Even though the cinemas are filled with plenty of superhero films, television was the pioneer in bringing comic book characters to life. During the golden age of television, shows featured the action of superheroes and villains with brilliant camera work, writing, and costumes. Comic books were no longer for children or teenagers to consume, but a show they could watch with their families and friends. While Marvel has reigned king of the box office for nearly a decade, they owe a lot of their success to animated and live-action superhero series featuring DC heroes like Superman and Batman.
After the success of the 1966 live-action Batman starring Adam West as the caped crusader, the airwaves needed the Batman. But instead of replicating the genius of the live-action series, the studios went in the direction of animating The Dark Knight. West has reprised his role in several Batman animated series like The Batman (2004), Batman: The Animated Series (1992), and The New Adventures of Batman (1977).
In total, The Dark Knight is the main character or featured in 15 animated projects and voiced by plenty of talented actors, though some of the animated series’ villains, like The Riddler or Harley Quinn, are the ones who steal the show from Bruce Wayne.Below are all the animated series in order, starring or featuring Batman, including a new show premiering this year.
Batman Animated Series in Order
-
The Adventures of Batman
(1968) -
Super Friends
(1973) -
The New Adventures of Batman
(1977) -
Batman: The Animated Series
(1992) -
The New Batman Adventures
(1997) -
Batman Beyond
(1999) -
Justice League
(2001) -
The Batman
(2004) -
Batman: The Brave and The Bold
(2008) -
Beware The Batman
(2013) -
Batman Unlimited
(2015) -
Justice League Action
(2016) -
Batman: Caped Crusader
(2023)
The Adventures of Batman (1968)
The first animated series after several live-action films was The Adventures of Batman. It was also known as The Batman/Superman Hour. In the series, Batman teams up with Superman, Robin, and Batgirl against villains like Mr. Freeze, Catwoman, and The Joker. The animation is quite basic from a modern perspective, but the coloring and lining are similar to the comics. Radio personality Casey Kasem voiced Robin and Plan Soule voiced Batman. The same year, the show was rebranded as Batman and Robin The Boy Wonder with the studio removing the scenes with Superman.
Super Friends (1973)
In the second animated series, Super Friends, Batman isn’t the star, but he is heavily featured. As one of the many members of what would become the Justice League, Batman teams up with the Super Friends. The series went through plenty of revamps during its seven seasons to include popular cartoon characters like Scooby-Doo. Eventually, the Super Friends were fighting the Legion of Doom, a villain league similar to the Super Friends. The animation style is more detailed, but Batman’s costume remains fairly the same, color-wise. Soule and Kasem reprise their roles as Batman and Robin.
The New Adventures of Batman (1977)
A little over a decade after the prolific live-action TV series, The New Adventures of Batman premiered. Adam West and Burt Ward reprised their roles as Batman and Robin in the series. They teamed up with Batgirl, Commissioner Gordon, and Bat-Mite to protect Gotham City. Villains like Catwoman, Mr. Freeze, and the Penguin are the main villains of the series. Between all the animated series, this is the first time The Joker, The Riddler, and The Scarecrow weren’t featured. The animation of the series is quite similar to the first animated Batman series.
Batman: The Animated Series (1992)
15 years after the ending of The New Adventures of Batman came one of the most beloved series: Batman: The Animated Series. Between 1977 and 1992, the world wasn’t without the caped crusader, though. Director Tim Burton’s acclaimed live-action Batman films were released between 1989 and 1992. Batman: The Animated Series takes inspiration from the films in the animation and storyline, as Collider explains. First, Batman is rocking gray and black instead of two different shades of blue. Second, the series is more action-packed. Finally, the storyline is much darker for the villains and Batman himself.
The New Batman Adventures (1997)
Technically, The New Batman Adventures counts as a third season for Batman: The Animated Series. Between the animation and storyline, this is apparent. But the shift is away from Batman and onto his partners: Batgirl, Robin, and Super Girl, to name a few. More villains come into the series as well as Harley Quinn, Catwoman, and Poison Ivy. The Joker also plays a prominent villain role. Star Wars actor Mark Hamill reprises his role as the Joker, and Kevin Conroy voices Batman once again.
