Batman: The Complete Animated Series (1992) (Blu-ray)

I have noticed several points of complaint in many other reviews that I hope to clarify in mine. First of all, the transfer of this series to blu-ray is nearly impeccable. I have only had this box set a week now, so I have not watched every single episode. I did, however, choose to watch a few choice episodes to test how the colors were transferred. As the show was drawn on black paper, I watched a few of the darker colored episodes, like "Two-Face", which occurs amidst a stormy night, "Trial", where the setting is the dark corridors of Arkham, and "Never Fear", just to name a few. The episodes are clear, and the color saturation is much brighter. I own the original four volume series release, so comparatively the difference is immediate. As such, it does take some getting used to. I would liken it to those old 70s movies with the scratchy film. You appreciate them more, ironically, because of the poor quality. Seeing a brighter colored Batman series is certainly a shift for the eyes, but you get used to it. You may notice with the blu-ray release that the main menu has a lot of sound effects though nothing is happening. The sound effects you're hearing are those of the menu screen from the original DVD release. A lot of customers have also complained about the digital code. A nice perk, but not one that I needed, especially considering I was able to purchase this set at a very low price. This set was first released in October 2018. The digital code clearly states that it expires 12/31/19, over a year from the original release as with most digital codes. Anyone who purchased this set after that date, the DC will not work. So if you were to purchase this set say, oh I don't know, today, the digital code has already expired. So if you are only purchasing this set for the digital code, again I say, the digital code has already expired. Another complaint I've seen is that the episodes are out of order or that some are missing. This is especially obvious, again, if you like myself, have the original DVDs. The blu-ray release has the episodes arranged by PRODUCTION DATE. For those unaware, this means the episodes have been arranged by when the creators completed them, not when they were aired on television. As for the missing episodes, you may be referring to "The World's Finest", the three part television event where Batman & Superman finally met and teamed up!! I was read the episode listing at least five times to make sure I didn't overlook them. Although aired during the "Superman/Batman" hour on Kid's WB, the tv movie was actually produced as three episodes of the Superman series. (This is also true of the episode "Knight Time", which I highly recommend if you have never seen it. Batman goes missing, so Superman spends the night impersonating Batman to find Bruce. It's quite hilarious to see Clark brood, but I digress.") I own the Superman series on DVD as well, and these episodes appeared on both releases, so why they chose to not include them on the BTAS Blu-ray release is not known to me. Perhaps they will be releasing the Superman series on Blu-Ray soon?? I hope this review was insightful. In all, if you are a Batman fan, if you have never seen the animated series, if you grew up watching the animated series but never saw all the stories, if at one time you owned the original DVDs but they have since been lost to time, if you feel the need to pass down this amazing chunk of animated comic history to your kids, if you girlfriend and/or wife has never seen BTAS and is a Batman fan, the answer to all of the above is a resounding YES!! Buy this series!!

If you're browsing this page you probably already enjoy Batman: The Animated Series, the Justice League series and are working your way backwards through the DC mythos, or have a friend or relative who loves the Caped Crusader. So I'll save my extended review of the series itself and simply give some tidbits. 1. The identity, direction, music, voice acting and scope of the show is marvelous. 2. The Joker depicted in this series was the most accurate presentation of the character until The Dark Knight this year. He borders on the psychotic and has so much fun in everything he does while still remaining disciplined and vigilant in pushing Batman to the limits of his self-control. Other characters such as Mr. Freeze, Catwoman and The Riddler somehow manage to be 'cartoony' and yet more serious than the pitiful Hollywood attempts to encapsulate them thus far. 3. Kevin Conroy's voice is the one I've associated with Batman since I was 8 years old, and fortunately despite several studio and direction changes in the DC cartoon production schedule he lends his voice from season 1 of Batman all the way through the end of Justice League: Unlimited. Now onto the collection itself. Warner Bros. got this right for once; the collection is sharp and attractive and makes a fantastic collectible for any fan of the series. I was so impressed with the appearance of the set I bought another copy for the young son of my best friend. There's a thick plastic cover with silver-lined bats on one side and a backdrop of Gotham on the other as well as the title of the series and of course Batman, all of whom jump off the cover with vibrant action. The box itself is finely crafted too, in finished black with various scenes of Batman on the top and inside cover. Inside, you're greeted by a double-wide collectible book detailing the episode list as well as showing exciting scenery from the show and sketches of Batman's character. Underneath, the discs are contained in 2 dependable cases that look like they will protect the series over time, and at just over twice the size of a normal DVD case, allow you to store the series with the rest of your collection and put the box set away if you're hard up for shelf space. Pros: * The show rocks. * The set feels and looks excellent, even people who have no ties or interest in the show will acknowledge it as a great looking gift. * The set is durable and includes the entire series. * The show is as watchable as an adult for different reasons as a child, so it's easy to justify the purchase even if it's for yourself. Cons: * No set contains the entire collection of Batman, Superman, Justice League and Justice League Unlimited episodes. * Your girlfriend, wife, family or friends may wonder why you're rewatching cartoons from your childhood in their entirety. * Warner Bros. is notorious for not touching up the quality of damaged material, and the first season of this collection isn't as sharp, bright and gorgeous as the rest of the cartoon. You'll notice a few flaws. * The set is full-screen. Overall my expectations were exceeded for this product. Typically these days as a consumer I feel like I'm asking too much just to have an entire series accessible and affordable all in one place, but with this set you've got that as well as a genuinely attractive collectible that, along with the series itself, should stand the test of time. For me personally, Batman: The Animated Series along with Justice League Unlimited represents the pinnacle of American episodic cartoons.

