#but Bruce Timm was involved in the series

[cyanide-sippy-cup]

I couldn't find any screenshots of it, but one thing I love about Teen Titans is how Robin acts pretty similarly to DCAU Batman, including that eyebrow raise they do when they're confused out of their minds.

Again, I couldn't find any screenshots of Robin doing it, but I'm sure most of you know what I mean. The one eye twitching, the other raised.

I've said it before, but I just love the little things.

[poisonousquinzel]

Batman: The Animated Series Harley Quinn being the Blueprint for Modern Harley Quinn

my actual version of this post

Working On The Side Of / With The Batfam

Harlequinade (EP) • "Batman and Robin have no time to spare in stopping the Joker from detonating an atomic bomb, so they enlist the help of Harley Quinn to hunt the Joker down."

Batgirl Adventures • "When Poison Ivy is captured by mobsters, Harley Quinn must act quickly to save her, so she turns to the only hero she can find: Batgirl!"

Batman: Gotham Adventures #43 • "Who's out to get Harley Quinn? Batman has to take her on as a sidekick to find out. The answer awaits deep in Harley's history...that is, if she and the Dark Knight survive the traps set for them all over Gotham!"

Batman: The Adventures Continue Season 1 (2020) #12 | Season 3 #2, #5, #7

-

Also before anyone comes @ me all "oh but what about her participating in the Death in the Family storyline", I've made a post here talking about the exacts of Harley's involvement in Jason's death.

Trying To Have A Better, Reformed Life / Redemption Arc

Batman: The Animated Series "Harley's Holiday"

Batman: Gotham Adventures #10

Batman: The Adventures Continue Season 3 (2023) #2

Ending Scene In Batman Beyond: Return Of The Joker

Being A Little Goofy Gal

Batman: The Adventures Continue Season 2 (2020) #7

Batman: The Animated Series • "Holiday Knights", "Harlequinade", "The Man Who Killed Batman"

Dressing Revealingly / Being Sexual

Batman: The Animated Series • "Harley & Ivy", "Harley's Holiday", "Holiday Knights", "Beware The Creeper"

The Batman Adventures: Mad Love

Being Bisexual (cry about it♡)

Paul Dini: When Bruce and I did the Harley and Ivy miniseries, it was certainly implied that [Ivy and Harley] had a relationship with each other—they shared hugs and kisses. I didn’t want that to overpower what the story was, but the relationship between them is so natural.

Paul Dini: The more I worked with [Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy], the more I could see [a romantic relationship] happening. Unfortunately, at the time, in an animated kids cartoon, you really couldn’t get into the complexity of that or honor what a relationship like that could really be. We just showed them together as friends and on fairly intimate terms when they were out of the costume, but nothing was implicit because if we couldn’t do that relationship properly then we didn’t want to do it at all.

Batman: The Animated Series • "Holiday Knights"

Batgirl Adventures (1997)

Love Is Love (2016)

Batman: The Adventures Continue Season 3 #2-7

Breaking The Fourth Wall

Batman: The Animated Series • "Harley's Holiday"

HQ, turning her head towards the camera: "Talk about grasping at straws. Oh, well, at least I'm going out on a joke."

Being A Domestic Violence Victim (And That Being A Prevalent Aspect Of Her Story)

"Everyone else sees the Joker laugh, only Harley has ever seen him cry. It's the only reason she stays with him.

Harleen, having once been a therapist, has touched onto his vulnerability. She knows who he is underneath. That’s what keeps her there."

- Arleen Sorkin [Batman: Animated | Interview Add-On Comment]

Batman: The Animated Series • "The Laughing Fish", "Harley & Ivy", "Mad Love"

Justice League • "Wild Cards"

The Batman Adventures: Mad Love (comic)

Harley Quinn: Mad Love (Novel)

Batman: The Animated Series | The New Batman Adventures Episodes

Harlequinade Aired: May 23, 1994 Writer: Paul Dini Director: Kevin Altieri

Harley's Holiday Aired: October 15, 1994 Writer: Paul Dini Director: Kevin Altieri

Holiday Knights Aired: September 13, 1997 Writer: Paul Dini Director: Dan Riba

The Man Who Killed Batman Aired: February 1, 1993 Writer: Paul Dini Director: Bruce Timm

Harley & Ivy Aired: January 18, 1993 Writer: Paul Dini Director: Boyd Kirkland

Beware The Creeper Aired: November 7, 1998 Writer: Rich Fogel Story by: Steve Gerber Director: Dan Riba

The Laughing Fish Aired: January 10, 1993 Writer: Paul Dini Director: Bruce Timm

Mad Love Aired: January 16, 1999 Writer: Paul Dini Story by: Bruce Timm & Paul Dini Director: Butch Lukic

