5 Reasons Why Batman: The Animated Series is THE Best Batman

Opening sequence without a title--it doesn't get cooler than that.

Batman: The Animated Series to me is like comfort food: I know what to expect and I know I'm going to be happy with it. Here are 5 reasons why I think it is not only the best animated series; but the best Batman:

5. It has a good balance

BTAS strikes the perfect balance between dark/gritty and light hearted/comical. To make it TV-friendly, there's no killing or backbreaking, but they come close enough to it. The action never overpowers the story; it supplements it. Bruce Wayne is charming, but Batman is not a nice guy; he'll do whatever it takes to get an answer from a thug. The Joker is equal parts clown and [suggested] killer. Batman and Robin are constantly displaying good detective skills (but maybe a little too good at solving Riddler's puzzles).

4. It shows the human side of villains

A highlight of the Batman mythos has always been its rogues gallery, and aside from The Joker, BTAS portrays its villains as flawed humans who turn to evil instead of justice. Notorious episodes: "Two Face" and "Heart of Ice" but I also like "Feat of Clay".

3. The narrative

BTAS follows a prime rule of good writing in that it shows instead of tells. It's not too heavy on dialogue and creates atmosphere through the characters' expressions and its soundtrack. If you were to flip the channel to BTAS, it is unmistakable. While the later episodes became more entertaining for a younger audience, it is the earlier episodes that are more geared towards adults.

2. The music

In addition to Danny Elfman's kick-ass thematic Batman opening score, each episode has a distinctive soundtrack that's a character in itself. I actually remember each episode by the music. There are several honorable mentions for musical score (including "Appointment in Crime Alley"), but I have a silly addiction to the soundtrack for "The Last Laugh"--a fantastic Joker episode!

 

1. The voice actors

Kevin Conroy is Batman/Bruce Wayne and Mark Hamill is The Joker. But aside from the obvious (did you know that Kevin Conroy was the first to distinguish Batman's voice from Bruce Wayne?), there are other strong players:

• Tara Strong as Harley Quinn ("Mistah J!")
• David Warner as Ra's al Ghul (my personal favorite)
• Adam West(!) as The Gray Ghost in "Beware the Gray Ghost"
• . . . pretty much everyone else, with the exception of Commissioner Gordon and Lucius Fox (they're not bad; they just don't stand out in any way--which speaks more of their character writing than the voice actors).

Make sure to check out BTAS on DVD or Huboom!