Thank you, Bruce Timm

[The Kid]

I come here and I see people saying Nolan saved batman after the debacle that was batman and robin; but I disagree. You did.

You took what was great about burton's films and crafted it into its own living breathing entity that is to this day the closest we've ever gotten to a perfect batman outside the comic pages.

I watch the new batman cartoon and just hang my head in shame at what batman's become in your absence. You provided actual depth, complexity, non-condescending stories, and Harley Quinn, oh so lovely Harley Quinn. Toons haven't been the same since you stopped doing the show. Dini's still the same genius making Krypto the superdog watchable but that's all there is now...

Can't wait for Superman: Doomsday. I love that story and wish it was adapated instead of what we got for superman last year.

Well that's all I have to say. You showed me how great batman was beyond burton's films. For that I must say I love you and wish you'd come to the hype for an interview when doomsday comes out. I know you had nothing to do with that piece of crap, Brainiac attacks. Kisses and hugs :heart:

 

[Kevin Roegele]

Yeah, and I'll add that a lot of fans would simply say, "He made Batman great because he stuck to the comics."

No, he made it great because he is a hugely talented animator, a superb, economic storyteller, and he understands Batman - and how to tell the story of Batman in animation.

 

[Cain]

Absolutely, the man understood that yes he had to adapt since it was going to a new medium but the spirit of the mythos remained intact. You can't take too many drastic liberties with the source when it just isn't necessary. It wasn't a drastic adaptation like other animated comic adaptations. I think we were incredibly lucky to get such a well planned and executed animated Batman universe cause it seems like every other series based on a comic was a fluke.

 

[Kevin Roegele]

Absolutely, the man understood that yes he had to adapt since it was going to a new medium but the spirit of the mythos remained intact. You can't take too many drastic liberties with the source when it just isn't necessary. It wasn't a drastic adaptation like other animated comic adaptations. I think we were incredibly lucky to get such a well planned and executed animated Batman universe cause it seems like every other series based on a comic was a fluke.

Some people would even say the animated series is the best version of Batman anaywhere, superior to any movie or comic version.

 

[Bat Attack]

Some people would even say the animated series is the best version of Batman anaywhere, superior to any movie or comic version.

Hell yeah. Mainly because the show remained consistent in quality for most of its run (there were a few eps that weren't that great but for the most part they were all fantastic). Great thread,

 

[Cain]

Some people would even say the animated series is the best version of Batman anaywhere, superior to any movie or comic version.

I wouldn't blame them for it. Unlike the comics it never seemed to have any drastic continuity gaffe or drop in quality, possibly the most consistent version of Batman in any media.

 

[CConn]

Some people would even say the animated series is the best version of Batman anaywhere, superior to any movie or comic version.

I'm one of those people. As Cain just mentioned, there's no continuity problems or varying characterizations. And, besides, that, there's isn't any weak spots in the BTAS at all. With 60 years of Batman histories, there's tons of forgettable comics, and bad arcs, and whatnot. With BTAS, it's nothing but great stories, a simple, concise continuity, and not just great, but definitive, characterizations.

I didn't like some decisions Timm and Dini made later on (like having the Batfamily's end be so grim), but overall that entire universe is just Batman perfected.

 

[Darkest Knight]

No, he made it great because he is a hugely talented animator, a superb, economic storyteller, and he understands Batman - and how to tell the story of Batman in animation.

This is an accurate statement.

However, the character and the mythos was being trashed in the media and by the public because of what had gone down on the silver screen. Nolan restored the general respectability and serious-ness of the character. However, yes, Timm did a fine job with the animation. IMO, his work might be overrated, but yes he was great. Like Nolan he had a fundamental understanding of the core of all these characters and their relationships with one another (Burton didn't understand that aspect) ... so both Nolan and Timm were really respectful of the source, but also were artists who brought new, fresh, and cooler takes to various characters.

 

[Darkest Knight]

And, besides, that, there's isn't any weak spots in the BTAS at all.

