Favorite Episodes of BTAS

[Lew Moxon]

I'm sorry if there is already a thread for this, but recently, I've been buying episodes of BTAS, and I was wondering what everyone else would recommend.

I have
Two Face 1 and 2
Mad as a Hatter
Over the Edge
Mad Love
Heart of Ice

So, what else do I need to get?

[DonC]

Just get the box set(s).

By the way, the best episode was "Almost Got 'im."

[Jorriss]

Crap you already named it, nevermind :I

[Greg Anderson]

Pretty much all the Two-Face episodes. And Over The Edge. Mad Love.

[Jorriss]

Old wounds, cold comfort and Never Fear also.

Honestly, BTAS did A LOT of stuff better than the comics, but there Tim Drake didn't. The comic version of Jason todd and drake are better leaving this new Robin to feel incompetent.

[Beacon]

Just get the box set(s).

By the way, the best episode was "Almost Got 'im."

Seconded. “Almost Got ‘Im” is one of my favorite Batman stories ever.

[frostedone]

Almost Got Im.

Never Fear

Heart of Ice

Over the Edge

Mad Love

Mask of the Phantasm (if it counts)

The Demon's Quest 1 and 2.

Robin's Reckoning 1 and 2.

Two-Face 1 and 2.

Old Wounds.

I am the Night.

Appointment in Crime Alley.

Harliquinade.

All of the Ivy episodes.

Laughing Fish.

A Bullet for Bullock.

Harley's Holliday.

Night of the Ninja.

If your so Smart Why Aren't You Rich?

Baby Doll.

Avatar.

That Episode where Gordon gets shot.

BTAS was way better then the comics, it took the best elements without the baggage. (Since it had 60+ years of comics to choose from and some of the best writers in animation EVER.)

[Infernorhythm]

Demon's Quest Parts 1 and 2. I forget details of other episodes, but this one stuck in my head for so long. Iconic, brilliant, and Batman at his finest. O'Neil can write Batman like no other. The duel in the desert, the kiss with Talia, everything worked.

[BloodOps]

Too many to keep track of. The series was so unbelievably written, there were really only 4 or 5 episodes that stand out as bad ones.

[arp2008]

Truthfully, none come to mind. Sure, there were some I liked less than others, but at the moment I can't think of any.

[bongoes]

Two-face parts 1 and 2 is the only one that immediately comes to mind.
I never really remembered the titles for all the episodes.
But really my favorite episodes of all the shows from the DCAU were the ones that crossed over between shows, like Static and Batman or Justice League and Batman Beyond.

[zur en arrh]

Definitely Demon's Quest.

Though I hate the way Ra's is pronounced in it.

[Abeja]

God, i havent seen an episode in awhile. The Clayface origin episode is the only one that comes to mind.

[Jared]

Almost Got 'Em.

Along those lines, there was an episode with Bullock, Montoya, and another cop recounting a Batman incident, Rashamon style. Can't remember the name of it, and I have the DVDs. Gah.

Heart of Ice.

Demon's Quest

Robin's Reckoning.

Appointment in Crime Alley.

The first Clock King episode.

Christmas With the Joker


Legends of the Dark Night, the Clayface girl episode, and the Barbara Gordon "Death" episode are the only ones that stand out from the WB season.

[The Beast Of Yucca Flats]

Heart Of Ice
Feat Of Clay pts. 1 & 2
Read My Lips
Heart Of Steel pts. 1 & 2
Beware The Grey Ghost
Fire From Olympus
The Laughing Fish
His Silicon Soul
Almost Got 'Im
A Bullet For Bullock
House & Garden

[The Beast Of Yucca Flats]

Along those lines, there was an episode with Bullock, Montoya, and another cop recounting a Batman incident, Rashamon style. Can't remember the name of it, and I have the DVDs. Gah.

"P.O.V."

____

[Retro315]

Without trying to think to hard or remember some of the episodes I haven't seen in a while, I'll say "The Laughing Fish" is probably my favorite episode. Amazing reinvention of The Laughing Fish and Joker's 5-Way Revenge elements ... great fight on the rooftop ... and hey, it happened to be a pretty solid Harvey Bullock episode as well, which usually makes things win in my book.

