Cast and Crew

Kevin Conroy as the voice of Batman.
Efrem Zimbalist Jr. as the voice of Alfred Pennyworth.
Complete information is available from this IMDB page.
Buy from: Amazon.com or Amazon.ca

Past TV reviews can be found here.

Original Airdate

These episodes originally ran in 1992 and 1993.

Synopsis

Batman's animated adventures continue, introducing the Riddler, and bringing back the Joker, Clayface, Croc, and just about every other supervillain encountered the first time around.

The series ran for 85 episodes. With 28 in set one, and 28 in set two, it's a safe best that the third set due May 24 will contain the remaining 29 episodes. I've got my copy on pre-order.

High Point

"I Am The Night" is my choice for the best of this set, but very strong arguments could be made for "The Man Who Killed Batman," "Almost Got 'Im", "The Mechanic," "Harley and Ivy," and/or the emmy-winning "Robin's Reckoning."

Low Point

Unlike the High Point, there's no contest here. "Eternal Youth" was the weakest in the set. It's also the first in the set, so make sure you push through it if this is your first exposure to the series.

The Review

The originality is somewhat there. It's adapted material that feels a lot like the first set, probably due primarily to the fact that all but four of these episodes were produced at the same time. (The first season was 52 episodes long, with the remaining seasons being considerably shorter, which is why the series is coming out in volumes rather than seasons.) I give it 4 out of 6.

The animation is good, though not quite as good as it was the first time around, due in part to the fact that the best animation studio they worked with bankrupted itself adding unrequested touches to the episodes found in the first set. I give it 4 out of 6.

The stories being told are of the same quality as the first set. These are not children's stories, though they are still acceptable for some older child audiences. I give it 5 out of 6.

The voice acting is still great. Kevin Conroy has a far better understanding of the Batman character than any of the live action actors I've seen in the role, and will be the measure that I will use when evaluating the work of Christian Bale this summer. (Bale has said that Batman is the character, and Bruce Wayne is the mask he puts on to pay the bills, so we've got good reason to be hopeful.) I give it 5 out of 6.

The emotional response is as solid as the voice acting. I give it 5 out of 6.

The production is also well done, with noir designs, dark and moody sets, and great editing and camera angles. This wasn't a cartoon because they couldn't get actors, this was a cartoon because a live show would be prohibitively expensive. I give it 5 out of 6.

Overall, this is another great set in a great series. The Simpsons and The Flintstones are the televised cartoons which have had the greatest impact on mass culture, but this was the one that has had the greatest impact on the way cartoons are made. I give it 5 out of 6.

In total, Batman: The Animated Series Vol. 2 recieves 33 out of 42.

Additional Notes and Comments

Watch for a "big screen Batman" week this June, including the 1949 serials, and the five full colour feature films sorted in chronological order, wrapping up with a review of "Batman Begins" on Saturday, June 18, the day after the film opens.