Batman: The Animated Series (Season 1)

Batman: The Animated Series follows the Caped Crusader as he seeks to bring justice to Gotham City. You'll see him fight foes familiar and foreign, included Joker, Harley Quinn, Poison Ivy, Clayface, Riddler, Penguin, the Mad Hatter, Mr. Freeze, and so on. Can Batman (and very occasionally Robin) save the day?

This series ran from 1992-1995 and is much loved, even decades later. It was influenced by the popular Tim Burton movies Batman and Batman Returns, borrowing some of the music and tone. The style pays homage to the 1940s, using a style combination of noir and art deco that the producers called "dark deco." And dark it was in theme, too, for a children's cartoon of the time. Re-watching these as an adult, I was impressed with the themes of some episodes, wrestling with things like pain (Mr. Freeze), mental illness (The Ventriloquist), yearning (Mad Hatter), and struggle for healing (Clayface).

Bizarrely, the episode count is lopsided. Season one ran for 65 episodes, followed by season two (20 episodes). Then there was a follow-on show called The New Batman Adventures (24 episodes). Making it more confusing, these two shows were bundled together and sold as a four-volume set (the first three are pictured above). Season one spanned volume one, volume two, and part of volume three. 

Overall, I really liked season one. Some episodes were 'filler' or 'chaff', but there were enough solid entries to merit watching the whole thing. I did notice some animation differences; apparently the studio contracted out to several places, and one in particular was eventually fired. That aside, I look forward to a much shorter season two; it took me six months go get through the first.

Rating: A