The Best of Batman
From low-budget movie serials and cheap cartoons to big-budget feature films and stylized, cutting-edge animation, Batman has a long and varied history on big and small screens.
This is a list of what I consider essential Batman viewing (although the movie serials and some of the early cartoons are completely optional).
I also listed some of my favorite episodes from the animated series; please forgive the nerdy comments.
This is a list of what I consider essential Batman viewing (although the movie serials and some of the early cartoons are completely optional).
I also listed some of my favorite episodes from the animated series; please forgive the nerdy comments.
List activity
247 views
• 1 this weekCreate a new list
List your movie, TV & celebrity picks.
105 titles
- DirectorLambert HillyerStarsLewis WilsonDouglas CroftJ. Carrol NaishThe very first serial to adapt the comic book character of the Batman. In it, the Batman is a secret U.S. government agent, attempting to defeat the schemes of Japanese agent Dr. Daka operating in Los Angeles at the height of World War II.This Saturday afternoon serial rarely does justice to Bob Kane's comic book creation. It got "good notices" in the press at the time of release, but unlike the Superman serials, it didn't help make the character a household name. It was however, popular enough to warrant a serial sequel .
By today's standards, it was aired on Comedy Central uncut and in its entirety. Yeah. - DirectorSpencer Gordon BennetStarsRobert LoweryJohnny DuncanJane AdamsSecond serial featuring the comic book character Batman. In it, Batman, together with his sidekick Robin, face off against the Wizard, a hooded villain with an electronic device that remotely controls vehicles.Two new leads were cast to take over the roles, but no one would notice. The plot against the evil Wizard sees the Dynamic Duo hunting him down in their 1949 Mercury, which was state-of-the-art at the time, and may qualify for the first Bat-tank.
- CreatorLorenzo Semple Jr.William DozierStarsAdam WestBurt WardAlan NapierThe Caped Crusader and his young ward battle evildoers in Gotham City.This campy send-up of the comics emphasized the BIFF! BLAM!! POW!!! elements from the funny papers and made no effort to take itself seriously; and yet, it was remarkably faithful to most of the details of the characters and comics, minus the addition of Aunt Mildred to the Wayne Manor.
It's popularity went through the roof and caused some to experience "Bat-mania" which swept across the nation as the latest fad. Popular movie and TV actors petitioned to play villainous roles, or make cameos popping out of windows to address the Dynamic Duo as they scaled building walls.
As a kid, I wasn't aware of the fact that it was a parody, although I knew it had comedic elements, and watched it for the over-the-top Bat-action, Bat-gadgets, and the amazing Batmobile. - DirectorLeslie H. MartinsonStarsAdam WestBurt WardLee MeriwetherThe Dynamic Duo faces four supervillains who plan to hold the world for ransom with the help of a secret invention that instantly dehydrates people.The series proved so popular that a feature-length film was commissioned, uniting some of the more popular Rogue's Gallery of villains to take on Batman directly.
It wasn't as funny as the weekly show, and kind of burst the bubble on Bat-mania. Still, it's entertaining, and while campy as all hell, still manages to capture the essential details that make Batman who he is. Adam West really nailed it, and played it with the same level of dry humor Leslie Neilson would bring to Frank Drebbin in The Naked Gun years later. "Robin, give me the Bat-shark-repellant." Delivered deadpan. Great stuff. - StarsBud CollyerBob HastingsJackson BeckThe animated debut of Batman & Robin brings the Dynamic Duo to animated life in Filmation's cult classic take on The Dark Knight and The Boy Wonder, defending Gotham City from The Caped Crusader's Rogues Gallery, one crook at a time.The first animated appearance of the Dark Knight Detective was a cartoon from Filmation with radio personality Casey Kasem as Robin, and Olan Soule as Batman (who would continue to voice the character at different times until 1984).
- 1972–197341m7.5 (375)TV EpisodeDirectorJoseph BarberaWilliam HannaStarsNicole JaffeCasey KasemDon MessickMystery Inc. teams up with Batman and Robin to uncover a counterfeiting ring run by a strange hooded figure who has been sending counterfeit money to the Joker and the Penguin.Olan Soule and Casey Kasem lend their voice-over talents to this classic cross-over "movie" that was made possible when the Batman rights went back to Hanna Barbara from Filmation. Joker and Penguin guest star in a story about counterfeit money.
