The New Batman Adventures | |
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Genre | |
Created by | |
Based on | |
Written by |
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Voices of | |
Composers |
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Country of origin | United States |
Original language | English |
No. of seasons | 1 |
No. of episodes | 24 (29 counting the Superman: The Animated Series crossover episodes) |
Production | |
Executive producer | Jean MacCurdy |
Producers |
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Running time | 22 minutes |
Production companies | Warner Bros. Family Entertainment Warner Bros. Television Animation |
Original release | |
Network | Kids' WB |
Release | September 13, 1997 – January 16, 1999 |
Related | |
Batman: The Animated Series Batman Beyond Gotham Girls DC Animated Universe television series |
The New Batman Adventures (often shortened as TNBA) is an American animated superhero television series based on the DC Comics superhero Batman, which aired on Kids' WB from September 13, 1997 to January 16, 1999. Produced by Warner Bros. Television Animation, it is a continuation of Batman: The Animated Series (1992–1995) and the third series in the DC Animated Universe. It was followed by Batman Beyond (1999–2001). The series was revamped from BTAS, replacing its art style with streamlined designs to allow for more consistent animation and maintain similarity with the simultaneously running Superman: The Animated Series (1996–2000), with episodes airing on Kids' WB under the title The New Batman/Superman Adventures .
Stories in this series tend to give more focus to Batman's supporting characters, which include fellow crimefighters Robin, Nightwing and Batgirl, among others. The show also features guest characters such as Supergirl, Etrigan the Demon and The Creeper, characters who would later appear with Batman in Justice League and Justice League Unlimited . The 2001 video game Batman: Vengeance and its 2003 follow-up Batman: Rise of Sin Tzu are based on this series.
The New Batman Adventures premiered on Kids' WB two years after Batman: The Animated Series ended its original run on Fox Kids. While working on Superman: The Animated Series, the network approached the creative team asking them if they could do more episodes of Batman, which would air alongside Superman. To freshen the look of the new show, the art style was revamped from Batman: The Animated Series for more consistent and fluid animation, as well as to keep similarity with Superman: The Animated Series. The show also had a significant change in focus from the original series, with episodes focusing less on Batman and more on the many characters that inhabited Gotham City. [1]
Batman was given a sleeker, brawnier appearance with an overall darker costume: the yellow ellipse surrounding the bat emblem on his chest and the blue highlights of his cape and cowl were both removed and his utility belt has pouches instead of capsules and is now light brown instead of yellow, which resembles his appearance in Batman: Year One . [1] His gadgets and vehicles were given a sleeker, redesigned look with a dark color scheme. Bruce Wayne's appearance was also changed from the previous series: his hair was brushed back to highlight his face, with blue eyes instead of black, and his regular business suit was changed from brown to black. Kevin Conroy's voice for Batman became more stern, as well as less distinguishable from his voice for Bruce than in the original series. The writers made an effort to keep Batman's dialogue terse and grim to heighten the contrast between him and the lighthearted supporting cast; this also highlighted his character change from the original series. [1]
Batgirl's costume was changed to a look similar to her original outfit from her comic debut in Detective Comics #359 and in her appearance in the Silver Age of comics, which is now a black bodysuit with yellow gloves and boots, but keeps her blue cape and cowl and yellow bat-symbol and utility belt. Her father Commissioner Gordon's appearance was also altered, with a more slender build and a flat-top hairstyle. Producer Paul Dini said that Batgirl would appear in every episode of the new series because "Kenner wants to do a line of toys, we're taking advantage of the publicity from her being in Batman & Robin , and we just love Batgirl". [1] In addition, Melissa Gilbert was recast with Tara Strong (credited under her maiden name Tara Charendoff) as the voice of Batgirl, as the creative team wanted a younger-sounding voice. While Batgirl did not appear in every episode, she did appear more often than Batman's other partners in the series. She also was Batman's main partner in the series rather than Robin, which differs the series from most Batman television series and in the comics (as Robin is usually Batman's main partner).
Tim Drake was introduced as the new Robin in the episode "Sins of the Father". However, Dini remarked that "the Tim Drake origin in the comics as written now didn't work for us with him having a father and living so close to Wayne Manor. It seemed to work fine in the comics, but we needed our own little family unit of Batman, Robin, Batgirl and occasionally Nightwing – and Alfred of course". For these reasons, the production team came up with their own origin for Tim Drake, though they later realized this new origin was extremely similar to Jason Todd. [1] Dini and Timm later revealed that the new Robin was always intended to have Jason's origin story and characteristics of both Jason and Tim. [2] The decision to implement some of Todd's characteristics on Drake came up after Timm and Dini decided to not adapt the violent "Batman: A Death in the Family" comic book storyline for the show. [3] Batman made a new suit which is similar to the first one worn by Dick Grayson and identical to Tim Drake's original Robin costume from the comics, but the color scheme was simplified to red, black and yellow, eliminating green entirely. The costume retained the familiar red short-sleeved shirt, as well as the black cape with yellow inner lining. New elements included black sleeves, gloves, trunks and boots with red leggings. The familiar domino mask had also changed, giving the new Robin a more wide-eyed, innocent look. The color scheme would later appear as Tim Drake's Robin costume in the post-Infinite Crisis comics, while the original costume worn by Dick Grayson was seen in the episodes "Old Wounds" and "Over the Edge".
