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Batman - The Animated Series, Volume One (DC Comics Classic Collection) | 
| Director: Bruce Timm
Actors: Kevin Conroy, Mark Hamill
Studio: Warner Home Video
Category: DVD
List Price: $44.98
Buy New: $37.99
You Save: $6.99 (16%)
New (48) Used (18) Collectible (1) from $18.00
Rating:  152 reviews
Sales Rank: 4378
Format: Animated, Box Set, Closed-captioned, Color, Dubbed, Dvd-video, Subtitled, Ntsc
Languages: English (Original Language), French (Original Language), English (Subtitled), Spanish (Subtitled), French (Subtitled), Spanish (Dubbed)
Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Region: 1
Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
Number Of Discs: 4
Running Time: 625 Minutes
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.7
Dimensions (in): 7.5 x 5.7 x 1.1
MPN: D31896D
ISBN: 0790789035
UPC: 085393189624
EAN: 9780790789033
ASIN: B00023E894
Theatrical Release Date: September 5, 1992
Release Date: July 6, 2004
Shipping: Eligible for Super Saver Shipping
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| Editorial Reviews:
Amazon.com
Warner Brothers' Batman: The Animated Series (1992-1995) remains a striking, stylized program that helped to revitalize the familiar comic book hero. Drawing on such diverse influences as Frank Miller's graphic novel The Dark Knight Returns, the Fleischers' Superman cartoons of the early '40s, and contemporary Japanese animation, the filmmakers stress interesting designs and cinematography. The Caped Crusader prowls a sinister, Art Deco-styled world of tall verticals, sharp angles, silhouettes, searchlights, and grid-like shadows cast by window frames. Its visual pizzazz eclipses Filmation's pallid kidvid, The Batman/Superman Hour (CBS, 1968), which ran off and on in various incarnations through 1981. Many of the same artists worked on the Batman animated features (e.g., Mask of the Phantasm (1993), Batman Beyond--The Movie (1999)), which display similar strengths and weaknesses. Ironically, Batman: The Animated Series looks better in stills than it does in motion. The artists fail to stylize the movements of the characters to match the dramatic settings, as Genndy Tartakovsky and his crew did in Samurai Jack. Batman uses sophisticated computers to combat the well-known villains--the Joker, the Penguin, Mr. Freeze, Catwoman--as well as some less celebrated baddies: Manbat, Clayface, The Mad Hatter. The bad guys cram a lot of plotting and scheming into each 22-minute episode, but the violence is kept to a broadcast standards minimum. The Dark Knight's First Knight easily ranks as the most interesting of the extras. Producers Bruce Timm and Eric Radomski recount the genesis of the series, and show their mini-pilot, which is more violent and more fully animated. If the complete episodes had matched the pilot, the series would have been much more exciting. (Unrated, suitable for ages 8 and older: violence, mild grotesque imagery) --Charles Solomon
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| Customer Reviews: Read 147 more reviews...
Amazing September 21, 2008
King Edward
Other reviews go into great detail of what these DVD set includes, I'll keep it my review short, but this is the greatest animated series ever made.
 The Beginnings of a Legend September 5, 2008
dramadude 186 (Grayson, Georgia United States)
I grew up watching Batman: The Animated Series on TV. I would tape every episode, I had all of the action figures, and if there was a new episode on you better not even try to talk to me until it was over. Little did I know the show I enjoyed so much as a kid was being enjoyed by people of all ages, and would go on to be recognized as one of the definitive screen versions of the character. And rewatching these episodes as an adult, I couldn't agree more.
First off, you cannot really talk about this version of Batman without mentioning the art style. The characters are very stylized (just look at Batman's impossibly square jaw), and the world they inhabit is straight out of the art deco designs of yesteryear. Yet the art direction is so consistant, and the portrayal of these characters so smart and well executed, you cannot help but instantly believe in it. There is also some really impressive animation to be seen on this set, especially given the typically limited television budget. However, there is also some really poor animation on display, depending on which overseas studio was handling a given episode. The quality wouldn't iron itself out until later in the show's run, and unfortunately some of these early episodes are hard to watch because the animation is so distracting.
Another aspect of this show that was ahead of its time is the writing. Here is a show that was designed from the ground up to air on Saturday mornings, with a target audience of children. Yet the writers insisted on writing mature, thoughtful stories that were often adult in their emotional complexity, rightly assuming that kids would be able to follow the narrative even if they couldn't grasp all the nuances. It was this decision that allows people of all ages to watch and enjoy this show, and is the primary reason the show remains popular to this day. Like any good piece of family entertainment, the writers made something they wanted to watch and just remembered to keep the violence and adult content in check.
However, like the animation, the quality of writing fluxates across this volume. The mature characterizations and adult problems seen in episodes like "Two-Face" and "Feat of Clay" have to share disc space with truly poor episodes like "The Last Laugh" and "I've Got Batman in My Basement." Luckily, the good outweighs the bad, but a few episodes of dubious quality keep this set from getting 5 stars.
Sound wise, the show is also excellent. The voice cast is uniformly great, led by Kevin Conroy's definitive take on Batman. He handles the character's dual personalities with ease, and both halves of the whole are convincing. The recurring characters all have distinctive voices (you could close your eyes and have no trouble knowing who's speaking), and even better they act their roles with depth and maturity, rather than the over the top portrayals Saturday morning cartoons are prey to. This keeps the drama believable, and the actors are helped out by an outstanding musical score by Shirley Walker. Using Danny Elfman's work on the Tim Burton films as a starting point, Walker creates a grand orchestral score able to convey pulse pounding excitement or heartache as needed. She also creates distinct and memorable themes for each of the main villains, and her work is just a treat to listen to.