This was the first time the Scooby-Doo crew used the word "Jinkies". - DirectorJoseph BarberaWilliam HannaStarsNicole JaffeCasey KasemDon MessickMystery Inc. teams up with Batman and Robin when Professor Flaky is kidnapped by Joker and Penguin.Mystery Inc meets up once again with Batman and Robin in a case following a kidnapped professor who invented a flying suit, only to be kidnapped by Joker and Penguin.
- CreatorGardner FoxStarsDanny DarkCasey KasemOlan SouleThe greatest of the DC Comics superheroes work together to uphold the good with the help of some young proteges.
- StarsAdam WestBurt WardLennie WeinribBatman, Robin and Batgirl fight crime in Gotham City with the "help" of Batmite.For a brief time, Filmation and Hanna-Barbara aired competing Batman adventures. This one from Filmation featured Adam West and Burt Ward reprising their roles from the TV series, but didn't last as long as the Super Friends. It did however, warrant a crossover with Scooby Doo.
- StarsJeff AltmanCharlie CallasGabriel DellA teamup of some of DC Comics' greatest superheroes together, for 2 specials: a race to stop the united supervillains' plot to destroy the earth, then later a roast in tribute to all of the heroes hosted by Ed McMahon.A 60-minute special that acted as a reunion for the Batman TV series cast, and an homage to the Superfriends, although meant as a campny parody.
It featured Batman and Robin, the Flash, Green Lantern, Hawkman, Captain Marvel, Black Canary, and Huntress, along with the Legion of Doom's Riddler, Weather Wizard, Sinestro, Solomon Grundy, Mordru, and Giganta. - DirectorTim BurtonStarsMichael KeatonJack NicholsonKim BasingerThe Dark Knight of Gotham City begins his war on crime with his first major enemy being Jack Napier, a criminal who becomes the clownishly homicidal Joker.When Michael Keaton was cast, there was a very public outcry from fans who feared they were making Batman into Mr. Mom, or another parody like the Adam West series. Tim Burton reassured them that this was not the case, and having seen Keaton play a serious role in Clean and Sober, I held out a sliver of hope that he could pull it off.
He did. While the movie was very over-the-top, the romance between flaky Bruce Wayne and reporter Vicki Vale worked. Although the Bat suit looked stiff and uncomfortable, they made the most of it, and Batman seemed to kick real ass. The Batmobile was amazing, and Jack Nicholson stole the show as the Joker. The tone was dark and serious, although clearly infused with the macabre sense of humor Burton is famous for, and Danny Elfman rocked audiences with his iconic music.
It might not have been a perfect film, but it was a triumphant vindication for fans of a genuinely DARK Knight, and took Bat-mania out a whole new door. - DirectorTim BurtonStarsMichael KeatonDanny DeVitoMichelle PfeifferWhile Batman deals with a deformed man calling himself the Penguin wreaking havoc across Gotham with the help of a cruel businessman, a female employee of the latter becomes the Catwoman with her own vendetta.The look of the costume and the whole production was streamlined in this sequel to the smash-hit 3 years prior, and A-list actors Michelle Pfeiffer and Danny DeVito knocked it out of the park as Catwoman and the Penguin, with Christopher Walken playing a third villain named Max Shreck. The chemistry between Keaton and Pfeiffer was solid enough to forgive the absence of Vicki Vale, and Danny Elfman created another hauntingly beautiful score.
On the down-side, the sequel drifted pretty far from comic book cannon into Tim Burton-land, with many horrified by an openly murderous Batman, the animalistic grotesque of the Penguin, and so many villains that there wasn't much room for the Bat, but I enjoyed it for the performances overall. - DirectorJoel SchumacherStarsVal KilmerTommy Lee JonesJim CarreyBatman must battle former district attorney Harvey Dent, who is now Two-Face and Edward Nygma, The Riddler with help from an amorous psychologist and a young circus acrobat who becomes his sidekick, Robin.Fearing that the Warner Brothers wanted to sell toys more than make good movies, Michael Keaton bravely abandoned the iconic role, and Tim Burton stepped down to the level of executive producer.
Enter Joel Shumacher and Val Kilmer, who bravely took over the reigns and hurled as much visual flare as they could at these classic characters (Batman creator Bob Kane even said he preferred Kilmer to Keaton in the role). Nicole Kidman brought her humor and beauty to the role of psychoanalyst, Dr. Chase Meridian. Tommy Lee Jones and Jim Carrey were hired as Two-Face and the Riddler, with Chris O'Donnell bringing Robin back to the big screen for the first time since the Adam West film.
