The Batman(TV series)

This article is about the 2000s animated TV series. For other television adaptations, seeBatman in television.For the 2022 film, seeThe Batman (film).

The Batmanis an Americananimated television seriesbased on theDC ComicssuperheroBatman.Developed by Michael Goguen andDuane Capizzi,and produced byWarner Bros. AnimationandDC Comicsfor seasons 3–5, the series first aired onKids' WBon September 11, 2004, thenCartoon Networkon April 2, 2005. The show would become exclusive to the former network for its third, fourth, and fifth seasons in early 2006.The Batmanwon sixDaytime Emmy Awardsover the course of its run. Many elements from previous Batman storylines were borrowed and adapted, such as those from thecomic books,film seriesand the animated shows likeBatman: The Animated Seriesfrom theDC Animated Universe,but it remained strictly within its own distinct continuity.Jackie Chan AdventuresartistJeff Matsudaserved as art director and provided the character designs. The production team altered the appearances of many of the comic books'supervillainsfor the show, such as theJoker,thePenguin,Mr. Freeze,Bane,and theRiddler.

The Batman
Title card
Genre	Action Adventure Superhero Science fiction Detective
Based on	Batman by Bob Kane Bill Finger(uncredited)
Developed by	Michael Goguen Duane Capizzi
Voices of	Rino Romano Danielle Judovits Evan Sabara Alastair Duncan Piera Coppola Ming-Na Wen Steve Harris Kevin Michael Richardson Tom Kenny Mitch Pileggi Adam West
Theme music composer	The Edge(seasons 1 and 2) Andy Sturmer(seasons 3–5)
Composer	Thomas Chase
Country of origin	United States
Original language	English
No.of seasons	5
No.of episodes	65(list of episodes)
Production
Executive producers	Sander Schwartz(seasons 1–5) Duane Capizzi(season 4)
Producers	Linda M. Steiner Jeff Matsuda(seasons 1–4) Glen Murakami(seasons 1–3)
Running time	21–23 minutes
Production companies	Warner Bros. Family Entertainment Warner Bros. Animation DC Comics(seasons 3–5)
Original release
Network	Kids' WB(The WB/The CW) Cartoon Network(2005–2006)
Release	September 11, 2004(2004-09-11)– March 8, 2008(2008-03-08)
Related
Batman Beyond(1999–2001) Batman: The Brave and the Bold(2008–2011)

All five seasons are available onDVDandBlu-ray.In 2005, a direct-to-DVD film titledThe Batman vs. Draculawas released.The Batmanalso received a spin-off comic book series,The Batman Strikes!,published by DC Comics; it was set in the same continuity as the show and featured the same art style.

Synopsis

Main article:List of The Batman characters

Billionaire playboy Bruce Wayne (voiced byRino Romano) is secretly The Batman, the costumed protector ofGotham City.The series focuses on Batman's earlier years of his crime-fighting career, as he began fighting crime three years prior to the start of the series, and the Gotham City police do not publicly acknowledge the vigilante's existence. Operating out of a secret lair underneath Bruce Wayne's mansion—known as the Batcave—Batman and his butler,Alfred Pennyworth(voiced byAlastair Duncan), stop crime with the assistance of high-tech gadgets and a supercomputer.

Season 1

At the start of the first season, crime in Gotham is in decline, but Gotham Chief of Police Angel Rojas (voiced in the pilot byEdward James Olmosand later byJesse Corti), orders his officers to hunt down Batman. This marks the first acknowledgement of Batman's existence in the series. Despite the chief's orders, one of his detectives,Ethan Bennett(voiced bySteven Harris), believes the city needs Batman. At the start of the series, Bennett is assisted by a new partner from Metropolis,Ellen Yin(voiced byMing-Na Wen), who slowly becomes torn between her commitment tolaw and orderand her personal feelings toward Batman.

