In preparation for the release of “Batman Begins”, Christopher Nolan’s much awaited take on the Batman legend, Warner Brothers has finally given one of the most unique and beloved cartoons a decent DVD release. In July, Warner Brothers released the first four-disc set of “Batman: The Animated Series”. Now, more than six months later, Warner Brothers has released another 28 episodes of one of the most eclectic and beloved cartoons in recent history.
One of the reasons “Batman: The Animated Series” was so popular is due to its clashing fusion of art. The result is a product that pays off more rewardingly to the adult viewer than the child. Not that the cartoon is incredibly violent or complex, but it plays out more like the “dark” Batman brought forth by Frank Miller and Tim Burton. Without a doubt, this is result of the artists’s choice to place the backgrounds of the show on black paper rather than white, the color traditionally used for animation.
Another aspect of the series that made it so incredibly unique was the talent of the voice actors and actresses. Kevin Conroy is the voice of Batman, he has a haunted tone which can be both threatening and, in many of his exchanges with Robin, humane. “Star Wars” icon Mark Hamill makes the voice of the Joker his own. In one of the documentaries on the second volume of the series, Hamill talks at great length at how he attempted to give many characteristics to the Joker’s laughs and, when watching the show, its amazing how something as simple as a laugh can be so expressive.
Rounding out the voice talent are many other faded celebrities such as Edward Asner (“The Mary Tyler Moore Show”), Roddy McDowell (“Planet of the Apes”), Ron Perlman (“Hellboy”), and the late John Vernon (“Animal House”). All of the actors and actresses bring their unique voices to the series, whose interaction gives the episodes the strong feeling of 40s radio show.
Furthermore, the artists brought in a strong atmosphere of film noir and art deco. The later, no doubt, pays homage to the classic Fleischer’s Superman cartoons of the 40s. The result is one of the most faithful portrayals of Batman ever conceived. Moreover, the show was confident enough with the Batman myth to take liberties with it. The show invented numerous characters, the most famous of which, the Joker’s mistress Harley Quinn, became a fan favorite and was quickly integrated into the comic books. Praise for the talent aside, there are some real gems included on the eight DVD that make up the first two volumes of the series.
The first volume contains the stronger episodes. The main highlight is “Feats of Clay”, a two episode story of the origins of Clayface, one of Batman’s lesser known villains. What makes the episodes so strong, animation aside, is the writing. For only having around 22 minutes per episode, the writers of the series really had a knack for constructing a story arc that worked in terms of its medium and told a compelling story. Furthermore, the writers refuse to villianize the villain, Clayface. Instead, we as viewers are meant to sympathize with his condition, which Batman, who could have been just written off as an incredibly violent vigilante, also takes into account.
It is the same aspects of “Feats of Clay” that make another two-episode arc following the origins of Two-Face rewarding. Bruce Wayne is torn between being a friend to the damaged Harvey Dent and a nemesis to his friend’s alter-ego, Two-Face. These episodes are dense with the themes of loss, redemption, and facing one’s inner demons and obsessions.
These are the same themes that also make the most realistic and thoughtful comic books. After all, where would Peter Parker be without questions of great power and responsibility?
Aside from the eight discs that make up the first two volumes encompassing over fifty episodes from the series, Warner Brothers has also added a fair amount of special features, most of which are mediocre in quality. The first volume includes commentary on two episodes, a short documentary, and the pilot promo “The Dark Knight’s First Night”. The real treasure here is the promo, which marks the evolution from the series’s inception to its final form. The second volume carries a bit more in terms of extras. There is running commentary on four episodes, and three featurettes chronicling everything from the voice talent to the evolution of Robin’s character in the series.
To put things simply, the sets are a bit disappointing. This was an outstanding show and Warner Brothers seems to have given it the short end of the stick in terms of extras and audio and video quality. However, the series is the main attraction here and Warner Brothers finally gives it to us. Overall, “Batman: The Animated Series” proves to be a rarity. It is one of those shows that still has the effect it had when it first premiered more than twelve years ago.
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