When Batman: The Animated Series kicked off in 1992, there wasn’t anything else like it. Though Batman ’89 had revitalized the character for a new generation, the combination of the old serials, comic book mentality, and sleek new character designs were all unique enough that many still regard this as the definitive Batman series three decades after the fact.
Batman: TAS is still considered among the best takes on Batman ever, and there are a lot of episodes that focus on The Caped Crusader that will continue to inspire for years to come. Still, one of the benefits of the series is that it didn’t shy away from dropping the focus on Batman entirely in order to give attention to characters on the periphery. As great as Bruce is, the series was sometimes at its best when it didn’t feature him, at all.
New Batman Adventures, Episode 3 – “Cold Comfort”
Of all the characters that benefited from the reimagining TAS gave them, few did so much as Mr. Freeze. Often a minor, throwaway villain, the pathos and redesign the series granted him are a major reason why he is now considered to be one of Batman’s greatest foes. It’s not easy to choose a best Mr. Freeze episode as he was one of the most consistently impressive recurring characters of the series. However, “Cold Comfort” makes the list because of how genuinely terrifying he is.
Once we knew Freeze to be hung up on his wife and mostly acting out of grief, but here he takes a full heel turn. In fact, Nora is alive and well, and he’s simply walked away from her. This is due to a medical condition caused by his powers, but his bitterness has grown exponentially. As he bursts in to destroy valuable artifacts just for the sake of doing it, he says, “Search your hearts for the thing you value most, then despair, for I have come to take it from you.” Jeez, Victor!
Season 2, Episode 20 – “Batgirl Returns”
Barbara Gordon gave up being Batgirl to focus on schoolwork, but we quickly see that real life isn’t all it’s cracked up to be for the girl wonder. When a priceless cat statue is stolen from the local art museum, she encounters Catwoman, and the two fight. Though it seems clear that Catwoman is the thief, she insists that she only wants whoever stole it to return the piece. She and Batgirl team up in order to bring the criminals to justice, but, naturally, Selina always has a trick or two up her sleeve.
TAS isn’t the only amazing animated take on Catwoman, but there’s no denying that she’s a top-notch antihero here. The reluctant friendship between her and the more straight-laced Barbara makes for a dynamic match-up, and it makes us wonder why there aren’t more team-ups between them. This is a great episode for both of them, and, in a perfect world, would have kicked off a whole series focusing on their strangely compelling partnership.
Season 1, Episode 46 – “Almost Got ‘Im”
Well-known as one of the all-timers for the series, “Almost Got ‘Im” follows five recurring villains with The Joker, Poison Ivy, Two-Face, the Penguin, and Killer Croc. While on the run from the law, they share various tales of how close each of them has come to taking out The Batman. With each of them offering up theories on how exactly Batman keeps getting the drop on them, an unexpected guest may be listening in.
TAS and Burton’s Batman had a love/hate relationship, but they each gave us the definitive takes on The Joker in the 90s. Here, Mark Hamill’s Joker has a complicated and bizarre method of attacking Batman in his vignette, revealing a truly twisted mind working behind the laughter. Another highlight is the always-amazing Poison Ivy, who comes close to finally unmasking the Caped Crusader.
Season 2, Episode 16 – “Harley’s Holiday”
Harley Quinn was easily the breakout character of TAS, and episodes like this show why and how she became such a cultural icon. Approved to walk out of Arkham a free woman, she concerns Batman and Robin with her claims that she’s on the straight and narrow. However, her past associations quickly make it clear that it’s not going to be quite so easy.
Though this perhaps unsurprisingly ends with Harley back at Arkham, the episode is sympathetic to her as she genuinely makes an effort despite many chaotic moments that throw her off course. Batman is tender and understanding as he assures her that she just needs a little more help before rejoining society. Though she returns to her cell, it’s not without hope for the future.
New Batman Adventures, Episode 5 – “You Scratch My Back”
After spending years as Batman’s sidekick, the heavily-stylized New Batman Adventures reintroduced Dick Grayson as Nightwing. Carrying a massive chip on his shoulder and working to get out of Batman’s shadow, he teams up with Catwoman despite Batman’s advice not to get in over his head. Naturally, Selina uses her highly adept manipulation tactics to ensure that nobody knows exactly where she stands.
