This old cartoon serves as the ultimate nostalgia.
Artwork by Zach Salas
Almost every evening I can remember from my youth, at least from when I was about 6 or 7, I would rush to the TV to watch re-runs of The Adventures of Batman and Robin on Cartoon Network.
To me, and to many children growing up in the ninety’s, this cartoon Batman was the Batman. The intro was the same each time; two thuggish silhouettes blow up a bank whilst robbing it. As they escape onto a nearby roof, a dark shadow drops down in front of them. Stunned, they turn to see the iconic dark shape of Batman, whose eyes narrow as he sizes up his prey. Every single time I watched that, it sent a shiver down my spine. Sadly, however, there came a time when Cartoon Network no longer showed the Dark Knight looking over the city, his cape billowing in the wind. On that day, I resigned that that part of my childhood would be locked away forever, and that I would never see my childhood icon again…
Yet, to my surprise, I was rewarded with that piece of my childhood on my birthday: I discovered the 2nd season of The Adventures of Batman and Robin, originally known as Batman: The Animated Series, on DVD. When I popped the first DVD in, I was instantly basked in the ultimate nostalgia. It was amazing, like reliving my childhood over and over again with each punch. Batman has always been my favorite superhero, and it’s utterly undeniable how awesome the Caped Crusader really is.
The first thing I noticed about the show, that I hadn’t really noticed when I was a child, was how dark the series was. It was like if the 40’s had been moved up to modern day, then pushed into a bucket of black paint. The film-noir aspect helped paint Gotham City as a bustling metropolis by day, and a dark, dirty, devilish place by night. One of the things I loved the most about the series was the Batmobile, because it looked like the love child of a Lincoln town car and a F-117 Nighthawk stealth fighter. The artwork of the series is amazing, and while it is dark, it is detailed and intricate beyond belief.
The second thing I realized was how intricate the voice acting was. Voice actor Kevin Conroy plays our iconic hero, and through subtle voice changes, playboy Bruce Wayne becomes the savior of Gotham. Each super villain, from the articulate Riddler, to the crazed Joker, is chilling and realistic, as far as super villains go. Mark Hamill, best known for his portrayal of Luke Skywalker in Star Wars, is simply the best Joker ever. Jack Nicholson was creepy, Heath Ledger was a madman, and Mark Hamil is the perfect mix between the two. This is why he and Kevin Conroy lent their talents to the recent video game hit Batman: Arkham Asylum, as the Batman and Joker respectively. Thanks to the special features, I found out that the actors were all in the same room when they recorded, and they all interacted at the same time, making the recording an electrifying experience.
The reason why this is the best portrayal of Batman I’ve ever seen, is because it is a perfect medium between all the worlds of Batman. The Adam West series is corny and lame, the comic books and recent Batman Begins and The Dark Knight are too dark and complicated, and Batman: The Animated Series is a mixture between dark realism and puns and action for the kids. Also, a lot of people don’t like Batman because Robin is a kid, and running over the rooftops in tights with a kid is something that raises a lot of eyebrows in today’s society. Yet this Batman portrays Robin as a college student, leaving out the awkwardness of a young boy in tights.
When you get down to it, Batman is a bit ridiculous. Is it unrealistic? Of course! But then again [news flash everyone] it’s a cartoon! It’s supposed to be unrealistic! How anyone can really take Batman seriously is beyond me. I mean, it just kind of kills the mood if you analyze everything Batman does. Yet if you let your inner child come out, you’ll find yourself biting your fingernails until the end.