Plus, I catch myself singing the jingle all the time.

"They're finny - and funny - and oh, so delish!"

I thought the Demon's Quest was amazingly well done as well. And I have a weird love of the episode where Bruce gets amnesia (can never remember what it's called, but it's the first episode of TAS I saw on TV). And I'll throw Harley's Holiday in there as well as just fun to watch favorites, even though it's not really a top ten episode.

After that it's probably the movies ... Phantasm ... Sub-Zero ... World's Finest (which is actually a Superman three-parter, but that's splitting hairs). Not so much Mystery of the Batwoman, although I do think it's criminally underrated.

[Chiroptera]

I cannot think of a B:TAS episode I didn't like so I'm just going to agree with the advice of: Just buy the box set.

[Lew Moxon]

I was reading the "Poison Ivy (Comics) article over at wikipedea, and I read. that in the comic offshoot of the series, it was explained that there were actually two poison ivys. And thus, the difference in appearance and actions between the early years and the later years was explained. Is that true, and if so how did it work exactly? The source being wikipedea it may not be true at all.

[DonC]

I don't think that's true. There was a time jump in between a couple of the later seasons. Offscreen Dick Grayson became Nightwing, Tim Drake became Robin and most of the characters got redesigned. Along with being redesigned, Ivy got re-imagined as an actual plant ala Swamp Thing.

I hate the redesign/re-imagining of Ivy and the fact DC chose to incorporate it into the regular DCU.

[Sn4tcH]

"The Man Who Killed Batman" Not my favorite episode, but has one of my favorite moments of dialogue.

"And that's why we're going to stick that man THERE and put him in that box THERE, and drop him in that vat of acid THERE!"

I probably said it wrong, but you get the idea. Then that scene is followed up by the Joker tossing the dude into a coffin and slowly letting him fall into the acid. During this Harley is playing "taps" on a kazoo, and the Joker sheds a single tear. And as the coffin finally becomes fully submerged, Harley and Joker stand silent and solemn, until Joker says, "So, Who wants Chinese?"

[The Beast Of Yucca Flats]

Some gems from TNBA:

Never Fear
Growing Pains
Legends Of The Dark Knight
Mean Seasons
Critters

Yeah, I put Critters. Wanna make sumthin' of it?!!

[Hullababy]

I love B:TAS. Too many favorite episodes. I'll have to look into it and make a proper list I guess. But Demon's quest was awesome.

[Karl O'Neill]

Love them all.

Almost got im and heart of ice are great.

[Lew Moxon]

"The Man Who Killed Batman" Not my favorite episode, but has one of my favorite moments of dialogue.

"And that's why we're going to stick that man THERE and put him in that box THERE, and drop him in that vat of acid THERE!"

I probably said it wrong, but you get the idea. Then that scene is followed up by the Joker tossing the dude into a coffin and slowly letting him fall into the acid. During this Harley is playing "taps" on a kazoo, and the Joker sheds a single tear. And as the coffin finally becomes fully submerged, Harley and Joker stand silent and solemn, until Joker says, "So, Who wants Chinese?"

That reminds me of the novelization of forever. In the scene where Joker-Two Face thinks he's finally killed Batman, he calms down, and asks his henchmen if anyone else feels like donuts.

[Jared]

I don't think that's true. There was a time jump in between a couple of the later seasons. Offscreen Dick Grayson became Nightwing, Tim Drake became Robin and most of the characters got redesigned. Along with being redesigned, Ivy got re-imagined as an actual plant ala Swamp Thing.

I hate the redesign/re-imagining of Ivy and the fact DC chose to incorporate it into the regular DCU.

I just assume one of her plant expiriments went awry, or worked exactly to plan. Wouldn't put it past her to *want* to become a plant-woman. I didn't realize that the comics did that after the cartoon.

Definitely Demon's Quest.

Though I hate the way Ra's is pronounced in it.

Heh. When I first saw Begins, I kept thinking "they're saying it wrong."

[HopeLantern]

Robin's Reckoning
Perchance to Dream (easily the best Mad Hatter cartoon)
The Last Laugh
Old Wounds,
Almost Got Im

ANY episode with Mr. Freeze in it.

