This week Warner Bros. Home Entertainment released their Deluxe Limited Edition Blu-ray box set of Batman: The Animated Series. During this year’s New York Comic-Con, ComingSoon.net got the chance to ask the main voice cast of the show what their favorite episodes were, including Kevin Conroy, Loren Lester, Tara Strong, Diane Pershing and producer Eric Radomski. Check out their answers in the gallery below!
Click here to purchase the Batman: The Complete Animated Series Blu-ray box set!
Premiering in September 1992, Batman: The Animated Series followed the titular hero as he dealt with the various criminals in Gotham City, everybody from his Rogues Gallery of villains to lesser-depicted antagonists including Roland Daggett, Clayface and Man-Bat. The series ran for 85 episodes and received rave reviews from critics and audiences alike for its more mature and adult storytelling, darker tone, musical score and voice cast, which introduced various actors who portray their roles over the years.
The ensemble cast included Kevin Conroy as The Dark Knight, Mark Hamill (Star Wars: The Last Jedi) as The Joker, Efrem Zimbalist Jr. (Hot Shots!) as Alfred Pennyworth, Robert Hastings (The Poseidon Adventure) as Commissioner Jim Gordon, Ron Perlman (Hellboy) as Clayface, Roddy McDowall as The Mad Hatter, Adrienne Barbeau (The Fog) as Catwoman and Arleen Sorkin (Days of Our Lives) as Dr. Harleen “Harley Quinn” Quinzel, who was created specifically for the series and was so well-received she became part of the Batman comic canon.
The series earned four Emmy awards, including Outstanding Animated Program, and has appeared on numerous lists for best animated shows of all time, best comic book adaptations of all time and best Batman adaptations of all time.
“Batman: The Animated Series set the standard for superhero animation for decades to come, and we’re proud to present this remastered box set to allow new generations – and the series’ vast, avid fanbase – to enjoy this landmark entertainment in the highest quality possible,” Mary Ellen Thomas, Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Vice President, Family & Animation Marketing, said. “This is truly a box set for the ages with an array of bonus features to perfectly complement all 109 episodic masterpieces – plus the full-length, remastered films Batman: Mask of the Phantasm and Batman & Mr. Freeze: SubZero.”
The box set, which will cost $113, includes 10 Blu-Ray discs featuring all 85 episodes, as well as two bonus discs featuring the films Mask of the Phantasm and Batman & Mr. Freeze: SubZero, and features hours of special features and additional entertainment, as well as three exclusive three Funko mini-figurines of Batman, Harley Quinn and The Joker and seven lenticular art cards. Only 30,000 copies of the box set are being produced, 2,000 of which were pre-ordered on Amazon within 24 hours of availability.
The special features are listed below:
- The Heart of Batman (All-New Documentary) – A rare gathering of talent defined Batman for a generation. Twenty-five years later, Batman: The Animated Series continues to inspire fans and myth makers all over the world. This hour-long documentary takes an in-depth look at the renowned storytellers behind the landmark series.
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Batman: Mask of the Phantasm (Feature-Length Film) – When the city’s most feared gangsters are systematically eliminated, the Caped Crusader is blamed. But prowling the Gotham night is a shadowy new villain, the Phantasm, a sinister figure with some link to Batman’s past. Can the Dark Knight elude the police, capture the Phantasm and clear his own name? Unmasking the Phantasm is just one of the twists in this dazzling animated feature. Discover revelations about Batman’s past, his archrival the Joker, and Batman’s most grueling battle ever — the choice between his love for a beautiful woman and his vow to be the defender of right. Batman: Mask of the Phantasm is “a mystery that is genuinely absorbing, suspenseful and moving” (The Cincinnati Enquirer).
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Batman and Mr. Freeze: SubZero (Feature-Length Film) – Batman faces his coolest case ever when Mr. Freeze returns to Gotham City and kidnaps Batgirl. While unraveling the mystery ofBatgirl’s disappearance, Batman and Robin discover that she is part of Mr. Freeze’s frigid plan to save his dying wife – no matter what the cost. With time running out, Batman and Robin must find Gotham’s most cold-blooded villain and prevent him from putting Batgirl “on ice” forever. Batman and Mr. Freeze: SubZero includes all of the special features included on the original release: All four episodes of the animated “Mr. Freeze Saga” – Heart of Ice (Batman: The Animated Series), Deep Freeze (Batman: The Animated Series), Cold Comfort (The New Batman Adventures) and Meltdown (Batman Beyond); Art of Batman: Music Montage (Featurette); Get the Picture: How to Draw Batman (Featurette); Arkham Asylum: Examine the Top-Secret Case Files of the Dark Knight’s Many Foes (Featurette); and an Audio Commentary featuring Bruce Timm, Paul Dini, Glen Murakami and James Tucker.
