Batman The Animated Series

Batman: The Animated Series is an acclaimed animated television series adaptation of the comic book series featuring the DC Comics superhero, Batman.

The original episodes, produced by Bruce Timm and Eric Radomski, were first aired from 1992 to 1995. The show was called simply Batman: The Animated Series in the first season, which aired on weekday afternoons, and then was renamed The Adventures of Batman and Robin when the show moved to weekends to emphasize the crimefighting partnership of the characters.

After a successful 85 episode run on Fox, the show moved to Kids'WB! where it got approved for 24 more episodes and a fresh, stylized new look. The new show aired from 1997 to 1999 under the title The New Batman Adventures. While the newer episodes were in pre-production, the show was scheduled to be called Batman: Gotham Knights, but that name was dropped and retitled The New Batman Adventures, with these 24 new episodes airing as part of The New Batman/Superman Adventures. Rumor has it that the show was called Batman: Gotham Knights in the UK, but there has been no real confirmation of it, and no opening credit title was produced with that name. Only early production art for new episodes have that title. Reruns of "The New Batman Adventures," on Cartoon Network for example, were mixed with episodes of Batman: The Animated Series using the same intro sequence.

The creators have gone on record saying that "The New Batman Adventures" is truly an extention of "Batman: The Animated Series," confirmed by the fact the episodes are usually listed as episodes #86 - 109, while the original "Batman" cartoon is listed as episodes #1 - 85. The producers have repeatedly stated and confirmed that the show does take place in the same world, continuity, etc, just a few years down the line. It is the same show, just given a stylized makeover to freshen the look.

The series was partially inspired by Tim Burton's 1989 blockbuster Batman film, and initially took as its theme a variation of music written by Danny Elfman for the film. (Later episodes of the series used a new theme written in a similar style by Shirley Walker.) Another strong influence was the acclaimed Superman cartoons produced by Fleischer Studios. The series premiered in 1992, a few months after the successful release of the second Batman movie, Batman Returns. It eventually ran for 109 episodes, ending in Winter 1999.
Overview

Timm and Radomski designed the series by emulating the Tim Burton films' "otherworldy timelessness", incorporating "old-time" features such as black-and-white title cards, police blimps, and a "vintage" color scheme, partially inspired by the Fleischer Studios Superman cartoons of the 1940s, as well as film noir. The distinctive combination of film noir imagery and Art Deco designs was called "Dark Deco" by the producers. In their constant quest to make the show darker, the producers pushed the boundaries of action cartoons: it was the first such cartoon in years to depict firearms being fired, and many of the series' backgrounds were painted on black paper. First-time producers Timm and Radomski reportedly encountered resistance from studio executives, but the success of Burton's first film allowed the embryonic series to survive long enough to produce a pilot episode, "On Leather Wings", which according to Timm "got a lot of people off our backs."

The series was the first of the modern "DC Animated Continuity" sometimes known as the "Diniverse" named after producer and writer Paul Dini . It was entirely separate from the previous continuity of Warner Bros. DC Comics adaptation cartoons, namely The Superfriends.
The Joker as he appeared in the series. His voice was provided by Mark Hamill.
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The Joker as he appeared in the series. His voice was provided by Mark Hamill.

The Emmy Award-winning series quickly received wide acclaim for its distinctive animation and mature writing, and it instantly became a hit. Fans of a wide age range praised the show's sophisticated, cinematic tone and psychological stories. Voice-actor Kevin Conroy, for example, used two distinct voices to portray Bruce Wayne and Batman, transforming one character into two. This series also featured a supporting cast that included major actors performing the voices of the various classic villains, most notably Mark Hamill, who defined a whole new career for himself in animation with his cheerfully deranged portrayal of the Joker.

