The Batman

The Batman is an animated television series produced by Warner Bros. Animation based on the DC Comics superhero Batman. It ran from September 11, 2004 to March 22, 2008, on the Saturday morning television block Kids' WB.

Although the series borrows many elements from previous Batman storylines, it does not follow the continuity set by the comic books, the film series, nor that of Batman: The Animated Series and its spin-offs. The character designs were provided by Jackie Chan Adventures artist Jeff Matsuda; he also directed the ending. The series won six Daytime Emmy Awards.

Synopsis
In the first season of The Batman, Bruce Wayne, (voiced by Rino Romano), is 26 years old, and has been the Batman, protector of Gotham City, for three years, (before his existence was publicly confirmed in the first episode). Along with a secret Batcave, high tech Batmobile, and supercomputer, called the Bat-Wave, he has his trusty butler Alfred Pennyworth (voiced by Alastair Duncan), who guides him when needed. Other characters include Ethan Bennett (voiced by Steven Harris), a cop who believes The Batman is needed in Gotham, and at odds with Chief Angel Rojas (voiced by Edward James Olmos in his initial appearance, Jesse Corti in all his subsequent appearances), who has no room for vigilantes, and Ellen Yin (voiced by Ming-Na), Bennett's partner who is torn between her belief in law and order and her personal feelings toward the Batman. Both Bennett and Yin are charged with capturing the Batman throughout Season 1. Adam West, who played The Batman in the 1960s The Batman TV series, provides the voice for Gotham’s Mayor, Marion Grange, for the first four seasons.

While crime in Gotham is at an all-time low, new foes emerge and The Batman confronts his rogues gallery for the first time. The first season featured new interpretations of The Batman's villains such as Rupert Thorne (voiced by Victor Brandt), The Joker (voiced by Kevin Michael Richardson), The Penguin (voiced by Tom Kenny),Catwoman (voiced by Gina Gershon), Mr. Freeze (voiced by Clancy Brown), Firefly (voiced by Jason Marsden), Ventriloquist and Scarface (voiced by Dan Castellaneta),Man-Bat (voiced by Peter MacNicol), Cluemaster (voiced by Glenn Shadix), and Bane (voiced by Joaquim de Almeida in the first appearance, Ron Perlman in the second) and Clancy Brown in the third).

At the end of Season 1, Ethan Bennett turned into Clayface after being tortured and mutated by the Joker. At that time, Yin changes her view on the Batman and, from that point on, the two become allies.

Season 2 introduced more villains: Riddler (voiced by Robert Englund), Hugo Strange (voiced by Frank Gorshin, the original Riddler from the 1960s Batman TV series, replaced by Richard Green after Gorshin's death), Rag Doll (voiced by Jeff Bennett), Spellbinder (voiced by Michael Massee), Killer Croc (voiced by Ron Perlman), and Solomon Grundy (voiced by Kevin Grevioux). At the end of this season, Yin is found out to have been working with The Batman. At the same time, another main character to the Batman mythos, Commissioner James Gordon (voiced by Mitch Pileggi) is introduced, along with the Bat-Signal. Yin and Chief Angel Rojas make their final appearances in the season finale.

Season 3 introduced a young Barbara Gordon, who becomes Batgirl (voiced by Danielle Judovits) and plays a major role along with her father. Barbara tries to be The Batman's sidekick, but he refuses to accept the need for a partner until the end of the season. This differed from the comics, in which Robin was The Batman's first sidekick; this was due to the Teen Titans animated series using the character, limiting his ability to appear in other shows, making it the only time Batgirl is Batman's first sidekick instead of Robin.

Several villains are introduced this season: Poison Ivy (voiced by Piera Coppola), a different version of Gearhead (voiced by Will Friedle), Maxie Zeus (voiced by Phil LaMarr), Toymaker (voiced by Patton Oswalt),Prank (voiced by Michael Reisz), Temblor (voiced by Jim Cummings) and D.A.V.E. (voiced Jeff Bennett).

Season 3 is ended with Strange becoming one of The Batman's enemies. In "A Fistful of Felt", The Batman discovers that Strange had turned the Ventriloquist, who had been cured of his multiple personality disorder, back into a criminal. In "Gotham's Ultimate Criminal Mastermind", the season finale to Season 3, Strange is brought to justice and becomes a patient in Arkham Asylum. In Season 4's "Strange New World", it is revealed that Strange went to Arkham only so he could come up with new schemes.