I am 16 and was treated to skepticism upon expressing my desire to purchase this godly collection of pristine animation, but promptly ignored it and regret nothing. True, this set is expensive. BUT! Let me tell you a little about my research I considered before buying this box set.. [...] Now, you can also look into eBay, etc. But guess what? You aren't going to save much money there either, I looked, and I know. Now, what interests me that here on Amazon is the only place I found or heard of this box set. I was delightfully surprised. This set has everything that the full set on WB offers, PLUS it is boxed, comes with the art book, and comes with an extra disk of special features. And the astounding part? It is roughly HALF THE PRICE. The deal is impeccable and you literally cannot find a better deal anywhere else. Try. I was flabbergasted at such an incredible offer and immediately placed my order. My set came 3 days later (it was shipped on a Saturday and I had to wait until the following Monday to receive it). I was not unimpressed, or disappointed. My order came in a cardboard box, securely fit with more cardboard, and shrink-wrapped. The case was pretty nice, though is made of tough cardboard as well, but it is not a problem. The art book is interesting, and lists the episodes per disk as well. Inside the box is (as displayed in the picture) two dvd cases with two volumes per case. You really do get what you see. I recommend any real Batman fan to invest in this set, the episodes are action-packed and better than any cartoon show still on the air today. The animation really is an art, and the images, scenery, and design really are beautiful. Plus, there are A LOT of episodes. I watch roughly 2 to 6 a day and, well, there are 109 episodes, at roughly 22 minutes per episode. So you get roughly 2398 minutes, or about 39.9 hours worth. If you REALLY would like to break things down, you are paying about $0.75 per episode, plus getting the bonus features, case, and convenience of owning them personally. Plus, every time you re-watch an episode you are decreasing the money you spent per view. Just to get statistical. :] In short, BUY THIS if you are interested in buying anything to do with Batman: TAS. This is literally the best deal online (and probably otherwise). The shipping/handling from Amazon was fine, nothing to worry about. This is one of the few amazing deals you will ever encounter, so be sure to take advantage!

“Batman: The Complete Animated Series” collects all three seasons of one of the absolute best television adaptations of a comic book franchise as well as the animated feature films “Mask of the Phantasm” and “Sub Zero.” The series critically influenced all subsequent adaptations of Batman with Bruce Timm’s art deco/film noir designs and Paul Dini’s writing setting a high bar for all television animation. Voice actor Kevin Conroy is the quintessential Batman and Bruce Wayne, while Loren Lester is great as Dick Grayson/Robin, Efrem Zimbalist Jr. is a fantastic Alfred, Bob Hastings gives Commissioner James Gordon just the right amount of wit, and Robert Costanzo is perfect as morally-ambiguous Detective Harvey Bullock. Additional actors include Brock Peters as Lucius Fox, Melissa Gilbert as Barbara Gordon/Batgirl, Diana Muldaur as Dr. Leslie Thompkins, Adam West as Simon Trent, Mark Hamill as the Joker, Arleen Sorkin as Harley Quinn, Paul Williams as the Penguin, Richard Moll as Two-Face, Adrienne Barbeau as Catwoman, Diane Pershing as Poison Ivy, John Glover as the Riddler, Henry Polic II as Scarecrow, Aron Kincaid as Killer Croc, Roddy McDowall as Mad Hatter, David Warner as Ra’s al Ghul, Ron Perlman as Clayface, Michael Ansara as Mr. Freeze, Ed Asner as Roland Daggett, Michael Gross as Lloyd Ventrix, Kate Mulgrew as Red Claw, and many, many more. The series adapted several classic Batman stories, including “There Is No Hope in Crime Alley,” “The Last Arkham,” “The Laughing Fish,” “Moon of the Wolf,” “Man-Bat Over Vegas,” “Daughter of the Demon,” and more. It helped popularize a more tragic Mr. Freeze and featured the first appearance of Harley Quinn. “Batman: The Animated Series” launched a successful shared animated universe including “Superman: The Animated Series,” “Batman Beyond,” “Static Shock,” “Justice League,” “Justice League Unlimited,” “Gotham Girls,” and possibly the films “Batman and Harley Quinn” and “Justice League vs. the Fatal Five.” Bonus features on this set include various featurettes, a new featurette about the storytellers, and commentaries on 12 episodes. It’s great that they include the first two movies, but I do wish this set also included the animated film, “Mystery of the Batwoman,” set sometime during or after the third season of the series.