Key to the series' artistic success is that it managed to redefine classic characters, paying homage to their previous portrayals while giving them new dramatic force. Villains such as Two-Face and the Mad Hatter, as well as heroes like Robin, are proof of this. Also, the series gave new life to nearly forgotten characters like The Clock King. The best example of dramatic change is Mr. Freeze; Batman: TAS turned him from a clich辿d mad scientist with a gimmick for cold, to a tragic figure whose frigid exterior hides a doomed love and a cold vindictive fury. However, the most famous of the series' innovations is the Joker's hapless assistant, Harley Quinn, who became so popular that DC added her to the Batman comics.

This series became a cornerstone of Warner Brothers' animation department, which became one of the top producers of television animation and sparked a large franchise of similar TV adaptations of DC Comics characters.

Batman: The Animated Series premiered on the Fox Network and aired there for its first two seasons; however, it was then switched to Warner Bros.' new WB Network in the mid-1990s. Shortly before the transition, Fox aired episodes of the series in prime-time on Sunday evenings, marking one of the few times a show created initially for Saturday morning cartoons was scheduled for prime-time broadcast. However, the TV ratings were poor (the show aired opposite the perennial favorite 60 Minutes), and the series was removed from prime time.

After the series produced its 65th episode (the minimum number necessary for a TV series to be successfully syndicated), the show's popularity encouraged Warner Bros. to produce further episodes, furthering the animated adventures of the Caped Crusader. The series reached 85 episodes before going on hiatus for a few years. When the series jumped to Kids'WB!, the Batman animated series was combined with the newer Superman: The Animated Series in the late 1990s in an hour-long Batman/Superman show; in fact, Batman and some of his supporting cast appear in five episodes that are officially part of Superman: The Animated Series. In 1999, a new spin-off series, Batman Beyond, was released to further critical acclaim. In 2002, the Justice League animated series was released, building on the success of both the Batman and Superman animated series, and featured Batman as one of the founders of the League.Also of note is the fact that several of the animators from Japanese animation studio Sunrise worked on the series - their work on Batman would become a great influence on one of their later series, Big O.


Theatrical and Direct-to-Video Releases

A feature-length animated Batman film was produced for theatrical release, based on the animated series: Batman: Mask of the Phantasm (1993). The film was well-received by fans of the series, but only generated mediocre box office revenue. There were also three direct-to-video movies based on or tied-to the series: Batman & Mr. Freeze: SubZero (1998), "Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker" (2000), and Mystery of the Batwoman (2003). A made-for-TV feature-length episode of the Batman/Superman series, "World's Finest", has been released on video as The Batman/Superman Movie. Collections of episodes from the series are also readily available on video.
The Gray Ghost from the episode of a similar name, "Beware the Gray Ghost". Adam West provided the voice for a washed-up superhero serial actor who finds himself needed once more.
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The Gray Ghost from the episode of a similar name, "Beware the Gray Ghost". Adam West provided the voice for a washed-up superhero serial actor who finds himself needed once more.


Created and Modified DC Characters and Objects

A character, Gray Ghost, played by Adam West, who was Batman in the 1960's TV Series, resembles the DC Comics characters of the 1940s like Sandman and the Crimson Avenger. New villains like Red Claw and the Sewer King were invented for the series, but to little acclaim. Far more successful was the introduction of Harley Quinn, The Joker's sidekick, and to a lesser extent, Officer/Detective Renee Montoya, both of whom became characters in the comics. In addition, Mr. Freeze was revised to emulate the series' tragic story. Clayface was reinvented, revised to be much more similar to the 1950s shapechanging version of the character. In two episodes, Batman faces Kyodai Ken, a ninja whose abilities match his own. The Phantasm was also derived for the series, in the movie Mask of the Phantasm. Some characters like Count Vertigo and Bane were modified in costume and personality.

Batman's tools such as the utility belt, grappling hook, and Batmobile were redesigned for the series; they have been previously redesigned numerous times over the course of Batman's comic book series as well as for various movie and TV incarnations of Batman.