The bad news is that with that many villains and a Robin-centric sub-plot, there's not a lot for Val Kilmer to do. Tommy Lee Jones was robbed of the chance to make Harvey Dent anything more than a caricature of the Joker, and the shamelessly flamboyant style ventured into Adam West-like camp which bordered on parody.
It's a lot of fun to look at though - it makes Robin look pretty awesome - and the Batman costume and fight sequences continued to improve. It's not a terrible film by any means, but die hard fans were hoping for something more serious. They'd have to rely on the animated series for a while. - DirectorJoel SchumacherStarsArnold SchwarzeneggerGeorge ClooneyChris O'DonnellBatman and Robin try to keep their relationship together even as they must stop Mr. Freeze and Poison Ivy from freezing Gotham City.I recently heard it described as "so bad, it's good", and that's about right, unless you accept the fact that Joel Schumacher gave in the last vestiges of any kind of seriousness and simply dove headlong into high camp and self-parody; in which case, its a rousing success.
George Clooney plays Batman, upstaged in the acting department by Arnold Schwarzenegger as Mr. Freeze, who's awful puns are perhaps unintentionally hilarious - I say perhaps, because once you see him directing his henchmen to sing "I'm Mr. White Christmas", you know you're dealing with a movie that doesn't take itself seriously in any way - in fact, it is freaking hilarious at times.
Uma Thurman is Poison Ivy, Alicia Silverstone is Batgirl, and the film is just so over-the-top and ridiculous, it's like an Adam West TV episode on steroids. It killed the franchise for a few years, and helped propel the success of the Animated Series, but may also have resulted in the studio finally producing Batman Begins, which finally got everything right, so maybe a belated "thank you" is in order. Either way, I reluctantly admit that its fun. - DirectorSam LiuLauren MontgomeryStarsBryan CranstonBen McKenzieEliza DushkuA wealthy playboy and a Chicago cop both return to Gotham City where their lives will intersect in unexpected ways.Bruce Timm's adaptation of Frank Miller's Year One is wonderfully faithful to the source material. The only downside to this remarkable adaptation is that it's too late in getting here, with much of the material already strip-mined for use in other films, TV series, and related media.
That said, if you like the comic, this delivers a faithful homage to Miller's classic, noir-ish style in high-quality animation. I hesitate to put it on the list before the original animated series, but why not? It's the best Batman origin outside of Batman Begins, which wouldn't exist without the seminal work upon which this adaptation is based. - DirectorYasuhiro AokiFutoshi HigashideToshiyuki KubookaStarsKevin ConroyJason MarsdenScott MenvilleA collection of key events mark Bruce Wayne's life as he journeys from beginner to Dark Knight.Meant as a follow-up to Batman Begins, and inspired by the format of The AniMatrix, this series of vignettes shows Batman in his early days through the eyes of different eye-witnesses, allowing different masters of Japanese anime to showcase their various styles and talents illustrating the various interpretations of the Batman, from supernatural being, to a literal monster, and even a robot, before following his exploits facing off against Killer Croc, flashing back to his days of learning to control pain, and ultimately in a trap set up by Deadshot.
It's always interesting to see different artist's interpretations and styles, even though it tends to bring out a sense of favoritism and wishful-thinking that perhaps the story would've been better served with just the most popular artist. As-is, it's a solid collection of experimental short films written by previous Batman alumni David Goyer, Alan Burnett, and Brian Azzarello, among others. - CreatorBob KaneEric RadomskiBruce TimmStarsKevin ConroyLoren LesterEfrem Zimbalist Jr.The Dark Knight battles crime in Gotham City with occasional help from Robin and Batgirl.Inspired by the success of the Tim Burton film, and designed to augment the release of the sequel, Batman Returns, Batman: The Animated Series was a rare chance for animation artist Bruce Timm to explore the dark side of this classic character.
Originally aired in prime time, it challenged the notion that American cartoons should only be made for little kids. These stories were far more mature, featuring the Harvey Dent/ Two-Face stories fans had been dying to see, and despite its stylized look, told stories that were frequently love letters to the comics, or in some cases, better than what inspired them.
