Batmonth: Top Ten BTAS Episodes, Part One

EDITOR'S NOTE: Blogger just put me through heck and back. Early installment. Excuse formatting errors.
Mrs. N., I've found something I hate more than Powerpoint.....


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I've already covered why Batman: The Animated Series was so groundbreaking, both for Batman the character and animated shows as a whole. But, what were the finest episodes in the serie’ss run, and why were they so excellent? Let's dig in and find out! These are the Top Ten Best BTAS Episodes!

#10: Never Fear

Part One Part Two

That one visual is enough to sum up the entire episode; gloomy, fearful, dark, and twisted. This episode isn't the best written, not by a long shot, and not even the best of TNBA, but the atmosphere the character Scarecrow brought as well as an an interesting premise is enough to put this on the number ten spot. You see, the character of Scarecrow had already been explored thoroughly in Fear Itself, an episode of BTAS. And in truth, the Scarecrow is a villain who’s pretty much one note: he has fear gas, heroes overcome it, etc. And yet, the TNBA producers had a new Scarecrow look bound for a toy release, so they needed to advertise. This episode could easily have been a phoned-in one, but the writers turned it into what I think is the sleeper hit of TNBA. In this episode, the Scarecrow creates a gas that removes fear, causing people to jump off of rooftops, drive recklessly, etc. And then, Batman is dosed. Enough said.
Props must also be given to the character designers, who created a truly chilling Scarecrow. He went from this:

*snicker*

To this:

Yes, you may go change your pants.

Scary, gutsy, and original, Never Fear comes in at #10

#9: Legends of the Dark KnightPart One Part Two
I really think this episode should get a medal just for being so polarizing. I hate it with every fiber of my being, and yet I love it so much. In this episode, the writers pen a love letter to three definitive eras of Batman using three short stories told by three regular kids: the sixties era, characterized by a goofier Joker (why so serious?) and "Holy bad puns, Batman!" Think of Adam West and you'll get the idea. The second era it pays homage to is the mid-eighties brooding and dark Batman that inspired BTAS by adapting a scene directly from the comic The Dark Knight Returns. Lastly, they pay homage to the Denny O'Neil Batman, the modern incarnation. It certainly is an odd package, but it's both an enjoyable anthology and a breath of fresh air in the series. That's enough for Legends of The Dark Knight to come in at the #9 spot in the list.


#8: Mad Love

Part One Part Two

This episode, barring the one in the second-place spot, is probably the one that has had the most impact on the modern day Batman mythos. An earlier BTAS episode, “The Joker’s Favor”, introduced a one-note lackey for the Joker, named Harley Quinn. She was funny, sure, but about as memorable as the Kraft cheese on white bread sandwich you got in my elementary school cafeteria if you forgot your lunch. That is, until Paul Dini wrote her an absolutely depressing origin in an episode of TNBA called Mad Love. It’s too good to spoil here, but I can drop a few hints. Harleen Quinzel, a slightly naïve psychology major, gets in over her head when she tries to get inside the head of the Joker. It’s very Silence of the Lambs-like. Both Hamill and Arleen Sorken, who plays Harley Quinn, are in top form, leading to a romp that you’ll fall madly in love with. Plus, this episode was so good that Harley immigrated to the comics as well, and continues to appear today. That’s more than enough to let Harley’s origin episode drive right into the #8 spot.

#7: Beware The Gray Ghost

Part One Part Two

Almost every series on television, animated or not, has at least one episode with a “special guest star”. A good 11/12ths of them make me want to take a spork and jab myself in the eye (why do you think they built it to scoop?). Beware The Gray Ghost stars Adam West alongside Kevin Conroy, and handles the experience with class and grace. West plays the Gray Ghost, a retired actor who Batman idolized. When a criminal starts bombing buildings in Gotham, patterned after a plot from Gray Ghost’s own show, Batman and the Ghost team up to stop him. I know it sounds gimmicky, but it works really well, and I feel that it’s the “dark horse” of BTAS. That’s why this episode can go west, straight to number 7.

#6: The Man Who Killed Batman

Part One Part Two

This episode is on the list just for being so hilarious! I’m not too much of a fan of dark comedy, but this is too good to pass up. So, you’ve got your lowlife mobster, who’s at the bottom of the totem pole. In a freak accident, he kills Batman and is hailed as the greatest mob boss in, like, all of history. He, of course, is probably the meekest, nicest guy you could ever meet. His reaction to the fame he gets is just priceless. If I haven’t sold you yet, the Joker delivers the eulogy. Delivering a script that’ll make you die of laughter, The Man Who Killed Batman seizes the #6 spot.

Well, that covers the first half of my countdown. I hope it’s spurred you to check the series out! Come back tomorrow as I reveal the top five episodes of Batman: The Animated Series!

Tomato