Dick Grayson, having abandoned his Robin persona as a result of a falling out with Batman, adopted the identity of Nightwing. Grayson's build became sleeker, with broader shoulders, showcasing his emergence as a mature hero in his own right. The short spiky hair that Grayson wore as Robin had grown longer, styled to flow down the back of the neck. In his civilian guise, he wore it in a ponytail. As Nightwing, he wore a V-shaped mask and an all-black unitard with light blue hawk emblem that borrowed some elements of the comics version from the 1990s. The costume also featured collapsible wings under the arms that allowed Nightwing to glide for short distances.
The designs of most of the villains from Batman's rogues' gallery were also redesigned, some more so than others. The Joker was redesigned to have white eyes with black sclera and a purple and green suit. However, this was not well-received by fans, and this led to him being redesigned again for Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker (2000), Static Shock (2002) and Justice League (2002–04), where his appearance was a mix of his look from the original series and this one. [4]
Catwoman's redesign now sported an all-black bodysuit (similar to her appearance from Batman Returns ) and her hair is changed from blonde and shoulder-length to short and black while keeping her green eyes, matching her appearance in the comics. The Penguin's redesign resembled his appearance from the Golden Age and Silver Age comics instead of having the animal-like appearance from Batman Returns. The Riddler's redesign now sported a green bodysuit with a question mark in the center and his domino mask and red hair are removed, while his bowler hat is retained. The Scarecrow was redesigned to have long black hair, a zombie-like face, and a dark preacher-like outfit. Henry Polic II was recast with Jeffrey Combs as the voice of the Scarecrow. Mr. Freeze now has a dark suit, no goggles, and red eyes with black sclera. Poison Ivy's appearance also changed, her skin tone is chalk white and her costume is now black with leaf-green highlights. Bane's redesign outfit is completely black with silver accents and his mask no longer has red lenses. Killer Croc received a major redesign with a more reptilian appearance, with Brooks Gardner replacing Aron Kincaid in the role.
Harley Quinn, Two-Face, Clayface, Alfred Pennyworth, and Harvey Bullock were among the few characters who did not receive any drastic change in appearance or color alterations. Harley Quinn is also the only villain aside from the Joker who appeared in six or more episodes. Ra's al Ghul and his daughter Talia also did not receive any drastic re-designs, although their only appearance during this time was in the episode "The Demon Reborn" from Superman: The Animated Series.
Koko Enterprise Co., LTD., TMS-Kyokuchi Corporation, and Dong Yang Animation Co., LTD contributed some of the animation for this series.
The Kids' WB censors were much more flexible with episode content than the Fox Kids censors were with Batman: The Animated Series. Producer Bruce Timm recounted that "when we were at Fox, after every single storyboard, we would get five single-spaced pages of notes on things we couldn't do. On the WB, we usually get maybe two paragraphs of stuff we can't do. At Fox, they were really picky, not just about things you couldn't do, but just in terms of content and story. They had a million opinions about what we should be doing. Nobody bothers us like that at the WB". [1]
No. | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | |
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1 | "Holiday Knights" | Dan Riba | Paul Dini | September 13, 1997 | |
Three holiday-themed vignettes: (1) On December 22, Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy are staying in a hotel when they become depressed over their financial situation and decide to brainwash Bruce Wayne to gain access to his money. However, the control wears off shortly after they return home, enabling him to defeat them. (2) On December 24, Barbara Gordon is shopping to get a gift for her father while Harvey Bullock and Renee Montoya are there investigating a shoplifting criminal. Eventually, Barbara discovers that the culprit is Clayface, who has split himself into several children, and works with Montoya and Bullock to stop him. (3) On December 31, the Joker hijacks a broadcast of a football game to announce that he has decided not to kill anyone in the following year, but plans to kill several people before then with a sonic bomb. After Batman and Robin stop him, the former meets with Gordon to celebrate the new year. Notes:
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2 | "Sins of the Father" | Curt Geda | Rich Fogel | September 20, 1997 | |
