Rating  - Batman at His Best
Yes, I love the new Christopher Nolan movies. But I have to admit, this animated incarnation of Batman from the early nineties will always be the definitive version of the character for me. I readily admit I'm biased, as I grew up watching these shows, and seeing them today brings me back to a simpler time in my life. But even now, as an adult, I am amazed at how well the storytelling on display holds up over a decade later.
This set builds upon the solid foundation laid by the first volume (which is also well worth a purchase), coming across as almost universially strong. The writers and artist had clearly found their groove. The characterizations are stronger and more nuanced, the animation is more consistant, and even the weaker episodes here are leagues better than some of the clunkers found on the first set.
Special praise needs to be handed out to the voice cast, which is uniformly excellent. Kevin Conroy IS Batman. Period, the end. He switches between the playboy Bruce Wayne and driven Dark Knight with ease, and his "Batman voice" is nowhere near as grating as Christian Bale's. All of the villains' voices ooze personality without sounding like characitures. The performers really make you believe the characters have feelings and souls underneath their brightly colored costumes. And of course, special praise should be given to Mark Hamill's absolutely inspired take on the Joker, which you can hear numerous times throughout this set.
Although almost all the episodes on this set are good, standouts for me include:
-"Robin's Reckoning," the Emmy-winning exploration of the Boy Wonder's origins (although Part I is definitely sronger than Part II)
-"The Laughing Fish," a pretty straightforward adaptation of the seventies comic tale in which Joker tries to collect royalties on fish he has mutated to look like him
-"If You're So Smart, Why Aren't You Rich?," the Riddler's origin story and a far more interesting take on the character than the laughing buffoon seen in the Adam West TV series or the mid-nineties film
-"Almost Got 'Im," a brilliantly told series of vignettes in which each member of Batman's rogues gallery relates how they almost took out the Bat (Penguin and Joker's are the best tales)
-"Harley and Ivy," which is a fan-favorite and definitely in my top 5 list of all time great episodes. The always fun Harley Quinn (voiced to a T by Arleen Sorken) is thrown out by the Joker and teams up with Poison Ivy on a seemingly unstoppable crime spree. This episode is a riot, but it also features a rather adult and complex portrayal of the Joker-Harley relationship, where he's clearly the abusive boyfriend but they both genuinely love each other. Plus, who knew Poison Ivy could be so funny?
With 28 episodes on the set you get a lot of bang for your buck, and the featurettes and commentaries are an insightful look into the creation of the series (I genuinely wish there were more of them). Any Batman fan should purchase this set, as it features an adult take on the character without the disturbing violence and imagery seen in the recent films, making it perfect for family viewing. Both kids and adults will be entranced.
Rating - Welcome to Gotham City (Volume 2)
The BTAS series continues in with this DVD box set. It contains episodes 29 to 56, which are in production order instead of airdate.
