Batman: The Animated Series Celebrates 31 Years Today

 On September 5, 1992, Fox Kids aired “Batman: The Animated Series” - a critically acclaimed animated series based on the DC Comics superhero Batman. Developed by Bruce Timm and Eric Radomski, the show would tackle the adventures of The Dark Knight and his ongoing crusade against crime - defending his hometown of Gotham City against the likes of The Joker, Penguin, and Two-Face while also gaining allies in his fight for justice like Commissioner Gordon, Robin, and Batgirl.

The series would jumpstart the DC Animated Universe, and would gain a significant following in the years leading many to consider it the definitive Batman series. The late great Kevin Conroy was cast as Bruce Wayne/ Batman, while also featuring Mark Hamill (aka Luke Skywalker) as the voice of The Joker. Additionally, the character of Harley Quinn made her debut in this show - first appearing in “Joker’s Favor” and played by the wonderful Arleen Sorkin, who sadly passed away just last month.

31 years later BTAS still holds up pretty well, and is the go to recommendation for anyone who wants to get into Batman and his world.

Original Harley Quinn Actress Arleen Sorkin Passes Away at 67

 

“Knock Knock Puddin’! Say hello to your new and improved Harley Quinn!” - Harley Quinn to Joker

Hollywood, the comic book community, and the world of popular culture has lost a true talent and gem - as screenwriter, actress, comedian, and original Harley Quinn voice actress Arleen Sorkin has sadly passed away at the age of 67. It was truly depressing news delivered by so many news outlets and those close to the entertainer who have known her, and the entire world mourns the loss of one of the brightest and energetic ladies to ever grace the entertainment scene.

Best known for her role as Calliope Jones in the NBC series “Days Of Our Lives”, Sorkin would explode into the critically acclaimed “Batman The Animated Series” by playing the role of The Joker’s female sidekick and girlfriend Harley Quinn - first appearing in the episode “Joker’s Favor”. The character was created by writer Paul Dini - who derived inspiration fron Sorkin herself as both were friends during college and the actress was cast in the role by him and BTAS series creator Bruce Timm. Harley’s role would prove so popular that she would return for many more episodes and appear in the rest of the DC Animated Universe - before being adapted properly in the pages of DC Comics and then appearing in several other forms of media, becoming one of the most prominent modern DC characters ever created and played by other actresses including Tara Strong and Margot Robbie in the DC Extended Universe.

Arleen would also reprise her role as the former psychologist turned anti-hero in the video games Batman: Arkham Asylum and DC Universe Online. She will be greatly missed, and the world would never know Harley Quinn without her as the source of inspiration for the character.

ICYMI: Batman: Mask of the Phantasm to be Re-Released in 4K Uktra HD For 30th Anniversary

 

One of the most critically acclaimed Batman origin movies and adventures is getting a new release in time for its 30th anniversary. “Batman: Mask Of The Phantasm” - the DC animated movie released in 1993 will now be available in 4K Ultra HD Blu-Ray and Digital - giving fans a new remastered release of the animated film set in the “Batman: The Animated Series” universe and seeing the Dark Knight face off against a new foe and The Joker while also rekindling his romance with a lost love from his past.

The new release will also have a new special feature spotlighting the late great Kevin Conroy, aka the voice of Batman himself who passed away late last year.

Happy 30 Years, Batman: The Animated Series!

 

One of the most iconic animated television series ever made debuted on this day - running a total of 85 episodes and introducing the world to one of the definitive interpretations of DC’s flagship superhero - The Batman!

Yes on September 5, 1992 - Batman: The Animated Series aired on Fox Kids, and was created by Bruce Timm and Eric Radomski to bring The Dark Knight and his adventures to the small screen and capture the hearts and minds of kids and Bat fans across the globe. Hired to portray the iconic role of Bruce Wayne and Batman was Kevin Conroy - who led an all-star ensemble cast that included Mark “Luke Skywalker” Hamill as the voice of The Joker.

Batman: The Animated Series success cannot be understated, as it birthed the DC Animated Universe and led to the creations of Superman: The Animated Series, Batman Beyond, and the Justice League animated series. It’s presentation of the character has transcended three decades of popculture and fandom, and even led to the introduction of Harley Quinn into DC Comics proper as well as other forms of media. That character also celebrates her 30th anniversary this month. What an impact and legacy this show has made - and the intro alone speaks volumes.

Happy 30th Anniversary, BTAS!

McFarlane Toys Unveils Batman: The Animated Series 30th Anniversary Gold Label Figure With Light Up Diorama

 

With one of the most iconic animated television shows and the beginning of the DC Animated Universe celebrating its 30th anniversary next month, McFarlane Toys and Todd McFarlane himself have unveiled a special "Batman: The Animated Series 30th Anniversary" Gold Label figure - complete with a light up diorama that mimics the end of the iconic intro sequence where the Dark Knight stands on a rooftop as lightning cracks the sky!

Here's Todd showing off the figure in the box, and it will be a Target exclusive in the US while other territories will also get it soon (it's in Hong Kong already as seen in the interwebz).

