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Here is the third volume of Batman The Animated Series, which is an excellent buy for anybody, especially Batman fans. It seems with every episode and season, they just got better and better. This was the last season before the animators that did Superman took over the art direction. If you're looking into or thinking about buying the seasons, stop everything else, and just buy them. One of the easiest decisions you'll ever make ;)
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No other show has combined the action to impress younger viewers and the actual stories to impress adults more than Batman: The Animated Series. Season 3 has some of the best episodes of the series, imho, The Demon's Quest, Bane, and His Silicon Soul. You will not be disappointed.
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This set contains the final 29 (one more than the package lists!) episodes of the original "Batman: The Animated Series." After these adventures fans would have to wait a whole three years for new capers set in the animated Gotham, and as the reviews for Volume 4 point out some found those episodes lacking.
But we're talking about the episodes on this set, and there is some strong material here. This set introduces several characters that would go on to play huge roles in the animated Batman mythos. We get the two part introduction of Batgirl (which is made all the more effective by the fact that her alter ego Barbara Gordon has already been introduced). We get another two parter that introduces Ras al Ghul, who makes several more appearances on this volume. And we get the introduction of Scarface, who would go on to be featured in many more episodes and is every bit as interesting as Joker, Two-Face, or Catwoman.
This volume also features some of the most emotionally complex storytelling in the series to date, as well as some genuinely dark and disturbing material. The episode "Read My Lips," which introduces the schizophrenic Scarface, climaxes in a twisted scenario that has a character threatening suicide. Poison Ivy's warped idea of a happy little home in "House and Garden" is chilling. And the episode "Baby Doll" introduces one of the creepiest ideas for a villain yet in a child who literally cannot grow up, and the emotional impact of that is played up to its fullest. Yet these episodes are still entirely appropriate for children, because the truly twisted elements are downplayed and will only be fully understood by adults.
There is also a string of stories involving the supposed reforms of various villains. This allows for further exploration of their motives and desires, and continues the series' hallmarks of treating the "bad guys" with as much care and respect as the heroes.
Unfortunately, the set falls just shy of the dizzying heights achieved by Volume Two. Although the episodes here are still better than some of the early clunkers, there a few that fall short of expectations. "A Bullet For Bullock" spends too much time away from our hero, and "The Terrible Trio" is one of the worst episodes of the series. Luckily, these epsidoes are balanced by absolute joys such as "Harlequinade" (featuring the always entertaining Harley Quinn) and "Trial," in which the villains of Arkham Asylum put Batman on trial for "creating" them.
This set is a must for anyone who enjoyed the previous two volumes. The art style is breathtaking, the voice cast is fantastic, and the storytelling is infinitely more mature than your typical "cartoon show."
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This product LITERALITY gave me a massive erection. It's that great (or horrible depending on who you talk to)!
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This volume shows the true talent of Batman alone, and with Robin, with even some of the banter that takes you back to the 60's live-action series (done so much better!). We get to see what was at the time, some of his "lost,but not forgotten" foes, such as Hugo Strange (that got a more prominent treating on "The Batman"), The Clock King (giving Bruce & Dick a taste of what life is probably like for The Flash!) and the wierd, sad and dangerous Baby Doll (for me, a perfect blend of The Joker(deformity/genetic variant) and Two-Face(multiple personality), even including an "agent" that is more lethal than Harley has ever been , to date!). The highlights of the set is the premiere of Batgirl and the final episode centering on Alfred's past. Add to this, the inclusion of the entirty of the "Gotham Girls" webisodes, and you get the best of the first of the DC Animated Universe series. And the price of this great set is very easy on the wallet, too!
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