After his father Steven leaves him and is later killed by Two-Face, Tim Drake is forced to scavenge on the streets to survive and comes into conflict with the police. Eventually, he is kidnapped by Two-Face and his men, but Batman arrives to rescue him. After Batman is wounded in the battle, Tim is forced to pilot the Batboat to get him to safety and deduces his identity after looking around his house, becoming Robin to help him stop Two-Face. | |||||
3 | "Cold Comfort" | Dan Riba | Hilary J. Bader | October 11, 1997 | |
Having become distraught after his wife Nora was revived and left him for another man, Mr. Freeze begins destroying valuable objects to make others feel the same as him. Batman and Batgirl then fight to stop him from detonating a bomb over Gotham to blanket it in ice, during which the bomb falls into the water and Freeze is presumed dead in the resulting explosion. | |||||
4 | "Never Fear" | Kenji Hachizaki | Stan Berkowitz | November 1, 1997 | |
After stopping a man who had been dangerously swinging around Gotham, Batman learns that the Scarecrow has created a variant of fear gas that eliminates fear, making those exposed to it reckless and violent. While investigating, Batman is captured and sprayed with the gas, forcing Robin to restrain him in the Batwing and face Scarecrow alone. Eventually, he stops him from releasing the gas on a train and retrieves an antidote for Batman. | |||||
5 | "You Scratch My Back" | Butch Lukic | Hilary J. Bader | November 15, 1997 | |
While combating a Latin American smuggling ring led by Enrique El Gaucho, Nightwing gets assistance from Catwoman despite the objections of Batgirl, who believes her to be untrustworthy. Catwoman eventually betrays Nightwing to obtain the valuable Cat's Eye Diamond, but he chooses to rescue her after a fuel tanker explodes as they are fighting. | |||||
6 | "Double Talk" | Curt Geda | Robert Goodman | November 22, 1997 | |
Arnold Wesker, the former Ventriloquist, is rehabilitated after spending time in Arkham Asylum and is employed at Wayne Enterprises. However, he is haunted by his past and manipulated by his former gang members, who make him believe that his dummy Scarface is alive and capable of independent movement. Eventually, Batman helps Wesker overcome their influence, after which he destroys Scarface with an industrial grinder. | |||||
7 | "Joker's Millions" | Dan Riba | Paul Dini | February 21, 1998 | |
Following the death of crime boss Edward Barlowe, the Joker is selected to receive his $250 million will. With his money, he recruits a team of lawyers to erase his criminal records and replace Harley with a new hench-girl. However, he eventually learns that most of the money is counterfeit and is ultimately defeated and arrested. Note: Based on the comic book story of the same name. | |||||
8 | "Growing Pains" | Atsuko Tanaka | Story by : Paul Dini and Robert Goodman Teleplay by : Robert Goodman | February 28, 1998 | |
Robin rescues a mysterious girl from being attacked by a street gang and names her Annie. She explains that she lacks memories of her past and is running from a man who claims to be her father. The two eventually learn that she is a part of Clayface that he separated from himself to scout Gotham. However, he no longer has use for her and seeks to re-absorb her. Robin tries to save Annie, but she chooses to sacrifice herself to save him. An infuriated Robin then attacks Clayface with solvent, causing an explosion that knocks him out. | |||||
9 | "Mean Seasons" | Hiroyuki Aoyama | Story by : Rich Fogel Teleplay by : Hilary J. Bader | April 25, 1998 | |
A mysterious masked criminal dubbed "Calendar Girl" attacks youth-oriented events on specific dates and kidnaps the businesspeople behind them. Eventually, Batman and Batgirl discover that she is Page Monroe, a former model and spokesperson who retired after turning 30 and being subjected to ageism. They manage to defeat her and rescue her captives, but she has a mental breakdown after Harvey Bullock removes her mask, no longer able to see her beauty. Note: Loosely based on the comic-book story "Who Dies for the Manikin?" (Detective Comics #506, September 1981) and "Dressed to Die!" (Detective Comics #507, October 1981) by Gerry Conway. The antagonist Miranda, or Manikin in the comic books, had her name changed to "Calendar Girl" in the animated series along with adopting an obsession with holidays. Taken from another Batman villain named Calendar Man. | |||||
10 | "The Demon Within" | Atsuko Tanaka | Story by : Rusti Bjornhöel Teleplay by : Stan Berkowitz | May 9, 1998 | |
While attending an auction, Bruce and Tim reunite with the former's friend Jason Blood. However, Klarion the Witch Boy, who was also in attendance, steals a magic branding iron with which he separates Blood from Etrigan the Demon, who Merlin had bonded him with centuries prior, and takes control of the latter. Without Merlin's curse to sustain his youth, Blood begins to rapidly age, forcing Tim to take care of him while Batman races to retrieve the iron and reunite the two. He eventually succeeds, after which Etrigan helps defeat Klarion and imprisons him in a crystal ball. Note: This episode was the final performance of actor Stephen Wolfe Smith (Klarion), who died in 2000. | |||||
