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!