Batman: The Animated Series first aired 25 years ago this week and I’ve been a there since the beginning. Being a fan of the Burton Batman films (especially Batman Returns) I was their target audience: a young gay boy who loved comics, men in tights, and fierce women! Okay that probably wasn’t their target but this is one of my favorite all time shows and solidified Batman as one of the bad-ass superheroes and detectives of all time. Here are ten of my favorite episodes some that I watch annually. You will notice a couple of trends in the majority of these stories: villains, women, and Harley Quinn. I know these episodes are out there as far as best (some being on everyone’s best and some on worst) but these are episodes that really catch the spirit of my experience watching BTAS.
10. Baby Doll
“Baby Doll” is a great example of how BTAS made great and tragic villains. May Louise Dahl was born with a rare disease that stopped her from physically aging and remains a toddler. She became a sitcom star and after the show was over she ventured into being a serious actress but no one took her seriously. She seeks out revenge on those who turned their back on her turning her into a twisted addition to Batman’s Rogue Gallery in the body of a five year old. “I didn’t mean to.”
9. Mean Seasons
“Mean Seasons” is another tale of revenge but this time it’s an aging actress/model who has been shunned by the entertainment business because of her age. Calendar Girl (a gender swapped version of comic’s villain Calendar Man) seeks out her vengeance through the holidays (Halloween, 4th of July) so it makes her an all-around festive villain that wears an ominous blank mask. She hates her face and smashes mirrors leading the audience to believe she was in some type of accident through the episode but the kicker is when the mask falls off at the end we see that she still looks young and beautiful but all she is still utterly disgusted by her reflection. Deep!
8. Christmas with the Joker
The first appearance of Mark Hamill’s deliciously psychotic Joker in the series was a holiday episode that perfectly encapsulated Batman’s pop culture nemesis. This version of him was crazy, sadistic, narcissistic, and hilarious. The Joker went from threatening someone’s life to cracking a pun. The best scene is the end when he gives Batman a present and threatens to kill his hostages if he doesn’t open it. Is it bomb? Is it some kind of toxic gas? No. It’s a cream pie jack-in-the-box that hits him in the face. Also this episode makes the “Jingle Bells Batman Smells” song canon.
7. Holiday Knights
I watch “Holiday Knights” every Christmas season and it’s one of my favorites because it’s divided into three shorts: one highlighting Batgirl, another with Harley and Ivy hilariously spending all of a semi-hypnotized Bruce Wayne’s money, and a New Year’s Eve celebration with the Joker. It’s great because each one has a holiday vibe done in a Batman-ish way.
6. Almost Got ‘Im
“Almost Go ‘Im” is probably number one on a lot of people’s list and rightfully so. The episode is the best thing about BTAS the villains and it’s even better when they interact. This was the first time there was an episode centered on any of them interacting socially so we get a poker game with Joker, Two Face, Poison Ivy, Penguin, and Killer Croc (not really him though!). Each villain tells a story about how they almost got Batman so we get stories told from their point of view. The best part though is that Batman has been disguised as Killer Croc the whole time and the bar they are playing in is filled with police. Batman actually did get ‘em!
5. Heart of Ice
“Heart of Ice” is another villain origin story but this time it’s classic comic book character Mr. Freeze. The tragic tale of Victor Freis trying to cure his wife from a rare illness is sad and you really root for him to get back at the assholes that pulled her plug and tried to kill him turning him into the cold methodical villain. Also he has one of the coolest (ha get it!) voices on the show in a cast of amazing voice actors.
4. Over the Edge
“Over the Edge” is another twisty episode that finds Batgirl dead after a tussle with the Scarecrow and his crew. Jim Gordon finds out his daughter has been Batgirl all along and a man hunt ensues after he finds out Batman is really Bruce Wayne. Alfred, Robin, and Nightwing are arrested and Gordon teams up with Bane to finally catch and kill Batman. This is one nightmare episode, literally though, since we find at the end that it’s just Barbara Gordon’s worst fear after being sprayed with Scarecrow’s fear toxin. So everyone’s alive and that amazing story was just a “what if.” In the end Barbara does decide to tell her father but he stops her and eludes to the fact that he has known all the time. “All you need to know is I love you… all of you,” Gordon says as he kisses his daughter on the forehead. *tear*
3. Harlequinade
The Joker has an atomic bomb and is threatening to set it off; enter one of the best team-ups ever on the show: Batman and Harley Quinn. The dynamic duo get the Joker’s girlfriend out of Arkham to help track him down. What follows is Harley’s insanity coupled with Batman’s straight-man nature and lots of laughs (and a song). The best part is Harley actually turning on the Joker after she learns he was going to set off the bomb and had no plans to come save her in Arkham. What a guy!
2. World’s Finest
Batman meets Superman is probably one of the best iterations of the story ever told and eclipses Batman V. Superman on so many levels. Even though we do get some fighting the two quickly join forces to thwart another team-up of the Joker and Lex Luthor (also Harley and Mercy!). The two-part story is just plain fun from Bruce flirting with Lois, to how the heroes discover each other’s identity (Superman just x-ray visions while Batman plants a homing device and follows him home!), to Harley and Mercy constantly fighting in the background. This would also lead to a couple more cross over episodes with New Superman Adventures and the eventual Justice League and Justice League Unlimited series.
1. Mad Love
Long before she became the fourth most popular DC Universe hero, Harley Quinn was an original creation for BTAS and was obvioulsy one of the series greatest. She had not appeared in any DC Comic until co-creator Paul Dini wrote a graphic novel detailing her origin called “Mad Love.” The story of how Dr. Harlene Quinzel fell in love with the Joker while treating him at Arkham Asylum was funny and sad. Instead of curing him of his ailments he essentially manipulated her into being as crazy as himself. Whether the Joker really loves her or just uses her whenever he needs amusement (or a henchwoman) is left murky. The tale of their abusive relationship turned Harley from silly sidekick to tragic femme fatale (with a smile).
GNerd GNiche 