And this show was where I realized I needed to give things a chance, because after the Tim Burton movie I was STRONGLY against a cartoon of Batman.. thihking it would be like the Superfriends or late 60's version... boy was I wrong, and grateful to be wrong.
this still influences me strongly today, as the DCAU, in all it' flaws, carrying the what is best in the DC universe.
Like Batman sitting down with Ace before she died.
I distinctly remember watching the likes of "Heart of Ice" and "Two-Face" with my jaw firmly on the floor, thinking: "Did I just see genuine dramatic intensity in an American TV cartoon series?"
And of course, it debuted in the UK before it debuted in the US! :)
We got the first part of "The Cat and the Claw" at 9.25 on Saturday morning, which is a good few hours before "On Leather Wings" debuted in the USA
I remember discovering at 9am that when the new Saturday morning kids show had said they were going to have Batman it wasn't reruns of the 1970's Batman they meant, and rapidly phoning around a number of friends to alert them (pre-common home access to the Internet dontcha know).... Good times... :)
While I really like this story, I've never been sure if it is a "Take That" to Killing Joke, or just a G-rated spin on "Killing Joke." And there's the question, does the Joker do things just to do them, or do them to see what will happen?
There's a pod-cast out there "The Fatman on Batman" by Kevin Smith one of his features was a hours long interview with Mark H which was a fun listen to, from everything on how he auditioned, how he got the role...and the recording process for the series.
If it's any consolation, just bear in mind that my introductory Batman was Adam West sucking in his gut.
(Bruce Timm is almost exactly my age, and "Beware the Gray Ghost" was a beautiful piece of meta about what heroes, even in their cheesiest incarnations, can mean to children; the casting for the title role was the capper.)
One of my earliest memories was getting to watch this show whenever my dad worked late. My mom would make us a big bowl of Mac and cheese and let me watch it while I waited for him to get home. Geez, I must've been, like, three. Weird to thInk that it's been so long...
"So often the Joker has been played as sort of like a harmless clown or a total raving psychotic madman, which actually defeats the purpose of doing the character because then he becomes totally unsavory."
So many times have I stated that I'm just sick and tired of the contemporary Joker who is just a bland murderer, who isn't remotely funny at all. The Killing Joke is a great story, frankly, but I absolutely loathe what it's done to the character. Where's the fun? Where's the stupid funny stuff like laughing fish?
Hamill's Joker had the perfect balance. He could be terrifying in one moment and absolutely hilarious the next.
"The Killing Joke" at least used some of his schtick (The funfair, Joker venom etc). It was "A Death in the Family" that destroyed the character IMHO, where he's so completely un-Jokerish, and just a sick killer.
Watched this with my big brothers, then on my own when they all went off to college and.... other countries.
I became the biggest DCAU fan in the family ); From BTAS all the way up to Static Shock.
The DCAU was the best thing DC ever gave to people.
And I remember appreciating the Joker ten times more in that Justice League double episode special, when Joker and the Royal Flush Gang tore up Vegas. He was so funny, and so frighteningly psychotic.
"And I remember appreciating the Joker ten times more in that Justice League double episode special, when Joker and the Royal Flush Gang tore up Vegas. He was so funny, and so frighteningly psychotic."
There is something really frightening and horrid about how he's beating the crap out of Bruce near the end of that two parter; And yet you really don't want to know exactly what Ace does to him mentally.
These scans are made even better after watching Batman Beyond Return of the Joker. Bruce could never make the Joker give up because his stoicism only encouraged the madman to try harder. Terry won by beating Joker at his own game and outright heckling him. Even good comedians don't handle heckling well -- and Joker isn't a good comedian.
That's one of my favourte Batman Joker scenes too.