11 | "Over the Edge" | Yuichiro Yano | Paul Dini | May 23, 1998 | |
After Barbara is killed during a fight with the Scarecrow, Gordon is distraught and works with the GCPD to hunt Batman down, believing him to be responsible. Deducing Batman's secret identity, they raid Wayne Manor and arrest Alfred and Nightwing, forcing Batman to go on the run and leave Tim behind. During Barbara's funeral, Bane attacks Batman before killing him and Gordon. It is then revealed that the events were an extended hallucination Barbara had after being exposed to Scarecrow's fear gas, with her being hospitalized before eventually recovering. | |||||
12 | "Torch Song" | Curt Geda | Rich Fogel | June 13, 1998 | |
Bruce and his date, Shannon, go to a concert by Cassidy. Before the show, Cassidy confronts her former lover, pyrotechnician Garfield Lynns, whom she no longer wants to be with. This leads him to become the villain Firefly to seek revenge against her. He attempts to destroy Gotham with a special incendiary gel he developed before Batman stops him. Later, Cassidy's agent plans to capitalize on her experience, not realizing that she has developed pyrophobia. | |||||
13 | "Love Is a Croc" | Butch Lukic | Steve Gerber | July 11, 1998 | |
Following her previous encounter with Batman, Mary Dahl has been largely rehabilitated and become a motel attendant. However, she is treated rudely by its guests, who recognize her criminal past. As she sees a broadcast of Killer Croc's trial, she realizes that they are both outcasts from society and chooses to break him out of prison. However, she eventually realizes that he has been manipulating her and attempts to destroy Gotham in her rage before Batman stops her. | |||||
14 | "The Ultimate Thrill" | Dan Riba | Hilary J. Bader | September 14, 1998 | |
Batman encounters Roxy Rocket, a thief and former stuntwoman obsessed with danger and thrills. She is working with the Penguin, but he is worried that she will damage his reputation as a legitimate businessman and attempts to kill her. She escapes and enters a chase with Batman before he defeats her. | |||||
15 | "Cult of the Cat" | Butch Lukic | Story by : Paul Dini and Stan Berkowitz Teleplay by : Stan Berkowitz | September 18, 1998 | |
After stealing a cat statue from an ancient cat-worshipping cult led by Thomas Blake, Catwoman is hunted by its members and works with Batman to evade them. However, she is eventually captured by the cult and decides to join them. They sentence Batman to battle a giant tiger, during which Catwoman has a change of heart and helps Batman defeat and tame it to stop the cult's members. | |||||
16 | "Critters" | Dan Riba | Story by : Steve Gerber Teleplay by : Joe R. Lansdale | September 19, 1998 | |
During an agricultural expo, farmer Enoch Brown demonstrates genetically-engineered animals he created in an attempt to address world hunger before being imprisoned in Arkham Asylum after one of his cows attacks the audience. One year later, he and his daughter Emmylou work to attack Gotham with their animals and eventually lock Batman, Robin, Batgirl, and Harvey Bullock in a missile containing an army of mantises. However, they escape and damage the missile, causing it to detonate mid-flight. | |||||
17 | "Animal Act" | Curt Geda | Hilary J. Bader | September 26, 1998 | |
As Haly's Circus is visiting Gotham, Batman and Nightwing discover that its animals are committing robberies, displaying unusually high intelligence and dexterity. They suspect animal trainer Miranda Kane to be responsible, but eventually learn that the culprit is the Mad Hatter, who had disguised himself as a clown and remotely controlled the animals to steal for him. The two eventually confront and defeat him, after which Tim is assigned to work with Miranda for a week to learn more about the circus. | |||||
18 | "Old Wounds" | Curt Geda | Rich Fogel | October 3, 1998 | |
While on patrol, Robin encounters Nightwing and asks him how he and Batman grew apart. Flashbacks reveal that Bruce became estranged from Dick after becoming too busy with crimefighting to be with him. After a fight with the Joker, Dick accuses Batman of manipulating his loved ones and chooses to leave him and become Nightwing. In the present, after learning that Bruce helped rehabilitate former criminal Connor and got him a job at Wayne Enterprises, Dick considers reconciling with him. | |||||
19 | "Legends of the Dark Knight" | Dan Riba | Story by : Robert Goodman and Bruce Timm Teleplay by : Robert Goodman | October 10, 1998 | |