I strongly disagree. Everything has weakness. Bad arcs? What about "There is a Batman in my Basement" ?! ... or a good portion of the "filler episodes" haha. I mean c'mon, this is how overrated most of you have made B:TAS. It was great, bout you guys actually pipe it up to be the: "best", "most definitive", "Batman universe perfected", "strongest take on the character" and all this crap. It was a great show, hardly the world beater you make it out to be. It had many a flaw, just like anything else.

Because let's be serious, it was still at heart a cartoon for kids, and various elements of the series were so watered down for a number of reasons. That alone to me makes B:TAS less pure than it could've been.

 

[CConn]

I strongly disagree. Everything has weakness. Bad arcs? What about "There is a Batman in my Basement" ?! ... or a good portion of the "filler episodes" haha. I mean c'mon, this is how overrated most of you have made B:TAS. It was great, bout you guys actually pipe it up to be the: "best", "most definitive", "Batman universe perfected", "strongest take on the character" and all this crap. It was a great show, hardly the world beater you make it out to be. It had many a flaw, just like anything else.

Because let's be serious, it was still at heart a cartoon for kids, and various elements of the series were so watered down for a number of reasons. That alone to me makes B:TAS less pure than it could've been.

No, we just have an opinion of something you personally don't share.

There's nothing wrong about that. There's nothing hard to understand about that. And there's absolutely no reason for you to act so indignantly about that.

As for "Batman in My Basement", it wasn't the best episode ever, but it was certainly more bearable than Batman's worst moments in the comics. Pretty much the entirety of the 50s and 60s, mediocre crossovers like War Games, and utterly horrible stories like City of Crime are far worse, IMO, than anything that's been in BTAS.

 

[Catman]

Some people would even say the animated series is the best version of Batman anywhere, superior to any movie or comic version.

I don't agree about the comic thing but Batman: The Animated Series is definitly better than the movies. HOWEVER, you have to draw the line somewhere. Burton and Nolan made great Batman movies while Timm made a great Batman TV show. And, yeah, someone will eventually bring up Mask of the Phantasm. As much as I love MOTP it looks and feels too much like an extended episode.

 

[Rockbottom]

One of the reasons i like B:TAS so much is because it didnt try to make its artwork "risky" or "cool" it just looked like the comics and wasnt a character with a super thin bottom then huge up from his rib cage like most cartoons are like today, it was just nice and simple and good.

The Voice acting was great, for every character, Batman and the Joker were the best cast parts of any superhero cartoon ive seen. As for Catmans comment about MOTP being like an extended episode, i have to disagree. The flash back scenes made it feel like a movie for sure, but the main thing that made it feel different was the score. The score was brillent and different to the show in almost everyway.

 

[Kevin Roegele]

One of the reasons i like B:TAS so much is because it didnt try to make its artwork "risky" or "cool" it just looked like the comics

Well, I have to take you up on that statement. I don't think it does look especially like the comics (and given that the comics have varied enormously over the years, that's a hard statement to qualify anyway). The 'dark deco' backgrounds, certainly not. The character design owes something to Norm Breyfogle, a Batman artist at the time (and perhaps Walt Simonson), but apart from that, it's pretty much Bruce Timm's designs.

 

[SHADOWBAT69]

I feel that B:TAS is the best non comic book incarnation of the Batman universe to date. It is not perfect, no, even the creaters themselves have said there were things that they wish was done better or differently, but they certainly came close.

 

[Rockbottom]

Bruce Timm did all the designs him self for Batman TAS, he had help on Superman TAS though i believe. But thats not really my point, my point is if you watch that crappy MTV Spiderman or even The Batman, the art style is trying to look different 'cool' but TAS design style is the way to go imo. Spiderman TAS had great designs too.

 

[Bat Attack]

No, we just have an opinion of something you personally don't share.

There's nothing wrong about that. There's nothing hard to understand about that. And there's absolutely no reason for you to act so indignantly about that.