Justice League Wild Cards Aired: December 6, 2003 Writer: Stan Berkowitz and Dwayne McDuffie Director: Butch Lukic

Ending Scene In Batman Beyond: Return Of The Joker Story: Paul Dini, Glen Murakami, Bruce Timm Screenplay: Paul Dini Director: Curt Geda

The Batman Adventures: Mad Love Writers: Paul Dini, Bruce Timm Pencilers: Bruce Timm Inkers: Bruce Timm Colorists: Bruce Timm, Rick Taylor Letterers: Tim Harkins Editors: Scott Peterson, Darren Vincenzo

Batman: Gotham Adventures #43 Writers: Scott Peterson Pencilers: Tim Levins Inkers: Terry Beatty Colorists: Lee Loughridge Letterers: Albert DeGuzman Editors: Joan Hilty, Harvey Richards

Batman: Gotham Adventures #10 Writers: Ty Templeton Pencilers: Rick Burchett Inkers: Terry Beatty Colorists: Lee Loughridge Letterers: Tim Harkins Editors: Darren Vincenzo

Batman: The Adventures Continue Season 1 #12 Writers: Alan Burnett, Paul Dini Pencilers: Ty Templeton Inkers: Ty Templeton Colorists: Monica Kubina Letterers: Josh Reed Editors: Andrew Marino

Batman: The Adventures Continue Season 2 #7 Writers: Alan Burnett, Paul Dini Pencilers: Rick Burchett Inkers: Rick Burchett Colorists: Monica Kubina Letterers: Josh Reed Editors: Andrew Marino

Batman: The Adventures Continue Season 3 #2 Writers: Alan Burnett, Paul Dini Pencilers: Kevin Altieri Inkers: Kevin Altieri Colorists: Monica Kubina Letterers: Josh Reed Editors: Andrew Marino, Ben Meares, Katie Kubert

Batman: The Adventures Continue Season 3 #5 Writers: Alan Burnett, Paul Dini Pencilers: Ty Templeton Inkers: Ty Templeton Colorists: Monica Kubina Letterers: Josh Reed Editors: Ben Meares, Andrew Marino, Katie Kubert

Batman: The Adventures Continue Season 3 #7 Writers: Alan Burnett, Paul Dini Pencilers: Ty Templeton Inkers: Ty Templeton Colorists: Monica Kubina Letterers: Josh Reed Editors: Ben Meares, Andrew Marino, Katie Kubert

Batgirl Adventures (1997) Writers: Paul Dini Pencilers: Rick Burchett Inkers: Rick Burchett Colourists: Rick Taylor Letterers: Albert DeGuzman Editors: Scott Peterson, Darren Vincenzo

Love is Love (2016) Writer: Paul Dini Illustrator: Bill Morrison Colourist: Robert Stanley Letterer: Sal Cipriano

Harley Quinn: Mad Love (Novel) Written By: Pat Cadigan and Paul Dini

I am aware this last one isn't technically in the BTAS universe, but later on in the novel, it blends into the Mad Love comic/episode and then goes past it. I only used scenes that were originally featured in the comic/episode as they are just those scenes in a purely written form.

Harley Quinn: Mad Love (Novel) Pg. 261 He lowered his head and slumped, the very picture of dejection. Harley couldn’t stand to see him that way. She cuddled up next to him and took him in her arms. “I know how to make some smiles, puddin’,” she said in a playful, sultry voice. His whole body stiffened under her touch. “Puddin’?” But she knew it was hopeless; she’d done the wrong thing again. A moment later, he was leading her down the stairs by her nose, pinching it so hard between his thumb and forefinger that she cried out on every step. “Ow-ow-ow-ow-ow! That hurts! It really, really hurts! Please, puddin’—” He pinched even harder as he led her to the door, opened it, then turned her around. “How many times do I have to tell you?” he roared, applying his foot to her backside. “Don’t call me puddin’!” Harley scrambled to her feet just as he slammed the door in her face. She started to beg him to let her in but suddenly all the fight went out of her and she sank down to sit cross-legged in front of the door. Thrown out again; how many times was this? She’d lost count. No, she hadn’t. This was the twenty-fifth time. That averaged out at roughly three times a week for the past two months. - Harley Quinn: Mad Love (Novel) Pg. 255 “Hey, that’s a real gasser, ain’t it, Mistah J?” she said between giggles. In the next moment, Gordon thought the nitrous was making him hallucinate as events took a sharp turn into the surreal. The Joker grabbed the floppy points on Harley’s hat, pulling her to him so they were nose to nose. “I deliver the punchlines around here!” he bellowed into her face. “Got that?” “Yessir,” Harley Quinn said, her voice tiny and fearful. The Joker shoved her aside and the jolly Clown Prince of Crime persona was back.