Throughout season 1, both Bennett and Yin are tasked with capturing Batman. During this first season, Bruce Wayne finds himself torn between his responsibilities as Batman and his regular life, though the latter is supported by Gotham's mayor, Marion Grange (voiced byAdam Westwho played Batman in the 1960sBatmanTV series). By the end of the season, Bennett is tortured andmutatedby the Joker, transforming Bennett intoClayface.As Clayface, he is forced into hiding, while his partner Yin finally realizes she was wrong about Batman and forms an alliance with him.

Among the villains introduced this season are theJoker(voiced byKevin Michael Richardson), thePenguin(voiced byTom Kenny),Catwoman(voiced byGina Gershon),Mr. Freeze(voiced byClancy Brown),Firefly(voiced byJason Marsden), theVentriloquist and Scarface(voiced byDan Castellaneta),Man-Bat(voiced byPeter MacNicol),Cluemaster(voiced byGlenn Shadix), andBane(voiced byJoaquim de Almeidain the first appearance,Ron Perlmanin the second, andClancy Brownin the third).

Season 2

Throughout the second season, Batman continues to act outside of the law even though he has Detective Yin as an ally. Batman begins making a name for himself as a force for good when he saves a group of policemen from certain doom. In this season, his heroic act prompts the officers to support him rather than pursue him as a criminal. In the season finale, Police Chief Rojas finally uncovers Yin's involvement with Batman, forcing her to go on the run. Around this time, CommissionerJames Gordon(voiced byMitch Pileggi), the main law enforcement figure in most of the Batman mythos, rejects Rojas' belief that Batman is a criminal. Commissioner Gordon instead believes Batman to be an ally of the Gotham police force and is particularly impressed when Batman and Yin capture the Joker, Penguin, and Riddler. He is revealed to be Batman's secret ally off-screen and develops a signaling searchlight, theBat-Signal,allowing Batman to know that the police are firmly on his side.

This season introduces more villains, includingRag Doll(voiced byJeff Bennett), theRiddler(voiced byRobert Englund),Killer Croc(voiced byRon Perlman),Spellbinder(voiced byMichael Massee), andSolomon Grundy(voiced byKevin Grevioux). Another new villain,Hugo Strange(initially voiced byFrank Gorshin,the original Riddler from the 1960sBatmanTV series, who is later replaced byRichard Greenafter Gorshin's death), is portrayed as a secondary character in the season. The characters Yin and Police Chief Rojas make their final appearances at the end of the season.

Season 3

In the third season, the show introduces a younger incarnation ofBarbara Gordon(voiced by Danielle Judovits), who is the police commissioner's daughter. Over the course of a two-part story, she secretly becomesBatgirl.The show's opening title sequence changes this season, and the opening theme music (performed byU2guitaristThe Edge) is substituted with a lighter, '60s theme performed byAndy Sturmer.Throughout season 3, Barbara tries to become Batman's sidekick and be as good of an ally as her father. However, Batman frequently refuses to accept her help, although she proves herself to him by the end of the season.

This Batman-Batgirl storyline differs from the comic books. In previous incarnations of the story, Batman's first partner isDick Grayson,who becomes Robin and joins Batman as his apprentice, later leaving to becomeNightwing.The decision for Batgirl to be Batman's first sidekick inThe Batmanwas due to Robin not permitted to be used in the show due to him being used in theTeen Titansanimated series, which aired on Cartoon Network and due to the Bat-embargo (a restriction in place regarding usage Batman's allies and enemies in multiple animated shows based on the comics). This season also sees the destruction of Batman's originalBatmobile,which is replaced by an updated version for the remainder of the series.

Several more new villains from the Batman mythos are introduced this season, includingPoison Ivy(voiced byPiera Coppola), a different version ofGearhead(voiced byWill Friedle),Maxie Zeus(voiced byPhil LaMarr), theToymaker(voiced byPatton Oswalt),Prank(voiced byMichael Reisz),Temblor(voiced byJim Cummings), andD.A.V.E.(voicedJeff Bennett). Hugo Strange becomes a villain this season, having orchestrated the events of "A Fistful of Felt"and"Gotham's Ultimate Criminal Mastermind".The season finale concludes with his incarceration atArkham Asylum.