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Batman and Harley Quinn: Blu-Ray/ DVD Cover and release date revealed

Set for release in the next few months and bringing a kind of "Batman: The Animated Series/ The New Batman Adventures" nostalgia with its animation and setting, Warner Bros. and DC Entertainment (via Batman-News) have released the cover art to the Blu-Ray/ DVD combo release of "Batman and Harley Quinn" - the brand new DC Universe Original Movie that features Kevin Conroy and Loren Lester returning as Batman and Nightwing, while The Big Bang Theory's Melissa Rauch will be the new voice behind Harley Quinn.

If you haven't seen the official trailer, here it is via Warner Bros. home Entertainment.

Batman and Harley Quinn Trailer
Batman and Harley Quinn will be released on digital on August 15 and on Blu-Ray/ DVD on August 29.

Celebrating 15 years of "Justice League Animated"

This week marked a lot of celebrations and anniversaries for a lot of franchises and properties that have stood the test of time, but one series that certainly became the "Gold Standard" in the way modern day superhero shows set the bar is Warner Bros. and DC Entertainment's "Justice League" - which aired on November 17, 2001 and is set in the same DC Animated Universe that began with 1992's Batman: The Animated Series, continued with Superman: The Animated Series, and eventually expanded into this powerful team that united The Man of Steel and Dark Knight alongside the likes of Wonder Woman, The Flash, Green Lantern John Stewart, Hawkgirl, and Martian Manhunter J'onn J'onzz!

Justice League: The Animated Series
Running for two seasons and eventually evolving into the much expansive "Justice League Unlimited", this is the DCAU at its finest... And one year from now, we will be getting the DC Films' equivalent with the Justice League movie!

Happy 15th Anniversary, Justice League!

Batman: The Animated Series turns 24 years old this week

On September 5th, 1992 - one of the most ICONIC characters in comic book history received what is arguably known as the "Definitive" TV Series adaptation of his world to date, as Bruce Timm and Eric Radomski developed "Batman: The Animated Series" - an animated feature that ran for 85 episodes and follows the exploits of the DC Comics character Batman as well as his world in Gotham City and beyond. After the success of Tim Burton's two Batman films, the series was developed by Timm and Radomski - using the Burton films as inspiration and developing a film noir style cartoon that continues to be a timeless classic any Batfan can watch and enjoy. The series was also known for bringing together a diverse cast of voice actors that brought the characters to life - with Kevin Conroy serving as the definitive "Voice of Batman" and Star Wars legend Mark Hamill becoming the certified voice of "The Joker" as well with his iconic insane laughter behind the maniacal portrayal of the Clown Prince of Crime.


Batman: The Animated Series Opening
The music, composed by Shirley Walker and adapted from Danny Elfman's iconic score to the Burton Batman films, is just something to behold.

Following the success of BTAS, film features were made as well as several other DC Animated shows that were set in the same universe, leading to Superman: The Animated Series, the futuristic sequel Batman Beyond, and the union of DC's super heroes with Justice League. 24 years later, Batman: The Animated Series' influence is without a doubt something that any Batfan can be very proud of. Happy Anniversary, BTAS!

Batman: The Killing Joke: Animated Movie Sneak Peek released

Hitting home video and digital formats later this year, a long sneak peek video of the animated movie adaptation of "Batman: The Killing Joke" has gone online, showing everyone their first glimpse of the long awaited film which features the voices of Batman: The Animated Series alum Kevin Conroy and Mark Hamill - who reprise their roles as Batman and The Joker respectively.

Here's the trailer, as seen in YouTube along with Sneak Peek news reported in Bleeding Cool.

Batman: The Killing Joke Trailer Batman: The Killing Joke animated movie will premiere on SDCC this year.

Flashback Friday: Batman: Mystery of the Batwoman and "Chase Me"

With this being the FINAL Flashback Friday and following the commemoration of the 20th Anniversary of "Batman: Mask of the Phantasm", it's time to delve a little bit further back to Batman lore and celebrate another animated Bat-film and it's accompanying short's 10th Anniversary.

Released in October 21, 2003, Batman: Mystery of the Batwoman was one of the final animated films released that was set on the DC Animated Universe and set on the same timeline as Batman: The Animated Series/ The New Batman Adventures. The film introduced viewers to a new "Batwoman", one heavily inspired in design by the costume worn by the Batman of The Future himself, Terry McGiness, aka Batman Beyond.

"Batman: Mystery of the Batwoman" (2003) Trailer
As the title notes, the identity of this Batwoman remains a mystery... Even to the deductive and brilliant mind of Batman himself. Wearing the symbol of the Bat, this Batwoman operates on a more ruthless scale, and takes down criminals and mob bosses like Penguin and Rupert Thorne without any moral restrictions like The Dark Knight and his allies practice. Ultimately, the plot thickens as Bane arrives, and the "identity" of the Batwoman is found to be quite the surprise.

Following the success of Batman: Mask of the Phantasm and Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker, a film set on the timeline of The New Batman Adventures was inevitable, and Mystery of the Batwoman does not fail to entertain and does a good job of showing how intrinsic and elaborate Batman's universe can be. The Batwoman mystery was a good way of introducing a version of the character to the DC Univcrse, not to mention tying things in to Batman Beyond in a certain degree. In fact, some years later would see DC Comics adapting that approach and bring a regular Batwoman with a "Batman Beyond" inspired design to regular DC Continuity, with Kate Kane becoming the modern AND New 52 version of Batwoman to date.

