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.

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".

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.