The Lost Episode

A lost episode of the series was made from sixteen minutes of animated segments in the video game The Adventures of Batman and Robin for the Sega CD. It can be viewed here, courtesy of the Toonami Digital Arsenal.


Artistic influence

This series had a profound influence on the superhero animated genre in that it set a higher standard of writing and animation quality. For example, the original television series adaptation of X-Men which premiered a few months after Batman featured animation and writing that was typical of the artist standards in superhero animated series. However years later with Batman a major television success, a remake, X-Men Evolution was produced that emulated the Warner Brothers series simplified graphics style with more flowing animation and writing that was generally hailed as superior. In addition, the success of Batman encouraged Walt Disney Pictures management to proceed with their own series, Gargoyles, which strove for the same sophistication as the competition and became a cult favorite in its own right.

Additionally, TAS was one of the first truly "serious" cartoons in some time. Prior to that, most animated fare had been lighthearted and bright, even if it was action oriented. TAS brought a darkness and seriousness to animation that was almost unheard of at the time, and was more akin to an animated drama than a "cartoon", per se. The storylines dealt with more mature themes, there was no slapstick, and the soundtrack itself was more akin to a film soundtrack (owing in part, no doubt, to the desire to make it have a similar feel to the Danny Elfman score of the two Burton Films.) The animation quality itself tended to be much smoother, with a higher framerate than the vast majority of animated series prior to it's premiere.


Memorable Episodes

Certain episodes have become legendary in some fan circles. The most universally hailed episode is Heart of Ice, which is most well known for reinventing the character of Mr. Freeze, changing him from a comedic cold themed villain to a serious, tragic character with a sympathetic backstory. Other episodes to achieve high recognition or at least respect among some fans are Jokers Favor, which marks the first appearance of fan favorite Harley Quinn, Two Face, for its dark, serious, and respectful reinvention of a character that had been somewhat regarded by producers as too gruesome for television, Mad as a Hatter, in which The Mad Hatter is portrayed as the most human and emotionally fragile Batman villians, instead of a gimmicked weirdo, and Beware The Gray Ghost, well known for its casting of Adam West as a has been actor, who became typecast as a superhero part he played in his youth.


Episode List


Season One (Sept 1992-Aug 1993)

1. The Cat and the Claw (Pt. 1)
2. On Leather Wings
3. Heart of Ice
4. Feat of Clay (Pt. 1)
5. Feat of Clay (Pt. 2)
6. It's Never Too Late
7. Joker's Favor
8. The Cat and the Claw (Pt. 2)
9. Pretty Poison
10. Nothing to Fear
11. Be a Clown
12. Appointment in Crime Alley
13. P.O.V.
14. The Clock King
15. The Last Laugh
16. Eternal Youth
17. Two-Face (Pt. 1)
18. Two-Face (Pt. 2)
19. Fear of Victory
20. I've Got Batman in My Basement
21. Vendetta
22. Prophecy of Doom
23. The Forgotten
24. Mad as a Hatter
25. The Cape and Cowl Conspiracy
26. Perchance to Dream
27. The Underdwellers
28. Night of the Ninja
29. The Strange Secret of Bruce Wayne
30. Tyger, Tyger
31. Dreams in Darkness
32. Beware the Gray Ghost
33. Cat Scratch Fever
34. I Am the Night
35. Almost Got 'Im
36. Moon of the Wolf
37. Terror in the Sky
38. Christmas With the Joker
39. Heart of Steel (Pt. 1)
40. Heart of Steel, (Pt. 2)
41. If You're So Smart, Why Aren't You Rich?
42. Joker's Wild
43. His Silicon Soul
44. Off Balance
45. What is Reality?
46. The Laughing Fish
47. Harley and Ivy
48. The Mechanic
49. The Man Who Killed Batman
50. Zatanna
51. Robin's Reckoning (Pt. 1)
52. Birds of a Feather
53. Robin's Reckoning (Pt. 2)
54. Blind as a Bat
55. Day of the Samurai
56. See No Evil
57. The Demon's Quest
58. The Demon's Quest, Part II
59. Read My Lips
60. Fire From Olympus



