#BTAS: Heart of Ice

[savage-kult-of-gorthaur]

"SOONER OR LATER, ALL WHO STAND IN MY WAY MUST FEEL THE ICY TOUCH OF DEATH!"

PIC INFO: Resolution at 813×1200 -- Spotlight on the former Dr. Victor Fries, now the self-proclaimed "Mr. Freeze," infamous ice cold supervillain from Batman's so-called "Rogues Gallery." Artwork by Alex Ross, published c. December 2021.

MR. FREEZE: "The snow is beautiful, don't you think? Clean, uncompromising..."

BATMAN: "And cold."

FREEZE: "Like the swift hand of vengeance."

-- "BATMAN: THE ANIMATED SERIES" (1992), "Heart of Ice,"e the fourteenth episode of the first season, written by Paul Dini & directed by Bruce Timm

Sources: https://x.com/SalAbbinanti/status/1471128187874783235 & IMDb.

[geekynerfherder]

'Batman: Heart Of Ice' by Giulia Del Mastio.

Officially licensed 24" x 36" giclee print, in a numbered Ice Variant edition of 40 for $60; and a numbered 3D Variant edition (with free 3D glasses) of 100 for $60.

On sale Wednesday June 5 at 12pm ET through Bottleneck Gallery.

[inbarfink]

[warrenwaskilledbyadeer]

I love to rewatch my favorite B:TAS episodes and cry

[twistedtummies2]

Year of the Bat - Number 6

Welcome to Year of the Bat! In honor of Kevin Conroy, Arleen Sorkin, and Richard Moll, I’ve been counting down my Top 31 Favorite Episodes of “Batman: The Animated Series” throughout this January.

  TODAY’S EPISODE QUOTE: “It would move me to tears, if I had tears to shed.” Number 6 is…Heart of Ice.

Many seem to consider “Heart of Ice” to be the single best episode of “Batman: The Animated Series.” If it isn’t number one, it’s usually VERY high up, typically in the Top 5 at least. So for me to rank it a mere number six is probably blasphemy, in some people’s minds. As usual, I have nothing against “Heart of Ice” – far, FAR from it – but I just have personal biases that cause me to like five other episodes more. Of course, we’ll get to those stories when we get to them…for now, let’s focus on this one. This episode marks the first appearance of Mr. Freeze, and is famous for its reimagining of the character’s origin story. In the comics before this point, Freeze was a pretty standard, honestly rather dull villain: as one version of Green Lantern described him, he was “a two-bit gimmick villain from Gotham City.” Back then, he was an unnamed mad scientist, whose experiments in creating a freeze ray led to him needing to wear a special suit to keep himself in a sub-zero environment at all times. He was honestly depicted as sort of a blundering sort, whose condition was self-inflicted by his own foolhardiness. He was also known by a different name, “Mr. Zero.”

It was actually the Adam West series that first reinvigorated the character: not only was that show the series that gave him the title of “Mr. Freeze,” since the series’ creators felt that was a catchier name (and they were so very right), but they added a surprisingly tragic element to the character’s backstory: Freeze was still a mad criminal scientist, but his condition was no longer self-imposed. It was revealed that, when he first met Batman, the Caped Crusader (accidentally) doused Freeze with some of the dangerous chemicals he was experimenting with, and Freeze’s cold-hearted attitude was largely a result of his bitter desire for vengeance against the Dark Knight, whom he felt had robbed him of a normal life. Of course, the Silly Sixties could only go so deep with this pathos, due to its focus on campy comedy. It was the Animated Series that brought Freeze to critical mass, taking some of these same elements and expanding on them in a way that has now become legendary.

