Ranking The Modern Animated Batman TV Shows
2. The Batman (2004–2008)
I fully expected to put this version of Batman further down the list. I remember watching it while growing up and thinking it was largely just okay. Nothing too bad, but certainly not all that great. But then I re-watched it, and I ended up liking it a great deal more than I expected.
The Batman felt almost like a re-branding of the 1990s Batman: The Animated Series for a new generation of Batman fans who didn’t grow up with that particular series. A lot of the elements from that series were present in this incarnation even if the skin it came in looked drastically different.
Batman is less experienced at the start of this series, only having donned the batsuit for three years at the start of the first episode. It isn’t until the third season that Batman takes on a full-time partner—Batgirl, who joins first instead of the usual Robin. However, Robin does eventually join, and the dynamic between the whole Bat Family (Alfred included) was very well written.
What the show is probably most known for is its dramatically different take on Batman’s villains. The way Joker, Riddler, Bane, and others are drawn are extreme departures from their typical depictions, and it can initially be a big shock. But once you adjust to the uncanny design, the writing and tone really stand out.
The series also boasted an impressive cast of voice actors—from the main cast to guest appearances by everyone from Phil LaMarr, Jim Cummings, and Ron Pearlman.
The Batman focuses on the psychology of Batman’s adversaries, at least early on in the series. Batman’s villains have always been some of the more complex characters psychologically, but that’s not often explored in a show aimed at kids. This show was definitely not afraid to go there at times.
As a whole, the show shifts its focus as it goes along. It goes from being a rougher, more gothic-looking series to a more Silver Age-themed styling by the fifth and final season. The Batman will take you on a journey, and it’s one that’s worth taking.
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