Besides Superman, Batman is probably the DC hero par excellence. The Dark Avenger has fought for this spot not only through his successful comic book series and constant reinterpretations, but also through his iconic screen appearances. Capable directors like Tim Burton, Christopher Nolan and most recently Matt Reeves have shaped the look of the DC icon and made him the James Bond of the comic book world, who even in the umpteenth iteration with a new actor continues to attract the masses to the cinemas .
However, the series adaptations certainly contributed significantly to its global success. And these are as diverse as they are successful: whether Adam West dances the batusi as a strange crime fighter in the 60s series “Batman” or Bruce Wayne teaches a young hero as a mentor in the Batman sequel “Batman Of The Future”, there is actually no series that has really failed.
However, one series in particular stands out, which is considered by the majority of fans to be one of the best productions from the world of the DC hero: The animated series “Batman(originally “Batman: The Animated Series”) from the early 90s. Starting today, November 21, 2023, Netflix subscribers can access the first season of the popular animated series at no additional cost.
Unfortunately, only the first season of the streaming giant with the red N is currently accessible. Since this includes no less than 65 episodes, the sadness about them should be limited, because they also want to be watched first. However, if you want to have the entire series with all seasons at home, you can simply get the Buu-ray complete box, which you can currently buy at a discount on Amazon, for example.
“Batman” is a cartoon cult
Not only for the author of these lines, ‘Batman’ is one of the best productions about DC’s popular crime fighter. On “Batman: The Animated Series” achieved a phenomenal 9.0 rating with nearly 112,000 reviews. And that is well deserved, because it is heavily inspired by the look of the Tim Burton films Not only is the cartoon the perfect introduction to the world of Gotham’s patron saint, but it also significantly reimagines familiar themes from the series. Many fans still get goosebumps when the iconic intro of the series – accompanied by music by Danny Elfman – is shown somewhere on television:
Although the animated series is mainly intended for children and young people, She entrusts her young viewers with complex and sometimes very dark storylines and layered characters. Simple villains like Mr. Freeze suddenly transform from mere thugs into tragic figures who no longer rob for the sake of vile money, but because they are forced into such a life by social circumstances or personal misfortune.
Mark Hamill is great as the Joker
In addition, the series also has a fantastic cast in the original version. In addition to the fantastic Arleen Sorkin, who left her mark on the character for years as spokesperson for Harley Quinn and plays a major role in the current popularity of the DC villain, it was the sympathetic duo Kevin Conroy as Bruce Wayne/Batman and Mark Hamill, which once again clearly distinguished the English version from the very successful German-language version.
Mark Hamill in particular cemented his status as a talented voice actor with his Joker performance. The “Star Wars” veteran plays the anarchic antagonist with such wonderfully infectious malice that it’s simply a joy to listen to the sinister villain plan his next diabolical act of evil. With this performance, Hamill laughed his way into the hearts of Batman fans forever – there’s a reason why his interpretation of the Joker’s laugh regularly ranks first in relevant rankings.