In “Heart of Ice,” we find out that Mr. Freeze was once a good man: a cryogenics expert by the name of Victor Fries, who was trying to save his wife, Nora, from a terminal illness. Unfortunately, Fries ran afoul of his employer: an entrepreneur named Ferris Boyle, who tried to shut down his experiments, not caring about Nora’s wellbeing at all. Victor tried to fight back, and was tricked by Boyle, who knocked him into a collection of unstable chemicals. This is what has led to him becoming Mr. Freeze: an ice-themed supervillain who can no longer exist outside of arctic-level temperatures, seeking vengeance against the one he blames for destroying his life and trying to murder his poor, beloved bride. When Batman is put on the villain’s trail, he ends up in Freeze’s crosshairs. Honestly, there is so much I could talk about on what makes this episode so magnificent. For starters, it’s one of the best animated episodes of the show, in my opinion. (The only one that might top it is “Feat of Clay.”) The music is spellbinding, with Freeze’s haunting, music-box-like theme repeated throughout the score, in stark contrast to Batman’s grandiose, orchestral power. It’s also notable for featuring Mark Hamill as a character OTHER than the Joker, as he plays the role of Ferris Boyle in the story. (Apparently, he actually recorded the voice of Boyle before ever landing the role of the Ace of Knaves, even though several Joker episodes all predate this story’s release. Weird.) And of course, the themes present in the story – the difference between vengeance and justice, and of what it means to be truly human – are powerful and nuanced in their presentation. One could write a whole book about what makes this episode so great, and still not have said enough. So…again, probably heresy leaving it out of the Top 5. For those of who are (unfairly) upset with me, I feel there’s no better apology I can give than Mr. Freeze’s own final lines: “I can only beg your forgiveness, and pray that you hear me somehow, someplace. Someplace where a warm hand waits for mine.”

Tomorrow we move into the Top 5 of the countdown! Hint: “My fault…I didn’t get the joke��”

[zap20]

One of the most difficult/fun exercises I’ve done since getting into drawing is recreating these two posters. One is my favorite horror movie and the other is just one of my favorite things ever. I think they turned out great!!

[vilevexedvixen]

And Batman the animated series is both! ^^

Hello Tumblr community I am here to bring you this meme which is totally not based on myself

[to-the-batcomputer]

the two face theme from btas is soooo good i remember i was half asleep while watching those episodes and the music was scaring the hell out of me

[batmanisagatewaydrug]

this is a neat one! I /think/ this might be the first reference to Mr. Freeze's tragic dead wife backstory in mainline DC continuity, or at least the first one I've caught.

Freeze had been around since 1959 (known at Mr. Zero, until he was renamed by the 1966 Batman TV series) but didn't get his iconic backstory until a 1992 episode of Batman: the Animated Series titled "Heart of Ice." the new backstory stuck immediately, further cemented by Freeze's depiction in the 1997 movie Batman & Robin just a few years later.

despite that it seems to have taken a while to migrate into Batman comics proper. a promotional one-shot graphic novel (Batman: Mr. Freeze) retelling Freeze's origin was released for the 1997 movie, taking place in its own continuity outside of thee movie or comics. so unless I've missed something, I think this issue (Legends of the Dark Knight #121) might be the first time we see Nora as an integral part of Freeze's character! fitting, since Freeze's appearance is VERY in line with his BTAS design

especially compared to the hulking look he was sporting in one of his most recent appearances prior in Shadow of the Bat #75.

nothing really substantial to say about all of this, I just think it's very neat reading comics from this era and watching influential pieces of lore come into play :3

[montimer]

Could I request btas Scarecrow, Hatter, and Joker (or any variants if you want to switch things up) accidentally hitting their s/o? Not in the abusive sense but like their s/o was just standing really close while they were flailing their arms in a rant or something. The hit wasn’t bad, maybe just a bruise or something minor like that. I assume these boys would blow it out of proportion though.

Joker,MadHatter,Scarecrow (seperated) x gn!reader

Good idea!

Them accidentally hitting there s/o

Joker

He was walking around while ranting. Probably about one of his pranks getting ruined by batman.

He came closer,standing next to you.

"Can you believe that?!" He asked as he raised both of his hands quickly. Then he felt hitting something w/ one of them, then an "ow"

He look there with a worried expression "Darling? Are you okay?"

After calming him down and getting him to stop kissing the spot that he hit, he still looked lil guilty.