This is it. This is the essential spirit of Batman! The best and truest depiction of the Crusader! Watch this series and then follow up with the movies connected to this series. Actually watch the Mask of the Phantasm movie first before you start the series. After that watch the Superman Batman Movie crossover from the Superman the Animated Series. Follow up with the Justice League Season I & II. Next watch Justice League Unlimited. When watching Justice League Unlimited, do not watch the episode called Epilogue. After watching Unlimited minus the Epilogue episode, watch Batman Beyond series and once you watch that, watch the Movie, Batman Beyond, the Return of the Joker. Finally return to the Justice League Unlimited and watch the Epilogue. This will be the full tale of the Animated Batman series. Well worth your time.

It’s my all time favorite series

After seeing review after review talking about the shoddy packaging (arriving destroyed), I figured I'd order the "regular" no frills packaging (two blu-ray cases in a cardboard slipcase) rather than the Bobble Head (Funko Pop) package. Frankly, I couldn't care less about those stupid plastic bobble-heads (which didn't even exist when Batman: the Animated Series was on). If you ask me, Funko had a much better thing going with their "Re-Action" retro action figures. Anyway... another criticism I heard was that the "digital" versions of these episodes were in SD and didn't have the best intro choices (using the Batman Superman Hour). Since I don't care much about these digital things, that wasn't a deal-breaker. Sadly, and this may have been due to the weather... we had huge snowstorms and arctic temperatures... the cases arrived cracked and broken... pieces were falling off at the edges. The paper that formed the covers were torn. I actually ordered a new set of six disc blank Blu-Ray cases and they were perfect replacements. Due to the weather I figured they would arrive broken again and didn't bother to seek a refund. The discs played perfectly. If you have ever watched these on VHS or DVD, you will be blown away by the visual quality. The colors and everything else look stunning. Yes, at times you'll see a film scratch or bit of grain here or there, but that doesn't take away from its charm. For a tv cartoon from the early 1990's, this looks amazing and you'll soon be drawn into the world of Batman's Gotham city with its smoothly realistic motion but hard edged, square jawed men and almond eyed women set on the backdrop of dark art-deco architecture (achieved mainly by drawing the backgrounds directly on black paper) as well as the fictional docks, caverns, sewer systems, island hideaways and secret lairs that accompany the surrounding areas, accompanied by the orchestral scores borrowed heavily from the 1989 theatrical film. As for the series.. this to me is the definitive adaption of the Batman comics (I grew up with the "serious" Batman of the 1970's.. the perfect balance between the "comic" farcical Batman of the 60's, or the "grim dark" Batman of the late 80's and into the modern era influenced by the live action movies, of which I only really liked "the Dark Knight"). For me the Batman 60's show, besides being obviously for kids, "jumped the shark" towards the end of the first season. But Batman the Animated Series went strong until the end of its original run. When it returned, two years later, suddenly the art style had changed (for the worst). Though this was only hinted at earlier, original character Harley Quinn was suddenly a seductress, not just a bubble-headed hench woman for the Joker. The characterization of Bruce Wayne vs Batman was not as satisfying as before. While the subplots with Nightwing vs the new Robin with Batman and Batgirl was kind of interesting, it was very hit and miss for these "New Batman Adventures" in the last two discs of 24 episodes. Batman and Harley Quinn which bills itself as part of this series, is a disaster (thankfully not included in this set). Mystery of the Batwoman got high marks (I have not seen it) but is not included here either. Frankly, the last 24 didn't need to be here, but they are included nonetheless. Batman Sub Zero (another Mr. Freeze adventure... Mr. Freeze is probably the coolest developed character... he existed before but this series really makes him shine) is good, despite some dodgy CGI scenes inserted into the mix that detract from the traditional animation. Thankfully this adventure sticks to the visual style of the previous (and superior) episodes. Batman Mask of the Phantasm is a bit unsatisfying, but nevertheless it is here, and can be watched as a two part TV episode. This appears to have been an attempt to "soften" Batman and make him more tender hearted (the opposite of the New Batman Adventures that make him more grumpy and hard-edged, so his sidekicks can be his "conscience" or "heart"). While the visual style of this series is a mixture of the Golden Age Batman, the serious tone of the 1970's comics, and with a lot of touches from the "darkness" of the first two Tim Burton Batman motion pictures... in my view it surpasses much of the source material. Despite being aimed at kids, it's gritty, dark, violent, but always with a point, and is full of action and suspense. Much of this is weakened or lost in the last 24 episodes, so if you want to skip these, be my guest! There is one episode of the "new" series at the end that sets the stage for "Batman: Brave and the Bold" where stories deliberately and nostalgically copy the art styles and tone of earlier incarnations of Batman, while poking fun at the franchise itself. That was enjoyable. But as I said before, the last 24 are hit and miss, a real dip in quality from what came before. At least "Batman Beyond" felt free and interesting, by mostly being its own thing, and that's something for another box set review... Here is what I learned from (re) watching this wonderful animated series: Batman is a hero. He's not a murderer, or a ladies man (that's just an act by Bruce Wayne to hide the fact that he's going out every night to fight crime). He's also a detective. A crusader. A vigilante. A "Dark" Knight but with emphasis on the latter part. He's got a sense of humor, a conscience and he's even a father figure. THIS to me is the definitive motion portrayal of Batman, and one that will live forever. Batman didn't get this far by being insane, lacking a conscience, being a womanizer or whatever as he is sometimes portrayed in one-offs these days. Batman exists in his own world. Sure, there are other costumed figures in this world, but its really about the caped crusader and his career, with guest appearances from Robin and Batgirl, Alfred always by his side, but really not a lot of interference from outside. "World's Finest" is a great concept, but Batman sharing the screen with Superman must be handled with care. This series did a lot to rehabilitate the image of Batman that I think a lot of viewers had written off or gotten tired of with the mainstreaming of the 60's tv series (in reruns after the 1989 blockbuster by Tim Burton). Is it over the top at times? Certainly. Remember, this is still a kid's cartoon, but one that can also be enjoyed by adults, without having to rely on gore, sexuality, or the other things you see in "grown up" cartoons. Yes, Batman does have trauma in his past for the death of his parents, which motivated his move to become a crimefighter in the first place, but he does not overly dwell on it, and is not mentally crippled by it. Yes, Robin has trust issues with him but its a professional relationship issue more than just having a bratty adolescent son acting like a stereotypical teenager. Most of the episodes don't feature Robin at all, and so the few that do tend to treat this relationship well. Much more could be said about this series, but just to get the entire (good) series in high quality at a reasonable price, this is it. Watch it on the small screen if you will, but if you're watching it on a phone, your mileage may vary... just be ready to replace the cases... ;P (how about a steelbook next time?)