[thesparkwhowalks]

I absolutely loved Batman: Caped Crusader's take on Barbara Gordon. A defense attorney working to ensure that everyone gets their fair hearing despite Gotham City being corrupt top to bottom, aiding her father's attempts to clean up the GCPD while still expressing skepticism that the PD are the answer to what ails the city. She's the Gordon who gets a hotline to Batman, which is a cool dynamic.

I've seen some people clown on Bruce Timm for aging her up, as multiple productions he's been involved in made Batgirl and Batman an item. People find that creepy, which it definitely was in BTAS but here's the thing: its only creepy because Barbara Gordon's age has been notably reduced over the years.

In Batman: The Animated Series, she was Dick Grayson's college classmate. In Batman & Robin, Barbara Wilson was a student of some kind (high school?). In The Batman (2005), Young Justice, Beware The Batman, and DC Super Hero Girls, she was a high schooler. She's of similar age to Dick Grayson everywhere these days, including the comics.

Which is wild because she was like thirty when Dick was like nineteen Pre-Crisis.

When Batgirl first appeared, she had her doctorate in library sciences. After two in-universe years worth of fighting crime, she was elected as Gotham City's U.S. Congresswoman. She briefly retired from crimefighting before deciding she could do both. She served her two year term, lost re-election, and moved back to Gotham full time. College student Dick Grayson even volunteered at one of her re-election campaign events, IIRC.

Batman even set Barbara Gordon (whose secret identity he did not know) and Clark Kent up on a date once, in the pages of Superman #268.

So while I get that for people in my age bracket and below, Caped Crusader ages Barbara Gordon up quite a bit, she's actually closer to the version that Bruce Timm would have grown up with.

And, personally, I find fully adult congresswoman Batgirl much more interesting than teen hero Batgirl.

[bluestranger]

batman: caped crusader frustrates me. i've only seen 2 episodes, i like that it's a love letter to btas (which got me into batman in the first place) with bruce timm's involvement, but did we really need it? couldn't we have gotten a gritty cassandra cain batgirl series instead?

no one at dc has the guts to truly adapt cassandra cain either in live-action or animation and that sucks!!

[jesncin]

Part of me thinks that under WarnerMedia while My Adventures with Superman got greenlit in 2021, some of these decisions could either feel self-insert like with Mindy Kaling’s Velma or a mandated checkbox fulfillment to suit corporate desires. It can explain why they wanted Lois Lane to be a more prominent character to fit current narratives and trends. I’m all in for well written characters, but it needs to be done in a way where it makes sense. Here’s too hope James Gunn handles her well with the same craft as with Richard Donner and Bruce Timm’s iterations.

so I heavily disagree with this and I'm spider-sensing some uncomfortable dogwhistles here. What do Kaling's Velma and MAWS even have in common? MAWS' marketing didn't push a titular celebrity to the extent Velma did. Any reason you've decided to compare two shows on the basis that both have prominent women of color in the lead? Velma's an adult comedy mystery while MAWS is an action adventure with a heavy focus on romance (it may be on Adult Swim, but it was never intended for an adult audience. That was corporate shenanigans). Saying they're catching some sort of trend to follow Velma is pretty ignorant of how difficult it is to pitch an action animated kids show with a woman in the lead. Entirely different markets and genres. And from what I've heard, the MAWS crew mention they had surprisingly little executive restraints which allowed them to go out of the box with their takes.

Also Lois being prominent or the lead of a Superman adaptation is not new or a trend. "Lois & Clark", "Superman & Lois", even one off animated movies like Reign of Supermen had Lois as the POV lead or heavily involved. She has led many comics on her own. I don't love this insinuation that her being racebent is a "trend"- especially when the MAWS crew mention American Alien as their source of reference for their version of Lois and Jimmy.

"I'm all for well written characters, but it needs to be done in a way where it makes sense". I don't know what you mean by this. 1. there are no well written characters in the entirety of MAWS, and 2. What needs justifying to you? Aren't well written characters self justified by being well written? Is there something about a WOC in the lead that is threatening your suspension of disbelief? Because boy have I heard that tons of times before.

I get that film and tv adaptation heavily influences popular perception of a character, but why do we place our hopes on these white guys to do justice on a character like Lois of all people. This dismisses the many women and other talented creatives who got to work on Lois in the comics. Like why zero in on MAWS Lois being a "self insert"? I don't like to auteur-ify a collaborative medium like an animated series, but MAWS was pitched by Jake Wyatt. He's the showrunner. Lois is Asian in his pitch packet. How is that a self insert? If anything, I wish an Asian creative put more of their life experiences onto Lois because then she wouldn't feel like someone so interchangeable with a white woman. And misogynisticly written.

