When the opening credits of the very first episode of Batman: The Animated Series aired on television back in September 1992, and two shifty-looking crooks slid into shot and blew up a Gotham City bank (as Gotham crooks tend to do), it was exciting, explosive stuff. But those opening credits and that explosion were merely just the tip of the iceberg.
Once the credits were over, and the episode properly got underway, what followed was an imaginative, and entertaining Bat-tale. And as it turned out, it was one of 109 Bat-tales which aired between ‘92 and ‘99.
Oh, and these were Bat-tales the likes of which we had never seen before on the small screen. Batman: The Animated Series utilised stunning animation, killer scripts, an amazing voice cast, an unrivalled score, and an array of brilliant villains to become THE BEST ADAPTATION OF THE BATMAN COMICS… EVER.
Honestly, the show was a revelation. This was Batman as he was meant to be seen, with interesting characters, compelling stories, and a central figure who was both magnificently heroic and deeply tortured.
And as mentioned above, all of this played out across 109 episodes – most of which were ruddy brilliant. The level of writing and storytelling on offer in Batman: The Animated Series was far superior than any other animated show of the time, and all these decades on the series still stands up as marvellous television.
So much so, Batman: The Animated Series is worth revisiting again, and again, and again (and again, and again, and again). Oh sure, you’ll probably want to revisit the best episodes, and avoid a few of the clunkers, but the good news is there aren’t that many misfires in the run, so it’s mostly all good stuff!
And to make things easier, let’s rank the best! Batman: The Animated Series produced some absolutely fantastic episodes of television, so let’s whittle them down to the best ten, shall we?
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Simply the Best
Now, when considering the highs of Batman: The Animated Series, it’s important to ditch the lows. This means the likes of ‘The Underdwellers’ (missing kids), ‘Critters’ (mutated farm animals), and ‘I’ve Got Batman in My Basement’ (dire Penguin episode) get bumped out of the way early doors.
It’s also safe to say no one is rooting for ‘The Terrible Trio’, which is rubbish. The same goes for ‘The Lion and the Unicorn’, which is equally bad.
No, we need the good stuff. Episodes such as ‘P.O.V.’, ‘Appointment in Crime Alley’, or ‘The Cape and Cowl Conspiracy’. These were great stories. Really great stories. Although…
…they don’t necessarily feature iconic villains, which is always something you want in a Bat-tale.
For great stories with iconic villains you want something like ‘Joker’s Favor’, which boasts the Joker, as well as the first appearance of Harley Quinn; or maybe the superb ‘House & Garden’ with Poison Ivy as the chief foe. Then there is ‘Read My Lips’ which depicts Batman’s first encounter with Scarface and the Ventriloquist; ‘Fear of Victory’ which involves rigged sporting events, courtesy of the Scarecrow; or ‘Feat of Clay – Part One and Two’, the origin of Clayface!
All of these are top notch episodes. As are ‘The Laughing Fish’, ‘Harley and Ivy’, and ‘Mad as a Hatter’ – the latter of which features a brilliant turn from the late Roddy McDowall as Jervis Tetch, the Mad Hatter.
But perhaps you want rip-roaring adventure? Well, you can have it with ‘Off Balance’, ‘The Demon’s Quest – Part One and Two’, or ‘Avatar’ – a collection of tales which are all connected to the villainous Ra’s Al Ghul.
Although, if it’s fun you’d rather have, then look no further than ‘Harley’s Holiday’ or ‘Harlequinade’ – two Harley-centric comedy stories. You could also take a look at ‘The Man Who Killed Batman’, or ‘A Bullet for Bullock’, which are fab crime capers.
But hey, let’s not get caught up in the plethora of solid stories (I made it clear there are only a few duff episodes), let’s really drill into things and go deep with the gold. Every self-respecting Batman: The Animated Series fan is making time for ‘Heart of Ice’, right?
This award-winning episode – which won a Daytime Emmy – introduces the villainous Mr. Freeze and is easily one of the best episodes, hands down. Not only does it make Freeze a cold-hearted foe, but at the same time he is also presented as a sympathetic adversary worthy of a place in Batman’s (tragic) rogues’ gallery.
‘Heart of Ice’ is instant Top Ten material. And so is the Harley Quinn origin story, ‘Mad Love’, which details the first encounter between Dr. Harleen Quinzel and the Joker (she was a psychiatrist and he was her manipulative patient). This episode is certainly a gem.
And speaking of Harley and the Joker, the pair feature amongst an assortment of classic villains who appear in the excellent and humorous ‘Trial’, as well as the brilliant and also humorous ‘Almost Got ‘Im’. The former sees Batman’s greatest foes put the Dark Knight on trial, while the latter sees a collection of criminals share war stories about their encounters with the Caped Crusader.
The above are simply marvellous episodes – no question. As are ‘Perchance to Dream’ (Bruce Wayne awakes to discover he isn’t Batman – but someone else is); ‘Over the Edge’ (Batman becomes Public Enemy No. 1); and ‘Beware the Gray Ghost’ (Batman teams up with his hero, the Gray Ghost – as voiced by former Batman actor, Adam West).
And then there is ‘Baby-Doll’, ‘On Leather Wings’, and of course, the two-part ‘Robin’s Reckoning’. And…
…well, I guess we have ten (if we sort of cheat and count ‘Robin’s Reckoning’ as one episode). There’s no need to go any further, so let’s start ranking them!
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Let’s Rank… Ten Episodes of Batman: The Animated Series
OK, it’s time to rank the ten best episodes of Batman: The Animated Series, in reverse order:
- 10.) ‘Baby-Doll’ – A former actress with a rare aging condition engages in criminal acts in this touching and poignant tale.
- 9.) ‘Beware the Gray Ghost’ – Batman joins forces with his childhood hero, in an attempt to track down a terrorist.
- 8.) ‘Perchance to Dream’ – Bruce Wayne appears to be losing his mind when he wakes up one day to discover he isn’t Batman (and apparently never was).
- 7.) ‘On Leather Wings’ – Batman is forced to investigate when a bat-like creature terrorises Gotham City in canonically the first episode of Batman: The Animated Series!
- 6.) ‘Trial’ – The inmates of Arkham Asylum (Joker, Two-Face, Killer Croc, etc) believe Batman is responsible for creating their misguided lives, so they put him on trial to prove it.
- 5.) ‘Almost Got ‘Im’ – Five of Batman’s foes come together to play cards and reminisce about the time they almost bumped him off.
- 4.) ‘Mad Love’ – The origin of Harley Quinn is laid out in all its heartbreaking and mesmerising glory.
- 3.) ‘Robin’s Reckoning 1 & 2’ – Batman’s trusted sidekick, Robin, gets an origin tale filled with drama, revenge, and one heck of a heartfelt ending.
- 2.) ‘Over the Edge’ – When tragedy strikes the Bat-family, Batman is declared Public Enemy No. 1 and hunted down by the Gotham City Police Department, including his former friend, Commissioner Gordon.
- 1.) ‘Heart of Ice’ – The origin of Mr. Freeze is thrust into the spotlight, via a tale so powerful it rewrote Freeze’s backstory in the comics, the movies, and pretty much everywhere else from here on out!
And with that, the ten best episodes of Batman: The Animated Series are ranked!
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Thank you for stopping by It’s A Stampede! to read this edition of Let’s Rank… . For more posts be sure to check out the recommended reads below.
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