With a certain level of respect for the characters (but a bit of a wink as well) Filmation produced several cartoons based on the DC super-heroes in the late 1960’s.  This two-disc collection includes 18 of the classic episodes featuring Green Lantern, the Flash, the Atom, Hawkman, the Teen Titans, and the Justice League of America.  Although the animation is dated, and there’s more than a few groan worthy moments to be found, for comic fans it may be worth a rental.

Combining pieces of Batman: Year One and Batman: Year Two with the style of Batman the Animated Series this animated version of the hero (made 15 years ago) still remains the best Batman movie ever released in theaters.

After a couple of years working on the animated Superman cartoon Bruce Timm, Paul Dini and their team returned to the mean streets of Gotham to present The New Batman Superman Adventures.  The hourlong block was divided into an episode of Superman and an episode of Batman including a few crossover episodes.  The new Batman episodes revamped the look of the show into a darker and sleeker look while keeping the original style.  Dick Grayson had moved on, Tim Drake would become the new Robin, Batgirl joined the team, and Batman took to the streets of Gotham to pursue the cowardly lot of villains.  For reviews of previous seasons click here for Season One, Season Two, and Season Three.

Few film franchises have fallen so quickly and pathetically as the Tim Burton/Joel Schumacher Batman series.  Today, we take a look at Schumacher’s movies, and try not to be too cruel in its assessment

The third volume of Batman: The Animated Series continues with final 28 original episodes from the series which includes the few episodes that were released under the title The Adventures of Batman and Robin.  All three volumes make a great collection, but this final volume is the best of the bunch.  With a host of returning villians and a stable of new characters introduced here the creators have enlarged Batman’s world and allowed for more variation from episode to episode.

Keaton and Burton are back with even more villains. Penguins and Cats who could have ever guessed that they could be so damning and destructive, aren’t these docile creatures suppose to be just that...docile? Batman Returns is the last we will see of quality in a Batman film till Christian Bale hits the big screen in Batman Begins. The fumbling messes between Batman Forever and Batman & Robin. We are also in agreement that there is a huge difference in creativity, quality and talent when you compare Tim Burton and Joel Schumacher.

Tim Burton is obviously one of our greats in concerns to innovation, style and creativity towards filmmaking. His vision for Batman was dark and brooding, just like Keaton played him. Gotham City was dark and corrupt, it had dirty streets and always foreboding and controlled by mob boss Carl Grissom (Jack Palance) until the sadistic and charismatic Joker (Jack Nicholson) appeared and took over not only Grissom’s control of the city, but his gal Alicia (Jerry Hall). The Joker owned the streets and controlled the crime in Gotham with a “smile”, the Caped Crusader (Michael Keaton) created this monster and realized he was the only one who could put him down.

Batman the Animated Series continues in a strong second season that gives us Robin’s origin, the Riddler, the importance of Commissioner Gordon in Batman’s fight on crime, Hugo Strange, Zatanna, and an assault on all things robotic.  Season Two picks-up and improves upon the preceding episodes and the series begins to truly take shape and give us some great episodes.

If you can make the leap and buy Adam West as Batman then there’s really little to stop you from enjoying this Bat-flick from the 1966.  Filmed between the first and second seasons of the show it includes plenty of absurdity, and the Bat-cheese, at times, drips from the screen, but even more than four decades later it’s still a good time.

Producers Erick Radomski and Bruce Timm give us the beginning of the best animated super-hero television show of all time Batman the Animated Series.  The first episodes set-up the Batman’s world, his supporting characters, the mean streets of Gotham and the Bat-villain rogues gallery.  Overall, a good first season that will lead to better things in seasons two through four.