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Batman: The Animated Series (B:TAS) sits at a weird intersection for me. It’s a show I’ve seen a few times in my life. As a very young kid, Batman was my first great obsession. I loved the show, I had all the toys, my life was Batman. Then Power Rangers came into my life. Then Star Wars. Then anime. And Batman fell off my radar. Then, as a college student, I drifted back to comics and gave B:TAS a rewatch and was actually underwhelmed. I’ve seen it in bits of pieces since then, and still remained somewhat ambivalent. But over the past couple of years I’ve gone on a Batman binge, reading a lot of classic stories and runs. With a renewed appreciation of Batman and his mythos, I thought it was a good time to check back in on the series and see how it holds up.

Reader, I loved it.

Beginning in 1992 and running for 85 episodes, followed by a 24 episode continuation that shifted the art and status quo, B:TAS has cast a long shadow over Batman. Future adaptations, particularly animated ones, are often measured against this series. So what is it that made it so enduring? And why did it click with me so much now? There are any number of reasons why, but I want to hit on a few key items that stood out: the art, the sound, and the character work. All of these add up to a classic that, although not without missteps, does make for a defining take on Batman.

The Art

Perhaps the most immediately noticeable thing about B:TAS is how gorgeous it is. The series is confident in its aesthetic, and that bleeds into the atmosphere. The Gotham of this series draws influence from Tim Burton’s blockbuster Batman film, but adds an art deco twist to the gothic inspiration, while also adding modern and futuristic technology. This shows in the buildings, the vehicles, and the series’ iconic Batmobile. 

I’m not going to pretend there’s an objectively best Batmobile, but this one is definitely my favorite. 

Added to that, backgrounds for the series were typically drawn on black paper (as opposed to the white paper typically used in animation), giving the animation a distinctive look. So much of the series takes place at night and in shadows, and that adds to the unique ambience of the series.

All of this creates an undeniable element of cool to the series. It’s just a visual joy to watch. Certainly there are episodes featuring better and worse animation, as different studios took turns, but the overall visual style carries the series so much. One only needs to watch its iconic opening credits sequence to get a sense of the visual flair:

The Sound

The art goes a long way, but that alone does not make the series excel. If the art is the foundation, then the sound builds a structure on that foundation. B:TAS features an incredible score and incredible voice acting. The latter, in particular, is one of the most enduring legacies of the series.

We’ll get to that in a minute, but I want to highlight the music first. While the series owes a lot to Danny Elfman’s score to Tim Burton’s Batman film, Shirley Walker built on that with a complex soundtrack. She incorporated character-specific themes into the series, lending uniqueness and identity to the wide cast of characters. When I think of Joker, it’s hard not to hear his theme song echo in my head:

But it’s the voice acting that is such an integral part of the series’ appeal. Kevin Conroy takes center stage as the voice of Batman. He brings so many dimensions to the character, at times terrifying, empathetic, bemused, and thoughtful. Much like Christopher Reeves’ work in the live action Superman movie, his Bruce Wayne has a distinctive, lighter inflection that contrasts with his work as Batman. Conroy would go on to reprise Batman in many works until his death in 2022. Opposite Kevin Conroy, Mark Hamill steals the show as the Joker. Hamill easily treads the tightrope of a Joker that is absolutely funny while also being absolutely terrifying. 

Complementing the two are a number of iconic performances. Arleen Sorkin’s work as the Joker’s accomplice Harley Quinn made an original character an instant classic. Loren Lester and Efram Zimbalist Jr. easily bounce off the dour Bruce as the upbeat Dick Grayson and more sardonic Alfred. Bob Hastings brings gravitas to Commissioner Gordon, while Robert Costanzo exudes smarm as Harvey Bullock. Making it all work is Andrea Romano, who served as the voice director. 

The soundtrack and voice acting blend together to add an additional layer of depth and dimension to the series. The characters feel authentic and genuine, accented by the music. Combined with the art, it adds life to the world of the series.

Character Work

B:TAS is an episodic series. While there are some nods to continuity, by and large each episode stands on its own without needing much knowledge of what came before. The series doesn’t begin with by telling an origin story for Batman, it just stands with an established Batman who has been doing his work for a while, with a Robin who has grown up and is now attending college.

But even without continuity, the characters pop. Much of this owes to the performances of the voice actors, but credit must also be given to the writers. While this series isn’t focused on the psychology of Bruce Wayne the way other adaptations of Batman have been, he is still given layers, and The Mask of the Phantasm film gives what I think is still one of the most defining depictions of Bruce Wayne:

The respect for the characters extends to Batman’s extensive rogues gallery too. The Joker is full of wacky, evil schemes. Mr. Freeze is given a tragic, emotional backstory. The Riddler is given a new spin for the emerging computer age. And somehow, a sidekick to the Joker became one of DC’s most popular characters. And even one-off characters leave a lasting impression: an episode about a hero from superhero serials Bruce watched as a child is a demonstration of the power of stories to inspire us, a tribute to Adam West’s own work as Batman in the live action series from the 1960s, and a crackerjack action story.

Why Did It Resonate?

Even when I was less enamored with the show on my last watch, I was still able to appreciate those elements. So why is it that I was ambivalent before and delighted this time? I think a few elements are at play.

One is deeper immersion into Batman. I’ve been familiar with Batman on a Wikipedia level for a long time, but I actually had not read much of the character until the Rebirth era began. Now I’ve read a lot of Batman from the 70s through today, and seen a lot of great and a lot of terrible with the character. And one of the highlights of the series is its respect for the Batman mythos, blending some of the best elements from the character’s history, particularly the 70s and 80s. But it’s not just a “best of”, it adds its own contributions to the saga as well.

DC also casts about wildly in tone. And Batman has never had one specific style: Silver Age goofiness, 70s gothic horror, 80s gritty darkness. So many recent adaptations of Batman have focused on the darkness and violence. B:TAS, however, walks a line that I prefer: It is dark and violent for a 90s kids’ show (punches! Actual guns!), but also maintains a lightness that keeps it from doing too much. This is most evident for me in the Joker. B:TAS’ Joker is the version of the character I enjoy most. He’s a Joker capable of creating Laughing Fish, of pulling off Christmas heists, but also capable of being intimidated and defeated by an ordinary citizen. That’s great! 

The series still has its flaws. For all the iconic episodes like Almost Got ‘Im, there are a lot of stinkers: I’ve Got Batman in My Basement, The Underdwellers, that one where Bruce gets amnesia and is put on a chain gang for some reason. The follow-up series, New Batman Adventures, builds on the cast but never manages to gel quite the same way for me (and lays the groundwork for some of the aspects of the DCAU that I enjoy less, such as the Bruce/Barbara relationship) and changes the art style just enough to feel like a poor second act.

But this time I was able to spend less time dwelling on the bad and more time focusing on the good, and just soaking in a wonderful ride.