Batman: The Animated Series vs. Spider-Man: The Animated Series ?

[zeptron]

Meaning in Spider-Man, Morbius couldn’t act like a real vampire and bite people so they gave him those suction things on his hands to drain people. They also couldn’t say blood and they had to use plasma instead.

Cops didn’t have guns they had lasers, and Spidey wasn’t allowed to punch people lol.

Plus the Sinister Six were renamed the "Insidious Six" because the word "Sinister" was deemed too menacing for a kids cartoon. Which is rather odd considering X-men TAS had Mr Sinister and it aired on the same network. It was also not allowed to have glass being broken or Spidey not to harm pigeons when landing on a rooftop.

Spider-man TAS was good, but was really lacking in both the animation and action department. Starting from the second season, they'd often reuse footage from previous episodes. It became pretty jarring when you saw Spidey and other characters suddenly appear in environments that looked nothing like the setting they were in. Hell when Spidey fought Doc Ock and Lizard in later seasons, they'd often toss in footage from those villains' debut episodes.

The action sequences were pretty generic for the most part. They mainly consisted of grappling, throwing, people ramming each other, light kicks and bear hugs that barely lasted a minute. The show also made Spidey weak when it came to actually taking a hit as he'd often get hit just ONCE and would either be knocked out or too weak to continue fighting. Even if it's from a villain were regular human strength.

When you first watch the Venom episode, you're probably expecting a brutal showdown between the two. But they barely touch each other and was mostly a game of chicken with Spidey running and Venom chasing and ended without either of them getting a scratch. When Iron Man first appears, at first you were thinking there would be epic fight with him and Venom, but nope instead they just roll around on the floor. You were also probably expecting a violent confrontation between Blade and Morbius, but nope again. Instead they just throw stuff at each other and never actually fight.

 

[zeptron]

I know there's a recent tendency in fandom to seemingly trash anything older than 2010, but STAS really was a solid series.

From what I've seen it can go both ways. Some people born in 80s and 90s will be biased towards cartoons of that era because it's what they grew up with while having the tendency to blindly hate on pretty much any cartoon that came after 2000.

 

[Spider-Aziz]

I mean, this doesn't change, IMO, how bland that Superman was.

MXYZPTLK episode alone makes me disagree with this assessment of this iteration of the character.

Plus the Sinister Six were renamed the "Insidious Six" because the word "Sinister" was deemed too menacing for a kids cartoon. Which is rather odd considering X-men TAS had Mr Sinister and it aired on the same network. It was also not allowed to have glass being broken or Spidey not to harm pigeons when landing on a rooftop.

That might explain why a pigeon did a fantastic job hurting Peter in the first episode of the new cartoon.

 

[Lantern Venom]

Wow...this is a tough choice. These are the best animated series versions of each character, and although neither is close to perfect, especially in the visuals department, they each hold up well.

I appreciate Batman: TAS for how dark it was, especially in comparison to many of the light, joke-heavy animated versions that came before it. I appreciate Spider-man: TAS because it had complicated, long-ranging arcs which previous incarnations avoided. I think that I would have to rewatch each series in its entirety to make a sound judgment.

 

[Pfeiffer-Pfan]

This is such an easy choice... one show aged like fine wine, the other one like milk.

Without doubt, Batman: The Animated Series!

 

[Web-Head]

Wow...this is a tough choice. These are the best animated series versions of each character, and although neither is close to perfect, especially in the visuals department, they each hold up well.

I appreciate Batman: TAS for how dark it was, especially in comparison to many of the light, joke-heavy animated versions that came before it. I appreciate Spider-man: TAS because it had complicated, long-ranging arcs which previous incarnations avoided. I think that I would have to rewatch each series in its entirety to make a sound judgment.

 

[Drizzle]

MXYZPTLK episode alone makes me disagree with this assessment of this iteration of the character.

As much as I'm not a fan of Mr. Mxyzptlk, I do have to give that show props for hiring Gilbert Gottfried to do his voice.

 

[Spider-Aziz]

As much as I'm not a fan of Mr. Mxyzptlk, I do have to give that show props for hiring Gilbert Gottfried to do his voice.

His stories in general are fun shenanigans, even at his most malicious state. Speaking of Iago, he also voiced the character in LEGO Batman 3.

 

[LvtLeeTDK]

So is this “censorship” thing a compulsory condition for cartoon in 90s ? Because as I notice JL and BTAS never had these kinds of problem LOL.

 

[Drizzle]

So is this “censorship” thing a compulsory condition for cartoon in 90s ? Because as I notice JL and BTAS never had these kinds of problem LOL.

It could have been a Marvel thing. It wasn't a Fox condition since both BTAS and Spider-Man aired on the network.

 

[zeptron]

It could have been a Marvel thing. It wasn't a Fox condition since both BTAS and Spider-Man aired on the network.