You just gotta tell him that its all good and give him a big hug showing ur okay.

Mad hatter

He probably threw his cup while talking to himself, not knowing you just come in to check on him. He then heard an "ow" and when he looked there, it was you there backing away.

His heart sank. He didn't know! He didn't wanted to hurt you!

He quickly made his way to you. "Oh dear, im so sorry. I didn't know you were there"

He kept on apologizing.

You cupped his face in ur hands telling him its ok.

Maybe it left a little brush which made him feel very guilty. He'll bring some ice for it.

Scarecrow

He was probably talking to himself too. Maybe about something not working out.

You heard him and wanted to see if hes okay. So you came into his labor.

You go behind him, which he doesn't notice being too angry still talking to himself.

You speak up. He quickly looks behind slapping you. "WHAT?!"

But then he notices its you. He feels so bad.

He puts his hands up, he has a worried expression. "Oh y/n I-i didn't know- im so sorry"

Hes not sure what to do, and he doesn't wanto make you uncomfortable.

You tell him its all good and that you shouldn't have sneaked up behind him.

Your apology just makes him feel more guilty. Other people would have snapped on him by now, but you actually heared him out.

He will be quiet for the rest of the day, doing whatever you ask him to.

[izunias-meme-hole]

My Top 10 Batman Villains (Revamped)

(Because I currently need to get this off my chest, also a lot of these are just in my opinion)

Honorable Mention: Bane (Various) - Despite being misrepresented as a dumb brute and the fact that one of the best adaptations of him somehow gets his voice and nationality wrong, Bane is a villain with QUITE the deserving reputation. A walking tank with a luchador mask that has the brains to match his brawn.

Number 10. Scarecrow (Nolan Trilogy) - Crane wasn't a big villain in the grand scheme of the trilogy, but my god Cillian Murphy does a great job with the character. Like I wish that his supervillain outfit wasn't just a bag over his face, but Scarecrow manages to be quite the dangerous and cowardly loon with a mask of sanity in Batman Begins, an active member of the underworld in The Dark Knight, and the guy actively sending folks to their deaths in The Dark Knight Rises. Could we have had more of him? Yes. Did he use up his screen time well? Absolutely. Though his fear toxin could've been infinitely wilder.

Number 9. Mr. Freeze (BTAS: Heart of Ice) - I feel like this is a "to the surprise of absolutely nobody" moment, but this show reinvented Mr Freeze as a tragic and vengeful figure, and his debut was a perfect example of that.

Number 8. The Phantasm (BTAS) - The Phantasm is one of the best darker counterparts to Batman a lot of levels.

Number 7. Harley Quinn (BTAS) - The minor side villainess turned breakout character of the show. If anyone has seen B:TAS and then seen the rest of the media she's in, then you know why this is the best version of her. A good amount of things about the character being based around her actress (R.I.P Arleen Sorkin), her interactions with half the cast, Peak HarIvy content, the best representation of how bad her situation with her abusive ex was, and the perfect mixture between being a not-so-great-person and a precious lil' thing who deserves better.

Number 6. Ra's Al Ghul (Various) - Ra's Al Ghul may be a more international threat in comparison to the other antagonists I've listed, but he's undeniably one of Bruce's greatest foes. A very rich and powerful older man whose mission and persistence is similar to that of the caped crusader. Though unlike Batman, Ra's is willing to do more than just kill, he's willing to commit genocide, and he's willing to use other harsh and controlling methods in order to create his ideal world. Ra's is pretty much the the worst elements of Batman shoved into a singular self-righteous figure, and when done well he's easily one of the greats.

Number 5. Two-Face (Various) - Harvey Dent is a man split down the middle, a two-faced dude in more ways than one, and an irredeemably tragic figure no matter the perspective, though funnily enough he's always a victim of chance. He's a victim of the one worst possible outcome that had just as much of an opportunity to be the best possible outcome. It's part of the reason why he makes choices based off a literal coin flip. Chance put Dent in the circumstances to become a villain, and as he surrenders his entire being to chance as Two Face.

