Batman The Animated Series: Criticisms and Things You Didn't Like

[Comics N' Toons]

Title says it all... What do you not like and what would you change?

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[Pohzee]

Depends... does TNA count?

[Comics N' Toons]

Depends... does TNA count?

YES! The New Batman Adventures does count

[Pohzee]

-Wish they woulda gone all in on Jason or Tim rather than amalgamating them
-Nightwing's mullet
-Any implications of Batman/Batgirl
-Blue face Catwoman?
-Don't think they did Bane justice like they did Ra's in Adventures of Batman and Robin

[Spencermalley935]

Thing's I didn't like

Episodes that try and deal with real world issues (The Underdwellers, The Forgotten, Cat Scratch Fever) don't hold up at all, in fact they're nigh unwatchable. Some Joker episodes like the Last Laugh and Be A Clown were pretty mediocre as well.

The show's version of Catwoman was actually kind of a mixed bag She had a great design and Adrienne Barbeau was perfect in the role but the show never really felt like it got a handle on her character until it became the New Adventures of Batman and Robin. Before that the show seemed to have no clue whether she was a thief, animal rights activist or a damsel in distress. She also had a serious lack of quality stories and it just felt like the writers never really knew what to do with her.

The Penguin was very misused in this show, he had a great episode in Birds of a Feather but most of his other appearances are unremarkable ones where he could have been replaced with any other established villain (even Rupert Thorne)

Bane and Hugo Strange were both messed up pretty badly in this show. This show created the stereotype of Bane basically being a luchador version of the Rhino whose defining character trait (and weakness) is the tube in his head and worse still some fans think that's how he's supposed to be portrayed. Strange was reduced to a glorified blackmailer who literally could have been any other villain.

Aside from Harley Quinn and Renee Montoya (and maybe Lock-Up), The show's original characters were pretty uninspired like the generic russian terrorist Red Claw or HARDAC. I never got the point of Summer Gleason either, why wasn't she just Vicki Vale?

Thing's I'd change

I'd have an episode focusing on Commissioner Gordon.

Have Catwoman written the way she was in Catwalk and Batgirl Returns throughout the entire show and ditch the "animal rights activist" schtick.

Either not have Bane at all or if he must appear do a better job (give him a two-part episode as a villain)

Adapt Hugo Strange the way he was in the original Steve Englehart story

Adapt Black Mask, The guy fits the aesthetic of the show perfectly and it may have saved us from getting that boring, skull-faced, torture obsessed guy we have in current comics.

[marhawkman]

When I first watched it I loved it, but rewatches.... I notice things I didn't as a kid that annoy me a lot. Batman does some stuff that's very ethically questionable.

[Mistah K88]

I'd say Catwoman was exposed FAR too quickly (Her first appearance) and was written more as a damsel in distress...

[Jackalope89]

-Wish they woulda gone all in on Jason or Tim rather than amalgamating them
-Nightwing's mullet
-Any implications of Batman/Batgirl
-Blue face Catwoman?
-Don't think they did Bane justice like they did Ra's in Adventures of Batman and Robin

They were told they couldn't use "Jason" because of higher ups, but I otherwise agree.

[Mistah K88]

They were told they couldn't use "Jason" because of higher ups, but I otherwise agree.

I thought they avoided using Jason was because he would be expected to die...kind of like how no Spider-Man related series would touch Gwen Stacy as a love interest with a 10 foot pole until Spectacular...

Speaking of Tim...did he share ANY attributes with comic Tim Drake other than the name? I'm trying to think of instances in the show where I would think "That's Tim Drake" and not "that's Jason Todd in all but name".

[SiegePerilous02]

I would definitely change how Catwoman was used. Preferably by not having Bruce learn her identity right away and by having her be morally ambiguous at first and develop more selfless heroic qualities later. A shame too because her voice was always great and her design was great in the earlier episodes. I hated the TNBA design but I think the writing for her there was how she should have been earlier on. It's liked they flipped how her character arc should go.

I think she's the only villain on BTAS that is surpassed by a live action version for me (Pfeiffer). All the rest are either on par or better than their live action counterparts.

For TNBA, definitely wouldn't have ever done Bruce/Barbara. It would strictly remain Bruce/Selina (or whoever) and Dick/Barbara.

[Jackalope89]

I thought they avoided using Jason was because he would be expected to die...kind of like how no Spider-Man related series would touch Gwen Stacy as a love interest with a 10 foot pole until Spectacular...

Speaking of Tim...did he share ANY attributes with comic Tim Drake other than the name? I'm trying to think of instances in the show where I would think "That's Tim Drake" and not "that's Jason Todd in all but name".

Watchtower Database on youtube did a whole thing on it a while back.

[PurpleGlovez]

TNBA Tim has qualities of Jason on paper, but in reality he was much too short and spunky and not... "hardened" enough to be Jason. Yet still not really Tim.

The original series is great despite some dreadfully boring episodes. I have no real problems with anyone's characterization, actually, nor do I take issue with the moral lessons considering this is a series for children. By the time TNBA comes around, they start inserting more adult humor and sexual innuendos which is so lame and disappointing. The designs are horrendous. TNBA may actually be one of the ugliest cartoons ever.

[marhawkman]

I would definitely change how Catwoman was used. Preferably by not having Bruce learn her identity right away and by having her be morally ambiguous at first and develop more selfless heroic qualities later. A shame too because her voice was always great and her design was great in the earlier episodes. I hated the TNBA design but I think the writing for her there was how she should have been earlier on. It's liked they flipped how her character arc should go.

I think she's the only villain on BTAS that is surpassed by a live action version for me (Pfeiffer). All the rest are either on par or better than their live action counterparts.

For TNBA, definitely wouldn't have ever done Bruce/Barbara. It would strictly remain Bruce/Selina (or whoever) and Dick/Barbara.

I liked Eartha Kitt better. I didn't dislike the others, but Eartha Kitt was best IMO.

[Batman Begins 2005]

Most of The New Batman Adventures redesigns were very inferior to Batman: The Animated Series.

Catwoman, Bane and Penguin didn't get the great treatment that Joker, the Riddler (B:TAS only), Ra's al Ghul and Mr. Freeze had.

Batman was written better in B:TAS.

Most characters skip leg days .

[Mistah K88]

Penguin was robbed in TNBA. They finally get his design right and then he’s always off to the sidelines being a simple informant. I will say at least Scarecrow got some good use with his TNBA design (even if one episode was a dream).