Did X-men TAS have any censorship? Because in one episode, Sabretooth actually slashed Wolverine across the chest. Even if there was no blood shown.

 

[Shinobi Shaw]

I mean they never referred to Mister Sinister as “Mister Insidious” and I remember Rogue telling Mystique “You made me worse than a killer!”

So I doubt it.

 

[Drizzle]

Did X-men TAS have any censorship? Because in one episode, Sabretooth actually slashed Wolverine across the chest. Even if there was no blood shown.

Not as much as Spider-Man but it was still pretty censored.

 

[LvtLeeTDK]

Thanks guy. Gonna start Batman TAS tomorrow.

So one last question: is the plot episodic or there is a multiple-episodes story arc ? Also should I watch Mask of the Phantasm before starting the series ?

 

[Spider-Aziz]

So one last question: is the plot episodic or there is a multiple-episodes story arc ? Also should I watch Mask of the Phantasm before starting the series ?

It's episodic, like short films, makes it more flexible to decide which order to watch them in.
Yes, you should watch Mask of the Phantasm, but not really before the series, that decision depends entirely on you.
You can easily skip the other two (three) films attached to this series.

 

[The Joker]

Thanks guy. Gonna start Batman TAS tomorrow.

So one last question: is the plot episodic or there is a multiple-episodes story arc ? Also should I watch Mask of the Phantasm before starting the series ?

You won't get any multiple episode arcs like in Spider-Man. The longest you get is two parters. But a story can be picked up again in a later episode, like with Clayface or Mr. Freeze.

 

[Kahran Ramsus]

Not as much as Spider-Man but it was still pretty censored.

For example, there are still Star Wars-style laser guns, they use different words than "die," etc.

 

[Kahran Ramsus]

You won't get any multiple episode arcs like in Spider-Man. The longest you get is two parters. But a story can be picked up again in a later episode, like with Clayface or Mr. Freeze.

For this reason, I would still watch them in order as later episodes will call back to earlier ones on occasion.

 

[Shinobi Shaw]

This thread made me dust off Spider-Man on Disney+ again. Seriously, the MCU writers could take some pointers from John Semper's writing, Spidey's quips were hilarious.

He sees Kraven for the first time all in his outfit all crazy and says "Don't tell me, you're a Leo right?!"

Barnes delivery was everything.

 

[Awest66]

Pretty easy victory for BTAS. It basically overshadowed every superhero cartoon of that era.

That being said, I like Spider-Man quite a bit too, even if it did lose it's way a bit in the later seasons. It's required viewing for any fan of the character.

 

[The Batman]

You can easily skip the other two (three) films attached to this series.

....I wouldn't skip Subzero, but that's just me.

 

[zeptron]

....I wouldn't skip Subzero, but that's just me.

I agree. Mr Freeze actually had a happy ending there which sadly got ruined by The New Batman Adventures.

 

[MasterBoss]

I agree. Mr Freeze actually had a happy ending there which sadly got ruined by The New Batman Adventures.

I am of the unpopular opinion that Mr. Freeze's only episode should have been "Heart of Ice." Once you bring back Nora, you kind of diminish that tragedy.

That said, I liked how his story ended in Batman Beyond.

 

[Spider-Aziz]

....I wouldn't skip Subzero, but that's just me.

I agree. Mr Freeze actually had a happy ending there which sadly got ruined by The New Batman Adventures.

Eh.. that movie is so bad and boring, and the dance scene takes too long.
"You're the only person in Gotham with blood matching that of Norah Freeze, Batgirl, let us kidnap you instead of asking you nicely....." this drama is poorly utilized, and it's just annoying.

I think that story with him drowning in that futuristic city was a good ending point for his story.


EDIT: Yes, ask her nicely. The blood thing took more focus than organ donation discussion, and here is how it could have gone.

Freeze: "You, jerk doctor, you owe me a favor"

Jerk doctor finds files, keeps Norah in the hospital, calls Barbra as an official business.. blah blah blah, transfusion happens. And Barbra might have gone to Bruce to help fund Norah's recuperation since he does at the end anyway. Problem solved, boring drama avoided, everything is done legally, and Victor is a happy man without feeling the need to be evil or something.

THE END
​

 

[The Joker]

Eh.. that movie is so bad and boring, and the dance scene takes too long.
"You're the only person in Gotham with blood matching that of Norah Freeze, Batgirl, let us kidnap you instead of asking you nicely....." this drama is poorly utilized, and it's just annoying.

I think that story with him drowning in that futuristic city was a good ending point for his story.

Ask nicely? In what scenario is anyone going to aid Mr. Freeze in any kind of surgical procedure to help his wife when he refuses to do it in the legal safety of a hospital? Anyone with half a brain would be suspicious of that. If all he wanted was a simple blood transfusion he could just have that done in any hospital. But that isn't what he wanted. He was planning on taking Barbara's organs.