Season 4

TheBatman Family(Robin, Batman, and Batgirl) as they appeared in the season 4 and season 5 intro.

With the conclusion ofTeen Titansin 2006, the fourth season introducesDick Grayson(voiced byEvan Sabara). The opening episode of the season focuses on Dick Grayson's origins as Robin. Through the loss of Grayson's parents in a murder made to look like a circus accident, he is adopted by Bruce Wayne, who assists Grayson in bringing down the mafia Boss Tony Zucco responsible for his parents' deaths. The second episode in the season leads to Batgirl officially becoming part of the team, with each member divulging his or her secret identity to the others. This reveal eventually leads to Batgirl and Robin forming a sibling-like rivalry. One of the highlights of season 4 is the episode "Artifacts",which described a possible future in the year 3027. Featuring flashforward scenes to 2027, the audience gets a glimpse of an older Batman, Dick Grayson operating asNightwing(voiced byJerry O'Connell), and Barbara Gordon, now reliant on a wheelchair and having become the Oracle (voiced byKellie Martin). The episode also features elements fromFrank Miller'sThe Dark Knight Returns,including the designs of both the Batman costume and the Batmobile. In the season finale, an alien invasion by entities called "The Joining"causes Batman to work alongside another superhero from theDC Universeand an original member of theJustice League,Martian Manhunter(voiced byDorian Harewood), to thwart the aliens' plans. This is when Batman becomes part of theJustice League of America,theHall of Justicereminiscent of the version seen in theSuper Friendscartoon. Albeit, the base is in space and not on Earth.

The third episode of the season titled "Clayfaces" features a nod toSuperman II's diner scene. Two patrons, in the episode, are seen dressed and looking like Clark Kent and Lois Lane from the film, although they are not a couple and not sitting together. The diner is also similarly constructed, and the waitress in the episode is dressed similar to the one in the 1980 film.

More villains with new interpretations are once again introduced, includingTony Zucco(voiced byMark Hamill,who voiced the Joker in theDC Animated Universe),Killer Moth(voiced byJeff Bennett),Black Mask(voiced byJames Remar),Rumor(voiced byRon Perlman), theEverywhere Man(voiced byBrandon Routh),Harley Quinn(voiced byHynden Walch), and Francis Grey (voiced byDave Foley). The season also brought an end to Ethan Bennett's version of Clayface, including a storyline that redeemed Bennett by curing him of his condition. This gave writers the opportunity to introduceBasil Karlo's version of the villain (voiced byWallace Langhamin the first appearance, andLex Langin the second appearance). Season 4 also featured a redesign of Bruce Wayne, with a more square facial and chin structure, making him reminiscent of theDC Animated UniverseBatman design.

This was the final season worked on byJeff MatsudaandMichael Jelenic,both of whom departed from the show after the season finale.

Season 5

The final season onThe Batman,season 5, focused primarily on Batman and Robin, with the pair teaming up with some of the DC Universe's characters to battle different villains. These team-ups included Martian Manhunter,Superman(voiced byGeorge Newbern,reprising his role fromJustice LeagueandJustice League Unlimited),Green Arrow(voiced byChris Hardwick), theFlash(voiced byCharlie Schlatter,who previously voiced theWally Westversion of Flash inSuperman: The Animated Series),Green Lantern(voiced byDermot Mulroney), andHawkman(voiced byRobert Patrick). ProducerAlan Burnettdescribed the season as the show's "The Brave and the Boldseason ".Both Batgirl and Commissioner Gordon were relegated to either guest or cameo appearances during the season, where Barbara Gordon, having graduated from high school, now attends college. The two-part series finale, "Lost Heroes", features all the members of the Justice League who made an appearance in the series,along with Batgirl, as they fight against a renewed effort ofthe Joiningto invade Earth.