Around this time, there was some discussion of a never-to-be-realized team-up cartoon with Nightwing and Catwoman. Though it never came to be, it’s interesting to think of what might have been. Selina’s flirtations with Dick are a little off-putting due to her relationship with his mentor, but it’s interesting to see him making choices as his own man. A better spotlight for Nightwing than it is for Catwoman, this next chapter of Dick Grayson’s life didn’t get the spotlight it deserved, but it was fun while it lasted.
Season 2, Episode 5 – “House and Garden”
Only recently have fans gotten a more fully-realized take on Poison Ivy, with the Harley Quinn cartoon and a number of more interesting character beats in the comics, including Ms. Marvel co-creator G. Willow Wilson’s recent series, Tee Franklin and Max Sarin’s Eat Bang Kill Tour, Amy Chu and Clay Mann’s Cycle of Life and Death, and the non-canonical Thorns by Kody Keplinger and Sara Kipin, among others. However, a more complex Ivy has been in the works for a long time, and TAS played no small role in developing that more intriguing side of her.
This episode shows a Poison Ivy who swears she’s put her life of crime behind her and settled down with a nice doctor, but the truth is something borderline Cronenbergian. Revealing new abilities and surprising levels of power and scientific know-how, this take on Ivy is anything but heroic, but the commentary around heteronormative expectations of women and the acknowledgment of her botanical skill make for a great story regardless.
Season 1, Episode 52 – “Mudslide”
Among Batman’s classic villains, Clayface is easily one of the most underrated. Though he had seemingly been subdued in their previous altercation, Clayface returns again as a major threat against Batman when he realizes that his body is disintegrating in front of his very eyes. Bringing in a former associate from his movie star days to help, they work against the clock to find a cure to his affliction through less-than-legal means.
Playing up the creepy vibes of some of Batman’s oldest foes is a major part of what made TAS click, and nowhere is that more true than this body horror elements of a rapidly deteriorating Clayface. A sympathetic villain that is no less dangerous due to his tragic predicament, Batman survives but is unable to help when it really matters, showing us a more somber side to the Caped Crusader.
New Batman Adventures, Episode 20 – “Girls Night Out”
With Batman and Superman dealing with threats outside of Gotham, Batgirl and Supergirl are all the city has when Harley Quinn, Poison Ivy, and Livewire go on their own mini crimewave. Though everyone underestimates Batgirl and Supergirl, they’re able to collectively use their smarts to get the drop on this trio of powerhouses.
Batman barely appears in this episode, allowing the full spotlight to fall on Batgirl and Supergirl as they team-up against the squad of pre-Sirens Batvillains. Longtime genre fans will delight in Lori Petty’s appearance as the quick-witted and gloriously villainous Livewire, and Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy are just as entertaining as they always are. One of the few female-centric episodes of the series, this remains a highlight.
Season 2, Episode 1 – “Sideshow”
When Killer Croc is declared fit to stand trial and in control of his own actions, he’s shipping out of Arkham to a high security prison. During the transport, he manages to escape, but nearly meets his demise while fleeing The Bat. A young boy saves him from drowning, and so Killer Croc meets a group of retired “sideshow freaks” who take him in as one of their own.
Croc is manipulative and uses the good will of the group to get them on his side, but it’s only a matter of time before Batman tracks him down again and the ruse is up. This episode shows more of Croc’s character than previous entries, and adds a little depth to him as he seems to grow genuinely attached to a group of people that he will inevitably betray. Touching, tragic, and kind of disturbing, this is a showcase of an underrated villain.
New Batman Adventures, Episode 11 – “The Ultimate Thrill”
Not every criminal is out for fame and fortune, or to conquer the world. Roxy Rocket, for instance, just loved stunts. Seeking out the adrenaline rush she receives from committing elaborate crimes, she ultimately pushes Batman to the point of having to pursue her. A former stunt double that was pushed out of the industry for taking too many risks, she very much exhibits the same risk-taking tendencies as she teams with the Penguin while actively provoking Batman.
When even the Penguin grows uncomfortable with Roxy’s unnecessary gambits, he decides to kill her, though she quickly escapes him. With both the Penguin and the Batman hot on her heels, Roxy is clearly having the time of her life. Naturally, this can’t end well, but even Batman is at least a little charmed by this rakish daredevil.