Classic example - the animated version of Mr. Freeze was so good, they used the story in the Schumacher-directed Batman & Robin. It was better in animation, too. The overall series, while forced to "lighten up" in later seasons, ran for four seasons and launched a new wave in American animation aimed at young adults and even mature audiences. - DirectorKevin AltieriStarsKevin ConroyRobert CostanzoBob HastingsBullock's account of a botched sting operation is so at odds with the other officers' testimony that the police suspect everyone.The earliest episodes of BTAS were incredibly dark, cinematic and noir-ish, clearly striving to approximate the timeless quality of Max Fleisher's Superman of the 1940's era. Unfortunately at the time, outside of Disney's cell-drawn feature films, American animation simply could not compete with the quality put out in the 1940's.
Fifty years after Fleischer, American animation had not only stagnated, but regressed, with cheaply-made Hanna Barbara-style kiddie cartoons taking over the market (And why not? They were cheaper to make, less work-intensive, and made money; nuff said, but they couldn't reach audiences beyond pre-teens). G.I. Joe and Transformers were steps in the right direction, but they couldn't compete with the artistry - or maturity - of the Japanese animation that inspired them.
Eric Radomski and Bruce Timm however, inspired by the Tim Burton films and the early Fleischer cartoons, created a "Dark Deco" look that signaled a changing attitude and a unique approach to this classic character. This first episode - featuring Man-bat - laid many fears to rest that this was going to be another cheap-looking Super-friends sort of series.
These early episodes show a much higher quality of animation than the later seasons, although many found it oppressively dark - especially for younger viewers. I was happy to see that even when they toned it down for kids in the third season that the writers and producers still found sneaky ways to keep more mature audiences (and die-hard bat-fans) interested.
This isn't the first episode, but its a great introduction all the same. No super-villains, just the police's impressions of this strange new vigilante. - 1992–199522mUnrated7.6 (3.9K)TV EpisodeDirectorKevin AltieriStarsKevin ConroyBob HastingsRichard MollWhen Man-Bat starts terrorizing Gotham City, everyone mistakenly thinks that Batman is the culprit.Detective Harvey Bullock wants the Batman, and asks to lead a special task force against him. Adding to Bruce Wayne's troubles, Dr. Kirk Langstrom has taken a serum designed to grant humans the unusually long life of bats, only to find that it has mutated him into the terrifying Man-bat.
This episode was the first to air, and shows Batman's skills as a detective, warrior, and compassionate hero. - DirectorBoyd KirklandStarsKevin ConroyBob HastingsRobert CostanzoWhen a timid accountant accidentally runs afoul of the Joker, he promises the Joker anything if the villain will only let him go.This one shows just how obsessive the Clown Prince of Crime can be, in particular stalking a man for years, and using him simply because he'd shouted out in a fit of road rage at the Joker, not realizing who he was dealing with.
It's also the debut of Paul Dini's greatest contribution to the Batman mythology - Harley Quinn - who helps "Mr. J" in a plot to kill Commissioner Gordon while he's receiving a commendation. - 1992–199522mUnrated8.0 (3.1K)TV EpisodeDirectorBoyd KirklandStarsKevin ConroyRobert CostanzoBob HastingsA horrifying villain named Scarecrow spreads fear gas and wreaks havoc at Gotham State University.Batman proves himself to Commissioner Gordon in a battle with the Scarecrow, that culminates in an epic fight aboard a blimp in the Gotham skyline. Harvey Bullock starts to rethink his position on the Bat.
- 1992–199522mUnrated7.7 (3.2K)TV EpisodeDirectorKevin AltieriStarsKevin ConroyBob HastingsAdrienne BarbeauCatwoman steals a valuable necklace to fund the purchase of land for a mountain lion preserve but is thwarted by a group of terrorists.
- 1992–199522mUnrated7.6 (2.6K)TV EpisodeDirectorDick SebastStarsKevin ConroyBob HastingsEfrem Zimbalist Jr.When Catwoman infiltrates the underground headquarters of terrorists, both she and Batman are captured and left to die as victims of a viral plague.
- 1992–199522mUnrated8.6 (2K)TV EpisodeDirectorBruce TimmStarsKevin ConroyBob HastingsRobert CostanzoThe Joker becomes enraged when the Gotham copyright office rejects his demand for a copyright for his grinning Joker fish.
- DirectorBoyd KirklandStarsLloyd BochnerKevin ConroyRobert CostanzoHarvey Dent is poisoned after a dinner date, and Batman makes the horrifying discovery that his date was Poison Ivy.