Season 2 (September 1993-August 1994)

1. Shadow of the Bat (Pt. 1)
2. Shadow of the Bat (Pt. 2)
3. Mudslide
4. The Worry Men
5. Paging the Crime Doctor
6. House And Garden
7. Sideshow
8. Avatar
9. Trial
10. Harlequinade



Season 3 (September 1994-November 1994)

1. Bane
2. Second Chance
3. Riddler's Reform
4. Baby-Doll
5. Time Out of Joint
6. Harley's Holiday
7. Make 'Em Laugh
8. Batgirl Returns
9. Lock-Up
10. Deep Freeze



Season 4 (September 1995)

1. The Terrible Trio
2. Showdown
3. Catwalk
4. A Bullet for Bullock
5. The Lion & the Unicorn



Season 5 (September 1997)

1. Holiday Knights
2. Sins Of The Father-tim drake intro
3. Cold Comfort
4. Never Fear
5. You Scratch My Back
6. Double Talk
7. Joker's Millions
8. Growing Pains
9. Mean Seasons
10. The Demon Within
11. Over The Edge
12. Torch Song
13. Love Is A Croc



Season 6 (September 1998)

1. The Ultimate Thrill
2. Critters
3. Cult Of The Cat
4. Animal Act
5. Old Wounds
6. Legends Of The Dark Knight
7. Girl卒s Night Out
8. Chemistry
9. Judgement Day
10. Beware The Creeper
11. Mad Love



Home video release

Selected episodes were released on VHS throughout the 1990s, and on DVD in the early 2000s.

On July 6, 2004, Warner Brothers Home Video released Volume One of Batman: The Animated Series on DVD, consisting of 28 episodes on 4 discs. Volume Two was released on January 25, 2005. Volume Three, containing 29 episodes (incorrectly listed by packaging as 28) was released May 24, 2005 to complete the collection of the initial series. They were released as "volumes" rather than "seasons" because the episodes were not aired in production order.


Batman - The Animated Series, Volume One


Disc One

* "On Leather Wings"
* "Christmas with the Joker"
* "Nothing to Fear"
* "The Last Laugh"
* "Pretty Poison"
* "The Underdwellers"
* "P.O.V."



Disc Two

* "The Forgotten"
* "Be a Clown"
* "Two Face (Parts 1&2)"
* "It's Never Too Late"
* "I've Got Batman in My Basement"
* "Heart of Ice"



Disc Three

* "The Cat and the Claw (Parts 1&2)"
* "See No Evil"
* "Beware of the Gray Ghost"
* "Prophecy of Doom"
* "Feat of Clay (Parts 1&2)"



Disc Four

* "The Joker's Favor"
* "Vendetta"
* "Fear of Victory"
* "The Clock King"
* "Appointment in Crime Alley"
* "Mad as a Hatter"
* "Dreams in Darkness"



Batman - The Animated Series, Volume Two


Disc One

* Eternal Youth
* Perchance To Dream
* The Cape And Cowl Conspiracy
* Robin's Reckoning Part One
* Robin's Reckoning Part Two
* The Laughing Fish
* Night Of The Ninja



Disc Two

* Cat Scratch Fever
* The Strange Secret Of Bruce Wayne
* Heart Of Steel Part One
* Heart Of Steel Part Two
* If You're So Smart, Why Aren't You Rich?
* Joker's Wild
* Tyger, Tyger



Disc Three

* Moon Of The Wolf
* Day Of The Samurai
* Terror In The Sky
* Almost Got 'im
* Birds Of A Feather
* What Is Reality?
* I Am The Night



Disc Four

* Off Balance
* The Man Who Killed Batman
* Mudslide
* Paging The Crime Doctor
* Zatanna
* The Mechanic
* Harley & Ivy