Most of the villains featured in the season are reinterpretations of those that fought against the DC heroes who teamed-up with Batman. These villains includeLex Luthor(voiced byClancy Brown,reprising his role from theDC Animated Universe),Mercy Graves(voiced byGwendoline Yeo),Metallo(voiced byLex Lang),Count Vertigo(voiced byGreg Ellis), theToyman(voiced byRichard Green), theShadow Thief(voiced byDiedrich Bader),Sinestro(voiced byMiguel Ferrer), and theMirror Master(voiced byJohn Larroquette). Only theTerrible Trio(voiced byDavid Faustino,Grey DeLisle,and Googy Gress),the Wrath(voiced byChristopher Gorham), andPhosphorusare reinterpretations of Batman villains. Phosphorus differs in the show from the comic version, in that Firefly mutates into him, giving him the same radioactive skills and incorporating Phosphorus's insanity, while the Terrible Trio mutated themselves and others into animal hybrids using a mutagen created byKirk Langstrom.

Cast

Main

• Rino RomanoasBruce Wayne/Batman
• Alastair DuncanasAlfred Pennyworth
• Evan Sabara asDick Grayson/Robin
• Danielle Judovits asBarbara Gordon/Batgirl

Episodes

Main article:List of The Batman episodes

Season	Episodes		Originally aired
			First aired	Last aired	Network
1	13		September 11, 2004	May 7, 2005	Cartoon Network/Kids' WB
2	13		May 14, 2005	September 10, 2005
Movie			October 18, 2005		Cartoon Network
3	13		September 17, 2005	May 13, 2006	Kids' WB
4	13		September 23, 2006	May 5, 2007
5	13		September 22, 2007	March 8, 2008

Home media

All of theDVDreleases ofThe Batmanare released byWarner Home Video(via DC Entertainment andWarner Bros. Family Entertainment) and presented in its original broadcast version and in story continuity order. The DVD releases ofThe Batmanare also presented in a 4:3 fullscreenaspect ratio.However, the entire series is available in its original 16:9 widescreen aspect ratio onAmazon Video,Blu-ray,Google Play,Max,Netflix,and theXbox VideoStore. The first two seasons andThe Batman vs. Draculafilm are available oniTunesin 16:9. On March 1, 2022, Warner Bros. Home Entertainment released the whole series onBlu-rayfor the first time. TheBatman vs. Draculafilm is not included in the complete series Blu-ray release.

• The Complete First SeasonDVD (2 discs, episodes 1–13) (release date: February 7, 2006)
• The Complete Second Season DVD(2 discs, episodes 14–26) (release date: September 12, 2006)
• The Complete Third SeasonDVD (2 discs, episodes 27–39) (release date: April 10, 2007)
• The Complete Fourth SeasonDVD (2 discs, episodes 40–52) (release date: November 20, 2007)
• The Complete Fifth SeasonDVD (2 discs, episodes 53–65) (release date: July 8, 2008)
• The Complete SeriesBlu-ray (6 discs, release date: March 1, 2022) the Batman vs Dracula film not included.
• The Batman vs. DraculaDVD (1 disc, feature-length animated film) (release date: October 18, 2005)

The Batmanofficial games

The BatmanPlug and Play TV video game

The BatmanPlug and Play TV Video Game (a.k.a. Plug 'n Play) was released in 2004 byJakks Pacific.It featuresThe Batmantracking down notable villains from the show, includingThe Joker,Firefly,Mr. Freeze,Bane,andPenguin.The game comes with a customThe Batmancontroller which connects to a TV via RCA connectors.

The Batman: The CobbleBot Caper

The Batman:The CobbleBot Caper is aMacromediaFlashToonamigame released oncartoonnetworkin 2005. The video game featured a series of levels involving a kidnapped scientist, with gameplay resembling that of theJakks Pacific'sThe BatmanPlug and Play Video Game released in 2004, with a level inCobbleBotManor being almost an exact replica of a similar level in the TV Game.The CobbleBot Caperfeatures The Batman tracking down and fighting two notable villains from the show,Penguinand the Kabuki Girls. The game is no longer available oncartoonnetwork.

