HELP THE CHANNEL GROW: www.patreon.com/rowanjcoleman HONEST MISTAKE: I incorrectly credited Clancy Brown as the voice of Two-Face. He was actually voiced by Richard Moll.
Kind of amazing to me how you could make a mistake like that... For as much as the rest of this video clearly needed exhaustive research, listing the correct actor for Two-Face would have only necessitated a 10 second google search, wouldn't it?
More corrections: 14:07 On Leather Wings was NOT the first episode to air on Prime Time as the series showcase. The first episode to air as a preview for the series on Prime Time was actually The Cat And The Claw Part 1. A mandate was made to air the first broadcasted episode on Prime Time as being one with Catwoman to promote Batman Returns.
“up until recently the superhero genre dominated pop culture”… somebody needs to tell this 🤡 that the highest grossing film of 2024 is a superhero movie, that is also the highest grossing R-rated film of all time. And that the most anticipated film of 2025 is ‘Fantastic Four’ a superhero movie. 🤡
The “I threw a rock at him” is even more funny when you realize it’s Batman mocking all the other villains saying Killer Croc got the closest to killing him and all he had to do was throw a rock
Conroy is the Voice of Batman... This entire series was a gift to us .. The animation being on a Black background, has always been a unique artistic trait, now with Modern TV screens it looks even better... Then early 90s.. Cheers from Huntington Beach CA 🇺🇸..
The line,” I didn’t count on being happy” hits me harder than it did at 40 than it does when I saw this movie in theater with my estranged father at age 12
I've tried so hard just to be myself But I've erased everything I was I tried searching for the truth alone And I remember everything I've done I'm thinking everything will turn out fine But I'm a little kid without a soul Oh give me just a little bit more time To start my future.. The Bronx.... Title; Notice of Eviction.. Sometimes.... Those small moments of life.. The one's with that split second of... Joy... We who suffer this, resist the feeling, undeserved, meant for someone else... If I felt happiness, that would mean I have forgotten the agony of losing them... @∅
Kevin Conroy's voice will always be the one I hear in my head whenever I read a Batman comic. His legendary performance and this phenomenally written, scored, and visualized show are THE definitive incarnation of Batman for me.
Brown is usually Lex Luthor in that era for DC productions before he became Megastar "Mr Krabs". TBH. I thought it Brown as well, Mull was so ruined by "Bull" . Though as a crossover , Mull played a ripoff of Brown's "Kurgan" in the premier of the highlander the series.
Kevin Conroy and Mark Hamil are the greatest versions of those characters, the comic book brought to life. What the show creators and writers did should forever be remembered. It is the standard that i measure every DC media by and unfortunately they have lost their way. I loved that series as a kid and stopped watching it, but as soon as I played Arkham Asylum, it brought everything back. I collected all the Batman and Superman animated series after that. This is the greatest animated show ever created, I'm so happy that I got to grow up with this timeless show. R.I.P Kevin Conroy
My favorite part about the Animated Series is when Batman wraps his cape around himself and the seams completely disappear and he becomes a silhouette with eyes. And then when he moves it's so fluid, you can't see his actual form so it just looks like a shadow with fists. It really adds this sort of mythical quality to him where you can hardly even tell he's human when he's in the shadows like that, and I've never seen any other adaptation match that.
Animated using a black background.. this choice was a absolute gift for us Fans... Now with Modern TV screens it's even better... Adding light.. not shadows.. to the Art is what you and I are watching.. Why it's special.. Cheers from Orange County California 🇺🇸..
Especially Batman Beyond. It's no hot take to say that it successfully continued the legacy of the animated series with it's character writing, and narrative. Seeing how Batman changes and having come to a point where he simply can't keep it up himself, finding a reason to keep going and embodying a new role in the fight against crime, and giving us a radically different take on what the mantle of Batman can be with Terry.
I remember reading about a batkid show being developed in "Wizard" and thought it was a terrible idea (I was 13? and the "It's this but they're kids!" was still going fullsteam) and promptly forgot about it. Then Batman Beyond came out and it's easily one of my favorite things ever. Plus that theme song.
@@japzone Agreed. Static of Static Shock was the first successful teen hero in the vein of Spider-Man while having traits (timely social commentary, hip hop score, Black culture) to be unique.
Kevin Conroy is Batman as far as I'm concerned, when I read Batman comics, it's always Kevin's voice I'm hearing. Ps he was friends with Chris Reeves and Robin Williams at Julliard.
Funny anecdote from the Robin Williams biography: after Reeves accident that left him paralyzed, when Robin was finally able to visit him, he was the first person to get Christopher to smile again. I wish I could remember what it was he did or said atm
I was the youngest person ever to get to write for the original cast. It was for a VR adaptation, which sadly no longer exists. Can't tell you what a thrill it was to sit down at my desk and start hammering out lines I knew that Kevin Conroy and Mark Hamill were going to read. Getting to be in the studio with everyone were some of the best days of my life, especially when Kevin had to come in for pickup recordings and it was just him, me and Andrea Romano together for an entire afternoon. Paul Dini was incredibly generous with his time and help as well. RIP Kevin... I was utterly gutted when he died.
I am very thankful that I actually got to meet Kevin Conroy, only a few years before we ultimately lost him. It was...surreal. It was like actually MEETING Batman. And he was the NICEST MAN Ive ever met.
Kids will never know. Those shows taught you so much. It made ypu think about how the world works in a positive fashion Not just colourful nonsense ro occupy the child
This is a beautiful show, this is what showed me villains can be sad and tragic. Mr Freeze is so sad in the episode and when he comes back in Beyond it is heart wrenching.
