Numerous Batman projects have been made as part of the DCAU, but Batman: The Animated Series always holds on to the first spot whenever any rankings are done. This never comes off as unusual because the series has consistently earned praise for its superior voice work, mature topics, and the presence of a wide variety of Rogues Gallery members.
RELATED: 10 Modern Comics Batman: The Animated Series Would Have Done Justice To
However, the show falls short in a couple of ways. This ranges from how it handles specific themes to how poorly it portrays some characters occasionally. The mistakes aren’t bad enough to permanently soil the legacy, but fans would have been happier if they had been avoided.
CBR VIDEO OF THE DAY
10 Batman Is Once Forced To Rely On Kids
It’s okay for Batman to have moments of weakness once in a while, but it’s not okay for him to depend on random kids for a whole episode, mainly because he is one of the superheroes with the most sidekicks. Unfortunately, that’s what happens in “I’ve Got Batman In My Basement.”
In the episode, the Caped Crusader gets knocked out by Penguin, so the children end up nursing him and doing most of his work for him. This is Penguin’s first appearance on the show, yet he and Batman hardly interact. Consequently, he ends up looking like a weak villain who only has to deal with youngsters. In turn, this affects his image for the remainder of the series.
9 Disabled Characters Are Depicted As Villains
Instead of addressing it in a positive light, BTAS always associates disability with criminality. Many stereotypes about blind people are perpetuated when Batman temporarily loses sight while fighting the Penguin, but the worst happens when the character Baby Doll is introduced.
RELATED: 10 Batman TAS Characters Stronger Than Their Comic Counterparts
The actress suffers from a condition that traps her in a childlike body, making her bitter to the point where she kidnaps her own family. Never does she have any form of meaningful redemption. The show doesn't analyze disability through her either. All she does is engage in one form of malice after the other.
8 The Mad Hatter’s Technology Is Meaningless
In a plot arc meant to highlight Mad Hatter's treachery, he develops a technology that allows him to control any animal and make them act like a human. With the new development, the show ignores the fact that the villain could control humans before.
Mad Hatter specifically controls the animals to use them as weapons, and this seems unnecessary when he can just make humans do his bidding. The redundancy aside, the animals he controls are a bit too overpowered. For example, a gorilla is able to snap Robin’s weapon, yet a monster cow from “Critters” fails to do the same.
7 There Are A Lot Of Sexual Innuendos
Logically, a show meant for people of all ages shouldn’t have as many sexual innuendos as Batman: The Animated Series does. The explicit references are sprinkled all over the show, but things get worse when the thrill-seeking former stuntwoman, Roxy Rocket, is introduced.
The villain keeps flirting with Batman without filtering her words, which could explain why she never gets to be one of the Caped Crusader’s most cherished love interests. She throws out words like climax and orgasm while using a rocket as a sexual allegory. Elsewhere, Harley Quinn has a few risqué moments, too, notably when she asks the Joker if he wants a piece of her ‘pie.’
6 The Ninja Episode Doesn't Deliver
The “Night of the Ninja” episode is considered by many as one of the worst episodes of the series because there is simply no point in it existing. This is because the League of Shadows is already a major group in DC media, and most of its members are way more skilled than actual ninjas.
RELATED: 10 Episodes Of Batman: The Animated Series That Aged Surprisingly Well
There are numerous other martial arts maestros across the DC landscape, too; hence Batman could have faced one of them than a random ninja whose fighting skills aren’t that impressive. Still, it’s understandable why the episode was made. In the ‘90s going backward, ninjas were popular forms of villains.
5 Batman’s Security Is Sometimes A Bit Too Easy To Bypass
Like in every other form of Batman media, it’s constantly emphasized how The Dark Knight has the best form of security. Everything from the Batmobile to Wayne Manor is supposed to be secure. Surprisingly, this security sometimes gets bypassed by people with no form of technological expertise.
On one occasion, Batman even heads back to the Batmobile to find Catwoman inside. He isn’t shocked, but anyone watching the show can’t help but wonder how that happened. On another occasion, intruders get into Wayne Enterprises without there being any explanation as to how they got inside.
4 Batman Perpetrates Animal Cruelty
Facing off against fictional characters with animal qualities is acceptable, but brutalizing actual animals is not. Surprisingly, Batman does that a lot in "The Underdwellers," where he takes on Sewer King, who happens to have enslaved thousands of orphans.
The appearance of Sewer King is unnecessary in the first place because he is mannerisms are a patchwork of those of Killer Croc and Penguin. Slaughtering crocodiles for no good reason is even more baffling for a hero with a no-kill rule. The sudden lust for violence in the episode isn’t a mistake either since Batman later tells Sewer King that he fantasized about letting him get run over by a train. Well, that’s totally unlike Batman.