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The Dark Knight’s First Night Pilot Promo: Hosted by Bruce Timm (Featurette) – Witness the 1991 Batman promo reel as producers Bruce Timm and Eric Radomski discuss the origins ofBatman: The Animated Series.
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Robin Rising: How the Boy Wonder’s Character Evolved (Featurette) – The evolution of Dick Grayson from young ward to crime fighter.
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Batman: The Legacy Continues Retrospective (Featurette) – DC luminaries join BTAS creators as they explore the combination of exquisite design and in-depth storytelling that helped create a once in a generation show.
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Gotham’s Guardians: The Stalwart Supporting Characters (Featurette) – Batman is not the only hero safeguarding Gotham City. This documentary focuses on the importance of the Dark Knight’s allies in the Batman mythology.
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Voices of the Knight (Featurette) – Actors Mark Hamill, Kevin Conroy, Adriene Barbeau, Efrem Zimbalist Jr., and Andrea Romano discuss the process of bringing their iconic characters to life.
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Gotham’s New Knight (Featurette) – Barbara Gordon swings into focus in this exciting look at Batman’s trusted ally and equal, Batgirl.
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Video Commentary: “House and Garden” – Watch along as Producer Bruce Timm, Director Boyd Kirkland and writer Paul Dini take viewers behind the scenes of an exciting episode of Batman: The Animated Series.
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In-Movie Experience – Watch along as Producer Bruce Timm, Director Boyd Kirkland and writer Paul Dini take viewers behind the scenes of an exciting episode of Batman: The Animated Series.
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Arkham Asylum: Examine the Top-Secret Case Files of the Dark Knight’s Many Foes: Introduction (Featurette) – Bruce Timm, Dan Riba, James Tucker, Paul Dini, Alan Burnett andAndrea Romano discuss Gotham’s most popular rogues.
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Arkham Asylum: Examine the Top-Secret Case Files of the Dark Knight’s Many Foes: Clayface (Featurette)– Clayface personnel file revealed by Bruce Timm, Dan Riba and James Tucker.
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Arkham Asylum: Examine the Top-Secret Case Files of the Dark Knight’s Many Foes: Harley Quinn (Featurette) – Alan Burnett, Bruce Timm, Eric Radomski, Paul Dini and James Tuckerdiscuss bringing Harley Quinn to life.
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Arkham Asylum: Examine the Top-Secret Case Files of the Dark Knight’s Many Foes: The Joker (Featurette) – Alan Burnett, Bruce Timm, Eric Radomski, Paul Dini, Andrea Romano andDan Riba discuss Mark Hamill’s inimitable Joker.
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Arkham Asylum: Examine the Top-Secret Case Files of the Dark Knight’s Many Foes: Mr. Freeze (Featurette) – Bruce Timm, Paul Dini, Andrea Romano and Dan Riba discuss MR. Freeze and the Heart and Ice Origin story.
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Arkham Asylum: Examine the Top-Secret Case Files of the Dark Knight’s Many Foes: The Penquin (Featurette) – Bruce Timm, Andrea Romano, Alan Burnett, James Tucker, Dan Riba and Eric Radomski discuss The Penguin.
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Arkham Asylum: Examine the Top-Secret Case Files of the Dark Knight’s Many Foes: Poison Ivy (Featurette) – Paul Dini, Bruce Timm, Andrea Romano, Alan Burnett, Dan Riba and EricRadomski discuss designing Poison Ivy.
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Arkham Asylum: Examine the Top-Secret Case Files of the Dark Knight’s Many Foes: Ra’s Al Ghul (Featurette) – Paul Dini, Bruce Timm, Alan Burnett, and Dan Riba discuss why Ra’s AlGhul is such an exciting villain.
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Arkham Asylum: Examine the Top-Secret Case Files of the Dark Knight’s Many Foes: The Riddler (Featurette) – This file discusses The Riddler and how creators differentiated him from the Batman ‘66 Riddler with: Bruce Timm, Alan Burnett, Andrea Romano, Eric Radomski and Dan Riba.
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Arkham Asylum: Examine the Top-Secret Case Files of the Dark Knight’s Many Foes: Scarecrow (Featurette) – Paul Dini, Bruce Timm, Alan Burnett, Andrea Romano and Dan Ribadiscuss the various iterations of the Scarecrow.
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Arkham Asylum: Examine the Top-Secret Case Files of the Dark Knight’s Many Foes: Two Face (Featurette) – Discussing Batman’s key nemesis are Paul Dini, Bruce Timm, Alan Burnett,James Tucker, and Dan Riba.