Joker: What're you doing? Batman: Fighting dirty. Joker: The REAL Batman would never-- Batman: Told you ya didn't know me. Joker: Funny guy... Batman: Can't say the same for you. Joker: Impudent brat. Who do you think you're talking to? Batman: Not a comedian, I'll tell you that. Joker: [draws a laser pistol] Shut your mouth! [fires at Batman] Batman: [retreats into the rafters] The real Batman never talked to you much, did he? That's probably why you were so fixated on him. [tosses a batarang, knocking the gun out of Joker's hand] Joker: Don't play psychoanalyst with me, boy! Batman: Oh, I don't need a degree to figure you out. [hits the lights with a batarang, turning them off] The real reason you kept coming back was you never got a laugh out of the old man. Joker: I'm not hearing this... Batman: Get a clue, clowny! He's got no sense of humor! He wouldn't know a good joke if it bit him in the cape... not that you ever had a good joke. Joker: [really getting angry] Shut up... Shut up!! Batman: I mean, joy buzzers, squirting flowers - lame! Where's the "A" material? Make a face, drop your pants, something! Joker: Show yourself! Batman: You make me laugh. But only 'cause I think you're kinda pathetic. [mimics the Joker's laugh] Joker: Stop that! Batman: So you fell in a tank of acid, got your skin bleached and decided to become a supervillain. What? You couldn't get a job as a rodeo clown? [laughs mockingly] Joker: [grabs some grenades] Don't you dare laugh at me!...
I also love the scene in "Joker's Favour", where the guy the Joker has been picking on explains, whilst holding a bomb, that the Joker has no power over hims any more because he has realised that at the best revenge he can have is to ensure that the Joker's death is small, and meaningless, and nothing to do with Batman, and if that means he dies too, well, what does it matter.
A panicking Joker (and I love that the BTAS Joker CAN panic, and be disappointed and show a whole range of emotions) calling for Batman whilst trying to sound like he's NOT calling for Batman is magnificent. Beautiful work by Ed Begley Jr as the guy, and Hamill's Joker.
I have a distinct memory of being terrified of this show when I was 2 or 3. I remember seeing a Killer Croc episode and running out of the room. I didn't start to watch it again until I was 7, and have been happily hooked ever since. My sister became a huge fan of Harley Quinn from reading my comics when she was in high school, and now my nieces love to watch the old episodes, especially the ones featuring Batgirl and Poison Ivy.
Thanks for posting this - I wouldn't have realized how old I've gotten...I mean, that the series was celebrating a milestone! ;)
This cartoon was one of the biggest influences on me in my teenage years - the style, the voices, the storytelling. I appreciate it so much for the part its played in my life.
(Also, being "friends" with Kevin Conroy on Facebook makes me squee everytime I see a post.)
Whilst their Joker was always magnificent, it was what BTAS did with the B and C list villains that impressed me.
Mr Freeze being seen in a completely new light after "Heart of Ice". (and prior to BTAS he was so C List he'd been killed off by the Joker in the comics)
The Mad Hatter as a tragic, wistful fantasist with control issues, and Roddy McDowell so perfectly cast it surely made angels weep to hear him voice Tetch.
Even the Riddler, though used so sparingly because he would be too easy to use as a Joker substitute, made an impression in his few appearances, with the new take on him that he felt he deserved what he stole, because by getting away with his crime after giving away a clue, he clearly EARNED it by showing he was smarter than everyone else.
The Penguin, combining the mutant look of the movie (up to a point) and the wannabe "cutltured gentleman" of the Golden Age, and Paul Williams being another spot on voice.
Personally I don't think the Catwoman grey costume from the first seasons has ever been bettered, it was sleek, practical, stylish and sexy without being the full on fetishwear of Batman Returns.
Just now playing Batman Arkham Asylum, listening to the old greats of my youth voicing the characters (though not hearing Bob Hastings as Jim Gordon is weird) but with a grim and grittiness my older self can appreciate.
The scans make me think Batman is just shy of screaming, "I am BATMAN, get the fuck outta my way!"
I STILL desire Gordon to just pick up that knife and save some lives in the future. But no, have to be better than the mass murderer. Sure.
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And this show was where I realized I needed to give things a chance, because after the Tim Burton movie I was STRONGLY against a cartoon of Batman.. thihking it would be like the Superfriends or late 60's version... boy was I wrong, and grateful to be wrong.
this still influences me strongly today, as the DCAU, in all it' flaws, carrying the what is best in the DC universe.
Like Batman sitting down with Ace before she died.
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We got the first part of "The Cat and the Claw" at 9.25 on Saturday morning, which is a good few hours before "On Leather Wings" debuted in the USA
I remember discovering at 9am that when the new Saturday morning kids show had said they were going to have Batman it wasn't reruns of the 1970's Batman they meant, and rapidly phoning around a number of friends to alert them (pre-common home access to the Internet dontcha know).... Good times... :)
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God, I feel old...