Number 4. Oswald "Penguin" Cobblepot (Various) - He's just a pathetic and horrible little man. No I'm serious. Oswald has had various portrayals over the years, but they can all be summed up at "pathetic and horrible little man wanting respect" and its great to see in action because despite the fact that he can be legit menacing and sometimes tragic, Oz is just inherently ridiculous on some level. It's great.

Number 3. Catwoman (Various) - Selina, Selina, Selina... she's cool. Sure she is a classic example of a "femme fatale," but aside from that Selina has always been a thrill seeker in some way or another. Be it as a jewel thief who proudly shows this, or an anti-hero that covers this part of herself with actual justifications, there is always an aspect of Selina that enjoys what she does when she puts that mask on. Mrs Kyle is enjoyable, idk what else to say.

Number 2. The Riddler (Various) - Genuinely impressive intelligence and creativity mixed with an ego as big as 3 Russias and as fragile as a glass bottle. That's what you're always bound to find in Riddler. Be it in the 60's show, BTAS, Batman Forever, The Arkham Series, Gotham, or The Batman, Riddler is a Redditor with the theatrics of a gameshow host and the resources of John Kramer.

Number 1. The Joker (Various) - Come on. We all knew this was gonna happen. The Joker is a crook who fell into a vat of chemicals and got a clownish makeover, who ended up becoming the nemesis of Batman. While the other rouges have their particular danger levels, they all have some type of cause they're fighting for or they're purely out to benefit themselves. Joker just causes chaos, death, and suffering, for the sake of his twisted sense of humor. He is willing to kill and ruin lives in the most creative way possible, so long as he finds it funny. Yet despite how twisted he is, this evil ass clown actually can be funny. Not only that, but he's the most effective contrast to Batman, even more than the other rouges. Batman is a frightening figure with a semi-demonic visage who suffered one bad day in his youth, yet he is a hero dedicated to the cause of justice and protecting the innocent citizens of Gotham City. Joker is a colorful figure with a big 'ol grin on his face and a jovial demeanor, yet he is perfectly okay with causing as much unwarranted harm to others for the sake of artistic chaos. Ultimately, the Clown Prince of Crime is a villain that's managed to last for decades, despite the ever marching clock, for these exact reasons.

[fantastic-nonsense]

Hallo!! So you replied to me on twitter the other day with your Batman Comic list thingy (its late and im tired while asking this) and I was wanting to ask if you know any really good Mr. Freeze comics I should look for and read? Love that dude fr

Hi! I'm happy to!

so the tl;dr on Mr. Freeze is that he's basically a totally different character in comics that came out before the Batman: The Animated Series episode "Heart of Ice" in 1992 than in comics that came out after that episode. The DCAU version is really the definitive version of the character, and the popularity of that portrayal changed how he was portrayed in comics afterwards. And honestly...the majority of his good stories have been told within the DCAU and its various connected comics. He's unfortunately an extremely underutilized villain in the comics even after BTAS made him popular. So, that being said, here's a few good Mr. Freeze stories.

DCAU-verse:

Batman: The Animated Series S1 Ep. 14, "Heart of Ice"

Batman & Mr. Freeze: SubZero

The Batman Adventures: Sub-Zero

The Batman Adventures: Dangerous Dames & Demons

Batman: Gotham Adventures #1, 5, 40, 43, 45, 51, 53

Many of Freeze's major non-DCAU comic appearances can be found in Batman Arkham: Mr. Freeze, and here's a list of his most prominent (and decently-written) appearances in the comics:

Batman (1940) #121 (Freeze's first appearance)

Detective Comics (1937) #373

Batman: Mr. Freeze (by Paul Dini)

Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #190-196, "Cold Snap" and "Snow"

Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #201-203, "Cold Case"

Gotham Central #1-2, "In the Line of Duty"

Batman: Gotham Knights #59, "Fire and Ice"

Batman: One Bad Day: Mr. Freeze

He also shows up as the co-villain (along with Penguin) in the Detective Comics "City of Crime" storyline (Detective Comics #800-808, #811-814) and as a supporting villain in the final arc of Cassandra Cain's Batgirl solo, Batgirl (2000) #65-73.