As for "Batman in My Basement", it wasn't the best episode ever, but it was certainly more bearable than Batman's worst moments in the comics. Pretty much the entirety of the 50s and 60s, mediocre crossovers like War Games, and utterly horrible stories like City of Crime are far worse, IMO, than anything that's been in BTAS.

It's not even worth trying to argue "Darkestknight", he believes everyone elses opinions are wrong and that his are right.

 

[The Kid]

Bruce Timm did all the designs him self for Batman TAS, he had help on Superman TAS though i believe. But thats not really my point, my point is if you watch that crappy MTV Spiderman or even The Batman, the art style is trying to look different 'cool' but TAS design style is the way to go imo. Spiderman TAS had great designs too.

I saw a heavy influence of fleischer's superman in Batman TAS. I too prefer a more realistic character design than the wacky rasta fararrian joker etc. we must tolerate.

I don't care how good the batman has become lately... why do they all look anorexic and just so darn ugly...

As for flaws. Yeah maybe there are a couple animation errors, anyway... this series in my mind shouldn't be viewed differently because it's Animated... who cares... disney movies are animated, pixar, ghost in the shell, akira,etc. and they're plenty mature for adults as well as adult kids. The whole animation is for kids steryeotype is dumbo.

 

[Kevin Roegele]

Bruce Timm did all the designs him self for Batman TAS, he had help on Superman TAS though i believe. But thats not really my point, my point is if you watch that crappy MTV Spiderman or even The Batman, the art style is trying to look different 'cool' but TAS design style is the way to go imo. Spiderman TAS had great designs too.

I understand what you mean, but you have to remember the animated series was a big depature for it's time as well. I recall back in 1993, there were plenty of complaints about the new Batman series looking 'too cartoony', 'too angular' and 'too simplified/stylised'.

What's so bad about MTV's Spider-Man? The CGI allowed for action scenes way beyond anything the 90's Spider-Man cartoon achieved (not very hard to achieve though, given that action in the 90's cartoon consisted mainly of Spidey dodging laser beams).

 

[Rockbottom]

No im too young to remember 1993 but ive never heard of these complaints before...?

 

[DocLathropBrown]

I think B:TAS is the only other "alternate interpretation" of Batman that I love more than Burton's Batman. It has just the right blend of everything.

 

[Darkest Knight]

It's not even worth trying to argue "Darkestknight", he believes everyone elses opinions are wrong and that his are right.

No, this is a message board and we're here to discuss ... right? We're not all here to suck each other's ***** off and give hugs and kisses. My opinion differed, that's all ... and I shared it. I wasn't derogatory towards his opinion, so please ... hop off my crotch, youngin.

I don't believe my opinion is right / wrong or whatever ... or conversely whether anyone else's is wrong or right. I'm here to discuss and make things interesting, instead of just blind worship, or have an extended man crush on Bruce Timm. This is the point of message boards. To discuss, argue, battle over things. That's what makes this conversations interesting. Not just everyone agreeing on EVERYTHING.

And once again you didn't even read what I wrote. I said B:TAS is "great" ... just not to the extent (of course, IMO) that everyone of the Bruce Timm groupies crack it up to be.

 

[CConn]

No, this is a message board and we're here to discuss ... right? We're not all here to suck each other's ***** off and give hugs and kisses. My opinion differed, that's all ... and I shared it. I wasn't derogatory towards his opinion, so please ... hop off my crotch, youngin.

Yet that entire paragraph was derogatory.

Irony, lol.

 

[Darkest Knight]

Yet that entire paragraph was derogatory.

Irony, lol.

If by irony you mean truth ... then yeah. If anything the only person I was being demeaning to was "Batattack." Care to explain how the rest was derogatory?

 

[CConn]

You have no idea what the definition of derogatory is do you?

 

[Darkest Knight]

You have no idea what the definition of derogatory is do you?

Oh, you are correct, sir.