3 There Are No Background Stories For A Couple Of Major Characters
An assumption is made that fans already know how a couple of key characters became who they are, including the Joker and Penguin. While that’s indeed true for staunch fans, casual fans, and younger audiences definitely didn’t have this kind of information.
RELATED:10 Best Animated Superhero Shows, Ranked
Background stories tend to change from project to project, too; hence even if the creators assumed viewers already knew about Penguin’s existence through Danny DeVito’s live-action, that version’s origin is quite different from the one in the comics. The same applies to Jack Nicholson’s Joker. Therefore, it feels odd for some characters' origin stories to be provided, yet the most important ones get left out.
2 Mental Health Is Glossed Over
At various stages of the series, it’s implied that insanity is linked to evil. Even though Two-Face, The Joker, and the Ventriloquist are some of the most iconic Batman villains, it's constantly emphasized that their mental health is to blame. Regarding a trio of young criminals, Batman once states that it’s not right for them not to have insanity as an excuse for their actions, as the Joker does.
As for Two-Face and the Ventriloquist, both are said to suffer from Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID). Rather than explain how the condition develops and how it can be managed, the show stigmatizes people who have it by painting the two antagonists as totally loathsome.
1 Gotham Is Closed Off From The Rest Of The World
The outside world is rarely mentioned in Batman: The Animated Series; hence viewers can wrongfully conclude that Batman is the only major superhero in the world shown in the series. None of the Justice League members ever show up to help Batman.
It would have been okay for the show to exist in its own world, like The Dark Knight trilogy and the Buttonverse. Still, the existence of other heroes and locations is acknowledged in future DCAU projects, which means it was unrealistic for BTAS to never even mention them or feature them.
NEXT: 10 Deadly Batman: The Animated Series Villains No One Remembers
FAQs
Who kills the Joker in Batman: The Animated Series? ›
However, Tim still has some sanity inside him and didn't lose his memory so he shoot and kills Joker instead as revenge for the trauma he caused to him.
What was Batman: The Animated Series Cancelled? ›Batman Animated Series from Matt Reeves and J.J. Abrams Gets Two-Season Order at Amazon. After Batman: Caped Crusader was canceled at HBO Max last August, the upcoming animated series from Matt Reeves and J.J. Abrams has found a new home at Amazon with a two-season order, per The Hollywood Reporter.
Was Batman: The Animated Series censored? ›Batman: The Animated Series is a American superhero cartoon that was made by FOX KIDS/ WB. The show was released on September 5, 1992 and it ended on September 15, 1995. Due to FOX KIDS's target market being mostly young kids some scenes and episodes were censored in order to ensure that the show was family friendly.
What disturbing content is in The Batman? ›Parents need to know that The Batman is a new/rebooted take on the iconic superhero. This Batman (Robert Pattinson) is conflicted and violent but also uses his head and learns as he goes along. The movie's action violence is intense, with killings and dead bodies, guns and shooting, explosions and crashes,…
How long was Robin tortured for? ›However, Joker started to break down Jason's will when he showed him a photo of Batman with the new Robin, Tim Drake. The abuse continued for six months, and Joker even let other Arkham inmates beat Jason. Joker also branded the letter "J" on Jason's left cheek.
Who is the Joker's son? ›Joker Jr. is the son of Harley Quinn and the mass-murdering criminal The Joker.
Has the Joker killed Robin? ›Book(s) The murder of Robin was the execution of Batman's protégé, Robin, at the hands of the Joker and his second-in-command/girlfriend Harley Quinn.
How old is Robin in Batman: The Animated Series? ›According to the executive producer, Alan Burnett, in one of his interviews, he states that Robin was 14 at the start of his appearance; the same age, his voice actor Evan Sabara was when he voiced Robin for "The Batman."
Is Caped Crusader canceled? ›“Batman: Caped Crusader” was ordered to series at HBO Max in May 2021. In August 2022, the show was scrapped along with five other upcoming animated series set up at the Warner Bros.
Will the Batman have an R rated cut? ›'The Batman' Director Always Wanted to Push PG-13 Limits: No R-Rated Cut Ever Existed.
What is the most brutal Batman animated movie? ›
Because of Darkseid's actions, Justice League Dark: Apokolips War has some of the most brutal scenes among all DC animated movies.
How did the Batman avoid an R rating? ›The Batman is Officially Rated PG-13
According to Variety, sources stated that the film was able to avoid an R-rating by leaving out nudity and excessive strong language.
The ultimate Batman villain is a deranged psychopath who acts as more of an agent of chaos than an organised criminal. Also known as the Clown Prince of Crime, the Joker is the arch-enemy of the Dark Knight — one capable of such unthinkable evil that can make even Batman shudder.