His ending arc in beyond is beautiful. 25 years old when I watched the show last year and that’s the episode that made me tear up I ain’t even gonna lie and “suck it up like a man” that was such a great end to a great character
Excellent overture of my favorite animated series of all time. Giving Shirley Walker the highlight she always deserved was amazing to hear. Thank you for giving this "kids show" the elevation it deserved as clear and helpful as your Star Trek TNG and Stargate SG-1 coverage. Thank you.
Batman: Gotham Knight is "What if Animatrix was applied to Batman?" What did you think of it? It's not really the DCAU and not really a BTAS continuation. Still would like to know what you thought?
31:23 so, i had a bit of an idea. What avout a story where robin finds joe chill, and blatantly refuses to let bruce know for the same reasons bruce would have refused robin to come after zuko?
My favorite show as a kid...It was not only my introduction to Batman and his world, it was also the first time my young brain realized that villains could have tragic, relatable stories.
I can’t express enough how much of an indelible mark this show had on me as a child. I grew up with it on TV and it was the catalyst for what would become my love of art deco, noir style, retro futurism, architecture, dark aesthetics and landscapes. This cartoon is perfect to me and Kevin Conroy is and will always be my definitive Batman. May he rest in peace.
The actual first episode aired was The Cat and the Claw pt1 on Saturday morning. It was a naturalistic story for the debut like how live action shows were at the time.. The following night (Sunday) was On Leather Wings which is fantastical. The following five days introduced Joker's Favor among its episodes followed by another Saturday morning with Cat and the Claw pt2. Eight day premiere.
Depends on where it was being premiered, in the UK it was part of a saturday morning kids show which also made it kind of hard to nail down when it was actually being shown
@@Crosis101 In Chicago, too. Fox is a national broadcaster. You had Cat and the Claw on Saturday morning first before On Leather Wings. It was September, so no sports interruptions by local stations yet. Fox heavily promoted the 8 day premiere, too.
"If this does well I'll do more DC Animated" -- 5 days into release and this one is trending for one of the most successful videos you've created. What an awesome retrospective and Batman TAS was incredible at the time. Kevin Conroy IS Batman, and reading his own story about growing up as a gay man in hollywood trying to break into the industry and stumbling into the Batman role is just amazing.
Ok, I would have thought you first retrospective for an animated movie or show would be a great scify anime like cowboy bebop or gundam,😂but the best superhero cartoon ever? unexpected but welcome ❤
Thank you for this glorious retrospective. It really was a lovely walk down memory lane for me, you should be very proud of the effort you put into this project. I watched Batman TAS with my late father growing up and now Im watching through the series again with my own sons. It is by far my favorite iteration of the myhtos and Conroy was by far the best Batman, I met Kevin once and shared a delightful conversion he was a true gentleman.
I really appreciate this wasn't simply recaps of the show, but highlighting key episodes and moments, to make a larger point about what this show did for Batman media.
Always love to see a great BTAS retrospective. A show that was so important to so many of our lives. Ironic I didnt love it that much as a kid. I didnt hate it either and watched it either because of nothing else on or because of nothing else to do,being a little kid and all. It wasnt until being an adult that I looked back and realized how great it was. RIP Kevin Conroy. A great video Rowan!
Glad I found this comment right at the top, came here to correct simple mistake. Clancy Brown didn’t even voice a character on this show. I think he did one on Batman Beyond. Respect Bull from Night Court…he also voiced The Bat Computer.
Mask of The Phantasm Flashback are for me in my Headcanon are Canon to the comics book Batman. The Flashbacks, Year One and Zero Year all happen. It you put it all together it works
I'm currently watching the Superman the animated series with my son and he's loving it, but ill hold off on Batman until he's a little older and can understand the beauty and complexity of this show.
Trust your kid's inteligence. If they don't like it, they'll come back to it later. I have several multi layered relationships with shows ane games from my childhood.
I didn’t get it as a kid entirely but do now, trust his intelligence. Even if he doesn’t get it now he’ll feel nostalgia towards it and revisit it in the future
Excellent work. Only two notes. First, not every kids cartoon of the 80s and 90s was a "Saturday Morning Cartoon". Quite a few titles were intended for Weekday Monday through Friday airing, typically (but not always) in afternoon timeslots after school lets out; G.I. Joe and Transformers were among these, as was Batman: the Animated Series. Second, it may have been worth mentioning Mark Hamil's earlier performance as The Trickster in the 1990-1991 Live Action series centered around another of DC's characters, The Flash. It is very much an inadvertent workshopping of his later animated role.
Rowan, this is fantastic! I grew up on JLA and Detective Comics in the early 70s. But when I read Batman, it’s Kevin Conroy’s voice I hear in my head. He is, and always will be Batman. Heart of Ice is the best. Michael Ansara’s performance just breaks your heart.
Outside your wheelhouse?! This is one of the best of your videos that you've ever done, although I fully and gladly admit that part of is is because of the extreme nostalgia brought about by the usage of the greatest animated TV series of all time. I went to art college to get a degree in animation, so I know what I'm talking about! But in all seriousness, B:TAS, as well as some of the CG cinematics from the Blizzard of the day, as well as Pixar of course, were the actual reasons I went for an animation degree. This video helps to encapsulate the joy of B:TAS along with some highlights (though not every one) of its greatest hits.
I grew up with this show and the other DC animated shows, Kevin is THE batman to me. I really appreciate your final words on about what he brought to the character. And I'd love to see more videos on this era of DC!
I watch a lot of videos about the history of BTAS and the larger DCAU, but I’m so happy you made this one. Your eloquent and well paced video style works wonderfully for talking about these shows, and I’d love to see more!