Finally, you can't really talk about this set without at least mentioning the Emmy-winning and fan favorite episode "Heart of Ice." The episode reinvents the previously comical, gimmick based character of Mr. Freeze as a tragic figure, a reimagining so successful that this version of his origin has been incorporated into the comics. I have to say, although I enjoy the episode immensely, it's almost a victim of its own popularity, as it isn't the end-all-be-all some people would make it out to be. But it is definitely the highlight of this set, and easily one of the series' top 5 episodes.
Anyone hankering for more of the Dark Knight's adventures after the most recent film would do well to check this set out. It provides an adult and thoroughly entertaining take on the character without some of the extreme darkness found in the more recent movies. Parents can watch this with their children and both parties will be enchanted. Definitely recommended.
The Perils of Gotham City September 2, 2008
Eric S. Kim (Southern California)
This review focuses on Burton's Batman (Batman89, Batman Returns), Nolan's Batman (Batman Begins, the Dark Knight), and 1992 original Batman: The Animated Series. I'm excluding Schumacher's Batman (Batman Forever, Batman and Robin), the 1960's Batman series, and "The Batman", simply because I believe they are the weakest representations.
To be perfectly honest, I love Burton, Nolan, and BTAS equally. All three interpretations are so different, that they cannot be compared. And it is really annoying that I find people on YouTube trying to see which one is better (most opinions are biased). So here it goes with MY opinions:
BATMAN: Michael Keaton, Kevin Conroy, and Christian Bale have given us excellent performances. Conroy (from BTAS) has the perfect voice for Batman, though the physical depiction seems a bit too much. Bale really acts well as Bruce Wayne, but his voice for Batman is too deep and goofy. To me, Keaton is the ultimate "Bruce". He has the awkwardness and the eccentricity of the character, and plus his hoarse voice for the Bat is far superior to Bale's. It's too bad that he doesn't get that much screen time in both of Burton's films.
VILLAINS: Mr. Freeze, Riddler, Clayface, Mad Hatter, Scarface, Killer Croc, Bane, Baby Doll, Penguin, Clock King, Harley Quinn, Professor Milo, Poison Ivy, and Rupert Thorne appear only on BTAS, and they are marvelous in their own right.
The Scarecrow was better portrayed in BTAS (voice by Henry Polic II) than he was in Begins. Cillian Murphy looked too young as Doctor Crane, and the actual villain was much underused in the film. Two-Face had the scariest appearance in TDK; Aaron Eckhardt was flawless. However, Two-Face in BTAS (Richard Moll) had a much better origin. Years of suppressing anger can do that, you know. Ra's al Ghul is much more interesting in BTAS (David Warner); Liam Neeson's performance in BB was just above average as he wasn't very believable to me. The Penguin, one of my favorite Batman villains, has been blessed with both BReturns and BTAS. Danny Devito and Paul Williams have done superb jobs with this antagonist. Same goes with Catwoman: Michelle Pfeiffer had the better dialogue and better catsuit, while Adrienne Barbeau was a better Selina Kyle, and her chemistry with Batman is deeper.
Finally, for the Joker we have Jack Nicholson (B89), Mark Hamill (BTAS), and Heath Ledger (TDK). All three of them are perfect. Nicholson has the best dialogue, Hamill has the best laugh and look, and Ledger has the best sadism. Three different worlds, three different performances. People on YouTube should understand that.
SUPPORTING CHARACTERS: I couldn't see Michael Caine as Alfred, so it's thumbs down from me. Efrem Zimbalist Jr. and Michael Gough are the ideal Alfred's. Aaron Eckhardt is truly a one-of-a-kind Harvey Dent. I Believe in Harvey Dent! Billy Dee Williams was great in B89, also, and he had the tough and virtuous personality, as did Richard Moll in BTAS. Gary Oldman and Bob Hastings are the definitive Commissioner Gordon's; Pat Hingle is the weakest, but certainly not at all terrible. He's just a bit too short. Morgan Freeman is the one and only Lucius Fox; Brock Peters of BTAS had the better persona, but Freeman had the better chemistry with Batman.
GOTHAM CITY: Burton captured the dark and gothic feel of the hellish city perfectly. It looks as if "Hell came sprouting out of the concrete and kept right on growing. You gotta give credit to Anton Furst, the film's art director, for creating this atmospheric universe. Gotham in BTAS also has its advantages. The towering skyline, the dangerous alleys, and the red sky make it all more mesmerizing. Nolan's Gotham looks hellish, too, but it looks too much like Chicago (filming location for both BB and TDK). But other than that, it succeeds in creating a Faustian nightmare.
EVERYTHING ELSE: The gadgets in BTAS were the most realistic, while the Batmobile for B89 was better-looking. Keaton's Batsuit is classic, while Conroy's cape and cowl is ultimately frightening. The heroines (Basinger, Holmes, and Gyllenhaal) are lovely additions, although I wish Basinger would stop screaming throughout B89. And let's not forget the music: let's give it up for Danny Elfman, Shirley Walker, James Newton Howard, and Hans Zimmer. These are the composers who gave us those catchy Batman themes. We will never forget them or their work.
CONCLUSION: Burton's universe, Nolan's universe, and Timm's universe are near ideal. I love them equally, really. I can't wait for the next film.
bang for your buck August 27, 2008
S. Pitts (Queens, NY USA)
i have to say this was so good. my little brother and i watched the whole season the day we got it, i am a major justice league, batman, superman fan and if you love any of the 3 then you should watch this.
Top notch entertainment! August 24, 2008
Richard Diaz (Olympia ,Washington)
Batman-The animated Series Volume one is a great example of what a well throughout quality action series can be. The animation, writing, and overall appearance is fantastic. I highly recommend this series to anyone who appreciates great action and quality animation.
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