Aside from the main feature of this direct to DVD release, Mystery of the Batwoman also included a short silent film featurette called "Chase Me", which saw The Dark Knight going after his on-and-off love interest Catwoman in, as you'd expect, a grand chase. The jazzy and excellent musical score just punctuates the feeling of this great showcase right here.

Catwoman: Chase Me
So there you have it... Happy 10th Anniversary to Batman: Mystery of the Batwoman and Chase Me! Next year, 75 years of Batman celebrated!

Throwback Thursday: Batman: Mask of the Phantasm

Exactly twenty years ago, Warner Bros., DC Comics, and legendary Batman: The Animated Series creator Bruce Timm delivered quite the Christmas present to loyal Batfans on Christmas Day, as the very first full-length Batman animated feature was released in theaters and brought a new unique and original vision to The Dark Knight in cinema.

That movie was Batman: Mask of The Phantasm, released on December 25, 1993.

Heavily inspired by the classic Batman origin story "Batman: Year One" but spinning into an original tale of its own, Mask of the Phantasm saw the Caped Crusader taking on a mysterious new for called "The Phantasm", who left a trail of death on its path by slaying some old and retired mob bosses of Gotham City. Falsely accused of the murders, Batman relentlessly pursues this new criminal, but his mission is complicated by the return of a lost love, as well as the lingering presence of his eternal arch-nemesis, The Joker. In order to solve this case, The Dark Knight must piece together clues from his past and the present, and see whether he can rekindle an old romance at the same time...

Batman: Mask of the Phantasm (1993) - Theatrical Trailer

Literally a blast from the past and perfect for Throwback Thursday this Christmas week, Mask of the Phantasm is literally one, if not THE BEST Batman animated film that has appeared in the Caped Crusader's long and thriving history. Featuring the immortal voices of Kevin Conroy as Batman and Mark "Luke Skywalker" Hamill as The Joker, this animated film opened doors and showed the potential of the then young and thriving DC Animated Universe, and helped keep the Batman hype and interest alive following the previous year's live-action release of Tim Burton's Batman film sequel, Batman Returns. The animation was luscious, and the OST was simply memorable and breathtaking, especially with music artist Tia Carrere's ending theme for the film, "I Never Even Told You".

Batman: Mask of the Phantasm - I Never Even Told You

Happy Twenty Years, Batman: Mask of the Phantasm... And prepare for Batman's 75th Anniversary next year!

Justice League New 52 begins in DC Animated Movies with Justice League: War

It's not yet SDCC yet, and not big news comes for DC fans! Looks like this DC Universe Animated Original Movie based on the Pre-New 52 storyline "Flashpoint" is indeed the clincher for the old guard, as the next film to feature the Justice League will indeed bring in the New 52 Universe to the animated movie fold!

Reported by Newsarama and Tweeted by Gary Miereanu/ SuperPRGuy, the first DCU animated film hitting in 2014 after Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox will be called "Justice League: War", and will be based on the first storyline of "Justice League" in the New 52 universe, namely "Origin" by the creative powerhouse team of Geoff Johns, Jim Lee, and Scott Williams. The news breaks a few days just before the San Diego Comic Con, and officially ushers in the rebooted DC Universe, which began in 2011, in animated movie form. Miereanu also confirmed that actor Jason O'Mara, who played Albert Wesker in the Paul W.S. Anderson Resident Evil movies, will be voicing the role of the Dark Knight himself... Batman!

For more information on the story, visit the source post at Newsarama.

Looks like DC Entertainment's "GOT THIS". Prepare for Justice League: WAR in 2014!

Report: DC Animated producer Bruce Timm stepping down

The end of an era has arrived for DC Animation, as reports in the web verify that Bruce Timm, the legendary creator of the DC Animated Universe, has stepped down from his role as DC Animated producer.

Having been a prominent presence in Warner Bros. and DC Comics since the early 90's, Timm co-created and produced the critically acclaimed Batman: The Animated Series, which would help redefine and popularize The Dark Knight in mainstream media and usher in the creation of the "DCAU", which expanded its reach with the release of Superman: The Animated Series, Batman Beyond, Justice League, and Justice League Unlimited.

Along with Paul Dini, Timm was also responsible for the creation of the beloved Batman character and The Joker's girlfriend. Harley first appeared as an exclusive character in BTAS, but her popularity and warm reception by fans soon allowed her to spill over to other DC media, including regular DC Continuity.

Bruce Timm's departure was first reported by Visions of Krypton, then subsequently by other popular comic news sites such as Newsarama. His recent works remain etched in the minds of fans, especially with him serving as producer for several of the DC Universe Animated Original Movies, including recent animated adaptation of Batman: The Dark Knight Returns. Replacing him is former storyboard artist James Tucker, who has quite the experience and resume working in DC Animation. For more information, visit the source post at Visions of Krypton and Newsarama.