Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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58 of 61 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Batman: The Animated Series - The Complete Series!, August 2, 2008
A show inspired by the 1940s Fleischer Superman shorts and the 1989 film Batman which in turn was primarily based on the works of Batman creator Bob Kane and comics legend Frank Miller (The Dark Knight Returns), Batman: The Animated Series (which debuted in September 1992) unintentionally became the new standard of animation with its revolutionary visuals and phenomenal storytelling.
Helmed by visionaries Bruce W. Timm, Paul Dini and Eric Radomski, the highly-acclaimed, Emmy-winning Batman: The Animated Series crafted top-notch stories ("Robin's Reckoning", "Heart of Ice") and original characters (Dini's "Harley Quinn") that appealed to viewers of all ages, cast quality voice actors (Kevin Conroy, Mark Hamill, Efrem Zimbalist Jr., Adrienne Barbeau, Bob Hastings, just to name a few) and featured action that was a cut above the action shown in some of the Batman films.
After years of teasing Batfans with limited episodes "DC Comics Kids Collection" volumes, Warner Home Video eventually came correct with box sets (each containing 20+ eps and a host of special features) that pleased even the hardest of the harcore Batfans. Now for your convenience and viewing pleasure, Warner Home Video has lovingly repackaged from the four-volume box sets the complete series (all 109 episodes and respective special features) on 17 single-sided DVDs (including a new bonus disc plus exclusive packaging) for over 35 hours of dark justice, Batman style!
Special Features include:
New Bonus Disc Documentary "Shades of the Bat: Batman's Animated Evolution".
Commentaries on 12 episodes with Animation Creators: "On Leather Wings", "Heart of Ice", "Robin's Reckoning", "Heart of Steel", "Almost Got 'im", "Harley and Ivy", "Read My Lips", "House and Garden", "Harlequinade", "Over the Edge", "Critters" and "Legends of the Dark Knight".
8 In-Depth Featurettes: "Batman: The Legacy Continues" retrospective, "The Dark Knight's First Night" pilot promo (hosted by Bruce Timm), Tour of the Batcave, "Robin Rising", "Gotham's Guardians" (the supporting cast of Batman: TAS), "Voices of the Knight", "Gotham's New Knight: Batgirl", "Arkham's Finest" (Inside Batman's Rogue Gallery).
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36 of 38 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Definative Batman, August 6, 2008
In 1992, Bruce Timm and Paul Dini revolutionized animation and redefined what a "kids cartoon" could be by bringing their vision of Batman alive on the small screen. Though based on the foundation of the 1989 "Batman" film and it's sequel "Batman Returns" which came out the same year, the series was not an adaptation of that concept, characters, or world. It stood independent of everything that had come before or would come later. It combined only the best elements of the other incarnations, and become something else: a legend in it's own right.
It did not pander down to it's target audiences youth, but instead walked a very fine line between remaining acceptable for all ages and embracing the true mythos of the dark knight. It featured forensic science at a time before such was common place, it showcased the often overlooked detective skills and intelligence of Bruce Wayne/Batman, and did something that no other incarnation of the Batman universe has ever been able to do - before or in it's wake - it pleased everyone without compromise.
If you ask 1,000 Batman fans what the greatest incarnation of "Batman" is to them, including the comics, about 980 of them will tell you "Batman: The Animated Series" as their answer. It offered everything everyone loved about each version that had come before or has come since in perfect balance. It did things no one thought possible, either for Batman or for a "kids show". It truly changed things, and no other animated series has ever lived up to the bar it set.
Nothing before it had been ever so mature without getting into 'adult' themes. By comparison, today's "kids cartoons" are true to the definition; cartoons and caricatures of their sources and of reality. "Batman: the Animated Series" was a truly realistic show that anyone from any age from 2 to 82 could sit down and enjoy. If you are a Batman fan and you have not seen this series, or if you had but do not yet own it... this is worth every penny.
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21 of 26 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Best way to get the show for people who DON'T have it on DVD yet..., September 23, 2008
Batman: The Animated Series is the definitive animated Batman and probably the most consistently well-written version of Batman since the 1970s. Way-better and truer to the traditional spirit of the character without being as maudlin and sadomasochistic as the typical Frank Miller-spawned story, and definitely a better way to introduce kids to the character and remind fans of what made the character stand out.
Now, if you own the series already in its original 4-box release or the Columbia House individual disc releases, there's probably not enough reason for you to rebuy it through this set. On other hand, if you've never gotten the show because you were waiting for a "complete" collection, then this is probably the way to get the show.
The new extras sound decent enough but it's really the existing material that makes the show worth getting. Unless you're an ultra-anal completist, I see no legitimate reason to buy the show again...
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