 years of Bruce Timm style