Batman: The Animated Series- Nothing to Fear

 "I am vengeance. I am the night.I am Batman".

Three episodes in. No Robin this time. We've had Man-Bat. We've had the Joker. Now it's the Scarecrow... and his introduction is excellent, certainly the finest episode so far.

It helps that the animation style used to depict the Scarecrow- less realistic, genuinely using the grammer of horrow, slightly cartoonish- is perfect. Yet the script gives us a perfect introduction to the character. Batman's greatest fear is fitting- the disappointment of his father in the playboy/vigilante he's become- and is perfectly set up.

The rapport between Gordon and Bullock is fun, and I love the early-'90s, mildly sardonic Alfred.

It's also fun to explore the series' visual style, not quite realistic, very much influenced by the Tim Burton aesthetic of the movies. And I was amused at both the airship and the Scarecrow's underlings looking like hoods from the '40s, complete with homburg hats and tommy guns, in a deliberate ambiguity as to the time period.

This episode is a real step up. I'm hoping and expecting now to see just what the hype is about...

Batman: The Animated Series- Christmas with the Joker

 "Jingle bells, Batman smells..."

I love that they use the opening to the version of Jingle Bells I ised to sing in primary schools, even if the rest of the words are different. This is our first introduction to Mark Hamill's Joker (and Arkham Asylum), and it's perfect.

Batman has always been perfect for splendidly dark Christmas tales, and this is no exception. Oh, the plot is straightforward enough, and bonkers, as the Joker dangerously toys with Batman on Christmas Day. It reminds me of those Steve Englehart stories from the '70s which themselves riffed on the early Joker tales. This is very typical Joker stuff, exactly what you want as an introduction.

Incidentally, we now have Robin, after he wasn't in the first episode. Is this the plan, to sometimes feature the character and sometimes not? And which Robin is this? I can't quite recall if Tim Drake was a thing in 1992, but I'm sure all will slowly be revealed. I love the banter between the two of them over Christmas and It's a Wonderful Life.

All very impressive stuff- and very "trad" post-1970 Denny O'Neill revamp Batman in a way which hadn't actually be seen on screen before this. It's fadcinating to see this series unfold.

Batman: The Animated Series- On Leather Wings

 "I only toss butlers, Alfred..."

And so it begins.

I'm watching these in production order, as I'm, reliably informed the broadcast order ill all over trhe place. I'll do a season for now, then see how it goes, but it has to ber said this is quite my period. It's 1992, before Bane and Azrael and Tim Drake and whatnot: I know the lore pretty well at this point.

And you know what? This is excellent stuff. Confession time: I started watching the first episode of the '90s X-Men cartoon some months ago in preparation for X-Men '97, and, despite my fond memories... it was bloody awful. I may or may not try again at some point. But this, at least, is superb.

The plot is straightforward- a mysterious bat-like figure is stealing pharmaceuticals and the police blame Batman, but it's actually Man-Bat. Simple. But simple is needed, as this is the first episode and we only have twenty-two minutes to tell the story. We 're introduced tothe early '90s, slightly acerbic Bruce-Alfred dynamic. Commissioner Gordon is world-weary, plagued by politics and the delightfully annoying Harvey Bullock... and then there's a brief glimpse of the district attorney, one Harvey Dent, whom I'm sure will remain a very... singular fellow.

The characters, the dialogue, the angular animation- all are very good indeed. And it all oozes just enough of the Tim Burton style- the music, the Batmobile design, while being very clearly its own beast. And the title card at the start- it seems inspired by the movie serials.

A necessarily functional start, but a good one. Let's see where this goes.