September 5 marked a watershed moment for the caped crusader as Batman: The Animated Series celebrated its 30th anniversary. Created by Eric Radomski and Bruce Timm in 1992, the series built on the momentum that Tim Burton’s Batman and Batman Returns created in the years prior. Also, this groundbreaking animated show is one of the best depictions of Batman in film or television.
Despite being a cartoon, the series presented Bruce Wayne and his adventures in Gotham City in a much darker manner. The voice cast included Kevin Conroy as Batman/Bruce Wayne, Loren Lester as Dick Grayson / Robin, Bob Hastings as Commissioner Gordon, and Mark Hammil as the Joker. Furthermore, Timm and Paul Dini invented the Joker’s girlfriend and accomplice: Harley Quinn. Harley’s popularity has only grown since her debut on the show.
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The series also kicked off the DC Animated Universe. For the first time since Super Friends ended, Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman existed in the same shared animated universe. Subsequent shows included Superman: The Animated Series, The New Batman Adventures, Batman Beyond, Static Shock, The Zeta Project, Justice League, and Justice League Unlimited.
Today, fans can stream the entire series on HBO Max. Additionally, HBO Max previously ordered Batman: Caped Crusader, a new animated series from Timm, The Batman director Matt Reeves, and J.J. Abrams. However, Warner Bros. Discovery recently dropped several animated projects including Caped Crusader. While this was upsetting news, services such as Apple TV+, Hulu, and Netflix have all expressed interest in picking up Caped Crusader.
What is your favorite episode of Batman: The Animated Series? Leave your answer in the comments below!
Recommended Reading: Batman: The Animated Series: The Phantom City Creative Collection