-Episode 1.29, Eternal Youth: Not a very intriguing episode. Poison Ivy's plot to turn people into trees seems silly and campy. The sub-plot involving Alfred and his lady friend Maggie ramps it up a notch, though. (2.5/5)
-Episode 1.30, Perchance to Dream: Lots of suspense and lots of twists at every corner. A must-see for all Batfans. (5/5)
-Episode 1.31, The Cape and Cowl Conspiracy: Josiah Underwood is hired to hunt down Batman by using confusing traps and mind-blowing techniques. This looks more like Riddler's work, but the plot twist at the end is a good one. (3.5/5)
-Episode 1.32 and 1.33, Robin's Reckoning: We go back in the past to see how Dick Grayson's parents are killed and how he becomes Robin. The two-parter has the perfect flow, but the climax could've improved with a more suspensful confrontation between Batman and Robin. (4.5/5)
-Episode 1.34, The Laughing Fish: Based on the DC comic, The Joker wants to copyright his smiling fish. But that's only the beginning as this episode as the right stuff: violence, suspense, Joker venom, black comedy, etc. (5/5)
-Episode 1.35, Night of the Ninja: Kyodai Ken isn't compelling enough. But the fight scenes are watchable. (2.5/5)
-Episode 1.36, Cat Scratch Fever: Another uninteresting episode. Professor Milo can't get any worse than this . . . (1.5/5)
-Episode 1.37, The Strange Secret of Bruce Wayne: This episode could've been alot better in some quarters. But here we can perfectly see what motivates Bruce Wayne into being Batman. (3.5/5)
-Episode 1.38 and 1.39, Heart of Steel: A scary, yet cliched plot that involves androids replacing humans in society. (4.5/5)
-Episode 1.40, If You're So Smart, Why Aren't You Rich?: The debut of The Riddler. The confusing riddles here are much more effective than in "Batman Forever". And the maze is quite exciting. (4/5)
-Episode 1.41, Joker's Wild: Another excellent Joker Episode. I'd watch it again in a heartbeat! (5/5)
-Episode 1.42, Tyger Tyger: . . . meh. (3/5)
-Episode 1.43, Moon of the Wolf: This fails when compared to "On Leather Wings". More of an Outer Limits episode than a Batman plot. (1.5/5)
-Episode 1.44, Day of the Samurai: Better than "Night of the Ninja". Deals with Bruce's experiences in Japan and a secret Martial Art move that's deadly. The volcano looks beautiful. (4/5)
-Episode 1.45, Terror in the Sky: Not as good as "On Leather Wings", but the plane sequence is absolutely terrifying. (3/5)
-Episode 1.46, Almost Got 'Im: Lots of humor and chemstry between main villains. Highly recommendable. (5/5)
-Episode 1.47, Birds of a Feather: The Penguin and Veronica Vreeland don't make a perfect couple. But that's the point: it's funny and suspenseful. But what is the yellow rubber-ducky boat doing here? (4.5/5)
-Episode 1.48, What is Reality?: Two words . . . Virtual Reality. (5/5)
-Episode 1.49, I Am the Night: One of the best BTAS episodes since "Heart of Ice". Batman is doubting whether he's making a difference in Gotham City, especially when Comissioner Gordon is severely wounded during a shootout against "The Jazzman". (5/5)
-Episode 1.50, Off Balance: The Debut of Talia and Ra's Al Ghul (cameo). It's not a great episode, but it's still entertainingin some levels. (3/5)
-Episode 1.51, The Man Who Killed Batman: Tension is all around as a Sid the Squid thinks he's killed Batman. Joker's eulogy and Harley's "Amazing Grace" should be worth watching and listening to. (5/5)
-Episode 1.52, Mudslide: A Shakespearean tragedy. Very dark, and very depressing. (4/5)
-Episode 1.53, Paging the Crime Doctor: A bit boring in some parts, but still watchable. (3/5)
-Episode 1.54, Zatanna: This didn't catch my interest. ONe of the weaker episodes, I'd say. (2/5)
-Episode 1.55, The Mechanic: The plot is the same as Penguin's Batmobile scheme in "Batman Returns". But I still enjoyed it. (4/5)
-Episode 1.56, Harley and Ivy: Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy. WOW! What a duo! "Get 'em." (5/5)
Rating - Two boys' review: Hours of fun for young Batman fans
Please read my Amazon review of Batman - The Animated Series, Volume One.
I have two boys (a 5 year old and a 4 year old). They are too young to watch the Batman movies -- Batman Begins and The Dark Knight -- but that doesn't stop them from being die-hard fans of the Caped Crusader.
Of course, these DVD collections are popular with older fans but young children can enjoy them, too.
There are a few scary scenes but nothing on par with what you'd find in the PG-13 rated movies. I recommend that you watch the cartoons along with your children and discuss it with them. I've found that I can reinforce Batman's good behaviors and point out what makes villians bad.
Rating - great fun!
This is a must have series for any Batman fan, and even if your not, give it a try. It was fun for the whole family and my husband said he felt like a kid again, waiting for the next episode. We all really enjoyed this!
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