YES!!! PLEASE do more of these. The thing I always loved about this show was that it debuted when I was 18 and it was something that I and my high school friends ADORED; my mom was always surprised to see all these teens hanging out her house who dismissed a bunch of entertainment aimed at us as "too dumb" and "juvenile." But every afternoon, we gathered around the TV to watch Tiny Toon Adventures, Animaniacs, and then BATMAN. Like the old Loony Toons, the first 2 shows were slapstick, sure, but they were _smart_ too. We got the puns, we recognized the old movie styles they were going for...and some of my friends for sure did better in Geography class thanks to the Animaniacs songs. And then Batman came along and blew our minds. No matter what else was going on, we were parked in front of the TV every afternoon at 4:30. We recorded episodes to keep on VHS. We discussed the origins of the villains and went on at length about how Batman had the best Rogue's Gallery in comics. We LOVED this show. None of us were crazy about the direction the art took in the last season, but we still enjoyed the show, and we watched the Superman series, too. By the time the JLA series came along, I was living on my own and out of touch with the high school friends, but I met people at work who knew and loved the Batman Animated Series--one of my friends wrote her psych class paper on the series, in fact--so moving along to JLA wasn't a stretch for us so long as Kevin was still Batman and Tim Daly was still Superman. I wish I could say I was still happy with Dini and Timm's direction for Barbara Gordon when they did Batman Beyond, and later their take on The Killing Joke. I was also one of those people who never liked the fact that they called their second Robin "Tim Drake" when they very clearly were using the characterization and the origin of Jason Todd. It felt like they gave him Tim's name because many fans of that era (myself included) had never liked Jason. The producers liked him, though, and they either weren't brave enough to make the decision to just let Robin II _be_ Jason and bring us all along to a point where they made us like him, or they thought we wouldn't notice. Their reasons for breaking up the Bruce and Dick team were very contrived and didn't have the emotional weight they should have.
The best superhero show ever hands down and one of the staples of my childhood in the late 90s/early 2000s. There will never be another animated show like it. The timeless art style that effortlessly combines 40s and 90s aesthetics which helps the show never become outdated, the incredible voice work by Kevin Conroy, Mark Hamill etc, the fantastic way in both improves on old characters like Mr. Freeze and invents compelling new characters like Harley Quinn, the great way in blends both emotional character-driven stories and more kid-friendly action-driven stories, the way the show celebrates all kinds of different versions of Batman from the campier 50s Dick Sprang era and 60s Adam West show to the 70s Neal Adams era to the 80s gritty Frank Miller era and the Tim Burton films is awesome. It's one of the greatest animated shows of all time. Also, and you can laugh if you want but I had a crush on the TNBA Batgirl when I was a kid XD
I was in my 20's when Batman, The Animated Series was first aired and it blew me away, even though it was on children's TV I never missed an episode. Batman, The Caped Crusader is even darker homage to BTAS.
This is a simply beautiful retrospective. BTAS holds a special place in my heart and you have done the show and yourself credit with this wonderful piece of work. Thank you 🙏
I remember seeing the commercials advertising this new batman show. Before BTAS my only experience with Batman was reruns of the old Adem West show and the 89 movie. BTAS along with Power Rangers and Ninja Turtles made up my early childhood... RIP Kevin Conroy.
This may be my favorite retrospective yet. This series defined my childhood but I didn’t know much about it beyond that it was fantastic. These retrospectives are always great but I think Coleman did an especially good job capturing what made this series so memorable and it was great to learn more about this fantastic series Edit to add: if anyone is interested in learning more about Kevin Conroy, Matt Baume did a great episode about him.
I really loved this. Your retrospectives are always amazing, and I appreciate that they always include commentary, history, and analysis, rather than little more than just brief recaps of every episode in order as so many other videos labeled "retrospectives" do. 31:23 I really appreciate you stating how Dick is the healthier Bruce, how he could've been with more parental support (no shade to Alfred) after his trauma. It seems crazy that I've never seen it laid out possibly like that nor come to that conclusion myself, but if I had I hadn't thought about it that clearly in a long while, and it made so many things click for me, especially why the two are so iconic in the gay community: wether read parentally or romantically, it's two men coming together to heal from similar tragedies and be the support the other needs, one giving the guidance and protection he didn't receive, and the other by receiving that support, growing into a person the other can count on while also allowing that other to give himself that support vicariously and retroactively by giving it to him.
Batman has a huge history of memorable stories because all those villians are so rich and nuanced, and are able to be so dislikeable and yet have motive to be evil. They contrast against Batman’s order. I don’t think Hollywood has figured out you can’t just make these villains protagonists. The reason there is ‘Super Hero fatigue’ isn’t because people are bored with caped characters, it’s just these studios have moved away from the interesting characters and are trying to force lesser heroes and unredeemable villains into starring roles when they just don’t have stories to tell.
@52:31 The guy to Alfred's right looks a lot like David Niven! Anyone remember if he sas based on or voiced by him? It's been ages since I saw the episode.
I'm actually in the middle of a re-watch for this series. It's my absolute favorite adaptation of Batman. I was a victim of the onion ninjas in few spots with the discussion of the show's emotional core and the lovely tribute to Kevin Conroy at the end.