Batman Beyond (1999)
Of all the series focusing on Batman, only one shows him as an older, wiser man. Batman Beyond is set 20 years in the future, where Bruce Wayne is in a place to mentor the younger superheroes. While he has retired, a high school student named Terry McGinnis (Will Friedle) takes on the moniker of Batman and assembles his own team. Because there is a new Batman, a new suit is in order. Terry’s suit is all black with a silver utility belt and a red bat on his chest. He is the first Batman to not wear a cape.
Justice League (2001)
While Super Friends served as an introduction to the Justice League, they finally received their title show in 2001, also called Justice League. The series is remarkably close to the comics’ versions of the group as well as their individual stories. Some changes were made to certain characters — i.e. Wonder Woman was referred to as a new superhero — but they were made with an explanation that was satisfying. As Justice League was long anticipated by fans, it received immeasurable praise. Conroy and Hamill reprised their respective roles. Comedian and Mad TV alum Phil LaMarr voices The Green Lantern, with Susan Eisenberg voicing Wonder Woman.
The Batman (2004)
In The Batman, Bruce Wayne teams up with Robin and Batgirl to fight the villains of Gotham. The series features a younger Alfred, which is a first since he is often the age of Bruce’s parents. Additionally, the rise of Barbara Gordon, also known as Batgirl, is more detailed. The main villain is The Joker, who teams up with The Penguin (Tom Kenny), Mr. Freeze, and Catwoman. Some notable actors lend their voices to other characters in the series. For instance, Ming-Na Wen voices Detective Yin, Adam West plays Mayor Grande, and Ron Pearlman portrays Killer Croc.
Batman: The Brave and The Bold (2008)
The animated series featuring Batman by the late-90s, early-2000s are team-ups. Batman: The Brave and The Bold is no exception. In this series, Batman works closely with Aquaman (John DiMaggio), Blue Beetle (Friedle), Plastic Man (Kenny), and Green Arrow. The main villain in the series is The Joker, but The Penguin and Mr. Freeze make appearances, too. Batman tends to have one disguise, but in this series, he has two. The series has a cold open for nearly every episode, which is new for the Batman animated genre. Additionally, the series took on a more serious tone than previous animated shows.
Beware the Batman (2013)
By the late-2000s and well into the 2010s, 3D animation was becoming more commonplace, especially with action-based cartoons like Beware the Batman. The series has plenty of changes that make it stand out in addition to the animation style. First is Batman’s appearance: he is more slender, both in his physique and his face. His disguise is also reminiscent of the Burton and Christopher Nolan films.
Of course, the biggest shift is with the villains. For plenty of the animated series as well as the blockbuster movies, The Joker was the main villain. According to Escapist Magazine, Beware the Batman’s main villain is Harvey Dent, or Two Face. Instead of exploring a villain focused on chaos, the series explores political and societal corruption with Dent and Pyg as the main villains.
Batman Unlimited (2015)
In the mid-2010s, toy-based series and films were growing in popularity. Batman Unlimited is based on a toy line from Mattel, which is reflected in the machines Batman relies on. The Batmobile is one of the most iconic superhero modes of transportation, and it is just as prominent in the series as Batman. He also operates a Transformers-like robot to battle the villains he faces. The Joker returns as the main villain along with The Penguin, Scarecrow, and Bane. Friedle, who has voiced Batman in a previous project appears as Nightwing in the series.
Justice League Action (2016)
The most recent team-up of the Justice League is 2016’s Justice League Action. Superman, Wonder Woman, The Flash, Blue Beetle, and Batman come together to fight each hero’s biggest villains. The series animation style is reminiscent of The New Batman Adventures where the coloring is lighter. Even the theme matches the animation as it’s much more comical than previous Batman series. Conroy returns to voice Batman ,and is joined by Diedrich Bader who portrays Booster Gold and Hamill as Swamp Thing.
Batman: Caped Crusader (2023)
While the latest Batman animated series doesn’t have a release date, it will be available on Prime Video after moving from Max (via Variety). Producer J.J. Abrams is behind the Batman: Caped Crusader series and is reimagining the character completely. From the promotional photos, Batman’s broad chin is back and the ears on his mask are the largest they’ve been, though his physique is similar to the latest live action Batman actor, Robert Pattinson. Conroy will be voicing the caped crusader.