Just kind of weird to ask this to us, the chindo authors who made a fancomic about Lois being chindo, informed by our lived experiences as chindos. That's arguably as self insert as it gets. While I'm interested in James Gunn's take on the Superman mythos, I'm not getting my hopes up on a pre-dominantly white cast and no current narrative emphasis on committing to Superman as an immigrant. Also I didn't suffer through Guardians 2's take on Mantis just to hold this white guy up as the pinnacle on writing women.

[solarsonicsoda]

Ranking 500+ Theme Tunes - #22: Freakazoid!

You're a freakzoid! No, it's not a cartoon bully insult, it's a cartoon show! This follows wacky superhero oddjob Freakazoid, the alter ego of Dexter Douglas formed when he unlocks a secret key on his computer... or rather his cat does when he gets on the keyboard. Armed with access to all the knowledge of the internet, classic superhero strength and speed, plus seemingly some sort of Deadpool-esque fourth wall breaking. You are still a freakazoid though.

One look at this show and you can see a clear involvement of Batman: The Animated Series' Bruce Timm. One look at the writing and you can see a clear involvement of the same Warner Bros. and Spielberg team that created the likes of Animaniacs. Naturally, this is a pretty cool combination. The show heavily leans into the comedic, despite having the superhero basis to draw from. Whilst fighting bad guys and balancing the life of superhero, Freakazoid is still sure to throw in an array of meta and pop-culture references along the way.

Now I can't say that I had really heard of this show before looking into things more. This one is quite a cult classic it turns out, not performing as hoped when it originally aired but garnering a lot of love with reruns and word-of-mouth. It was first shown as part of Warner Bros. lineup, but much of its love is associated with its later run on channels like Cartoon Network. I definitely find myself enticed to watch this one from everything I've seen, as its a fun-looking show! But does the theme stack up?

Freakzoid Theme Song

A great fit of a theme song! This one is goofy, self-referential, and funny, which is a brilliant fit for the show in question. I love the off-the-wall and quick-paced catchiness of this tune. Lots of unexpected silly lines make this one extremely enjoyable, not to dismiss the great vocal performances that bring this one together. It's a theme that I often find stuck in my head and making me giggle from that alone, which is exactly what you want to hear from a comedic theme song. I don't know that it's truly transcendent, but I thoroughly enjoy hearing this one.

Being a great fit for its show, a fun and silly song, and a wonderful performance puts this one right towards the top of our tier list. This one is gonna sit extremely comfortably in A!

Stay tuned for more and be sure to send in any suggestions for other shows you'd like to see done (after the 500 already in the pipeline that is). Check out the intro to this series here, and check out the tier list.

[frankendykes-monster]

Word salad incoming.

Something insidious about Batman is how the character often time functionally exists as an outlet for liberals to engage with the concept of the forever war. When the people that worked on comics started to be people that originally read comics and loved superheroes to such an extent that the latter became objects worth of serious study, there also came the point when comics found their new primary audience to be adults rather than children, so it was an obvious consideration, what eventually becomes of Batman? How does Batman end? And a lot of people came away from that saying, well Batman fucks up and fails because you literally can't permanently stop crime from happening.

Crime being a social construct to direct the concept of violence away from the bourgeoisie class is a post in and of itself, but for entertaining Batman as a concept, a lot of people just straight up cannot imagine a future where people aren't actively harming and killing each other. And this isn't without precedent. Superheroes are a fundamentally reactionary concept, based upon great man theory, with entire fictional universes spanning decades built around their exploits. They're not a good fit at all for actually exploring what violence is and how it manifests and, you know, the restructuring of society as a whole (which, for as much as I love superheroes to tears, is a major reason why I roll my eyes at people talking about how important they are.)

But even disregarding all of that, it reveals that a lot of people do fundamentally regard them as a farce even if they would have you believe the complete opposite. What's the point of reading and watching their exploits nonstop and being convinced that their work does good in the world if the end involves them fucking up and failing? What's the point in humoring them as a concept if it's all for not?

Batman Beyond really fucked up a looot of people's perception of the character and was a good source of "...Bruce Timm doesn't actually get it does he?" long before he had Bruce and Barbara Gordon fuck on a rooftop. What was the point in seeing the Batman of The Animated Series, most people's direct reference for the character, eventually become a disgruntled old cunt that isolated everyone else and didn't ultimately do anything to make Gotham a better place? What was the point of Scott Snyder and Greg Cepullo's Batman run in The New 52 if we just learn that Bruce literally can't make a world where Batman doesn't need to exist, he just has and endless supply of clones sitting in the wing to be Batman forever?

[urbaneturtle]

DCAU Rewatch: BTAS 6 The Underdwellers

A rash of petty crime perpetrated by children leads Batman into a clash underground when he encounters a man who fashions himself as The Sewer King.

