The Ten Best Episodes of Batman: The Animated Series

      Simon Thompson shares his selections for the ten best episodes of Batman: The Animated Series…

      Describing Batman as a pop culture phenomenon would be an understatement. Since his creation by Bill Finger and Bob Kane in 1939 (who, by the way, took significant credit and profits from his collaborator—another story for another time), The Dark Knight has captivated countless generations of fans from the Golden Age of American comics to today.

      With the character nearing a century of existence, each generation has encountered him in various forms, whether through the comics or his numerous adaptations in film and television. For me, personally, growing up meant enjoying a trio of experiences: watching Tim Burton's two cinematic masterpieces repeatedly, the Nolan films that defined a cinematic era, and most importantly, reruns of Batman: The Animated Series on Boomerang.

      What made Batman: The Animated Series successful was its effort to deliver dark, serious, and mature storytelling in a universal manner, the exceptional creative team of Paul Dini and Bruce Timm, the outstanding voice cast (Kevin Conroy and Mark Hamill are the voices in my head whenever I read a Batman comic for a reason), and the noir-esque settings and striking artwork. Choosing just ten episodes from a series that significantly shapes people's views of Batman presents a challenging task (spoiler alerts for some episodes)…

      10. The Clock King/Beware The Gray Ghost

      I am combining these two episodes because they are both excellent in their own ways, and I wanted to include both without taking up too much space on the list. Writer David Wise's “The Clock King” is a favorite of mine due to its rich thematic content despite a straightforward plot.

      Temple Fugate is a businessman whose obsessive focus on time is so extreme that even Swiss train managers would advise him to loosen up. On a regular train ride, he decides to deviate slightly from his rigid schedule, thanks to the suggestion of fellow passenger and Gotham bigwig Hamilton Hill. This detour results in him losing essential documents for a lawsuit to save his company. Seven years later, Fugate has transformed into The Clock King, vowing revenge on Hill through a sabotage campaign during the mayoral election, leading him to confront The Dark Knight.

      I would liken this episode to “Falling Down” set in Gotham. Fugate is a compelling villain, someone you might pass on the street, tragically driven to madness—a figure who is both detestable and pitiable. With Batman’s rogues’ gallery being so diverse, it’s refreshing for him to face a villain with relatively uncomplicated methods and goals.

      “Beware the Gray Ghost” stands out for two main reasons: it highlights the importance of heroism in society and offers genuine glimpses of Bruce Wayne's joyful childhood. A domestic terrorist known as the Mad Bomber is executing a series of coordinated bomb attacks across Gotham, which closely resemble an episode from Bruce’s favorite TV series, The Gray Ghost.

      Batman tracks down the actor who portrayed the Gray Ghost, Simon Trent (voiced by Adam West), who is now a washed-up actor residing in a grim apartment and wishing to erase any connection to his past role. Batman pleads for his assistance in capturing the bomber.

      This episode presents a serious and mature exploration of heroism and avoids making cheap jokes during West’s guest appearance, instead allowing him to portray a multi-layered and engaging character. Although many excellent Batman stories carry a dark tone, this episode concludes on a truly uplifting note.

      Rewatching this episode as an adult resonates with me because seeing Bruce as a child watching The Gray Ghost evokes my own nostalgic memories of discovering my favorite superhero, leaving me with a big grin on my face, regardless of how silly that may sound.

      9. Trial

      “Trial” works wonderfully due to its cleverly simple premise. Janet Van Dorn, a determined new district attorney, wants to place Batman in Arkham with the various lunatics she believes his methods have created. After falling into a trap by Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy, Batman finds himself on trial in Arkham, with Katie Van Dorn compelled to defend him in a farcical courtroom featuring The Joker as the judge and Two-Face as the prosecutor. As the absurd legal proceedings unfold, Van Dorn starts to realize her assumptions about Batman might be misguided.

      This story effectively humorously investigates whether Batman is a force for good while still allowing for a deeper ethical reflection on Batman's fight against crime. Without divulging too much of the plot, “Trial” provides a persuasive argument for Batman's character that speaks more eloquently than any wall of text.

      8. The Man Who Killed Batman

      “The Man Who Killed Batman” encapsulates the idea that just because you eliminated someone like Jesse James, it doesn’t make you a hero. Sidney Debris (guest star Matt Frewer, known for Max Headroom) is an anxious, inept small-time criminal who, through a million-to-one chance, seemingly leads to