*FUN FACT:* Shirley Walker worked with her friend and soon legendary composer *Hans Zimmer* to help with some synths in certain cues of the soundtrack. Besides working with *Danny Elfman,* Walker helped with orchestrating with some Zimmer's earlier if not his best works like *Radio Flyer* and the emotional thriller *Backdraft* to name a couple. Its thanks in part to Shirley Walker that Animated Batman had a theme and identity that would be recognized for years to come. Walker soon created a studio helmed by her Batman TAS composers *Kristopher Carter, Michael McCustion, and Lolita Ritmanis* who did scores for shows like The Spectacular Spider-Man and *Ben 10: Alien Force* among others. Lolita Ritmanis had the most experience in composing working with *Louis Febre* with *Scooby Doo and The Alien Invaders* and the incredible *Mark Snow* for various projects like *The X-Files: Fight The Future* and *20,000 Leagues Under The Sea* staring Michael Cain. Despite Walker's passing in 2006, Kristopher, Michael, and Loltia have been able to keep Shirley Walker's legacy alive and well in the work they do. In my opinion, Shirley Walker is the unsung hero of Batman's legacy. For without Shirley, Batman wouldn't have an anthem to this day.
When I finally saw this show, I must’ve been around 7 years old. Didn’t know anything about dark aesthetics or any of the themes in the show, but the one thing I remember to this day is the dramatic thunder rolling in the background while Batman stood on the skyscraper in silence lol and that signature theme song. Goosebumps everytime I think back to that intro, what an impression to leave on a child that didn’t know anything
What a fun retro-spec :) I do recall really enjoying this series in its original run and in reruns. Oddly, the villain that stood out to me as a kid was always Clay Face. Maybe because the (literally) comically flexible nature of the villain made him impossible to portray in the live-action 60s era Batman (even if it'd had a bigger budget!), which I was familiar with from watching it on sick days off school :)
The whole aesthetic of BTAS, the score, the noir, the voice acting, Gotham city, everything, PERFECTLY encapsulated Batman. I truly believe it hasn’t been surpassed to this day.
Excellent retrospective! Batman is my favorite fictional character and the animated series is my favorite portrayal of Batman. Thanks for deep diving into this amazing show. Gotta rewatch Mask of the Phantasm for the millionth time now.
HELP THE CHANNEL GROW: www.patreon.com/rowanjcoleman
HONEST MISTAKE: I incorrectly credited Clancy Brown as the voice of Two-Face. He was actually voiced by Richard Moll.
was just gonna type that out. but the late richard Moll was perfect as Two-Face.
Kind of amazing to me how you could make a mistake like that... For as much as the rest of this video clearly needed exhaustive research, listing the correct actor for Two-Face would have only necessitated a 10 second google search, wouldn't it?
More corrections: 14:07 On Leather Wings was NOT the first episode to air on Prime Time as the series showcase. The first episode to air as a preview for the series on Prime Time was actually The Cat And The Claw Part 1. A mandate was made to air the first broadcasted episode on Prime Time as being one with Catwoman to promote Batman Returns.
Sounds like youre trying to be The Drinker. Awful to listen to. No one speaks like this.
“up until recently the superhero genre dominated pop culture”… somebody needs to tell this 🤡 that the highest grossing film of 2024 is a superhero movie, that is also the highest grossing R-rated film of all time. And that the most anticipated film of 2025 is ‘Fantastic Four’ a superhero movie. 🤡
The “I threw a rock at him” is even more funny when you realize it’s Batman mocking all the other villains saying Killer Croc got the closest to killing him and all he had to do was throw a rock
Wich is both the greatest insult he could throw at them but als the hyghest of praise he could give to Croc.
I love the episode the trial and he keeps saying "hit him with a rock!" as the verdict.
It is my headcanon that he was embarrassed cause he really had it close there
@@iamza. ha that’s right!
I think it might be my favorite episode. 😊
The fact that Conroy knew Chris Reeve at acting school makes me think that fate played a role in his casting of Batman.
I also think it's funny that he lost the main part of Wings to Tim Daly, who voiced Superman in Super: The Animated Series.
imagine if they got together for a justice league
Conroy is the Voice of Batman...
This entire series was a gift to us ..
The animation being on a Black background, has always been a unique artistic trait, now with Modern TV screens it looks even better...
Then early 90s..
Cheers from Huntington Beach CA 🇺🇸..
Chris and Kevin were actually roommates at Julliard.
The line,” I didn’t count on being happy” hits me harder than it did at 40 than it does when I saw this movie in theater with my estranged father at age 12
Such a heart wrenching line.. a person expecting to be miserable his whole life and feeling conflicted over finding actual happiness
I've tried so hard just to be myself
But I've erased everything I was
I tried searching for the truth alone
And I remember everything I've done
I'm thinking everything will turn out fine
But I'm a little kid without a soul
Oh give me just a little bit more time
To start my future..
The Bronx....
Title; Notice of Eviction..
Sometimes.... Those small moments of life..
The one's with that split second of... Joy...
We who suffer this, resist the feeling, undeserved, meant for someone else...
If I felt happiness, that would mean I have forgotten the agony of losing them...
@∅
Kevin Conroy's voice will always be the one I hear in my head whenever I read a Batman comic. His legendary performance and this phenomenally written, scored, and visualized show are THE definitive incarnation of Batman for me.
18:42 mark. Respectfully I believe Harvey "two-face" dent was voiced by the late Richard moll.
Correct.
Brown is usually Lex Luthor in that era for DC productions before he became Megastar "Mr Krabs". TBH. I thought it Brown as well, Mull was so ruined by "Bull" . Though as a crossover , Mull played a ripoff of Brown's "Kurgan" in the premier of the highlander the series.
I believe Moll also voiced Bat Computer.
@@travismiller4320 yep. And when Bat computer spoke in a female voice it was actress bebe newworth.
Correct! Can't believe they screwed that up!