Story by Tom Ruegger

Teleplay by J. Dennis & R. Mueller

Directed by Frank Paur

Supervising Composer Shirley Walker

Music Composed by Stu Balcomb and Lars Cutterham

Animation Services by Studio Junio

I’ve always had a soft spot for this episode. There are elements of it that strain credulity, but the concept of Batman liberating a group of orphaned children works for me thematically and this is one I have particularly vivid childhood memories of.

This is the first time I feel like the dialogue and attempts at humor in this series really work. The banter between Alfred and Bruce where Alfred encourages him to take a vacation is very funny and completely in character.

ALFRED: I do believe a break from Wayne Enterprises and crime fighting would do wonders. Perhaps a vacation? Golf?

BRUCE: Sounds boring.

ALFRED: In the Bahamas?

BRUCE: Hot and boring.

There’s a little bit of self-deprecation in the way Bruce responds, but also complete truth in it. He needs to remain busy. Boredom is too dangerous a concept for his brooding nature. Alfred trying to deal with the kid from the sewers, is full of great visual gags. All of the stuff with the boy in the mansion is great and helps round out Batman and Alfred both. It reminds us that this guy is not merely an avenging demon of the night. He cares deeply about the people he is trying to protect.

Sewer King himself is more pathetic than threatening. (Bruce Timm admitted the original script involved more overt abuse than primarily his ranting, but I think his physical cruelty is pretty well implied and I can do without it more visualized). His screaming and raving paints him as a petty little man. I do like that, though. A guy who collects and enslaves orphaned children and manipulates them into thinking they are unloved and unwanted is as pathetic as he is evil. He can’t exert power over anyone with power and so he takes out his cruel fantasies on the helpless. Someone who takes advantage of orphaned and abandoned children is a natural enemy for a man like Batman who is dedicated to protecting the innocent (and repeatedly takes in wayward children of his own).

READ THE FULL ANALYSIS AND COMMENTARY ON PATREON

[fancoloredglasses]

[RERUN] Holy nostalgia!

(Thanks to Dark Detective)

[All images are owned by DC Comics and 20th Century Fox Disney. Please don’t sue me]

Ah, Batman...campy, goofy, 1966 Batman...

A confession: I am not old enough to have seen Batman in its original run, but I grew up watching it in reruns. I fondly remember it feeling like a comic book with all the BAMs, POWs, CRASHes, and of course ZOWIEs during the fight scenes. Then I hit my teens and early 20s and realized how stupid it was.

Maybe it’s due to hitting my X0s that I can start seeing what they writers and actors were going for. Series creator William Dozier (who also was the narrator for the series) said he never read the comic before being assigned by 20th Century Fox to make a Batman series (something that a lot of the creative staff for DC movies have in common. I’m looking at you Burton, you Donner, and especially YOU, Schumacher!), but he realized that if he wanted to make a series that would appeal to kids as well as parents, he needed to go completely over-the-top!

And over-the-top it was! The problem was that within a few years the comic started steering away from the goofy tone and toward a tone that was more...if not grim then at least more serious. Unfortunately, the series set the tone for what Batman would look like on screen until 1989 (including Casey Casem’s Robin parroting Burt Ward’s “holy” addiction in Superfriends), and the characters were what people thought of when thinking of Batman, the Joker, and the rest until Bruce Timm and Paul Dini redefined Batman’s entire feel in 1992 (only to have Joel Schumacher nearly kill it in 1997)

(Thanks to tenor)

But this isn’t about what Batman became, but what Batman was.

For all the jokes about Adam West’s “square Batman”, the fact that West was the only Batman with a beer-gut, the endless “Holy” exclamations...

...the fact that Cesar Romero would do anything to be the Joker except shave, I do still enjoy the charm of the show, although there are a few glaring issues I have (and most involve the women of the show)

Let’s start with “Aunt” Harriet Cooper. First off, both Bruce Wayne and Dick Grayson are orphans. Neither have any family that could have taken them in (hence why Alfred raised Bruce and Bruce raised Dick after their respective parents’ deaths), so whose aunt is she supposed to be? Plus, she has free reign of the manor (though apparently she doesn’t enter Bruce’s study) Do you mean to tell me she has never heard the Bat-phone going off and wondered why Bruce had a special phone that beeps?

Then we have Barbara Gordon.

AKA Batgirl.

Now, I get that Commissioner Gordon doesn’t know his daughter wears purple tights and fights crime, but Bruce Wayne is supposed to be the “World’s Greatest Detective” and even he doesn’t know who Batgirl is?!

Finally we have Catwoman, who (if you count the movie) was played by three different actresses and no explanation was given.