What is the rarest Batman? ›Detective Comics #27 (1939)
Any first-appearance comic will always be the most valuable in the series, so it's no wonder that the first appearance of Batman fetches a price almost double the next most valuable comic.
There's no doubt that recalling the fate of his parents is Bruce's biggest fear and regret. No matter who kills Batman's parents in different media, it's the catalyst to the person he becomes. Bruce spent all his childhood and early adulthood scared of remember what had happened.
What Batman movie was banned? ›The Dark Knight, which features a corrupt Chinese businessman as an antagonist, was not screened in mainland China when it was released in 2008 due to “cultural sensitivities.”
Who is the most disturbing Batman villain? ›Professor Pyg
Lazio Valentine is one of Batman's most disturbing and memorable villains. While working for Spyral, he was accidentally exposed to a neurotoxin of his own creation. This caused the chemist to develop schizophrenia, and he became obsessed with making people perfect.
While it's not a cardinal sin to have a superhero swear, it's surreal in the sense that the Batman of the comics doesn't even in his darkest series, and as such adding in an f-bomb has for many given off the impression that the film tried to make the Dark Knight more gritty by having him do things that feel out of ...
Which Robin suffered the most? ›Stephanie Brown was the most tragic Robin in DC Comics. She really wanted to be Robin, but at the time Batman didn't want to mentor a new sidekick. He finally relented but put Stephanie in a situation she never had a chance to succeed in. He gave her strict rules and had a zero-tolerance policy.
How long was Jason Todd dead? ›Jason remained dead for six months, his legacy haunting Batman. However, when the evil-alternate reality Superman known as Superboy-Prime punched reality itself, the timeline stuttered, and Jason was restored to life.
Why Batman didn t save Jason? ›
Though he never voiced it, Batman did privately admit that he didn't go searching for Jason because he was afraid of what he would find. He knew Jason was killing people, and Batman couldn't live with the shame of knowing that he had unintentionally created a deadlier version of Joe Chill.
Which Robin becomes Joker's son? ›Tim Drake as Joker Jr. Joker Jr. (or J.J. for short) is Tim Drake when he was brainwashed and tortured by The Joker in Batman Beyond : Return of The Joker.
Did Joker have a baby with Harley Quinn? ›Lucy Quinzel is the daughter of the Joker and Harley Quinn and the niece of Delia Quinzel.
Who is Joker's real girlfriend? ›Harley Quinn, born Harleen Frances Quinzel, was a psychiatrist at Arkham Asylum who was turned into an insane criminal and girlfriend of the Joker.
Who killed Nightwing? ›This article will discuss why Damian killed Nightwing and he did do it intentionally. Damian Wayne killed Nightwing in the comic book Injustice: God Among Us, where Superman goes insane when Joker manipulates him to kill his pregnant wife, Lois Lane.
Which Robin does Joker hate? ›The Joker Hates Dick Grayson The Most
It's a feat that the Joker has always wanted to accomplish but has never been able to due to Dick's mentality and his elusiveness has prevented the Joker from really getting to him.
Nightwing's death at the hands of Damian Wayne's Robin in DC's Injustice comics adaptation is still a controversial subject among fans.
Who is the oldest Robin DC? ›The first character to become Robin, Dick Grayson, defined the sidekick as we know him now, in his 44 years in the role: the endless puns and exclamations of “Holy … !”; the red, green and yellow tunic with a scaly speedo and pixie boots; the dependable pluckiness.
Who is the oldest Robin? ›Tim Drake has constantly retained the role of Robin, and it may be due to his abject fear of ever becoming too much like Bruce Wayne and Batman.
Who does old Robin become? ›In Tales of the Teen Titans no. 44 (July 1984), Grayson gave up the mantle of Robin, adopting a new superhero guise as Nightwing.
Is Batman Rebirth cancelled? ›
DC Comics ended the Rebirth branding in December 2017, opting to include everything under a larger "DC Universe" banner and naming. The continuity and repercussions established by Rebirth continues into the New Justice (2018–2021), Infinite Frontier (2021–2023), and Dawn of DC (2023) relaunches.
Why was Batman Beyond stopped? ›The project was scrapped due to the dark tones and controversies surrounding Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker.
Why was Batman cancelled? ›Near the end of the third season, ratings had dropped significantly, and ABC cancelled the show. NBC agreed to take over the series, but before it could do so, it was discovered that hundreds of thousands of dollars' worth of Batman sets had been destroyed. Rather than rebuild the sets, NBC dropped the project.
What is the oldest Batman animated? ›As noted above, the first Batman cartoon series was The Adventures of Batman, which starred Olan Soule as Batman, and Casey Kasem as Robin. The show included 34 stories and featured foes such as the Riddler, the Joker, and the villainous pastry chef known as Simon the Pieman.