The Batman Strikes!

The Batman Strikes!is aDCcomic bookseries featuringBatmanand is a spin-off comic book series ofThe Batman.Part of DC's line for young readers, the series lasted 50 issues in total, with the last issue shipping in October 2008.

Collected editions

Title	Material collected	ISBN
The Batman Strikes! Volume 1: Crime Time	#1–5	SC: 978-1-4012-0509-6
The Batman Strikes! Volume 2: In Darkest Night	#6–10	SC: 978-1-4012-0510-2
The Batman Strikes! Volume 3: Duty Calls	#11–14, 16–18	SC: 978-1-4012-1548-4

Crew

• Michael Goguen – Supervising producer
• Duane Capizzi– Supervising producer
• Glen Murakami– Producer
• Jeff Matsuda– Producer
• Linda M. Steiner – Producer
• Sander Schwartz– Executive producer
• Alan Burnett– Executive producer
• Kimberly A. Smith – Associate producer
• Sam Liu– Director
• Brandon Vietti – Director
• Seung Eun Kim– Director
• Michael Hack – Casting director
• Ginny McSwain– Casting director
• Andrea Romano– Casting director (seasons 4–5)
• Ginny McSwain– Voice director (seasons 1–3)
• Andrea Romano– Voice director (seasons 4–5)
• The Edge– Theme music creator

Awards

The BatmanreceivedAnnie Awardnominations for Best Animated Television Production in 2005 and 2006, and for Best Music in a Television Production in 2006.

The Batmanwas nominated for 12 Daytime Emmy Awards during its five-year run, with a total of six wins.

In 2005, it was nominated for Outstanding Special Class Animated Program, an Outstanding Performer in an Animated Program (Kevin Michael Richardsonas the Joker), Outstanding Achievement in Music Direction and Composition, and Outstanding Achievement in Sound Editing – Live Action and Animation (for which it won).

In 2006, it was nominated and won Outstanding Special Class Animated Program and Outstanding Achievement in Sound Editing – Live Action and Animation.

In 2007, it was nominated for Outstanding Special Class Animated Program and won Outstanding Achievement in Sound Editing – Live Action and Animation.

In 2008, it was nominated for Outstanding Special Class Animated Program and Outstanding Performer in an Animated Program (Kevin Michael Richardson as the Joker), and won Outstanding Achievement in Sound Editing – Live Action and Animation, and Outstanding Achievement in Sound Mi xing – Live Action and Animation.

The Batmanwas also nominated for Motion Picture Sound Editors "Golden Reel Awards" for Sound Effects Editing in 2005, 2008, and 2009, winning in 2008.

Reception

IGNwrote that the series failed to win over diehard Batman fans the wayBatman: The Animated Seriesdid, but noted that it remained popular enough to last for five seasons.

UnrealizedSupermanspin-off

In June 2006, during an interview aboutSuperman: Brainiac Attacks,writerDuane Capizzimentioned aSupermanseries set in the same universe ofThe Batman,a possibility supported by Superman's revealed existence during the show's fifth season.Despite this, the expansion was never realized, and Capizzi never again mentioned the spin-off.

See also

• The Batman vs. Dracula
• Batman: The Animated Series
• The New Batman Adventures
• Batman Beyond
• Batman: The Brave and the Bold
• Beware the Batman

External links

• DC page:TV series,comic
• The BatmanatIMDb
• The Batmanat WarnerBros
• The Batmanat The World's Finest
• The Batmanat Legions of Gotham
• The Batmanat Batman: Yesterday, Today & Beyond
• The Batmanat BATMAN-ON-FILM.COMArchived2007-02-08 at theWayback Machine
• The Batman(TV Series)from DC Wikia