This season changed the series' theme music, swapping the original theme, performed by The Edge, for a lighter, 1960s-esque theme.

Season 4 featured a redesign to Bruce Wayne, with a stronger facial and chin structure, making him reminiscent of the DC animated universe Batman design.

Dick Grayson as Robin (voiced by Evan Sabara) was introduced into the show, as the Teen Titans animated series had been cancelled early in the year before this season started. Batgirl is now part of the team and found out the secret identities of both The Batman and Robin, and Lucius Fox (voiced by Louis Gossett Jr.) is introduced in the season finale. Also, Robin and Batgirl begin a sibling-like rivalry.

More villains appeared, such as Tony Zucco (voiced by Mark Hamill, who voiced the Joker in the DC animated universe), Killer Moth (voiced by Jeff Bennett), Black Mask(voiced by James Remar), Rumor (voiced by Ron Perlman), Everywhere Man (voiced by Brandon Routh), Harley Quinn (voiced by Hynden Walch), Francis Grey (voiced by Dave Foley), and the Basil Karlo version of Clayface (voiced by Wallace Langham in the first appearance, Lex Lang in the second appearance). In his final appearance, Ethan Bennett, the first Clayface, is redeemed and cured of his condition.

One of the highlights of Season 4 was "Artifacts", an episode describing a possible future, that had elements from Frank Miller's The Dark Knight Returns. Set in 2027, with the main storyline in 3027, it features a wheelchair-using Barbara Gordon as Oracle (voiced by Kellie Martin), Dick Grayson as Nightwing (voiced by Jerry O'Connell), with both The Batman and the Batmobile resembling the versions in Miller's series.

The season finale featured an alien invasion by entities called "The Joining", and another superhero from the DC Universe; Martian Manhunter/J'onn J'onzz (voiced by Dorian Harewood). In this episode, J'onn brings The Batman to a Hall of Justice Watchtower orbiting the Earth where he introduces him to Hawkman, Green Arrow, Flash, and Green Lantern as part of the Justice League of America.

This season also marks the departure of Jeff Matsuda and Michael Jelenic from the show.

The fifth and final season was said by producer Alan Burnett to be the show's "The Brave and the Bold season."[1] This season primarily focused on the Dynamic Duo (The Batman and Robin) teaming up with members of the Justice League. Batgirl and Commissioner Gordon were dropped from the show as main characters, and only rarely appeared as guests or cameos. In Batgirl's case, this is because she has graduated from high school and is attending college ("Attack of the Terrible Trio").

In the season's first episode, The Batman teams up with Superman (voiced by George Newbern). Besides Martian Manhunter, other team-ups for the season included Green Arrow (voiced by Chris Hardwick), Flash(voiced by Charlie Schlatter), Green Lantern (voiced by Dermot Mulroney), and Hawkman (voiced by Robert Patrick). The series finale features the entire Justice League.[2]

Villains for this particular season were a combination of rogues from the superheroes appearing on the show with some Batman villains. Villains include Lex Luthor (voiced by Clancy Brown), Mercy Graves (voiced byGwendoline Yeo), Metallo (voiced by Lex Lang), Count Vertigo (voiced by Greg Ellis), The Wrath (voiced by Christopher Gorham), Toyman (voiced by Richard Green), Shadow Thief (voiced by Diedrich Bader),Sinestro (voiced by Miguel Ferrer), Mirror Master (voiced by John Larroquette), and the Terrible Trio (voiced by David Faustino, Grey DeLisle, and Googy Gress).[3] Also, Firefly becomes Phosphorus. The Joining returns in the finale in alliance with Hugo Strange. The final episode was a 40-minute movie, featuring all the members of the Justice League who have made an appearance in the show.

Cast

 * Rino Romano - Bruce Wayne/Batman
 * Danielle Judovits - Barbara Gordon/Batgirl
 * Evan Sabara - Dick Grayson/Robin
 * Alastair Duncan - Alfred Pennyworth
 * Ming-Na - Detective Ellen Yin
 * Steve Harris - Detective Ethan Bennett
 * Kevin Michael Richardson - The Joker
 * Jesse Corti - Chief Angel Rojas (2nd voice)
 * Mitch Pileggi - Commissioner James Gordon
 * Adam West - Mayor Marion Grange