Bullock’s dislike, even hatred, of Batman as a role in taking down crime is immediately apparent and even Harvey Dent (Richard Moll) is shown flipping a coin and offering to follow up based on what’s offered to him in regards to Batman’s capture.īatman’s not only a tough, physical fighter as shown in the introduction but he’s technical and savvy and intelligent. Commissioner Gordon (Bob Hastings) and Harvey Bullock (Robert Costanzo) both have clearly been around for a while and even Mayor Hill (Lloyd Bochner) seems to have heard of Batman and thus none of these characters offer any real surprise while retaining traits that would make their characters become key in the show’s run. It’s impressive how quickly Gotham, especially its police force, is conceptualized and realized as a force. The scene, in shadow initially, of the giant bat creature tossing the security guard out multiple stories into the water below is surprisingly dark considering many fans still though of Batman as a 1960s camp character even with Burton’s films fresh in mind. The security guard (Richard Moll) puts forth a memorable scene just talking to himself on seemingly another night where nothing’s been going on.
Walker’s score helps with a bit of intrigued excitement and cautious curiosity as the man bat creature continues flying, eventually winding up on a shot of Phoenix Pharmaceuticals. His radio partner (Clive Revill) gives us a nice little back and forth of skepticism at what was seen offering another small example that this show will be going beyond what the big screen had offered. In the opening scene we have some great direction already of a police blimp going by when the pilot (Kevin Conroy) notices something on his radar screen which ends up being a gigantic bat creature flying just in front of them. Right from the get go, this is not a 1960s style campy Batman nor is it the dark, brooding black outfitted Batman of Tim Burton helping set the show apart. When the floodlight lands on the bad guys tied up and bound, the camera slowly pans as Walker evokes Danny Elfman’s classic theme from Batman while the animation delivers a lightning strike showing off a Batman with his logo’d chest, belt, flowing cape, and bad ass looking gloves. What follows is a perfect little physical action scene with Batman eschewing the guns with a pinpoint batarang toss then physically wiping the floor with both via his hands. He’s got a billowing cape that enfolds around him, a square jaw making him look not only adult but like a tough guy, and his narrowing of the eyes shows off his intentions towards the bad guys.
The long shot of the bat mobile is a near iconic shot alone and the sudden wide eyes of the two crooks on the roof reminds me of the opening scene in Batman with the reactions of the two villains there. A small detail but helps accentuate that Batman isn’t wasting any time. A sudden burst of strings notes the change to excitement and action and then we get the bat mobile from behind with a great shot of it firing up and leaving smoke billowing from its tires. The utilization of shadows helping the lights stand out from the police blimps and the dark, creepy red night sky helps set up the Gotham Police force as a group that is constantly around the action as well in comparison to the movies.Īs the camera pans down over the art deco buildings, we get a glimpse of two figures in shadow outside a bank which promptly explodes. The orchestra given to Shirley Walker helps set the tone with a brooding feel that sets up the action oriented aspect of the animation going on. Right from the opening, we know this isn’t quite the Batman we’ve been seeing recently under Tim Burton’s thumb.
BATTMAN ON LEATHEER WINGS S1E1 NO COMMENTARY SERIES
These reviews will be following the production order (also the order of the DVDs) rather than the actual airing order in part for ease and to avoid too much jumping around from episode to episode while also letting you readers follow along if you so desire.īatman: The Animated Series – Episode 01 – On Leather WingsĪnimation Studio: Spectrum Animation Studio with Opening Theme animated by TMS Entertainment The series quickly built a reputation of its own as one of the premiere cartoons of the 1990s and helped make household names of various voice actors while creating origin stories for multiple characters that would later become canon in the film and comic mediums. The cartoon series was originally produced by Warner Brothers Animation and aired on FOX in most countries. Welcome to the my Batman: The Animated Series reviews in what will be a weekly column every Friday only at Culture Crossfire! The show, originally created in 1992 with key producers being Bruce Timm and Eric Radomski, came as the follow-up to the smash success of the Batman film directed by Tim Burton in 1989.
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