Hope this helps, and have fun reading!

[zahri-melitor]

I am FORGING ONWARDS, given I'm down to 3 more Holiday Specials to go, then getting back to this year's Santa story.

Next up is 'Tis the Season to be Freezin' (2021)

Window Shopping - Robin and Mr Freeze. I finally get a new Tim story in a Holiday Special and it has to be BTAS!Tim. Anyway Tim goes to buy Bruce's christmas present from a not-at-all suspicious shopkeeper who mysteriously has gifts nobody else does:

Interesting beard, sir, as is that Spock in command yellow holding a lightsaber.

Only to be interrupted by Mr Freeze freezing Old Gotham Square during an oncoming blizzard so he could reminisce about something good from his childhood. Tim talks Victor down and gets him back to Arkham, then we get to see the Christmas presents he's giving.

The Syphoning - Vixen and the Super-Pets. Fun Mari story! Penguin's captured the Super-Pets and is trying to steal their powers and mind control them to do his bidding.

I hate to say it, but this feels really fanficcy, down to Mari giving a speech to Cobblepot to go get some therapy.

Bizarro v Seasonal Depression: Dawn of Climate Change! - Bizarro.

Bizarro text gives me a headache, I'm sorry, particularly reading a story written wholly in it. In any case, this story is about a bunch of villains melting the 6 polar icecaps of Bizarro World and Bizarro getting the water vapour refrozen into a single icecap.

Stay Frosty - Firestorm and Killer Frost.

I liked this one! Killer Frost has reformed, but Firestorm is on monitor duty with her and doesn't quite trust that she has turned over a new leaf. Eventually he trusts her, after they take down the Royal Flush Gang together.

Snow Date - Polar Boy.

Firstly, Andrew Dalhouse deserves some praise here for the colouring job, which I really enjoyed.

Polar Boy and Comet Queen have a date while enjoying the ice sculptures of winter festival characters on different planets that Polar Boy made. Also they defeat Captain Freeze who wanted to steal Captain Cold's cold gun.

A Change of Heart - Harley Quinn and Blue Snowman. It's interesting when occasionally the pandemic gets a form of reference in comics. Here's it's a new lethal virus that causes pustules, which has infected Ivy. Harley tries to cure Ivy, first by getting the virus frozen (which freezes Ivy into a block of ice) then stealing an ancient healing rod to heal her.

Only this theft interrrupts a sting operation run by Hawkman and after some confusion, Harley and Blue Snowman team up with him.

Hawkman gets the rod, they heal Ivy with the power of friendship (okay 'heart, community, belief') and all is well.

Christmas: Cold and Fast - Flash and Captain Cold. This is essentially a sequel/rewrite of a A Flash Christmas Carol from 2016 - it hits all the same beats.

Captain Cold has dressed up as a donations Santa and is collecting to get toys to all the children of Central City. Barry suspects Snart's just doing it for Crimez reasons but gets talked into helping: Snart creates snow and an ice rink for the city, while Barry delivers all the presents while dressed up as Santa.

We also get a surprise last minute appearance of You Know Who.

Break the Ice - JLQ.

Solstice party for the Justice League Queer.

Oh hey, Ray Terrill! I haven't read any of your recent stuff.

This is...fine? The crew have to calm down Sigrid Nansen, Ice Maiden, who is having a breakdown about identity (and now wants to be Glacier). The themes. They are obvious.

