AUGUST 1, 2008 - VOL. 1, ISSUE 19

Batman belongs to the motion pictures, to the moving images. He isn't just one more comic book character adapted to the screen nor is he merely a franchise that refuses to die; the Batman is an icon of our cinema. He has been claimed by filmmakers and audiences for so long, being reinvented so many times, that he exists entirely in his own realm, one that doesn't require it's source material. Batman is more akin to the movie characters that spawned him like Dracula, Zorro, and Sherlock Holmes than he is to his comic book counterparts. And like Dracula, Zorro, and Sherlock Holmes, he has been kidnapped from his literary sources and given a place among the pantheon of legendary screen personas. Batman conjures up in our minds cinematic images more often then the pencil and ink illustrations.

In my mind the greatest of these interpretations is the animated series with no official title. So powerful and understood is the character that nowhere in the opening or ending credits does it ever say ‘Batman: The Animated Series', not even the trademark Bat-Symbol is needed. We know what we are watching. This is Batman.

Originally produced off the success of Tim Burtons Batman Returns, the show was marketed as a continuation of Burton's universe and continuity (this is evident in the lack of origin story for either Batman or the Penguin), but this works to the shows advantage: Batman needs no explanation, like the opening sequence he is just there, emerging from the ether, from the collective unconscious of twentieth century pop culture. But you would be gravely mistaken to underestimate the quality of the Animated Series where you to pan it as a spin-off franchise to sell action figures and Happy Meals.

At the heart of The Animated Series is a simple and effective combination of two of cinema's early fascinations, ones that we all inherently understand. The creators took the thrill of recurring adventure from serials like The Shadow, The Lone Ranger and the works of Louis Feuillade and blended them with the stand alone intensity of the German horror films of the nineteen twenties, such as Nosferatu, The Cabinet of Dr Caligari, and The Man Who Laughs. Together they created a program that could withstand the demands of a returning hero in similar plots but with the added emotional and psychological depth for its tragic ‘villains'.

Each episode would feature Batman facing off against a new antagonist. Often these ‘bad guys' operate as foils or doppelgangers of the Caped Crusader, but very rarely does the show give us simple evil doers to be vanquished. Each member of the Dark Knight's rogues gallery is given their own story arc, an isolated occasion in which to make them as important as the protagonist whose fighting them, like the Expressionist films from Germany. This type of story structure and atmosphere are just what the archetypal characters of Batman need in order to work. Two-Face, Scarecrow, the Mad Hatter- these aren't supervillains out to rule world, they're symbolic monsters often representing some fragment of the Batman himself, and when they are placed in the context that Animated Series allows them they make sense, even in a cartoon.

But herein lies the Achilles Heel of the series. Though the villains are tragic and interesting, their symbolic meanings normally only last as long as their initial story line. Looking back to German Expressionism, the monsters present where never meant to sustain a horror franchise and are often incompatible with serialization. With the singular exception of the Joker, Batman's enemies have but one story to tell, and since a kids cartoon cannot kill off characters as quickly as it introduces them, we know that they will be back. Case in point is Mr. Freeze whose debut episode is possibly the greatest in the series, but any subsequent appearance of the character is quite stupid.

Batman has always been a dark character, but he has always attracted younger readers/viewers. Without pandering to assumed children's tastes or indulging in dark for the sake dark in order to feign maturity, Batman the Animated Series proves that the characters are able to exists for both children and adults. This version of the hero works as simple entertainment and as slightly challenging psychodrama. This is a version of Batman that defines itself and doesn't need to legitimize its credibility, which is exactly where the Bat-films go awry. Though I find some level of enjoyment in every feature film adaptation, I grow tired of their loud campaigns to prove themselves. Burton's movies couldn't stop informing us they were not the Adam West versions, Schumacher's had to acknowledge that they weren't the Burton versions, and now we have Nolan's films constantly telling us how dark and serious they are. When you get fed up with these marketing campaigns, just pop in The Animated Series and prepare yourself for the best of both Bat-worlds.

On the whole Batman the Animated Series is brilliant, but not every episode is a masterpiece. I've selected what I think are among the finest episodes in terms of originality and storytelling.

P.O.V.- Batman works as a main character, but can appear more interesting thru the eyes of others. Here we see the same botched sting operation from the perspectives of three cops, showing the Batman as a menace, a symbol, and a nightmare.

Two-Face part I & II- A truly gruesome arc covering the terrible transformation of District Attorney Harvey Dent into the lost vigilante Two Face. With as much care and consideration that two twenty-two (coincidence?) minute episodes can offer, the creators really went out of their way to paint a moving portrait of Batman's most distraught villain.

It's Never Too Late- Normally on the program the plainclothes mobsters are portrayed as ignorant brutes of the most stereotypical kind. In this one however, Batman argues with an aging crime lord to end his destructive drug ring. Not only does it contain a sobering sequence of an overdose, it gives a human face to the real criminals in our world.

Heart of Ice- Perhaps the most tragic episode of all. Heralded for its bold reinvention of one of Batman's lamest villains, this one crafts a Mr. Freeze that isn't even Batman's enemy, but desires to seek vengeance on the man who killed his wife. This one also stands out for giving the bad guy an emotional motivation rather than one more with a mental illness.

Beware the Grey Ghost- A personal favorite! An exciting and superbly executed homage to the cinema that inspired the Batman, this episode features Adam West as a washed up actor who once played a serialized crusader akin to The Shadow. Even though the copycat villain has a silly motivation, it's not really the point of this self-reflective adventure.

The Joker's Favor- I find this episode to be particularly haunting because rather than have the Joker try to commit mass murder, he simply terrorizes one pathetic every-man. With his nihilistic nonchalance and quips about murdering the man's family, this Joker seems a real threat as opposed to one that flies blimps and holds the city to ransom. Also this one introduced Harley Quinn to the world.