Kevin Conroy and Mark Hamil are the greatest versions of those characters, the comic book brought to life. What the show creators and writers did should forever be remembered. It is the standard that i measure every DC media by and unfortunately they have lost their way. I loved that series as a kid and stopped watching it, but as soon as I played Arkham Asylum, it brought everything back. I collected all the Batman and Superman animated series after that. This is the greatest animated show ever created, I'm so happy that I got to grow up with this timeless show. R.I.P Kevin Conroy
Be proud of your work. You captured the greatness and spirit of the series perfectly.
You did the show justice.
My favorite part about the Animated Series is when Batman wraps his cape around himself and the seams completely disappear and he becomes a silhouette with eyes. And then when he moves it's so fluid, you can't see his actual form so it just looks like a shadow with fists. It really adds this sort of mythical quality to him where you can hardly even tell he's human when he's in the shadows like that, and I've never seen any other adaptation match that.
Animated using a black background.. this choice was a absolute gift for us Fans...
Now with Modern TV screens it's even better...
Adding light.. not shadows.. to the Art is what you and I are watching..
Why it's special..
Cheers from Orange County California 🇺🇸..
RIP Shirley Walker - also hugely influential on this, best version of Batman.
Would love to see more of this. Superman, Batman Beyond, X Men, Spiderman.
Especially Batman Beyond. It's no hot take to say that it successfully continued the legacy of the animated series with it's character writing, and narrative. Seeing how Batman changes and having come to a point where he simply can't keep it up himself, finding a reason to keep going and embodying a new role in the fight against crime, and giving us a radically different take on what the mantle of Batman can be with Terry.
I remember reading about a batkid show being developed in "Wizard" and thought it was a terrible idea (I was 13? and the "It's this but they're kids!" was still going fullsteam) and promptly forgot about it. Then Batman Beyond came out and it's easily one of my favorite things ever.
Plus that theme song.
Justice league and unlimited....
Don't forget Static Shock. An amazing adaptation of a character that feels barely acknowledged these days.
@@japzone
Agreed. Static of Static Shock was the first successful teen hero in the vein of Spider-Man while having traits (timely social commentary, hip hop score, Black culture) to be unique.
The day Roger Ebert espoused his love for Mask of the Phantasm was the day ten-thousand BTAS fans were vindicated.
Ebert on Animaniacs with the pop corn butter machine is classic lol! @Sci-Fi-Mike
Kevin Conroy is Batman as far as I'm concerned, when I read Batman comics, it's always Kevin's voice I'm hearing.
Ps he was friends with Chris Reeves and Robin Williams at Julliard.
I think robin williams was his roommate. But i might be wrong about that.
Goddamn, so much talent and hard work in one place!
Reeve
@@CelicAWD No, I think you're right about that. Idk how long they were roommates though. A semester, a year, longer? Not sure about that part.
Funny anecdote from the Robin Williams biography: after Reeves accident that left him paralyzed, when Robin was finally able to visit him, he was the first person to get Christopher to smile again.
I wish I could remember what it was he did or said atm
Richard Moll voiced Harvey Dent, not Clancy Brown.
I was the youngest person ever to get to write for the original cast. It was for a VR adaptation, which sadly no longer exists. Can't tell you what a thrill it was to sit down at my desk and start hammering out lines I knew that Kevin Conroy and Mark Hamill were going to read. Getting to be in the studio with everyone were some of the best days of my life, especially when Kevin had to come in for pickup recordings and it was just him, me and Andrea Romano together for an entire afternoon. Paul Dini was incredibly generous with his time and help as well.
RIP Kevin... I was utterly gutted when he died.
I am very thankful that I actually got to meet Kevin Conroy, only a few years before we ultimately lost him. It was...surreal. It was like actually MEETING Batman. And he was the NICEST MAN Ive ever met.
Batman: The Animated Series and Animaniacs played shortly after I got home from high school. Best part of my school days by far.
Facts
I couldn't wait to get off the school bus and turn the TV on for afternoon cartoons
Facts
Kids will never know. Those shows taught you so much. It made ypu think about how the world works in a positive fashion
Not just colourful nonsense ro occupy the child
This is a beautiful show, this is what showed me villains can be sad and tragic. Mr Freeze is so sad in the episode and when he comes back in Beyond it is heart wrenching.
His ending arc in beyond is beautiful. 25 years old when I watched the show last year and that’s the episode that made me tear up I ain’t even gonna lie and “suck it up like a man” that was such a great end to a great character
Excellent overture of my favorite animated series of all time. Giving Shirley Walker the highlight she always deserved was amazing to hear. Thank you for giving this "kids show" the elevation it deserved as clear and helpful as your Star Trek TNG and Stargate SG-1 coverage. Thank you.
Batman: Gotham Knight is "What if Animatrix was applied to Batman?" What did you think of it? It's not really the DCAU and not really a BTAS continuation. Still would like to know what you thought?
Thanks for making this! Loved it! Please do Batman Beyond next since it's that shows 25th anniversary this year.
I was 20 years old when Mask of the Phantasm came out and I saw it four times in the theatre! Amazing stuff.
I still have the VHS of that movie!
I grew up with this series, and it was wonderful. This also opened the door to the Batman we would get in Justice League and Justice League Unlimited.
31:23 so, i had a bit of an idea. What avout a story where robin finds joe chill, and blatantly refuses to let bruce know for the same reasons bruce would have refused robin to come after zuko?
My favorite show as a kid...It was not only my introduction to Batman and his world, it was also the first time my young brain realized that villains could have tragic, relatable stories.
My favorite series as a young teen. I used to watch it every day after school right before dinner. Way ahead of its time.
