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...How do you trump the Batman: The Animated Series boxset?
Answer: You release a second one!
As that little bad joke suggests, the Riddler joins the line-up of Batman's Rogues Gallery in the second collection of Batman: The Animated Series. And it's surprising to me that I actually enjoy the new one even more. It has everything the first one had, and more, more appearances by Robin, more battles with the Joker, more of crime boss Rupert Thorne, and of course, more of Batman himself, voiced brilliantly by Kevin Conroy, who has done the voice of Bruce Wayne and his alter ego in more than 200 different DC related animated shows, not to mention about 5 different animated movies and 3 video games(and a few cassetes as well!). Conroy has the dark, brooding voice of Batman down pat, so much I can't imagine Batman sounding like anything else now. Props also to Loren Lester, Emfram Zimbalist Jr., and Mark Hamil, who do the voices of Robin, Alfred, and the Joker, respectively. There's so much good stuff on this set. Some of my favorites include the return of Clayface, who's slowly dying; Hugo Strange attempting to auction Batman's secret identity off to his enemies; two episodes of Batman taking on a deadly ninja from his past; the Riddler's debut; Bruce Wayne awakening to a "perfect" life; and many others. There's also Off Balance, which features a cameo from Ra's a' Ghoul. However, Ras himself won't be actually causing any mayhem until the 3rd and final TAS set. Like the first set, this one has a few documentaries behind the series, although while the first one went behind the creations of the show, this one goes into the making of the supporting cast(Robin himself gets a whole documentary). There's also some more top talent, including Seth Green, John Rhys-Daves, Bud Cort, Micheal York, Matt Frewer, Julie Brown, Tom Wilson, and even some top voice talent such as Jim Cummings, Jeff Bennett, and Paul Eiding, oh, plus there's also Melissa Gilbert as Batgirl! This set is a great buy for fans of Batman, animation, or just looking for a good TV series in general!
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I'm not exaggerating when I say that I think this was the best animated superhero show ever. From the very first episode the film noir style capture the truest essence of the old-style Batman. The gritty, vengeful Batman...the expert detective and martial arts master. This show featured so much to love from the outstanding animation to the well-written scripts to the fantastic voice talents. This set contains 28 Batman Episodes over the 4 disk set. Here are some of my favorite episodes of this great set:
"Perchance to Dream" Marvelous episode as Bruce wakes up thinking he had only dreamed that his parents died and he became the Batman. But he slowly unveils the truth and now Bruce has to battle his alter-ego, Batman.
"The Strange Secret of Bruce Wayne" - When Judge Vargas, a friend of Bruce Wayne's, is blackmailed by Dr. Hugo Strange, Bruce journeys to Strange's health resort in Yucca Springs to investigate. Strange has a machine that can see people's thoughts and discovers that Bruce is Batman. He then attempts to auction Batman's secret identity to the Joker, Two-Face and the Penguin.
"If You're so Smart Why Aren't you Rich?" - When Edward Nygma, the creator of the computer game, 'Riddle of the Minotaur,' demands his share of profits he is fired. Nygma vows revenge, and years later when his former boss is selling his company Nygma makes his move and becomes the Riddler!
"Joker's Wild" - The Joker breaks out of Arkham Asylum when he learns billionaire developer Cameron Kaiser has built a gambling casino exploiting the evil clown's likeness. Batman is also infuriated, knowing the Joker will destroy the casino and everyone in it to avenge his wounded pride.
"The Laughing Fish" Hilarious episode. The Joker has developed a chemical which induces a 'Joker' smile on fish. He makes a visit to the Gotham copyright offices, demanding a copyright for his Joker fish. When the frightened bureaucrats tell him that such a copyright is impossible, he threatens to kill them one by one until he gets what he wants.
"Harley & Ivy" - After the joker kicks her out of the gang, Harley Quinn forms a partnership with Poison Ivy. The Joker has a fit when he hears of their 'Thelma and Louise'-style crime spree, and sets out to get Harley back.
"Zatanna" - When the glamorous magician Zatanna is framed for a robbery during her act, Batman comes to her defense. The two heroes unite and use the skills her father, Zatara, taught them to expose and combat an evil illusionist.
"Mudslide" - Clayface is falling apart- literally. His clay like body is virtually disintegrating. Fortunately, a woman scientist he knew from his movie star days is working on a remedy. However, Hagen is forced to steal money to pay for the expensive components of the remedy.
"Off Balance" - While following Count Vertigo's trail, Batman encounters a Lady In Black and learns that she is Talia, daughter of the head of the Society of Shadows who was sent by her father to prevent the capture of a sonic drill that the Count stole. But after his identity is mistakenly revealed to Talia, Batman remains off-balance as to where her true loyalties lie.
The outstanding writing in the series should come as no surprise as the shows were written by many long-time comic writers including len Wein, Paul Dini, etc. These guys really know Batman and capture him so close to Bob Kane's original vision. Obviously the violence is toned down from the comics but that doesn't mean there's any lack of action.
If I have one minor complaint its that the episodes are NOT in chronological order. Not sure why Warners did it this way. The set comes with commentary on several episodes and a few short featurettes which were really good.
Now maybe if they can put together a Justice League package just like this one, I can die happy!
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It doesn't get any better this, folks. Batman:TAS has been hailed for years as THE best incarnation of Batman, capturing an essence that the films, TV show, etc could never achieve. And I agree! The writing is beyond excellent! Each 20+ minute show draws you in to the world of Gotham and all of its fascinating characters and architecture. The animation is superb and is better than later attempts. Standout epsidoes include "Laughing Fish" with Harley singing a cute lil jingle, "Almost Got Im" and "Harley & Ivy." The only downside is there are no Mr. Freeze episodes on this volume, so hurry up and release volume three.
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If nothing else, buy this for the Joker. Even in his mellowed down form for the cartoon, the Joker is still the greatest villain to ever grace a comic book/cartoon. Why? While the Joker has always been one of the finest villains with insane methods of bugging the Bat, it's Mark Hamill's voice that sells it. If you've never heard Ole Luke Skywalker do the Joker, among other cartoon villains, you will not believe what he's capable of -- the Force never came close the power of his sinister laugh. While there is a vast array of voice talent such as Arleen Sorkin and Kevin Conroy, Mark Hamill clearly rules this cartoon and everytime the Joker makes an appearance you're sure for a good show.
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Volume two of Batman TAS sees the caped crusader continuing on his mind-blowing mission through the 'dark-deco' of Gotham. For anyone owning volume one, this is an obvious must-own. For those new to the show, you are in for a real treat.
This show was not only one of the greatest cartoons ever, it was one of the greatest shows ever. Volume two has some of my personal favorites; Harley and Ivy and The Man Who Killed Batman just to name two. I look forward to owning every episode of this timeless classic. Get it while you can.
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