Batman - The Animated Series, Volume Three


Disc One

* Shadow of the Bat Pt1
* Shadow of the Bat pt2
* Blind as a Bat
* The Demon's Quest pt1
* The Demon's Quest pt 2
* His Silicon Soul
* Fire From Olympus



Disc Two

* Read My lips
* The Worry Men
* Sideshow
* A Bullet for Bullock
* Trial
* Avatar
* House & Garden



Disc Three

* The Terrible Trio
* Harlequinade
* Time Out of Joint
* Catwalk
* Bane
* Baby-Doll
* The Lion and The Unicorn



Disc Four

* Showdown
* Riddler's Reform
* Second Chance
* Harley's Holiday
* Lock-Up
* Make 'Em Laugh
* Deep Freeze
* Batgirl Returns



Cast


Main cast

* Kevin Conroy - Batman/Bruce Wayne
* Loren Lester - Robin/Nightwing/Dick Grayson
* Matt Valencia - Robin/Tim Drake
* Efrem Zimbalist Jr. - Alfred Pennyworth
* Clive Revill - Alfred Pennyworth ("On Leather Wings, Christmas with the Joker," and "Nothing to Fear")



Supporting cast

* Mary Kay Bergman - Batgirl/Barbara Gordon ("Sub-Zero")
* Lloyd Bochner - Mayor Hamilton Hill
* Tara Charendoff - Batgirl/Barbara Gordon (1997 - present)
* Robert Costanzo - Detective Harvey Bullock
* Mari Devon - Summer Gleeson
* Melissa Gilbert - Batgirl/Barbara Gordon (1992 - 1995)
* Bob Hastings - Police Commissioner James Gordon
* Marilu Henner - Veronica Vreeland
* Diana Muldaur - Dr. Leslie Thompkins
* Ingrid Oliu - Officer Renee Montoya (1992 - 1994)
* Brock Peters - Lucius Fox
* Liane Schirmer - Officer Renee Montoya (1994 - present)



Recurring Villains

* Michael Ansara - Mr. Freeze/Victor Fries
* Ed Asner - Roland Daggett
* Adrienne Barbeau - Catwoman/Selina Kyle
* Jeffrey Combs - The Scarecrow/Professor Jonathan Crane (1997 - present)
* George Dzundza - The Ventriloquist/Scarface/Arnold Wesker
* Brooks Gardner - Killer Croc (1997 - present)
* John Glover - The Riddler/Edward Nygma
* Mark Hamill - The Joker
* Bob Ito - The Ninja/Kyodai Ken
* Charity James - Roxy Rocket/Roxanne Sutton
* Aron Kincaid - Killer Croc (1992 - 1995)
* Alison LaPlaca - Baby-Doll/Mary Louise Dahl (1994)
* Roddy McDowall - The Mad Hatter/Jervis Tetch
* Richard Moll - Two-Face/Harvey Dent
* Kate Mulgrew - Red Claw
* Laraine Newman - Baby-Doll/Mary Louise Dahl (1998)
* Ron Perlman - Clayface/Matt Hagen
* Diane Pershing - Poison Ivy/Pamela Isley
* Henry Polic II - The Scarecrow/Professor Jonathan Crane (1992 - 1995)
* Alan Rachins - The Clock King/Temple Fugate
* Henry Silva - Bane
* Marc Singer - Man-Bat/Dr. Kirk Langstrom
* Helen Slater - Talia
* Arleen Sorkin - Harley Quinn/Harleen Quinzel
* John Vernon - Rupert Thorne
* David Warner - Ra's Al Ghul
* Paul Williams - The Penguin/Oswald Chesterfield Cobblepot
* Treat Williams - Professor Milo
* Thomas F. Wilson - Tony Zucco



