MovieChat Forums > Batman: The Animated Series (1992) Discussion > is the Batman from this show the weakest...

is the Batman from this show the weakest version out there?

posted 3 years ago by filmgeek99 (609)
13 replies | jump to latest

For as much as I enjoy this show, the Batman presented here does come off rather weak and unskilled compared to other versions we've seen. He gets bested by regular goons so often (not even in huge numbers, mind you), and he gets captured more often than Mary Jane in the Sam Raimi Spider-Man movies. He doesn't even seem to wear any body armor, as there's not one instance I recall when his suit was shown to protect him from bullets.

He gets points for doing more detective work than most of the other Batmans, but unless if we're taking the Adam West or 1940's movie serial versions into account, the Batman of this show has to be the weakest of the bunch, right? I suppose Justice League gave him some more impressive feats but taken on its own, the Batman presented here would most certainly get his ass kicked by nearly every other version out there.

What do you think? Is the Batman from this show weaker than almost every other version?

[–] enriquesingh (1775) 3 years ago

Regarding being the 'weakest', I think the producers wanted to show him this way because he is supposed to be a regular human being who can be injured, who can be beat, who can be... killed. He's not bulletproof, he cannot fly, he is vulnerable.

Which helps the audience identify with this Batman a little better, he's just like you (just that he has all these gadgets and money).

[–] jriddle73 (327) 15 days ago

The same guys did the same thing with Superman a few years later with that animated series: powering him way down.

[–] [deleted] 3 years ago

No, the Adam West Batman is weaker because at the end of every other episode he gets tied up and hung over a vat of acid or something.

[–] Ace_Spade (9416) 3 years ago

Indeed.

[–] GreenGoblinsOck8 (7450) 2 months ago

Not to mention the Adam West Movie which has the stupid scene where Batman gets a shark attached to his leg for what feels like 10 minutes. BTAS Batman wouldn't have survived that. Also at TC, you should wstch the Michael Keaton Batman movies. They are very good.

[–] DoctorThirteen (10641) 2 months ago

Keaton was an awesome Batman. It was great to see him back last year.

[–] Volley (3379) 3 years ago

It has been ages since I saw the Animated Series, but I do recall Poison Ivy and Mr Freeze getting the better of Batman over and over again, funny enough they were probably my two favorites growing up lol.

[–] Ace_Spade (9416) 3 years ago

I guess you missed Batman and Robin (the film), then? Seems like that might sour you on those two...

[–] Volley (3379) 3 years ago

Haha, nope, just the animated series and Mask of the Phantasm. I wasn't into live action Batman until Batman Begins (2005).

Arnold Schwarzenegger as Mr Freeze eh? That's kinda scary lol.

[–] Ace_Spade (9416) 3 years ago

It is if you're afraid of puns... It's a silly film.

[–] Ace_Spade (9416) 3 years ago

Now all I can think about is which Batman is the strongest?

The Contenders:
Bat-Adam Westman
Bat-Keaton
Kilmer Forever
Georgeman and Clooney
The Animated Series (Cartoon-man)
Baleman
The Dark Knight Returns (Peter "Bats" Weller)
DC Animated Universe

I'm not that familiar with the broader DC Animated universe, so I can't rank that one, but somebody else might want to weigh in there. I've also left out "comics" because I'd have to sub-categorize that (Year One Bats is clearly a lot less sturdy than he is in Hush, for instance) and I'm goofing off on moviechat, but I don't have *that* much goofing off time.

Here's my reasoning:
1. Baleman - dude is JACKED and is only physically bested by people in unusual circumstances (dogs!) or, y'know, Bane.
2. Peter "Bats" Weller - despite being aging, he's retained a giant bod and a (near...?) psychotic level of aggression.
3. Cartoon-man - the Animated Series Batman might have his human side on display more, but we still see him do some impressive feats of strength, including just not getting crushed to death by Killer Croc or Clayface. Furthermore, he's one of the most active Batmen, so he might just be a bit more tired...
4. Bat-Keaton - can obviously hold his own, but is Word-of-God wearing that suit and using intimidation because he's not the biggeste cat in the jungle.
5. Kilmer Forever - rarely physically engages, but he looks reasonably buff and we see him do a lot of climbing and swinging.
6. Georgeman and Clooney - clearly leaning on his gadgets.
7. Batadam Westman - a bit paunchy, runs like he's afraid of getting winded...either that or like he might run out of set if he goes too quick...

[–] filmgeek99 (609) 3 years ago

Good list, though I would've personally listed Weller's Bats above Bale's. I would've also put this Batman only slightly above Clooney.

Not a fan of the DCEU, I take it? If we included him, he would most certainly be at the top.

[–] Ace_Spade (9416) 3 years ago

I got a bit bored with superhero films in-general awhile back. I watch them occasionally, if they interest me, and Man of Steel was a pretty dull opening-salvo to the DCEU, so none of the other grim, demi-greyscale films that followed looked interesting enough for me to try them out.

I just plain forgot to include Batfleck on the list, though.

I'd probably put him at #3 and bump the others down the list. He's pretty buff, fights violently (I have seen clips), and it seems like you really wouldn't want to meet him down an alley. I'd give Weller's Batman the advantage, though, if only because he seems nastier.

This isn't my ranking of my *favourite* Batmen, just the *toughest* ones. Favourite would be more like Keaton/Conroy (toss-up), Weller, Bale, West, Kilmer, Clooney, and I won't comment on Affleck because I haven't seen him in a full film.

Unless we're adding the comics incarnations in, in which case I'd go with the Doug Moench/Kelley Jones version with the giant ears who is finding his way to balancing the grim Batman persona with the human Bruce Wayne one.