[damianbugs]

Have you ever watched any of the DC animated stuff ? Like BTAS and JL/JLU ? I always wondered what would be your thoughts on those.

i am afraid i have not seen very much of the animated dc content! i have watched most of the batman movies (to which i enjoyed most of them, especially Batman: Mask of the Phantasm, Batman: Under the Red Hood and Batman vs Robin), and in regards to shows the only one i watched and finished to completion was The Batman (2004). i am a huge fan of early batman content and i loved robin dicks portrayal, and it was very easily to focus on.

i have watched some episodes of BTAS when i see someone talking about them and become curious. my favourite episodes are "The Forgotten", "Heart of Ice", "Baby Doll", "Second Chance", "The Demon's Quest" and "Perchance to Dream". all fantastic episodes with amazing writing and i have been meaning to watch the series in a full one day!

i am aware the dcau has like, years of connected lore but i am more interested in comics than i am in animated content, especially for characters outside of batman :]

[urbaneturtle]

DCAU Rewatch: Batman the Animated Series 14: Heart of Ice

After his attempt to cryogenically freeze his wife is thwarted by corporate sabotage, the scientist Victor Fries embarks on a mission of cold vengeance as the deadly Mr. Freeze.

Credits

Written by Paul Dini

Directed by Bruce W. Timm

Supervising Composer Shirley Walker

Music Composed by Todd Hayen

Animation Services by Spectrum Animation Studio

This is the first major contribution to the series from Paul Dini (outside of contributing to the original writers’ bible), who would go on to have a major hand in shaping the rest of Batman and the DCAU. It is also the first full collaboration between him and Bruce Timm, who directed this episode. These two have gone on to become synonymous with both this series and the DCAU in general. That is obviously reductive, but given that this episode is arguably the defining episode of the series, it is not surprising. Dini’s script is incredible, granting Freeze haunting soliloquies, beautifully performed by Michael Ansara.

Spectrum provides truly stunning animation in this one, and this studio might be the best to work on BTAS. TMS is incredible, obviously, but they take some liberties with the style that sometimes clashes with the Timm designs’ focus on streamlined simplicity. Spectrum manages to combine fluid and expressive animation with that flat, minimal aesthetic. Even the most cartoony characters in this episode, there’s a goon who only has black dots for eyes, move and emote like real people without ever feeling too cartoony or out of place. I think the secret is in the dynamic high-contrast shadows. It adds mood and depth to the environments and individuals. The Batmobile action in this is also incredibly well-directed and dynamic, with the car spinning across the frame without ever getting wonky or curving strangely.

The influence of the classic Fleischer Superman shorts on the look of the series is particularly evident here with the way Spectrum animates the episode. The fluidity of motion, the contrast of light and dark, and the art deco look of the technology and machinery all evoke that midcentury aesthetic. As a kid, I always thought there was something scary about those Superman shorts, like there was some kind of real danger. They were not brightly colored and full of quick cuts. They were dark and moody, with villains who were imposing and you felt the weight of the physical confrontation. When Superman struggles against the energy beam or the train, we watch his body contort to stop it or his arms flex and squash. That same approach is taken in this series and works especially well here. The machinery whirring in the Batcave looks like it comes from a different time.

Heart of Ice remains the gold standard not just in this series but in television animation. There are so many quiet moments that help to build Batman’s character .....

Read the full commentary for Heart of Ice totally FREE, no charge, as a preview for what to expect as part of the DCAU Rewatch! On Patreon!

[arrowsangel]

So recently I saw a Batman/Breaking Bad Comic and it gave me an idea that hasn’t left me yet. I now present to you: Victor Fries, Brother-in-Law of one Bruce Wayne. Essentially, Nora was Bruce’s sister (Adopted or blood related is up to you).

If you use the BtAS canon, I imagine Heart of Ice would be the same, but I imagine Bruce would visit Victor after to help with the therapy.

Deep Freeze is where a lot of changes could occur, enough to change the entire movie afterwards. It would start the same with Victor getting kidnapped, but then the changes begin. Bruce would be called as the next of kin about his disappearance instead of as Batman, then he and Dick would have to search for Freeze. The episode would still mostly play out the same, but once Batman and Freeze are alone, Batman would reveal that he is Bruce and ask for Victor’s aid while pledging his for Nora. The end of the episode plays the same, but there’s a choice this time, either Victor can get himself an Nora out with Bruce and Dick, or the episode ends the same.

The movie would obviously be changed most, or not even happen honestly. That’s enough from me though, what are your thoughts?