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(Bruce Timm is almost exactly my age, and "Beware the Gray Ghost" was a beautiful piece of meta about what heroes, even in their cheesiest incarnations, can mean to children; the casting for the title role was the capper.)
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Damn, I wish somebody at DC realized this.
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Hamill's Joker had the perfect balance. He could be terrifying in one moment and absolutely hilarious the next.
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I became the biggest DCAU fan in the family ); From BTAS all the way up to Static Shock.
The DCAU was the best thing DC ever gave to people.
And I remember appreciating the Joker ten times more in that Justice League double episode special, when Joker and the Royal Flush Gang tore up Vegas. He was so funny, and so frighteningly psychotic.
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There is something really frightening and horrid about how he's beating the crap out of Bruce near the end of that two parter; And yet you really don't want to know exactly what Ace does to him mentally.
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Joker: What're you doing?
Batman: Fighting dirty.
Joker: The REAL Batman would never--
Batman: Told you ya didn't know me.
Joker: Funny guy...
Batman: Can't say the same for you.
Joker: Impudent brat. Who do you think you're talking to?
Batman: Not a comedian, I'll tell you that.
Joker: [draws a laser pistol] Shut your mouth! [fires at Batman]
Batman: [retreats into the rafters] The real Batman never talked to you much, did he? That's probably why you were so fixated on him. [tosses a batarang, knocking the gun out of Joker's hand]
Joker: Don't play psychoanalyst with me, boy!
Batman: Oh, I don't need a degree to figure you out. [hits the lights with a batarang, turning them off] The real reason you kept coming back was you never got a laugh out of the old man.
Joker: I'm not hearing this...
Batman: Get a clue, clowny! He's got no sense of humor! He wouldn't know a good joke if it bit him in the cape... not that you ever had a good joke.
Joker: [really getting angry] Shut up... Shut up!!
Batman: I mean, joy buzzers, squirting flowers - lame! Where's the "A" material? Make a face, drop your pants, something!
Joker: Show yourself!
Batman: You make me laugh. But only 'cause I think you're kinda pathetic. [mimics the Joker's laugh]
Joker: Stop that!
Batman: So you fell in a tank of acid, got your skin bleached and decided to become a supervillain. What? You couldn't get a job as a rodeo clown? [laughs mockingly]
Joker: [grabs some grenades] Don't you dare laugh at me!...
I also love the scene in "Joker's Favour", where the guy the Joker has been picking on explains, whilst holding a bomb, that the Joker has no power over hims any more because he has realised that at the best revenge he can have is to ensure that the Joker's death is small, and meaningless, and nothing to do with Batman, and if that means he dies too, well, what does it matter.
A panicking Joker (and I love that the BTAS Joker CAN panic, and be disappointed and show a whole range of emotions) calling for Batman whilst trying to sound like he's NOT calling for Batman is magnificent. Beautiful work by Ed Begley Jr as the guy, and Hamill's Joker.
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That may be narrow minded of me, but in this instance, I just don't care! :)
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This cartoon was one of the biggest influences on me in my teenage years - the style, the voices, the storytelling. I appreciate it so much for the part its played in my life.
(Also, being "friends" with Kevin Conroy on Facebook makes me squee everytime I see a post.)
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Mr Freeze being seen in a completely new light after "Heart of Ice". (and prior to BTAS he was so C List he'd been killed off by the Joker in the comics)
The Mad Hatter as a tragic, wistful fantasist with control issues, and Roddy McDowell so perfectly cast it surely made angels weep to hear him voice Tetch.
Even the Riddler, though used so sparingly because he would be too easy to use as a Joker substitute, made an impression in his few appearances, with the new take on him that he felt he deserved what he stole, because by getting away with his crime after giving away a clue, he clearly EARNED it by showing he was smarter than everyone else.
The Penguin, combining the mutant look of the movie (up to a point) and the wannabe "cutltured gentleman" of the Golden Age, and Paul Williams being another spot on voice.
Personally I don't think the Catwoman grey costume from the first seasons has ever been bettered, it was sleek, practical, stylish and sexy without being the full on fetishwear of Batman Returns.
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(sob).
Aaaand that's how you know childhood is far behind you...
The scans make me think Batman is just shy of screaming, "I am BATMAN, get the fuck outta my way!"
I STILL desire Gordon to just pick up that knife and save some lives in the future. But no, have to be better than the mass murderer. Sure.