And now we have the biggest issue I have (that doesn’t involve the women in the show). Batman, Commissioner Gordon, and Chief O’Hara all refer to the GCPD as “the finest police force in the world” (yes, they may be a bit biased) However, Batman repeatedly tells Gordon and O’Hara to keep the cops out of his way. Moreover, when the police are involved, they come off as incompetent.

This level of idiocy wouldn’t be seen again until 2012 when Gordon leads the entire goddamn GCPD into the sewers in The Dark Knight! If the GCPD is the finest in the world, the rest of the world must be Keystone!

(Thanks to laughland)

...no offense to the hometown of the Golden Age Flash...

Once again, if anyone has a favorite episode, let me know!

[iholli]

it's such a good fucking time to be a DC fan I am so excited about EVERYTHING coming up rn we got

• confirmed season 3 of MAWS

• Creature Commandos confirmed fully 2d hand drawn animation

• Batman animated series involving Bruce Timm

• confirmed animated Blue Beetle series

• James Gunn Superman

• Peacemaker season 2 (I didn't watch the first season but I'm happy it's happening anyway)

• Watchmen animated movies

WE JUST. KEEP. WINNING.

[poppetsisters]

Might as well get this out of the way, in this hypothetical universe, here's how I'd pace it:

X-Men was hot in the 90s, so that's the first show the team does more or less out of studio mandate. Universal acclaim, dark subject matter, action and adventure. You get the idea.

Then, Bruce Timm gets to make his Fantastic Four cartoon. This is where, much like in Superman: The Animated Series, the team starts crossing over with other heroes such as Hulk, Black Panther, and Ant-Man. It's also where they start breaking into an overarching story.

Around this time, they're also getting to work on Spider-Man. Kinda a breather from the two previous team shows. Bruce Timm is very happy to dig into the Ditko-esque drama of the Spider-Man world.

then it gets a weird spin-off that nobody remembers.

Dwayne McDuffie would then make a show centred around a newly created young black superhero in the Marvel Universe. It becomes a cult classic celebrated for its diversity and tackling of social issues.

At long last, an Avengers show is created, followed up by Avengers Unlimited, both of which bring out the whole Marvel Toybox in an overarching story involving alien invasions, alternate universes, and Doctor Doom.

Alternate Universe where Warner Bros Animation made the Marvel Animated Universe in the late 90s

[red-bat-arse]

i love batman the animated series and jason todd but the two do not intersect. the only thing i liked about jason appearing in the animated series' comic universe was his design and i think that says a lot

[lolotheparagon]

Batman the Animated Series had 4 producers behind the show: Alan Burnett, Eric Radomski, Paul Dini and Bruce Timm. And it’s quite telling how one clearly didn’t age well after BTAS was finished:

Eric Radomski:

- Went on to produce the Spawn cartoon, Xiaolin Showdown, Shaggy and Scooby Doo Get a Clue (too overhated imo)

- Produced tons of Marvel cartoons like Ultimate Spider-Man, Avengers Assemble and Guardians of the Galaxy

- Now works as senior president of Marvel Animation, a position he’s had since 2010

Alan Burnett:

- Went on to overlook tons of DC projects like Justice League, Superman etc.

- Co-produced tons of Scooby Doo and Tom and Jerry direct to DVD movies. Seriously.

- Produced the fucking Ozzy and Drix cartoon

- Pretty much been involved in every direct to dvd movie most ppl have grown up on

- Retired after a healthy career of 40+ years working in TV animation

Paul Dini:

- Went on to produce/direct other DC and Warner Bros cartoons including Freakazoid, Duck Dodgers and Krypto the Superdog

- Got a writing spot on the first season of Lost and wrote some episodes of the Clone Wars cartoon

- Admittedly made some weird characters (Jingle Belle in particular, the concept of her is fine but who the fuck kinda artists did you hire to design her Paul?!) Not to mention his other characters were adult women with typical perv-pandering designs (like many comic book writers) but he wasn’t horny on main 24/7

- Wrote a very poignant autobiography documenting a traumatic mugging/assault he had back in the 90s during BTAS’ run and all of the Batman characters pep talk him into recovering from his trauma.

Bruce Timm:

- PORN

[thevindicativevordan]

What do you think of Justice League: Gods and Monsters? Especially its version of Superman.

Of the movie in general I'm a fan. It's the only post-DCAU work from Timm that made me believe that he's got some of his old spark remaining inside.

Story moves at a rapid pace so you don't get to spend as much time in this universe as I'd like. But what's there is solid and works within the timeframe given. Someone is framing the Justice League for murders of scientists, scientists who are all connected to a mysterious "Project: Fair Play". Sounds like a typical Justice League story, except this isn't your typical Justice League. Instead of the Trinity we know, here Superman is the son of Zod, Batman is a vampire, and Wonder Woman is a princess of the New Gods. Other differences abound, such as a Lex Luthor who is older and not power hungry, Amanda Waller being the President, Lois Lane not being in Superman's corner, and more. Such a shame that we never got to see this movie spun out into a full fledged animated universe the way Timm clearly was hoping, because the world building is in place to support a JL show.