Late at night, three children - Matt, Nick, and Carrie - read a report on a mysterious arsonist and tell each other their perceptions of Batman. In these stories, Batman and Robin respectively fight the Joker, who seeks to steal valuable instruments and music sheets, and a gang of thugs dubbed the Mutants. As the three head home, they are attacked by Firefly before Batman rescues them. Note: Loosely based on "The Batman Nobody Knows!" from Batman #250 (July 1973) by Frank Robbins and Dick Giordano and contains a direct adaptation of part of the comic Batman: The Dark Knight Returns . | |||||
20 | "Girls' Night Out" | Curt Geda | Hilary J. Bader | October 17, 1998 | |
While being transported to Gotham to undergo experimental treatment and return to her human form, Livewire escapes and allies with Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy. Meanwhile, Supergirl is house-sitting for Superman while he is out of town. Disappointed by having no crime to fight, she eagerly works with Batgirl to stop the villainous trio. During their confrontation, Ivy and Livewire incapacitate each other after the latter accidentally ignites the former's plants and she knocks Livewire out with a blast of water while trying to extinguish them. | |||||
21 | "Chemistry" | Butch Lukic | Stan Berkowitz | October 24, 1998 | |
Bruce attends the wedding of Veronica Vreeland and her husband Michael and falls in love with fellow attendee Susan Maguire, planning to marry her and retire. However, as they prepare to go on a honeymoon yacht cruise, Bruce learns that Michael, Susan, and several other people are humanoid plant creatures created by Poison Ivy to steal their spouses' money. In the ensuing fight, Ivy is presumed dead and Susan is killed when the yacht sinks. However, Bruce no longer cares for her and throws away his wedding ring. | |||||
22 | "Judgment Day" | Curt Geda | Rich Fogel and Alan Burnett | October 31, 1998 | |
The Judge, a violent court-themed vigilante, appears in Gotham and attacks several villains, being endorsed by councilman J. Carroll Corcoran. Two-Face kidnaps and attempts to kill Corcoran, but Batman arrives to rescue him. Eventually, Batman discovers that the Judge and Two-Face are the same person, with the former being a second alternate personality created by Harvey in an attempt to do good, and manages to defeat him. | |||||
23 | "Beware the Creeper" | Dan Riba | Story by : Rich Fogel Teleplay by : Steve Gerber | November 7, 1998 | |
While reporting on the anniversary of the accident at Ace Chemicals that created the Joker, Jack Ryder is attacked by him, exposed to a combination of chemicals and Joker venom, and transformed into the Creeper. He attempts to get revenge on the Joker before Batman creates a skin patch to return him to normal. However, Ryder doubts the patch's effectiveness and secretly removes it. Notes The Creeper (vol. 2) comic series (October 2006 – March 2007) incorporated some of the storyline of this episode to the newly revised original story. Prior to 2006, Creeper had no association with the Joker except for being confused for him in Joker #3 (1975). | |||||
24 | "Mad Love" | Butch Lukic | Story by : Paul Dini and Bruce Timm Teleplay by : Paul Dini | January 16, 1999 | |
While planning better ways to kill Batman, the Joker rejects Harley, leading her to leave him. As she laments her life, flashbacks reveal that she was originally a psychiatrist at Arkham Asylum before the Joker manipulated her into joining him by claiming to have an abusive childhood. Harley then attempts to kill Batman by having him be eaten alive by piranhas before being defeated and imprisoned in Arkham. Note: Adaptation of the Eisner Award-winning 1994 comic book of the same name by Paul Dini and Bruce Timm. |
No. | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | |||||||||
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29 | "World's Finest" | Toshihiko Masuda | Alan Burnett, Paul Dini and Rich Fogel Story by : Alan Burnett and Paul Dini | October 4, 1997 | |||||||||
30 | Steve Gerber Story by : Alan Burnett and Paul Dini | ||||||||||||
31 | Stan Berkowitz Story by : Alan Burnett and Paul Dini | ||||||||||||
Batman and Superman team up to take on their respective archenemies, the Joker and Lex Luthor. | |||||||||||||
43 | "Knight Time" | Curt Geda | Robert Goodman | October 10, 1998 | |||||||||
Superman comes to Gotham to fill in for Batman, who has mysteriously disappeared. | |||||||||||||
52 | "The Demon Reborn" | Dan Riba | Rich Fogel | September 18, 1999 | |||||||||
Ra's al Ghul needs Superman's strength to fully heal, so Batman steps in to stop him. |
No. | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | |
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14 | "The Big Leagues" | Dave Chlystek | Len Uhley | January 26, 2002 | |
Static works with Batman and Robin to stop the Joker and his gang of bang babies. | |||||
