The New Batman Adventures
Series, 1997, The '90s, Set in Gotham, a few years on
The New Batman Adventures is #5 of 24 in release order and #5 of 24 in chronological order in the Kids' WB Classics.
The story
After a long hiatus -- The Caped Crusader is back and cooler then ever, in the animated action-packed series -- The New Batman Adventures. Picking up years after Batman: The Animated Series, the series highlights Batman and his crimefighting cadre of Nightwing, Robin and Batgirl, as they join forces to battle Gotham City's classic super-villains.
The New Batman Adventures recap
The New Batman Adventures (1997) continues Batman: The Animated Series on Kids' WB, with a redesigned Batman leading a wider family of Gotham crimefighters. Produced by Warner Bros. Television Animation and credited to Paul Dini, Bruce Timm and Alan Burnett, it ran 24 episodes from September 13, 1997, to January 16, 1999, airing alongside Superman: The Animated Series as part of the DC Animated Universe. Kevin Conroy returns as Batman, and the look is streamlined for smoother animation: a darker costume without the yellow oval, a black-eyed Joker (Mark Hamill), a short-haired Catwoman in black and a Penguin modeled on the older comics. The stories give more room to the supporting cast. Dick Grayson (Loren Lester) has quit as Robin after a falling-out with Bruce and returns as Nightwing, and "Old Wounds" shows how they split. Tim Drake (Mathew Valencia) becomes the new Robin in "Sins of the Father," reworked as the son of a small-time crook who fled Two-Face, and Barbara Gordon (Tara Strong) is Batgirl in a costume closer to her comics debut. Episodes such as "Over the Edge," "Legends of the Dark Knight" and "Girls' Night Out" stretch the format, and guests include Etrigan, the Creeper and Supergirl. According to Bruce Timm, the Kids' WB censors allowed far more than Fox had.
The New Batman Adventures ending explained
The New Batman Adventures ends with "Mad Love," aired January 16, 1999. Rejected by the Joker, Harley Quinn remembers how she was a psychiatrist at Arkham Asylum until he manipulated her with stories of an abusive childhood, then tries to win him back by feeding Batman to piranhas on her own. She is defeated and sent back to Arkham, ready to give up on the Joker until she sees a card he has sent her. The DC Animated Universe continues with Batman Beyond (1999), set decades later, and with the film Batman: Mystery of the Batwoman (2003) in this style.
Ratings
IMDb 8.4/10
Where it fits
- Release order: after Superman: The Animated Series, before Men in Black: The Series.
- Chronological order: after Superman: The Animated Series, before Men in Black: The Series.
Cast
- Kevin Conroy as Batman / Bruce Wayne (voice)
- Tara Strong as Batgirl / Barbara Gordon (voice)
- Efrem Zimbalist Jr. as Alfred (voice)
- Mathew Valencia as Robin (voice)
- Loren Lester as Dick Grayson (voice)
- Robert Costanzo as Detective Harvey Bullock (voice)
- Bob Hastings as Commissioner Gordon (voice)
- Arleen Sorkin as Harley Quinn (voice)
- Jeff Bennett as Jack Ryder (voice)
- Mark Hamill as The Joker (voice)
- Mel Winkler as Lucius Fox (voice)
- Paul Williams as The Penguin (voice)
Created by Rich Fogel, Paul Dini, Bruce Timm.