Batman-The Animated Series

Books, comics, TV, music
1

Recently been watching Star Wars The Clone Wars with my 5 year old son who is Star Wars mad.

Anyways he has asked for something Batman based due to playing Lego Batman 2, reading up on it it seems The animated series is the best I see it’s rated PG but is it too adult for him. Not really watched stuff liek this until the kids came along and thoughts would be good.

He finds Clone Wars fine except for Cad Bane who he thinks is too scary but he loves Asajj Ventriss, Aurra Sing and all the others which surprised me as they seem pretty scary (well for a youngster).

Of course the wife doesn’t really approve but we can manage past that :D

2

Batman: The Animated Series is still my favorite cartoon ever, and I feel one of the best American cartoons ever made. It can get pretty dark, but honestly, I don’t know if most of the episodes are too dark for a 5 year old boy. SOME are, sure, but I think he could enjoy a lot of them.

However, if you’re really concerned about it, go with Batman: The Brave and the Bold. Much less dark.

3

Yeah Brave and the Bold is aimed a little younger and is still good as well. As noted though B:TAS is probably one of the best cartoons of all time.

4

But Brave and the Bold was awesome in its own way. (The haters just didn’t like it because it was campy instead of dark, but IMHO it’s way more appropriate for a five-year-old.) It’s fun, and he’ll see lots of other DC superheroes too since every episode guest-stars at least two of them.

Plus it had the “Mayhem of the Music Meister” episode, which is the best musical since Dr. Horrible.

5

Oh, no one’s saying The Brave and The Bold Isn’t awesome. I TOTALLY loved it. Not as much as TAS, of course, but in its own way.

6

Ok that’s great, I think I will order both and watch TAS myself as well.

7

I actually just picked up and watched the Voume 4 DVD set. I’ve had the first 3 for a few years now, but always figured the 4th wasn’t all that worth picking up, because of all the redesigns. It’s not really as excellent as the first few volumes, but it’s got some pretty solid episodes. I would probably agree that it’s a bit too dark for a 5 year old.

8

Two of my favorite episodes are in volume four, Over the Edge and Mad Love. I will agree that volumes 2 and 3 have the bulk of the awesomeness though.

9

Batman: TAS is one of the all-time greats. Definitely worth getting.

Coincidentally the first soundtracks are being released by a company called La-La Land Records (http://lalalandrecords.com/). The first volume is sold out, but will be re-issued soon (soon after ComicCon, July 19) along with volume two. Well worth the purchase if you like the series’ unique music (Shirley Walker, Michael McCuistion, Lolita Ritmanis, Harvey R. Cohen, etc.).

— Alan

10

Those two are excellent! I had a copy of the “Mad Love” comic sitting on my desk, which led me to take the plunge on Volume 4 in the first place. I’m a little tempted to check out the Superman and Batman Beyond stuff, but there’s a real sense of diminishing returns for me the further I get from TAS.

11

Batman Beyond is surprisingly awesome, as is The Justice League. The Superman cartoon is okay, but the crossover ep/movie World’s Finest is a masterpiece.

12

Wait, there’s a volume 2??? I have to make sure I own it. I listen to this music alll the time!

13

Alan, where are you finding that info? I can’t find it on the La-La Land Records site.

Oh, wait, it’s the same as the first release, except…

Yep, track omissions - This “second edition” re-issue is virtually identical to the 2008 version, except the bonus tracks “Gotham City Overture” and “Music of the Bat” have been removed to preserve the integrity of the initial release.

Looks like I’m keeping my original release.

14

They sent out a pre-release email. It’s not on their website yet. It’s also gonna cost a lot more (4CD set, $60-65).

— Alan

15

But wait. I’m wrong again, this one is FOUR CD’s and will be at Comic-Con first, then online a few days later.

Yeah, I see it on their Facebook page now Alan. :) There’s TWO Batman releases. A reissue of the first volume with some tracks missing, and the $60 volume 2 set.

Thankfully I have tons of friends who go to the Con and will snag me a copy of volume 2. Yay!

Thanks for pointing that out, Alan, or I totally would’ve misssed it.

16

Only at the Con? That SUCKS.

EDIT: Wait, no! Facebook says it will be for sale on their site on July 19th!

17

Yeah, I caught that after the fact too. I just hope they don’t run out. ;) I’m still getting a friend to get me one though. ;)

18

I don’t think a 5-year-old would necessarily comprehend what makes the darker episodes so as well. The themes of episodes like “See No Evil” and “I Am the Night” would be lost on a kid. After all, a big appeal of Batman: TAS is the psychological elements at play in the stories and villains. Can a kid really understand what makes Mr. Freeze or Baby Doll tick? Would he still enjoy it? I’m not so sure.

You can consider just cherry picking episodes. A lot of the Joker episodes such as “The Last Laugh,” “Be a Clown,” “Make 'Em Laugh,” and others tend to be silly as are the kid friendly productions like “I’ve Got Batman in My Basement” and the Harlequin slapstick stuff. Personally, I think the Superman episodes which followed Batman: TAS’ run would be better suited for a child, and from there you could start to work Batman in.

19

The Batman Beyond Joker movie was superlative.

20

That’s kind of what I was suggesting, but yes, there are episodes that would be easier than others for a 5 year old to digest. Superman is a better superhero for young kids too, I think. :)

Oh totally, until Under the Red Hood it was my favorite.