Notable Guest Stars

* Adam Ant - Bert ("The Lion and the Unicorn")
* Michael Des Barres - Nostromos ("Prophecy of Doom")
* Ed Begley, Jr. - Germs ("Feat of Clay, Parts One and Two"), Charlie Collins ("Joker's Favor")
* Jeff Bennett - The Creeper/Jack Ryder ("Beware the Creeper")
* Robby Benson - Officer Wilkes ("P.O.V.")
* Hart Bochner - Arthur Reeves ("Mask of Phantasm")
* Peter Breck - Farmer Brown ("Critters")
* Julie Brown - Zatanna ("Zatanna"), Lily ("Eternal Youth")
* Ray Buktenica - Dr. Hugo Strange ("The Strange Secret of Bruce Wayne")
* LeVar Burton - Hayden Sloane ("The Worry Men")
* Scott Cleverdon - Thomas Blake ("Cult of the Cat")
* Bud Cort - Joseiah Wormwood ("The Cape and Cowl Conspiracy")
* Tim Daly - Superman ("World's Finest")
* Dana Delany - Andrea Beaumont ("Mask of Phantasm"), Lois Lane ("World's Finest")
* Mickey Dolenz - Min and Max ("Two-Face, Part Two")
* Michael Gross - Lloyd Ventris ("See No Evil")
* Harry Hamlin - Anthony Romulus ("Moon of the Wolf")
* David Jolliffe - The Vulture ("The Terrible Trio")
* Stacy Keach Jr. - The Phantasm ("Mask of Phantasm")
* Heather Locklear - Lisa Clark ("Prophecy of Doom")
* Malcolm McDowell - Arkady Duvall ("Showdown")
* William McKinney - Jonah Hex ("Showdown")
* Joseph Maher - Dr. Emile Dorian ("Tyger, Tyger")
* Tim Matheson - Gil Mason ("Shadow of the Bat, Parts One and Two")
* Dick Miller - Boxy Bennet ("Harlequinade") and ("Harley's Holiday")
* Elizabeth Montgomery - The Barmaid ("Showdown")
* Bill Mumy - The Fox ("The Terrible Trio")
* George Murdock - Boss Biggis ("The Forgotten")
* Daniel O'Herlihy - Grant Walker ("Deep Freeze")
* Michael Pataki - The Sewer King ("The Underdwellers")
* Lori Petty - Livewire ("Girls' Night Out")
* Mark Rolston - Firefly/Garfield Lynns ("Torch Song")
* William Sanderson - Karl Rossum ("Heart of Steel, Parts One and Two"), ("His Silicon Soul") and ("Deep Freeze")
* Peter Scolari - The Shark ("The Terrible Trio")
* Dina Sherman - Amy Lou ("Critters")
* Suzanne Stone - Dr. Joan Leland ("Harley's Holiday"), ("Double Talk") and ("Mad Love")
* Steve Suskind - Maxie Zeus ("Fire from Olympus")
* Nicholle Tom - Supergirl ("Girls' Night Out")
* Sela Ward - Calendar Girl/Paige Monroe ("Mean Seasons")
* Bruce Weitz - Lock-Up/Lyle Bolton ("Lock-Up")
* Adam West - The Gray Ghost/Simon Trent ("Beware the Gray Ghost")
* Michael York - Count Vertigo ("Off Balance"), Montague Kane ("Zatanna")
* Billy Zane - The Demon/Jason Blood ("The Demon Within")
* Stephanie Zimbalist - D.A. Janet Van Dorn ("Trial")



Batman: The Animated Series in other media

The television series was accompanied by a tie-in comic book, The Batman Adventures, which followed the art style and continuity of the television series instead of other Batman comic books. The Batman Adventures, through several format changes to reflect the changing world of the series and its spin-offs, outlasted the series itself by nearly a decade, finally being cancelled in 2004 to make way for the tie-in comic of a new, unrelated Batman animated series, The Batman.