Animation here is in the Timm-DCAU style and that helps the quality level markedly. Fight scenes are on par with some of the best in the DCAU, particularly the final fight at the end between Superman and the Metal Men. I'm not one for nostalgia over the DCAU but watching this movie, I must admit greater appreciation for how Timm's style results in more fluid animation. The DCAMU struggled to animate the more detailed style of that universe in ways that often led to choppy fight sequences, and watching a return to the old style helped me understand why many disliked the change. Think this was also one of Andrea Romero's last animated projects, and as expected from anything with her involvement, the voice acting was great.

I talked already about Superman here, and this movie's take on Batman and Wonder Woman are just as enjoyable twists on familiar archetypes.

Batman is still a weird figure of the night, and also someone who is connected to the traditional Batman Mythos: Kirk Langstrom who is normally Man-Bat. Not the first time Batman has been a vampire but Kirk being the man under the cowl makes for an intriguing change. For one he's a killer who feeds on criminals in order to sate his bloodlust, but isn't a sadist like most killer Batmen become. While he and Bruce have similar issues with social interaction, Kirk is less messed up emotionally because he isn't motivated by trauma. Telling Tina that he cares for her and won't let any harm come to her is that kind of confession that takes Bruce enormous effort, but Kirk makes it look easy despite his default emotional tone being rather deadpan. While Hernan gets focus as well it's really Kirk who is the main protagonist given he has direct ties to the villain responsible for framing the League, and is the one who takes point investigating the connection between the victims.

In line with her counterparts, Wonder Woman is similarly still a Princess from a utopian society blessed with divine powers. Furthermore she abandons her perfect home because of her love for a man. Unlike Diana however, Bekka is a deity herself, and a New God instead of a champion of the Old Gods. Her "man" is Orion of Apokolips, and it's his death which she helps facilitate that convinces her to break ties with New Genesis and flee to Earth. She's less kill happy than her teammates, or even when regular Diana is waving around a sword, and also less uptight and regal. Sad to say but while I think Timm had good ideas about Bekka, and I would love to see another movie or a series that picks up where this movie leaves her, much like her DCAU counterpart she is the weakest of the Trinity character-wise. Hernan and Kirk get little characters arcs that leave them in different places by the end, while Bekka doesn't change, something she acknowledges herself at the end. Clearly Timm wanted to do more with her which sadly doesn't seem likely to happen.

Far as Elseworlds go I thought this was one of the better ones, certainly a much more nuanced and interesting take than I would've expected from Timm. If we had only gotten the shorts/series he had planned I think this absolutely could be a universe strong enough to support further stories. Definitely recommend it as one of the "good" DC animated movies for anyone looking to kill an hour or two.

[waluigis-biggest-fan]

Every Batman Ship Reviewed

Julie Madison: Nobody gives a shit about Julie Madison. Don't pretend you do.

Viki Vale: 5/10. She was done well in the Tim Burton Batman movie, not really anything else. They're alright together but its too vanilla for my tastes.

Selina Kyle: 3/10. Not actively harmful but Jesus does DC over-idolize this ship. They don't go together, that's the point. You only need to watch the first BTAS episode to understand every BatCat story ever. Bruce and Selina meet, they flirt a bit without really diving into the emotional aspect of their characters and how they help each other grow. Bruce and Selina are pitted against each other in some way, usually related to an environmental issue, although Batman writers seem to forget that was the entire reason she was a thief originally. Bruce discovers her identity and he either unhappily sends her to jail or, more likely with later stories, she outsmarts him and manages to actually steal the thing he was trying to stop her from stealing making him look unprofessional and stupid. I actually hate this trope so much that I wrote an entire fic about how when Azrael meets her, he just fucking breaks her wrist, cuffs her, and the story is over because Azrael is actually competent. The best thing to come from this pairing is Helena Wayne. I may be slightly salty because this pairing gets all the limelight and you never see any other relationships besides BruTalia or, if Bruce Timm broke into the writer's room again, BruBabs.

Speaking of which, Talia: 1/10. Jesus Christ, what a nightmare. Just look up any modern storyline involving her and you'll understand why I say that.

Black Canary: 1/10. Step away from Ollie's girlfriend Bruce.