25 | "Hard as Nails" | Unknown | Paul Dini | January 25, 2003 | |
Static reteams with Batman to help a girl whose powers are being used by Harley and Ivy to steal shipments of gold. | |||||
40 | "Future Shock" | Vic Dal Chele | Stan Berkowitz | January 17, 2004 | |
After assisting Batman and Robin with a mission to stop Timecode, Static is accidentally sent 40 years into the future, where he has to help the Batman of that era, Terry McGinnis, save a captured superhero: Static's future self. |
Actor | Role |
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Kevin Conroy | Bruce Wayne / Batman |
Mathew Valencia | Tim Drake / Robin |
Tara Strong | Barbara Gordon / Batgirl (credited as Tara Charendoff) |
Loren Lester | Dick Grayson / Nightwing / Robin |
Efrem Zimbalist Jr. | Alfred Pennyworth |
Bob Hastings | Commissioner James Gordon |
Robert Costanzo | Detective Harvey Bullock |
Actor | Role |
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Jeff Bennett | Jack Ryder / The Creeper |
Liane Schirmer | Renee Montoya |
Mel Winkler | Lucius Fox |
Lloyd Bochner | Mayor Hamilton Hill |
Marilu Henner | Veronica Vreeland |
Suzanne Stone | Joan Leland |
Billy Zane | Jason Blood / Etrigan the Demon |
Nicholle Tom | Kara In-Ze / Kara Kent / Supergirl |
Actor | Role |
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Peter Breck | Farmer Brown |
Charity James | Roxanne Sutton / Roxy Rocket |
Laraine Newman | Mary Dahl / Baby Doll |
Lori Petty | Leslie Willis / Livewire |
Stephen Wolfe Smith | Klarion the Witch Boy |
Henry Silva | Bane |
Sela Ward | Page Monroe / Calendar Girl |
On December 6, 2005, The New Batman Adventures was released on DVD by Warner Home Video (via DC Entertainment and Warner Bros. Family Entertainment) under the title of Batman: The Animated Series - Volume Four (from The New Batman Adventures) to coincide with the previous three-volume DVD sets of Batman: The Animated Series. [5] The series was released a second time on November 4, 2008, as part of a DVD release entitled Batman: The Complete Animated Series, which contained the episodes of all four volumes that were released in 2004/2005. The series has also been released for online media distribution services such as iTunes and Google Play specifically as "Season/Volume 4" of the complete animated series when the original two-season animated series was broken out differently into three seasons. [6] [7] The series was released on Blu-ray as part of Batman: The Complete Series in the fall of 2018. [8]
It is subsumed as Season 3 of the original series when it debuted on HBO Max on January 1, 2021.
Capstone publishes children's chapter books containing illustrations with character designs from The New Batman Adventures. [9]
Year | Award | Category | Nominee(s) | Result | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1998 | Daytime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Special Class Animated Program | Jean MacCurdy, Alan Burnett, Paul Dini, Bruce Timm, Hilary Bader, Stan Berkowitz, Rich Fogel, Steve Gerber, Bob Goodman, Hiroyuki Aoyama, Curt Geda, Kenji Hachizaki, Butch Lukic, Toshihiko Masuda, Dan Riba, Andrea Romano, and Yûichirô Yano [a] | Won | |
Outstanding Music Direction and Composition | Shirley Walker [b] | Nominated | |||
Outstanding Sound Editing – Special Class | Robert Hargreaves, John Hegedes, George Brooks, Gregory Beaumont, Kelly Ann Foley, and Diane Griffen [c] | Nominated | |||
Golden Reel Awards | Best Sound Editing – Television Animated Series | Nominated | |||
Best Sound Editing – Television Animated Specials | Robert Hargreaves, Mark Keatts, Gregory Beaumont, George Brooks, John Hegedes, and Kelly Ann Foley | Won [d] | |||
Young Artist Awards | Best Performance in a Voice-Over in a Feature Film or TV – Young Actor | Mathew Valencia | Nominated | ||
1999 | Annie Awards | Outstanding Achievement in an Animated Television Program | Nominated | ||
Outstanding Individual Achievement for Production Design in an Animated Television Production | Glen Murakami (for "Legends of the Dark Knight") | Won | |||
Daytime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Special Class Animated Program | Jean MacCurdy, Alan Burnett, Paul Dini, Glen Murakami, Bruce Timm, Hilary Bader, Stan Berkowitz, Rich Fogel, Bob Goodman, Hiroyuki Aoyama, Curt Geda, Kenji Hachizaki, Butch Lukic, Toshihiko Masuda, Dan Riba, Andrea Romano, and Yûichirô Yano [e] | Nominated | ||
Outstanding Music Direction and Composition | Michael McCuistion (for "Judgment Day") | Nominated | |||
Shirley Walker (for "Legends of the Dark Knight") | Nominated | ||||
Outstanding Sound Mixing – Special Class | Tom Maydeck, Robert Hargreaves, Patrick Rodman, and John Hegedes [f] | Won | |||
2000 | Annie Awards | Outstanding Individual Achievement for Voice Acting by a Male Performer in an Animated Television Production | David Warner | Nominated | |