[OverMaster]

I was reading the "Poison Ivy (Comics) article over at wikipedea, and I read. that in the comic offshoot of the series, it was explained that there were actually two poison ivys. And thus, the difference in appearance and actions between the early years and the later years was explained. Is that true, and if so how did it work exactly? The source being wikipedea it may not be true at all.

That indeed happened in the second Batman Adventures animated-style comics series (following the original Batman Adventures, Batman & Robin Adventures and Gotham Adventures). But none of the events of those series are canon for the show itself.

[OverMaster]

My favorites:

I am the Night.
Baby-Doll.
Harlequinade.
The Laughing Fish.
A Bullet for Bullock.
Love is a Croc (I think I'm the only one ever who liked that episode).
Almost Got 'Im.
Heart of Ice.
The Ultimate Thrill.
House & Garden.
Mad as a Hatter.
Mad Love.
The Demon's Quest, Part I and II.
Second Chance.
Read my Lips.
Catwalk.
Trial.

I'm a bit ashamed to admit I've never watched 'Zatanna', 'Showdown', or the Talia/Count Vertigo episodes.

[1WEBHEAD]

Okay, which ones SHOULDN'T I get?

[Beacon]

Okay, which ones SHOULDN'T I get?

Critters (Normally I love Steve Gerber but that one was BAD)

Any Mr. Freeze episode from AFTER the Subzero movie (though everything before is pure gold). Victor is a lot less interesting when you remove Nora from the equation (plus the spider-head thing was silly). The obvious exception is the Batman Beyond episode with Freeze.

[FistofIron]

I love them all but if I had to pick one it would probably be The Gray Ghost.

[frostedone]

I was reading the "Poison Ivy (Comics) article over at wikipedea, and I read. that in the comic offshoot of the series, it was explained that there were actually two poison ivys. And thus, the difference in appearance and actions between the early years and the later years was explained. Is that true, and if so how did it work exactly? The source being wikipedea it may not be true at all.

Actually that is TRUE!

In Batman Adventures (v2) issue 16 we learn that the green skinned Ivy from TNBA was really a plant copy. 3 or so years before TNBA the real Ivy went away to live with Alec Holland and left one plant behind to spar with Batman and so that Harley wouldn't be lonely.

The Plant Ivy crashed Harley and Joker's wedding in issue 16. Batgirl sprays her with salt and vinager. She runs away and 3 days later she arrives a total mess in a swamp. She tells Alec that she wants to be human again (she thinks that she is the real Ivy) She dies very shortly because she can no longer store light. Alec yells for Pamella and the real Ivy comes out from a door and sees her creation and tells him the story.

Also this is from the writer of that issue himself, Ty Templeton,

"The Ivy Clone was substituted whenever you want her to be, but in my mind, it was somewhere between the last issue of Gotham Adventures and the first issue of the New Batman Adventures. (The Harley /Ivy mini is therefore, "safe" and is STILL about the original Ivy, since it was written and drawn years ago.)

I had in mind that it was not the real Ivy back in Batman Adventures (vol2), issue one, when she's stabbed in Arkham and survives it. That was the point of the stabbing scene.

In the recent issue, on the last page, we back dated Pamela's look to an earlier BTAS design to suggest she's no longer super-powered, and has reverted back to her more human form in retirement... (I figure the toxins and serums would eventually work their way out of her system and she'd revert to an earlier form.) Also, it was a much quicker shorthand in a story that's only four pages long, to distinguish which Ivy was which.

But I wouldn't retcon away two seasons worth of appearances by Ivy. That would be rude. So, in my mind, the plant monster version shows up first in Batman Adventures (vol2) #1, when Dan and I started writing it... Every other Ivy story is still intact.

Or...you can believe it's been a clone since season two. That's part of the fun of the ending."

[OverMaster]

Okay, which ones SHOULDN'T I get?

I kinda liked Critters, in a campy funny Adam West fashion.

I have to say I hated (although that's perhaps a too strong word) 'Tyger Tyger', 'I've got Batman in my Basement' and 'Girls' Night Out' (which is a shame, because I usually love Livewire). But still, any BTAS episode is worth checking at least once.

[Mac]

Honestly, I really don't have a favorite episode.
They were all so well done and just flat out great.