I can’t express enough how much of an indelible mark this show had on me as a child. I grew up with it on TV and it was the catalyst for what would become my love of art deco, noir style, retro futurism, architecture, dark aesthetics and landscapes. This cartoon is perfect to me and Kevin Conroy is and will always be my definitive Batman. May he rest in peace.
5:30 Kevin is hands down the best voice for Batman!
@@wcsoblake85 he's just the best Batman. Period. No caveat of him being just the best voice.
@@RichO1701e Definitely, he even did a live action Batman
I remember, I think an old article in the mid 2000's that rated all the Batmans and Kevin Conroy was summed up as "he. Is. Batman."
And Mark Hamill is our Joker.. He even said he won't be doing the Joker more now that Kevin have pasted away.
31:50 One of my favourite homages to the iconic 'Akira-slide'
oh man the fact that you opened with the Mask of the Phantasm version of the Batman theme is so damn good. I can't wait to watch the rest of this.
The actual first episode aired was The Cat and the Claw pt1 on Saturday morning. It was a naturalistic story for the debut like how live action shows were at the time.. The following night (Sunday) was On Leather Wings which is fantastical. The following five days introduced Joker's Favor among its episodes followed by another Saturday morning with Cat and the Claw pt2. Eight day premiere.
Not in Chicago. Both Batman and X-Men had weird early previews, and then we had to wait months for the shown proper to start…
Depends on where it was being premiered, in the UK it was part of a saturday morning kids show which also made it kind of hard to nail down when it was actually being shown
@@Crosis101 In Chicago, too. Fox is a national broadcaster. You had Cat and the Claw on Saturday morning first before On Leather Wings. It was September, so no sports interruptions by local stations yet. Fox heavily promoted the 8 day premiere, too.
UK airings are not my point.
I remember that...
That scream Harvey Dent lets out when he sees his scared face for the first time. Chilling
I'm going to be honest... this is my favorite retro you've ever done. I grew up watching this. Thanks!
Another classic retrospective from one of my favorite youtubers.
Too bad the entire thing is riddled with inaccuracies and mistakes.
"If this does well I'll do more DC Animated" -- 5 days into release and this one is trending for one of the most successful videos you've created. What an awesome retrospective and Batman TAS was incredible at the time. Kevin Conroy IS Batman, and reading his own story about growing up as a gay man in hollywood trying to break into the industry and stumbling into the Batman role is just amazing.
Ok, I would have thought you first retrospective for an animated movie or show would be a great scify anime like cowboy bebop or gundam,😂but the best superhero cartoon ever? unexpected but welcome ❤
Also Ultraman and Godzilla
Cowboy Bebop would be a fantastic series and film to dissect!
I'd love to see Scavenger's Reign
Extremely welcome
@@BriaaanzI'd watch all of those, but especially Space Battleship Yamato.
Thank you for this glorious retrospective. It really was a lovely walk down memory lane for me, you should be very proud of the effort you put into this project.
I watched Batman TAS with my late father growing up and now Im watching through the series again with my own sons. It is by far my favorite iteration of the myhtos and Conroy was by far the best Batman, I met Kevin once and shared a delightful conversion he was a true gentleman.
I really appreciate this wasn't simply recaps of the show, but highlighting key episodes and moments, to make a larger point about what this show did for Batman media.
Always love to see a great BTAS retrospective. A show that was so important to so many of our lives. Ironic I didnt love it that much as a kid. I didnt hate it either and watched it either because of nothing else on or because of nothing else to do,being a little kid and all. It wasnt until being an adult that I looked back and realized how great it was. RIP Kevin Conroy. A great video Rowan!
Criminally underrated video, my Dude. Great work. Great video. Thanks for reminding me of my childhood.
We had this show and The Animaniacs running together for a while, showing how much can be done with television.
More animation in general please. Love your content.
Especially would love to see a retrospective of Legend of the Galactic Heroes.
18:15 What? This ain't Lex Luthor. Richard Moll voiced Harvey and Two-Face.
Glad I found this comment right at the top, came here to correct simple mistake. Clancy Brown didn’t even voice a character on this show. I think he did one on Batman Beyond. Respect Bull from Night Court…he also voiced The Bat Computer.
Thank you!
Thank you :)
Great job covering this series
Clancy Brown did not voice Two-face you're thinking of Richard Moll
Pin this,
Since he said that I could see how he could have said Clancy Brown as I suddenly started to hear his voice lol
True.
Although I'd bet Clancy could have done the job if given the chance.
@@blazerocker1734 definitely
Mask of The Phantasm Flashback are for me in my Headcanon are Canon to the comics book Batman. The Flashbacks, Year One and Zero Year all happen. It you put it all together it works
I'm currently watching the Superman the animated series with my son and he's loving it, but ill hold off on Batman until he's a little older and can understand the beauty and complexity of this show.
Nah. It's multi level. Or watch teen titans (go)
Trust your kid's inteligence. If they don't like it, they'll come back to it later.
I have several multi layered relationships with shows ane games from my childhood.
I didn’t get it as a kid entirely but do now, trust his intelligence. Even if he doesn’t get it now he’ll feel nostalgia towards it and revisit it in the future
I remember seeing Mask of the Phantasm in the theater. Was completely blown away.
Excellent work. Only two notes. First, not every kids cartoon of the 80s and 90s was a "Saturday Morning Cartoon". Quite a few titles were intended for Weekday Monday through Friday airing, typically (but not always) in afternoon timeslots after school lets out; G.I. Joe and Transformers were among these, as was Batman: the Animated Series. Second, it may have been worth mentioning Mark Hamil's earlier performance as The Trickster in the 1990-1991 Live Action series centered around another of DC's characters, The Flash. It is very much an inadvertent workshopping of his later animated role.