Daytime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Children's Animated Program | Jean MacCurdy, Alan Burnett, Paul Dini, Glen Murakami, Bruce Timm, Hilary Bader, Stan Berkowitz, Rich Fogel, Bob Goodman, Curt Geda, Butch Lukic, Dan Riba, Andrea Romano, and Shin'ichi Tsuji [g] | Nominated | ||
Outstanding Sound Editing – Special Class | Robert Hargreaves, George Brooks, Gregory Beaumont, Mark Keatts, John Hegedes, Linda Di Franco, Kelly Ann Foley, and Diane Griffen [h] | Nominated |
Robin is the alias of several superheroes appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by Bob Kane, Bill Finger, and Jerry Robinson to serve as a junior counterpart and the sidekick to the superhero Batman. As a team, Batman and Robin have commonly been referred to as the Caped Crusaders and the Dynamic Duo. The character's first incarnation, Dick Grayson, debuted in Detective Comics #38. Conceived as a way to attract young readership, Robin garnered overwhelmingly positive critical reception, doubling the sales of the Batman titles. Robin's early adventures included Star Spangled Comics #65–130 (1947–1952), the character's first solo feature. He made regular appearances in Batman-related comic books and other DC Comics publications from 1940 through the early 1980s, until the character set aside the Robin identity and became the independent superhero Nightwing.
Batman: The Animated Series is an American animated superhero television series based on the DC Comics superhero Batman. Developed by Bruce Timm and Eric Radomski, and produced by Warner Bros. Animation, it originally aired on Fox Kids from September 5, 1992, to September 15, 1995, with a total of 85 episodes. Mid-way through the series' run, it was re-titled The Adventures of Batman & Robin.
Harley Quinn is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. She was created by Paul Dini and Bruce Timm for Batman: The Animated Series as a henchwoman for the Joker, and debuted in its 22nd episode, "Joker's Favor", on September 11, 1992. While intended to appear in one episode, Quinn became a recurring character within the DC Animated Universe (DCAU) as the Joker's sidekick and love interest, and was adapted into DC Comics' canon seven years later, beginning with the one-shot Batman: Harley Quinn #1. Quinn's origin story features her as a former psychologist at Gotham City's Arkham Asylum who was manipulated by and fell in love with the Joker, her patient, eventually becoming his accomplice and lover. The character's alias is a play on the stock character Harlequin from the 16th-century Italian theater commedia dell'arte.
Nightwing is the name of several superheroes appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The most prominent is Dick Grayson, who takes the name when he leaves his role as Batman's partner and sidekick Robin in his adulthood.
Richard John "Dick" Grayson is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, commonly in association with Batman, Teen Titans and Justice League. Created by writer Bill Finger and artist Bob Kane, he first appeared in Detective Comics #38 in April 1940 as the original and most popular incarnation of 'Robin', Batman's crime-fighting partner. He is the eldest child of Bruce Wayne, Batman's alter ego, the first child to be adopted by Batman. In Tales of the Teen Titans #44, the character, after becoming an adult, retires his role as Robin and assumes the persona of Nightwing. Grayson has donned the cape and cowl to replace Wayne as Batman; his most notable spell followed Wayne's supposed death in Final Crisis, and sees Grayson adopt Damian Wayne, Bruce's biological son and his adoptive younger brother, as his Robin.
The Batman Adventures is a DC Comics comic book series featuring Batman. It is different from other Batman titles because it is set in the continuity of Batman: The Animated Series, as opposed to the regular DC Universe.
The Batman is an American animated television series based on the DC Comics superhero Batman. Developed by Michael Goguen and Duane Capizzi, and produced by Warner Bros. Animation and DC Comics for seasons 3–5, the series first aired on Kids' WB on September 11, 2004, then Cartoon Network on April 2, 2005. The show would become exclusive to the former network for its third, fourth, and fifth seasons in early 2006. The Batman won six Daytime Emmy Awards over the course of its run. Many elements from previous Batman storylines were borrowed and adapted, such as those from the comic books, film series and the animated shows like Batman: The Animated Series from the DC Animated Universe, but it remained strictly within its own distinct continuity. Jackie Chan Adventures artist Jeff Matsuda served as art director and provided the character designs. The production team altered the appearances of many of the comic books' supervillains for the show, such as the Joker, the Penguin, Mr. Freeze, Bane, and the Riddler.