Who is the best Joker in Batman cartoon? ›Mark Hamill's Joker has become not only the most iconic animated version of the character but one of the most well-known across any medium. As a comic book fan himself, Hamill understands The Joker's nuances like no other voice actor, underscoring his deadly nature with ironic and downright playful humor.
Who is the most accurate Batman series? ›1) Christian Bale
Christian Bale is one of the most popular and comic-book accurate versions of the superhero. Of course, it was the brilliant vision of Christopher Nolan that brought the character to life, but it's also true that Bale did a marvelous job as Batman.
As mentioned above, we now have an official release date as it's been confirmed that The Batman Part II will be released on October 3, 2025. It'll officially form part of DC Elseworlds, alongside the two Joker movies, as they're separate to the main timeline, but still part of the wider DC universe.
What was the first R-rated Batman film? ›The Killing Joke marks the first film in the DC Universe Original Movie franchise to be rated R -- and the second Batman movie to do so, after the extended home-release of Zack Snyder's Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice later this year.
Will The Batman be rated MA? ›The Batman is rated PG-13, which means that some material is not suitable for children under the age of 13. For example, movies rated PG-13 might contain violence, nudity, sensuality, and/or brief language.
What movie does Batman scare death? ›Batman scares death itself! 😂😂😂 Beware the Batman! 😎 From Justice League: Dark, The Animated Movie.
Why is Batman rated M? ›
During the course of the game, players can shoot unarmed characters and a hostage. Neon signs in a red-light district read “live nude girls” and “XXX.” The words “b*tch,” “gobsh*te,” and “a*s” appear in the dialogue. As Arkhamverse points out, the scenes of torture are likely what lead to the Mature rating.
Why was Batman censored? ›The comic released on the DC Black Label with a mature rating. Due to DC wanting to avoid further controversy they chose to censor all digital versions of the first issue and all reprints of the first issue.
Why can't kids watch Batman? ›The Batman is rated PG-13 for drug content, strong disturbing content, strong language, and strong violent content which means it may contain material not suitable for kids. Parents need to know that The Batman contains a lot of language and sadistic behavior including murder, corruption, and drug use.
What is the most violent Batman cartoon? ›- 1 Batman: The Killing Joke Gave Readers The Joker's Most Heinous Act.
- 2 The Dark Knight Returns Showcases A More Violent, Older Batman. ...
- 3 Batman: Three Jokers Gets Very Violent. ...
- 4 Batman: Endgame Presents Several Bloody Joker Versus Batman Battles. ...
The Batman is arguably the darkest, edgiest Batman movie to date.
What is the darkest Batman movie ever made? ›Batman: The Killing Joke has been animated for the screen in an adaption of the classic 1988 graphic novel of the same name. The story follows the Joker as he attempts to drive commissioner Jim Gordon insane, with Batman undertaking a desperate attempt to stop him.
Who is the most psychotic villain in Batman? ›The ultimate Batman villain is a deranged psychopath who acts as more of an agent of chaos than an organised criminal. Also known as the Clown Prince of Crime, the Joker is the arch-enemy of the Dark Knight — one capable of such unthinkable evil that can make even Batman shudder.
What villain is Batman most afraid of? ›This raises the question as to why Batman was scared of Lex Luthor specifically. The reason Batman's other villains can't compare is that Lex Luthor is the literal foil to Bruce Wayne. Bruce's greatest fear is becoming the very evil he fights against every night, which explains Batman's no-kill rule.
Which Batman has the best animation? ›Batman: The Animated Series
Of course Kevin Conroy's Batman is the best animated Batman thanks in large part to the iconic Batman: The Animated Series.
Perhaps the most powerful Nightmare Batman after the Batman Who Laughs, Dawnbreaker was a version of Batman who came to possess a Green Lantern power ring after his tragic origin. Avenging the murder of his parents, a young Bruce Wayne used the ring to kill Joe Chill and set about murdering other Gotham villains.
Is Batman darker than Marvel? ›
Even in the comics, DC is not inherently darker than Marvel outside of the realm of Batman. Characters like Superman, Wonder Woman, the Justice League, and the Teen Titans are far from what could be considered dark.
What was the lowest rated Batman movie? ›Batman & Robin (1997) - 12%
Regardless of its association with Tim Burton's Batman saga, Batman & Robin has a horrifying 12% critic score, the worst-ranked Batman movie of all time.
Batman (1943)
Batman was a 15-chapter serial film released in 1943 by Columbia Pictures and was the first appearance of the comic book character on film. The serial starred Lewis Wilson as Batman and Douglas Croft as Robin.
Lucius Fox's son Tim Fox will become the first Black Batman, DC Comics announced Thursday. The estranged son of Wayne Enterprise's CEO and brother to the former Batwing Luke Fox will don Batman's cape in its new "Future State" series, "The Next Batman."