Broken Frontier

Continuing the “Year of the Bat” to celebrate the upcoming Batman movie, Warner Home Video is releasing the third and final DVD collection of the critically acclaimed “Batman: The Animated Series.” As with the DVD of the newer series “The Batman,” I was fortunate to get a preview copy. But whereas “The Batman” is a fun lighthearted romp for the kids, “Batman: The Animated Series- Volume Three” is sheer perfection.

Combining faithful adaptations of the comics characters, stylish film noir-inspired visuals, and surprisingly adult storytelling, “Batman: The Animated Series” was easily the best incarnation of the Dark Knight in another medium. Whenever I watch these episodes, I’m astounded by the artistry of them, the gorgeous contrast of light and shadow, the wonderful writing, and the honest-to-goodness psychological depth and character development. All this from a half hour action cartoon! With his sleek simplified art style and talented team of collaborators, producer/creator Bruce Timm proved that animation doesn’t have to be just for the kids.

This third volume of the series includes plenty of highlights for fans of the show or of Batman lore. There are several significant characters that make their debuts in the final twenty-nine episodes. The first of these is Batgirl, who appears on the scene in “Shadow of the Bat.” Barbara Gordon’s feisty and independent alter ego adds a nice character dynamic to the crimefighters of Gotham City. Batgirl has something of a love/hate relationship with Batman and Robin who don’t entirely approve of this novice. Yet over the course of the story, we see her determination to prove herself whether they like it or not. In her handful of episodes, Batgirl’s presence contributes both a feminine touch and a strong-willed personality butting heads with the Dynamic Duo.

The other noteworthy debut is of one of Batman’s most complex and fascinating foes, Ra’s al Ghul. Ra’s will soon be getting more mainstream attention due to his role in the “Batman Begins” film and this DVD set contains a great introduction to the immortal villain. The two-part “The Demon’s Quest” (written by Ra’s’ creator, Dennis O’Neil) establishes the character and his goal of ecological Eden at any cost. Ra’s has long been my favorite villain, as his stories take a much grander approach than the standard costumed crook with a gimmick. When Ra’s is involved, there’s sure to be globe-trotting adventure, secret societies, and the fate of the world at stake. Ra’s al Ghul appears several times in this collection, including a search for the power of life and death in “Avatar” and in “Showdown,” a brilliant flashback to the 1800s featuring DC Comics’ Western bounty hunter Jonah Hex.

While it’s impossible to comment on every episode of this collection, I did see a surprising theme that ran through many of them. In this final season, many of the villains try to go straight. The Riddler becomes a toy company spokesman in “Riddler’s Reform.” Poison Ivy starts her own little family (albeit a twisted one) in “House and Garden.” The Mad Hatter attempts a final crime spree in “The Worry Men” to finance his retirement. In “Catwalk,” Catwoman is released on bail and must resist the temptation to return to her thieving ways. Each of these attempts is met with disastrous results when the criminals fail to escape their true nature. It’s a typical character-driven touch for the series, showing the human needs and desires of these larger-than-life figures and the tortured psyches reflected in their deformed or outlandish appearances.

Even the Joker’s ditzy assistant Harley Quinn becomes the subject of her own redemption episode in “Harley’s Holiday.” It’s particularly interesting to trace the development of Harley, originally created as a throwaway sidekick, as she slowly comes into focus as a fascinating character in her own right. In both “Harley’s Holiday” and “Harlequinade” (which features, of all things, a show-stopping musical number), she proves to be more than capable of carrying a plot and entertaining with her mix of sweet goofiness and psychosis.

All this barely scrapes the surface of this excellent collection. There are stories for all the classic Bat-villains from The Joker, The Penguin, and Two-Face to more recent additions like Killer Croc, Bane, The Ventriloquist, and The Clock King. The people in Batman’s world are spotlighted and developed, as in the revelation of Alfred Pennyworth’s time with the British government and Detective Harvey Bullock’s reluctant plea for help when his life is threatened. There’s a behind-the-scenes featurette about the intro of Batgirl as well as audio and video commentaries for select episodes that show the passion of the writers, artists, and composers involved.

In every respect, “Batman: The Animated Series” was one of the finest cartoons to ever grace the small screen. Any animation buff or fan of the Caped Crusader will want to have a copy of this collection when it debuts on May 24.

- Eric Lindberg