Timothy Jackson "Tim" Drake is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, commonly in association with the superhero Batman. Created by Marv Wolfman and Pat Broderick, he first appeared in Batman #436 as the third character to assume the role of Batman's crime-fighting partner and sidekick Robin. Following the events of Batman: Battle for the Cowl in 2009, Drake adopted the identity of Red Robin. In 2019, Tim returned to his original Robin persona and briefly used the mononym "Drake".
Jason Peter Todd is a character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. First appearing in Batman #357 in March 1983, he was created to succeed Dick Grayson as Robin, Batman's partner and sidekick. He initially shared a similar origin to Grayson, being the son of circus acrobats who are killed by criminals in Gotham and adopted by Bruce Wayne, Batman's alter ego, as his son and protege. Following the Crisis on Infinite Earths event and the rebooting of DC's main comics universe, Jason's origin was changed to being a pre-teen street urchin and petty thief who Bruce adopted and mentored after finding the boy attempting to steal the tires off of the Batmobile. This origin has since become the standard for subsequent iterations of the character.
The New Adventures of Batman is an animated series that aired on CBS from February 12 to May 28, 1977, featuring the DC Comics superheroes Batman and Robin, and Batgirl. The series was a Filmation and DC Comics production in association with Warner Bros. Television.
Bruce Walter Timm is an American artist, animator, writer, producer, and director. He is best known for contributing to building the modern DC Comics animated franchise, most notably as the head producer behind Batman: The Animated Series (1992–1995), Superman: The Animated Series (1996–2000), The New Batman Adventures (1997–1999), Batman Beyond (1999–2001), Justice League (2001–2004), and Justice League Unlimited (2004–2006).
Paul McClaran Dini is an American screenwriter and comic creator. He has been a producer and writer for several Warner Bros. Animation/DC Comics animated series, most notably Batman: The Animated Series (1992–1995), and the subsequent DC Animated Universe. Dini and Bruce Timm co-created the characters Harley Quinn and Terry McGinnis.
Caroline Keene "Carrie" Kelley is a superheroine from Frank Miller's graphic novels The Dark Knight Returns (1986) and its sequels The Dark Knight Strikes Again (2001–2002) and The Dark Knight III: The Master Race (2015–2017). She becomes the new Robin in The Dark Knight Returns when she saves Batman's life. Later in The Dark Knight Strikes Again, she adopts the identity Catgirl, and in The Dark Knight III: The Master Race, she adopts the identity Batwoman. She was the first full-time female Robin in the history of the Batman franchise, though Julie Madison had passed off as Robin for a brief time in a Bob Kane story published in Detective Comics #49 in March 1941.
Scott Beatty is an American author, comic book writer, and superhero historian actively published since the late 1990s. He is a distinguished alumnus of Juniata College and Iowa State University.
Batman Animated is a coffee table book written by Paul Dini and designed by Chip Kidd, about the popular TV show Batman: The Animated Series. It was first published in a hardcover edition in 1998 by Titan Books. A paperback edition of the book was published later.
In addition to DC Comics books, the superhero Robin also appears in other media, such as films, television and radio. Dick Grayson, Jason Todd, Tim Drake, Stephanie Brown, and Damian Wayne are examples of the characters who use the name Robin.
Joker: Last Laugh is a crossover storyline published by DC Comics in 2001.
Lego DC Comics Super Heroes: Justice League – Gotham City Breakout is a 2016 American animated superhero comedy film based on the Lego and DC Comics brands, which was released on June 21, 2016 in Digital HD and on July 12, 2016 on Blu-ray and DVD. It is the sixth Lego DC Comics film following Lego Batman: The Movie – DC Super Heroes Unite, Lego DC Comics: Batman Be-Leaguered, Lego DC Comics Super Heroes: Justice League vs. Bizarro League, Lego DC Comics Super Heroes: Justice League – Attack of the Legion of Doom and Lego DC Comics Super Heroes: Justice League – Cosmic Clash. Some actors from various DC properties reprise their respective roles, including Nolan North as Superman, Grey DeLisle as Wonder Woman and Troy Baker as Batman. The film received positive reviews, with praise for the action, although the consumerism was criticized.
Batman: The Adventures Continue is a DC Comics comic book series starring Batman set in the world of the DC Animated Universe. It is a continuation of Batman: The Animated Series and its follow-up The New Batman Adventures. The book is co-written by Paul Dini and Alan Burnett, producers of the original animated television series, and illustrated by Ty Templeton, who also worked on previous comics inspired by Batman: TAS. The limited series was initially released as a "digital first" comic, beginning in April 2020. The first print issue, which collects the first two digital chapters, reached stores on June 10, 2020. The miniseries was extended from six to seven print issues, and later to eight. In March 2021, DC announced Season II of the series, with Issue 1 published in June 2021. As of June 2021, DC has planned seven issues for Season II. Season III, the final season of the comic, began publication on January 10, 2023.