Although Torch Song does need some recognition for the scene with Barbra at the GPD.

Bruce: So what are you doing tonight?
Barbra: Same thing we do every night Pinky!!
Bruce: What?
Barbra: Oh nothing.

I remember thinking that reference was hilarious when I first saw that episode and still do.

[Retro315]

I just assume one of her plant expiriments went awry, or worked exactly to plan. Wouldn't put it past her to *want* to become a plant-woman. I didn't realize that the comics did that after the cartoon.



Heh. When I first saw Begins, I kept thinking "they're saying it wrong."

I remember reading Denny O'Neil's thoughts on Begins and him mentioning that Begins pronounced it wrong.

Ra's is Arabic, but ultimately comes from the same Semitic origins as Resh, the twentieth letter in the Semitic alphabet (which Hebrew, Arabic, Sumerian, etc ... all came from). And naturally, plenty of us know that Ra's al Ghul is supposed to translate to "Demon's Head" ... it's spoken of right in dialogue by people practically half the time he shows up. Ghul translating to demon, and al translating to "The". Head of the Demon. Yadda-yadda.

However, if I'm not mistaken, because of the Arabic dialects, the way they pronounced it in Batman Begins is actually a legitimate pronunciation - it's just not the pronunciation his creator, Denny, intended.

Supposedly that means it's all up to personal interpretation whether you say Raysh, Rash, Resh, Rayz, Razz, Rays or Rass. In fact, within the movie it was pronounced differently, with Liam Neeson and Bale saying "Rozz" and the flaky socialite at Wayne's 30th saying "Razz".

[Frisky Dingo]

I love them all but if I had to pick one it would probably be The Gray Ghost.

Yeah that's a really great episode. One of my favorites is "On Leather Wings". That's the one that introduces Man-Bat and it's got a lot of the key elements that make for a great Batman story.

[blackphoenix]

My favorite episode is the last one they showed back in the days when the show was coming on Sunday nights on Fox as well as weekdays(when has there ever been a so-called children's show that ran in prime time? This was the best American cartoon EVER). It was called "Perchance to Dream" and featured Bruce waking up in a world where his parents were still alive and he never became Batman. The ending was absolutely heartbreaking.

[Jorriss]

My favorite episode is the last one they showed back in the days when the show was coming on Sunday nights on Fox as well as weekdays(when has there ever been a so-called children's show that ran in prime time? This was the best American cartoon EVER). It was called "Perchance to Dream" and featured Bruce waking up in a world where his parents were still alive and he never became Batman. The ending was absolutely heartbreaking.
Off topic, but if you like that, and by some chance haven't seen JLU, there's a really good episode 'For the Man who has Everything.'

[Keehar]

I kinda liked Critters, in a campy funny Adam West fashion.

I have to say I hated (although that's perhaps a too strong word) 'Tyger Tyger', 'I've got Batman in my Basement' and 'Girls' Night Out' (which is a shame, because I usually love Livewire). But still, any BTAS episode is worth checking at least once.

I loved Tyger Tyger. Definitely one of my favourites. Quite a touching episode with the whole Tygrus/Selina thing.

Those others you mentioned are awful. So is Critters.

[kurt franklin]

Old wounds, cold comfort and Never Fear also.

Honestly, BTAS did A LOT of stuff better than the comics, but there Tim Drake didn't. The comic version of Jason todd and drake are better leaving this new Robin to feel incompetent.

BTAS was my first exposure to tim drake. In a commentary B Timm said they wanted to do Tim with Jason Todd's origin. I liked late teens-early twenties Dick Grayson/Robin, in the series. I didn't like the idea of a new, "kid robin." But I grew to really like him. Mostly because the episodes were so good and they used him the right way. Robin was created as a wish-fulfilment character, so kids could imagine fighting along side Batman. The episode where Bruce disappears and Tim teams up with Superman, is a good example of getting the most out of "kid robin." Or when Bruce tells Tim to turn himself in, in Over the Edge. Demon Within is good too.

Growing Pains and Never Fear are two of my favorites in the whole series.

Other favorites:

Mad Love
Harley's Holiday
Demon's Quest 1
Robin's Reckoning 1
Perchance
Laughing Fish
Nothing to Fear
Fear of Victory