This hit me in so many wonderful memories as this show was for me what made me fall in love with batman.
You have quite possibly one of the GREATEST in-depth analysis and commentary of this great TV show. Thanks.
This is what a retrospective video should be. Great stuff.
Rowan, this is fantastic! I grew up on JLA and Detective Comics in the early 70s. But when I read Batman, it’s Kevin Conroy’s voice I hear in my head. He is, and always will be Batman. Heart of Ice is the best. Michael Ansara’s performance just breaks your heart.
Outside your wheelhouse?! This is one of the best of your videos that you've ever done, although I fully and gladly admit that part of is is because of the extreme nostalgia brought about by the usage of the greatest animated TV series of all time.
I went to art college to get a degree in animation, so I know what I'm talking about!
But in all seriousness, B:TAS, as well as some of the CG cinematics from the Blizzard of the day, as well as Pixar of course, were the actual reasons I went for an animation degree. This video helps to encapsulate the joy of B:TAS along with some highlights (though not every one) of its greatest hits.
This is perhaps the one of the greatest animated fiction ever broadcasted in history,
Good review man,my favorite episodes are perchance to dream,his silicon soul,two face,bullet for bullock,the man who killed Batman.
Thanks for the video, absolutely loved revisiting this series
I love that you make videos, such high quality videos, of some of my favorite shows. You sir, are a gentleman and a scholar. Thank you for all you do!
I grew up with this show and the other DC animated shows, Kevin is THE batman to me. I really appreciate your final words on about what he brought to the character.
And I'd love to see more videos on this era of DC!
Top tier content. Would love to to see Retrospectives on STAS, Batman Beyond and Justice League.
I watch a lot of videos about the history of BTAS and the larger DCAU, but I’m so happy you made this one. Your eloquent and well paced video style works wonderfully for talking about these shows, and I’d love to see more!
YES!!! PLEASE do more of these. The thing I always loved about this show was that it debuted when I was 18 and it was something that I and my high school friends ADORED; my mom was always surprised to see all these teens hanging out her house who dismissed a bunch of entertainment aimed at us as "too dumb" and "juvenile." But every afternoon, we gathered around the TV to watch Tiny Toon Adventures, Animaniacs, and then BATMAN. Like the old Loony Toons, the first 2 shows were slapstick, sure, but they were _smart_ too. We got the puns, we recognized the old movie styles they were going for...and some of my friends for sure did better in Geography class thanks to the Animaniacs songs.
And then Batman came along and blew our minds. No matter what else was going on, we were parked in front of the TV every afternoon at 4:30. We recorded episodes to keep on VHS. We discussed the origins of the villains and went on at length about how Batman had the best Rogue's Gallery in comics. We LOVED this show.
None of us were crazy about the direction the art took in the last season, but we still enjoyed the show, and we watched the Superman series, too. By the time the JLA series came along, I was living on my own and out of touch with the high school friends, but I met people at work who knew and loved the Batman Animated Series--one of my friends wrote her psych class paper on the series, in fact--so moving along to JLA wasn't a stretch for us so long as Kevin was still Batman and Tim Daly was still Superman.
I wish I could say I was still happy with Dini and Timm's direction for Barbara Gordon when they did Batman Beyond, and later their take on The Killing Joke. I was also one of those people who never liked the fact that they called their second Robin "Tim Drake" when they very clearly were using the characterization and the origin of Jason Todd. It felt like they gave him Tim's name because many fans of that era (myself included) had never liked Jason. The producers liked him, though, and they either weren't brave enough to make the decision to just let Robin II _be_ Jason and bring us all along to a point where they made us like him, or they thought we wouldn't notice. Their reasons for breaking up the Bruce and Dick team were very contrived and didn't have the emotional weight they should have.
9:45 is one of the most 90's looking picture I've ever seen.
Let's not forget the 'missing episode' that was the video game for the SEGA CD, some amazing animation there.
it richard moll dude not clancy brown as the two face dude
Yeah, that mistake happens a lot.
The best superhero show ever hands down and one of the staples of my childhood in the late 90s/early 2000s. There will never be another animated show like it. The timeless art style that effortlessly combines 40s and 90s aesthetics which helps the show never become outdated, the incredible voice work by Kevin Conroy, Mark Hamill etc, the fantastic way in both improves on old characters like Mr. Freeze and invents compelling new characters like Harley Quinn, the great way in blends both emotional character-driven stories and more kid-friendly action-driven stories, the way the show celebrates all kinds of different versions of Batman from the campier 50s Dick Sprang era and 60s Adam West show to the 70s Neal Adams era to the 80s gritty Frank Miller era and the Tim Burton films is awesome. It's one of the greatest animated shows of all time.
Also, and you can laugh if you want but I had a crush on the TNBA Batgirl when I was a kid XD
This was a treat to watch. I love this series. Great job dude
Shirley Walker's score packs in so much emotion and drama. 💖
I love the Bruce Timm-o-verse
I also love that his team was bright in to help the production of the Anime BIG O
This a great video, I love learning about cartoons like this. Great work Rowan, keep it up.
I was in my 20's when Batman, The Animated Series was first aired and it blew me away, even though it was on children's TV I never missed an episode. Batman, The Caped Crusader is even darker homage to BTAS.
This was fantastic! My staff and I couldn't look away and watched the while episode in one shot. Please do more of these, it was really amazing!
This is a simply beautiful retrospective. BTAS holds a special place in my heart and you have done the show and yourself credit with this wonderful piece of work. Thank you 🙏
Love your vids RJC, you honestly help me through a lot of hard times with your content. All I can say is thanks
I remember seeing the commercials advertising this new batman show. Before BTAS my only experience with Batman was reruns of the old Adem West show and the 89 movie. BTAS along with Power Rangers and Ninja Turtles made up my early childhood... RIP Kevin Conroy.