There was also a short-lived series of tie-in novels, adapted from episodes of the series by science fiction author Geary Gravel. To achieve novel-length, Gravel combined several related episodes into a single storyline in each novel. The novels included:

* Shadows of the Past ("Appointment in Crime Alley", "Robin's Reckoning" two-parter)
* Dual to the Death ("Two-Face" two-parter, "Shadow of the Bat" two-parter)
* The Dragon and the Bat
* Mask of the Phantasm (Batman: Mask of the Phantasm movie)

Several videogames based on the animated continuity where released during the 16-bit game-machine era (roughly, that era spans from 1989-1996). Konami developed a game for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES), while SEGA released two versions of the game for the Genesis(North America Name)/MegaDrive(Europe, Asia Name) and Sega/Mega CD. The SNES and Genesis versions were side-scrolling action games, while Sega's CD version featured a 3-D driving adventure. All of the games had art true to the series, while Sega's versions featured art elements directly from the show's creators. The CD version has over 20 minutes of original animated footage comparable to the most well crafted episodes, with the principle voice actors reprising their roles. The critical reception of these games were varied but above average.


References

* Dini, P. and Kidd, K. Batman Animated, Perennial Currents, 1999. ISBN 006107327X

The Batman Adventures: Lost Years Shortly after The New Batman Adventures aired on Kids WB! , a mini-series set in the continuity of the series was published. In a total of five books Hilary bader, Bo Hampton, Terry Beatty, Lee Loughridge and Tim Harkins explained the gap between B: TAS and The New Batman Adventures. The Plot is as follows:

Book One: Robin (Dick Grayson) voices his disapproval towards Batgirl�� (Barbara Gordon) fighting crime and tries to stop her from doing so. During this time Batman finds out that Batgirl is Barbara Gordon (in an interesting side note, Barbara was playing tennis with Dick when Batman saw that she moved just like Batgirl). After some time Batman's comes to this conclusion that Batgirl will fight crime but under his wing. Dick get's upset and has an argument with Bruce but fails to change his opinion.

Book Two: Bruce and Dick have a very hot argument the day of his graduation and Dick decides to leave Gotham City. Alfred and Barbara try to convince him but to no avail. Dick leaves to fine tune his skills just like Bruce.

Book Three: Dick comes across an ancient African tribe and learns combat techniques from them, finally taking the first steps out of Batman's shadow. Inspiration comes and Dick develops a new persona for himself: Nightwing.

Book Four: Batman gets darker and angrier and more driven because of Dick's departure. He and Batgirl fight crime alongside and Batgirl notices the difference. One night, while on the trail of Two-Face, Batman saves a young Tim Drake, son of petty criminal "Shifty" Drake (This was where most Batman fans voiced their disapproval. In the comics continuity Tim Drake was a smart intelligent computer whiz who's mother and father were one of the most respected people in Gotham). Shifty was murdered by Two-Face and Tim swore revenge. Batman trained Tim into Robin and gave him another shot at life. Two-Face was captured and Batman took in Tim as his second ward.

Book Five: Dick returns to Gotham and unveils his new persona, Nightwing to the world. Batgirl is baffled by Dick's new found arrogance and brooding attitude. Nightwing meets the new Robin, and his heart is broken. Nightwing then beholds that he had actually intended to steal an ancient artifact that belonged to the tribe that had taught him. Batman stops Dick and eventually gets Dick to join him in his fight against crime. He agrees and they form a team of four and fight the good fight in Gotham City. In an interesting side note Dick leaves Gotham for Blaudhaven much like his comic book self in an issue of the critically acclaimed Batman Adventures (2004)seemingly following The Lost Years miniseries.


External links

* Batman: The Animated Series at the Internet Movie Database
* The New Batman Adventures at the Internet Movie Database
* The New Batman/Superman Adventures at the Internet Movie Database
* Batman: The Animated Series/The New Batman Adventures on toonzone.net
* Batman: The Animated Series Official Website
* "The New Batman Adventures Official Website"