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Batman: The Animated Series, Vol. 1-4 [2005] (REGION 1) (NTSC)
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Our Price: £71.79 (subject to change)
The Legacy of The Dark Knight (Dublin, Ireland)
Review date: 2006-08-28 Rating: 10 out of 10
The nineties animated show - modern classics and will never be bettered - FACT! No one, not even Chris Bale, has gotten Bruce Wayne/Batman down to a tee like Kevin Conroy. From Batman Beyond to Justice League Unlimited, Conroy has cemented himself as the only one to provide the voice for the Caped Crusader. The new show, The Batman, fails due to the lack of Conroy.
The almighty Paul Dini and Bruce W. Timm are responsible for these four slices of modern myth. Dini is a legend in the comics community (check out "Peace On Earth" with Alex Ross) and Timm is near mythic. They, along with the likes of Boyd Kirkland and Shirley Walker, showed that ""kid's cartoons"" could be highly intelligent and enthrall teenagers and adults alike. I remember as a young kid how I looked forward sooo much to every new episode way back in the early nineties. Now it's great to be re-living those fond memories on a 42" widescreen with Dolby Digital - the only way to view these episodes.
The voice talents involved are, well, extraordinary. Mark Hamill's Joker is the best ever, the most humorous, the most terrifying, the most menacing and the most delicious villain EVER!! Here he is The Dark Knight's greatest adversary and every Joker episode is masterful. From "Christmas with The Joker," an episode that has the legendary "Batman smells, Robin laid an egg etc etc" which is now ingrained upon the modern concious, which is hugely enjoyable and a great one for a snow-white Christmas! Others, "Be a Clown," "The Joker's Favour," "The Laughing Fish" & "Joker's Wild" are hilarious and no matter how many times they're viewed you see something new. Everytime you see The Joker he has some ready pun or quip. One of the alltime great moments is when he and Bruce Wayne sit at a Blackjack table in the casino made in honor of The Joker in "Joker's Wild" - I won't spoil it, it's great.
The Rogues Gallery expands as the seasons progress, featuring the likes of Poison Ivy, Man-Bat, Killer Croc, Two Face, Scarecrow, The Penguin, The Mad Hatter, The Clock King, Clayface, Catwoman, Rupert Thorne, The Riddler and more. The voices employed are exemplory. The episodes are full of dry wit, enigmatic characters, riddles, puzzles, mysteries, adventure, action, suspense, horror and more!
Another stunning thing is how rewatchable they are. There really isn't a duff one. Y'know the way, even in the best TV shows, mid-season you've got a few poor episodes (like in Star Trek or Smallville) where the best writers are on a break or there isn't money available - but not here. The first three seasons are ful of mini-masterpieces.
Sadly, the animation-style of the first three seasons (gothic 1930's noir) is replaced by poorer Japanese-influenced animation. Not Pokemon-like, but of a lower standard. Whilst the voice cast largely remains, there are big changes. Dick Grayson as Robin grows up and becomes Nightwing. Batgirl becomes a regular and Tim Drake becomes a very "street" Robin. There are some very good episodes but they aren't up to scratch compared with the first three seasons. Here in Ireland at least, the series was dubbed "Batman: Gotham Knights" I suppose reflecting the fact that it is no longer a one-man show (Robin was only a regular in the third season, despite being in the second one a lot - season three was actually called "The Adventures of Batman and Robin" here in Ireland and the U.K.) and to make it stand seperate to the first three seasons. It's still definitely worth a look and you'll get great enjoyment out of it.
Now, a special note on my favourite episode - "An Appointment in Crime Alley" in the first boxset, disc 4. It's an exceptional story by comic-god Gerry Conway (now doing Law and Order: Criminal Intent) - just watch it: the voice cast, the music, the drama - this is for Batman: Animated what "City on The Edge of Forever" was to the original classic Star Trek show. Just watch it.
All in all, these are a must for diehard Bat-fans and casual watchers. You'll love every minute. Great for watching with kids and oldies (!) alike.
Also check out Superman: The Animated Series, Batman: Mask of The Phantasm and Batman: Subzero.
Similar Products
- Batman and Mr. Freeze: SubZero [1998] (REGION 1) (NTSC)
- Batman - Mystery Of The Batwoman [2003]
- Superman: The Animated Series, Vol. 1-3 (REGION 1) (NTSC)
- Batman Beyond: Seasons 1-3 (REGION 1) (NTSC)
- Batman - Mask Of The Phantasm [1993]
Product Details/Specifications
Artist(s):
Batman
Recording label: Warner Home Video
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
EAN: 9781419805592
Binding: DVD
ISBN: 1419805592
Number of items: 16
Format: Animated, Box set, Closed-captioned, Colour, DVD-Video, NTSC,
Release date: 2005-12-06
Universal product code (UPC): 012569688063
Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
Region code: 1
Running time: 2379 minutes
Theatrical release date: 2005
Language: English (Original Language)