Harley Quinn: 10/10. https://www.tumblr.com/thepiratelordofmordor/695061124450861056/batquinn-and-harlivy-my-perspective?source=share

Kathy Kane: Wait what? I thought they were cousins. I mean I'm no stranger to shipping cousins but I kinda figured we avoided that in canon works. (also the fandom page for Batwoman has a bad habit of just labelling every female individual who claims to be "Batwoman" at some point as Batwoman. That seems counterintuitive but that means that if a character makes a joke about not being Batgirl but instead being Batwoman, she gets a place on the page.)

Lois Lane: 9/10. Just cause I hate the flying boy scout.

Shondra Kinsolving: 1/10. I'm skipping a lot of the most minor relationships because nobody has heard of or cares about the characters but since I'm collecting the Knightfall comic series collections, I actually own the comic she's featured in. Basically the story is fine, if a little sparse on the actual details of their attraction, but what kills it is that, instead of having them break up for any reasons like, oh IDK, being kidnapped by your brother to kill people with psychic powers, the story just gives her brain damage to remove the possibility of a relationship. That's cheap writing and I don't support it.

Wonder Woman: 8/10. I like the idea. This one had some pretty good subtext in Justice League (animated show, 2nd animated show, or movie, take your pick). They'd work well together.

Zatanna Zatara: 8/10. I like them together aesthetically but nobody's ever actually tried to make a story based around these two paired up.

Barbara Gordon: IDK/10. https://www.tumblr.com/thepiratelordofmordor/694586329809485824/brubabs-examination-with-a-hint-of-jokebatsussy?source=share

And now I'm going to bed. Goodnight gentlexen.

[ara-line]

I think I realized something here

I’m currently rewatching Batman: The Animated Series and now that I’m on The New Batman Adventures, I’ve realized that having Bruce and Barbara be together romantically is a lot like having Katara and Aang be together in ATLA.

 1. POWER DYNAMICS. Katara is sort of a mother figure to Aang throughout ATLA. For this reason she’s less likely to call him out on his bullshit, like keeping the map to their father in season one for example. Bruce and Barbara have a different dynamic, but there’s still a power imbalance. The BTAS canon suggests Bruce knew Barbara since she was a teenager due to his friendship with her father, and when we first meet Barbara in the show proper, she’s in university while Bruce is in his mid to late thirties. These two factors alone mean Barbara is less likely to call Bruce out when he’s cold and dickish to the people around him. It gets worse when you take into account she dated his adopted son Dick before him. 

2. MALE FANTASY. Katara and Aang is pretty much the male fantasy of a junior high school boy ending up with an older girl who is light years ahead of him in development and therefore, has to baby him throughout their romantic relationship. Bruce and Barbara is the male fantasy of an older man having a younger woman who lacks the life and romantic experience to see that they’re in different places in life and be able to properly assert herself in the relationship.

3. BOTH KATARA AND BARBARA HAVE BETTER ALTERNATIVES IF THEY MUST BE IN A ROMANTIC RELATIONSHIP. Katara could be with Zuko, who she’s on equal footing with. She’s able to banter with Zuko in a way she can’t with Aang, and she can speak her mind with him too. She’s able to have a life outside of him in the form of her being a powerful waterbender and being involved in Fire Nation-Water Tribe diplomacy. This allows for a much healthier relationship and it lets Katara grow as a character. 

The same thing applies to Barbara as well. If she has to be in a romantic relationship with someone, why not Dick? At most, there’s probably a couple of years in age difference between them, and much like with Katara and Zuko, both can banter with each other in a way neither can with Aang and Bruce. Barbara can get more room to grow if she’s with Dick than she could if she were to be with Bruce simply because both of them are in the same place in life.

4. AND FOR SOME REASON, THE CREATORS OF BOTH SERIES SEEM TO HATE THE BETTER ALTERNATIVE. With the ATLA comics, you have Zuko ruling the Fire Nation on his own and dealing with the pro Ozai faction while going through Mai’s bullshit and having Azula to help heal. Zuko also ends having Aang promise to kill him if he ever turns out like Ozai and there’s a whole bunch of other stuff I don’t remember but he basically goes through all of this with no support from his friends OR Iroh.  

Meanwhile, in the Batman Beyond comics, there’s this whole subplot with Bruce getting Barbara pregnant shortly before Dick comes back in town and all so that’s why Dick and Bruce never reconcile. Like dude, Bruce Timm, why do you hate Dick that much? And Barbara too? What did they do to you? If you wanted to convince the audience that Bruce and Dick never reconcile, wouldn’t it be better if Bruce simply drove everyone away after the Joker kidnapped Tim? It would at least make more sense.

So yeah. That’s it for this post. Even when I first B:TAS as a ten year old, the whole Bruce-Barbara romantic relationship bothered me. It’s just now that I’ve watched both ATLA and BTAS, I’ve sort of seen some parallels between these two pairings. Funny, isn’t it. When a show is as good as these two, it makes the flaws all the more apparent in comparison to an average show.