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Arkham Asylum: Examine the Top-Secret Case Files of the Dark Knight’s Many Foes: Ventriloquist & Scarface (Featurette) – Lively discussion about one of Batman’s most uniquevillains with creators Bruce Timm, Alan Burnett, Eric Radomski, Andrea Romano, and Dan Riba
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“Concepting Harley Quinn” (Featurette) – Producer Paul Dini discusses how Harley Quinn was incorporated into the series.
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Tour of the Batcave (Featurettes):-Batman-Utility Belt-Bat-Vehicles-Alfred
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Audio Commentaries:“On Leather Wings” – Bruce Timm and Eric Radomski.“Heart of Ice” – Paul Dini, Bruce Timm, and Eric Radomski.“Robin’s Reckoning, Part One” – Bruce Timm and Eric Radomski“Heart of Steel, Part Two” – Bruce Timm, Eric Radomski and Kevin Altieri“Almost Got ‘Im” – Bruce Timm, Eric Radomski and Paul Dini“Harley and Ivy” – Bruce Timm, Eric Radomski and Boyd Kirkland“Read My Lips” – Bruce Timm, Paul Dini, Michael Reaves, Boyd Kirkland and Shirley Walker.“Harlequinade” – Bruce Timm, Paul Dini, Shirley Walker and Eric Radomski“Over The Edge” – Bruce Timm, Paul Dini, Glen Murakami, and James Tucker.“Critters” – Bruce Timm, Paul Dini, Dan Riba, Glen Murakami, and James Tucker.“Legends of the Dark Knight” – Bruce Timm, Paul Dini, Dan Riba, Glen Murakami, and JamesTucker.
Batman: The Animated Series Favorite Episodes
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Kevin Conroy (Batman/Bruce Wayne)
Kevin Conroy: My favorite episode of Batman: The Animated Series would probably be "Perchance to Dream." I love many of the episodes, but that one… what’s made the character fun for me to play is his complexity, his darkness. All of that is rooted in the loss of his parents when he was a child, and anything that deals with that psychology and that psychodrama that he lives in makes it fun for me as an actor.
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Kevin Conroy (Batman/Bruce Wayne)
Kevin Conroy: In that episode, “Perchance to Dream," he is sent back into his childhood when he’s drugged, and he confronts his father. He inhabits his old, young self. It’s such a psychological journey he goes through that I loved working on as an actor.
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Loren Lester (Robin/Nightwing/Dick Grayson)
Loren Lester: “Old Wounds," because I got to play Robin and Nightwing. What I loved about doing this show was transitioning from Robin into Nightwing.
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Loren Lester (Robin/Nightwing/Dick Grayson)
Loren Lester: In this episode we kind of took a look back and I got to be Robin again. I had been Nightwing for several episodes, and then I got a chance to be Robin again.
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Tara Strong (Batgirl/Barbara Gordon)
Tara Strong: My favorite episode of the original animated series is “Girls Night Out," and it is because it embodied everything girlie, with all the strength you could ever want. There are these two incredibly powerful women that give little girls and little boys something to look up to and aspire to be like.
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Tara Strong (Batgirl/Barbara Gordon)
Tara Strong: We had a tremendous amount of fun voicing that episode. When you watch it they’re kicking ass, but then there’s another scene where they’re giggling and towels on their head, it was a great, great time. That’s my favorite.
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Diane Pershing (Poison Ivy)
Diane Pershing: I actually have two: “Harley and Ivy," when the two of them meet and we establish this wonderful relationship between Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy. Then the one called “Home and Garden," where Ivy gets to -even if it’s pretend- have a husband and children, which deepen her heart, she would love to have. Of course, they turn out to be pod people. Also, she’s actually still very evil and she’s being carted off to god knows where at the end.
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Diane Pershing (Poison Ivy)
Diane Pershing: Those are my two favorites. I like them because I had layers as an actor to deal with the complexity of the characters. She wasn’t just black and white evil, dah, dah, dah, she had an actual story to tell, and we all do. You know? I love that.
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Eric Radomski (producer)
Eric Radomski: “On Leather Wings,” the very first episode we got back complete. It was the embodiment of everything that we intended for the series to be, even though the first 90-second piece that Bruce and I produced definitely represented the art direction that we intended. But to sustain it for 22 minutes, let alone 85 episodes, was really proved in that first episode.
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Eric Radomski (producer)
Eric Radomski: It was a big sigh of relief almost two years after we had started the project originally. To see that come together, to put the sound and music to it, it just sort of fulfilled everything that we had hoped it would be. It also gave us the confidence that we knew we could deliver the rest of the series. All the challenges were there anyway, but we had sort of broken through the membrane of what we had hoped it would be and very pleased with the quality of what we ended up with.