Mask of the Phantasm is still my favorite Batman film of all time as well Rowan!!!
This may be my favorite retrospective yet. This series defined my childhood but I didn’t know much about it beyond that it was fantastic. These retrospectives are always great but I think Coleman did an especially good job capturing what made this series so memorable and it was great to learn more about this fantastic series
Edit to add: if anyone is interested in learning more about Kevin Conroy, Matt Baume did a great episode about him.
I really loved this. Your retrospectives are always amazing, and I appreciate that they always include commentary, history, and analysis, rather than little more than just brief recaps of every episode in order as so many other videos labeled "retrospectives" do.
31:23 I really appreciate you stating how Dick is the healthier Bruce, how he could've been with more parental support (no shade to Alfred) after his trauma. It seems crazy that I've never seen it laid out possibly like that nor come to that conclusion myself, but if I had I hadn't thought about it that clearly in a long while, and it made so many things click for me, especially why the two are so iconic in the gay community: wether read parentally or romantically, it's two men coming together to heal from similar tragedies and be the support the other needs, one giving the guidance and protection he didn't receive, and the other by receiving that support, growing into a person the other can count on while also allowing that other to give himself that support vicariously and retroactively by giving it to him.
What a video! I'm obsessed with the animated series and this video is a great explanation of why it's my favorite show of all time.
I really enjoy how many new characters the show added to the Batman universe
Great work deep diving into an absolute classic! Love all your work Rowan
Batman has a huge history of memorable stories because all those villians are so rich and nuanced, and are able to be so dislikeable and yet have motive to be evil. They contrast against Batman’s order. I don’t think Hollywood has figured out you can’t just make these villains protagonists. The reason there is ‘Super Hero fatigue’ isn’t because people are bored with caped characters, it’s just these studios have moved away from the interesting characters and are trying to force lesser heroes and unredeemable villains into starring roles when they just don’t have stories to tell.
Amazing , thank you! Took me on a happy memory trip back to watching this as a kid.
@52:31 The guy to Alfred's right looks a lot like David Niven! Anyone remember if he sas based on or voiced by him? It's been ages since I saw the episode.
This was great. Thanks for taking the time to make it.
I'm actually in the middle of a re-watch for this series. It's my absolute favorite adaptation of Batman. I was a victim of the onion ninjas in few spots with the discussion of the show's emotional core and the lovely tribute to Kevin Conroy at the end.
My dad died in '94 for the Paging the Crime Doctor ending where Bruce says "tell me about me father" hits me
19:14 Chilling. Every time.
I rarely share videos, but this one I immediately did. Excellent, and thank you for making it.
Thank you for reminding me of my childhood and reminding me why I loved it so.
*FUN FACT:* Shirley Walker worked with her friend and soon legendary composer *Hans Zimmer* to help with some synths in certain cues of the soundtrack. Besides working with *Danny Elfman,* Walker helped with orchestrating with some Zimmer's earlier if not his best works like *Radio Flyer* and the emotional thriller *Backdraft* to name a couple. Its thanks in part to Shirley Walker that Animated Batman had a theme and identity that would be recognized for years to come. Walker soon created a studio helmed by her Batman TAS composers *Kristopher Carter, Michael McCustion, and Lolita Ritmanis* who did scores for shows like The Spectacular Spider-Man and *Ben 10: Alien Force* among others. Lolita Ritmanis had the most experience in composing working with *Louis Febre* with *Scooby Doo and The Alien Invaders* and the incredible *Mark Snow* for various projects like *The X-Files: Fight The Future* and *20,000 Leagues Under The Sea* staring Michael Cain. Despite Walker's passing in 2006, Kristopher, Michael, and Loltia have been able to keep Shirley Walker's legacy alive and well in the work they do. In my opinion, Shirley Walker is the unsung hero of Batman's legacy. For without Shirley, Batman wouldn't have an anthem to this day.
Loved this show as a kid. Still think it's great.
This was one of my favorite versions of batman in animated series.
Loved hearing your passion bleed through, especially when describing the score for Mask of the Phantasm - great work!
Fantastic, amazing, and brilliant deep dive. Loved it, hope the response is good so you can make more about the DCAU
When I finally saw this show, I must’ve been around 7 years old.
Didn’t know anything about dark aesthetics or any of the themes in the show, but the one thing I remember to this day is the dramatic thunder rolling in the background while Batman stood on the skyscraper in silence lol and that signature theme song.
Goosebumps everytime I think back to that intro, what an impression to leave on a child that didn’t know anything
Nailed it. Great job, I enjoyed every second!
Loved the video Mr. Coleman, such a wonderful show
What a fun retro-spec :) I do recall really enjoying this series in its original run and in reruns. Oddly, the villain that stood out to me as a kid was always Clay Face. Maybe because the (literally) comically flexible nature of the villain made him impossible to portray in the live-action 60s era Batman (even if it'd had a bigger budget!), which I was familiar with from watching it on sick days off school :)
The whole aesthetic of BTAS, the score, the noir, the voice acting, Gotham city, everything, PERFECTLY encapsulated Batman.
I truly believe it hasn’t been surpassed to this day.
and it never will be.
Excellent retrospective! Batman is my favorite fictional character and the animated series is my favorite portrayal of Batman. Thanks for deep diving into this amazing show. Gotta rewatch Mask of the Phantasm for the millionth time now.
Richard Moll played Harvey Dent/Two-Face.