I'm not going to review the series itself here. I mean, what more can be said about this amazing series? Easily one of the best, if not THE best, portrayals of Batman that exists and likely ever will exist thanks to the amazing voicework of the late Kevin Conroy (RIP Kevin!) et al. Assisted by surprisingly mature and adult writing that arguably works even better as an adult than it did having watched it as a kid. Amazing score by the late Shirley Walker, fantastic animation by Bruce Timm's team at WB. I could go on and on with praise. It's unbelievably good. And then there's the swan song that is "The Mask of the Phantasm" with the pivotal event that had Bruce Wayne VERY nearly NOT becoming Batman. Anyone who watches it knows; the scene of him pleading to his parent's grave is SUCH a gut-punch. *Easily* one of the top 3 best Batman movies ever, if not THE best. All that should be obvious to anyone considering this purchase. No, what I want to address is the supposed expiration of the digital code. While the picture shows only Blu-Ray at the top, many have complained that they received an "expired digital code". Well, I'm here to spread my cape and say *it still works fine as of the writing of this review; January 16th 2023.* Mine came with a top saying Blu-ray + Digital. The code says clearly on the back that it expires 12/31/2019. In my experience, these codes work WELL past their "expiration date", sometimes (as in this case) *years* past. So, if you already own this and have taken the expiration at its word, I'm telling you to break it out and try it. Mine activated on Vudu as you can see in the picture. It just goes to show, don't take everything at face value. What's ostensible isn't always true. Take a lesson from the greatest detective; Don't assume, VERIFY! Anyways, I wanted to pass this tip on to other Batman fans for their enjoyment. If you haven't activated it, you have the complete series in digital at your disposal, awaiting your activation. Cheers! And, remember, I AM VENGEANCE! I AM THE NIGHT! 🥷🦇