“Batman: The Animated Sequence” is beloved for the way precisely it tailored the “Batman” comics. Many take into account the collection to be the definitive depiction of Gotham Metropolis. But “Batman” additionally coloured within the margins, the place the creators left their very own thumbprints.
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The collection did not solely adapt present Batman comics and characters. The “Batman” crew additionally launched a handful of unique characters, spicing up the tales they might inform. A few of these unique characters had been such successes that the comics began adapting them from the present.
Take Gotham police officer Renee Montoya, considered one of Commissioner Gordon’s (Bob Hastings) interior circle. Or Nora Fries, terminally sick spouse of the villainous Mr. Freeze. Nora’s admittedly extra of a plot gadget, however her presence casts a cloud over Freeze and is the muse of his good recharacterization.
A number of the different unique characters had been extra sinister. The numerous illustrious villains of “Batman: The Animated Sequence” weren’t solely classics like Two-Face (Richard Moll) and the Riddler (John Glover). However whether or not they started on comedian pages or cartoon frames, criminals in Gotham Metropolis are nonetheless a superstitious and cowardly lot, no match for the Batman.
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5. The Condiment King
“Make ‘Em Snort” is without doubt one of the weakest Joker episodes of “Batman: The Animated Sequence.” Nonetheless, it does embody one unforgettable gag — a strolling gag named the Condiment King (Stuart Pankin).
The stakes of this episode are fairly low — the Joker (Mark Hamill) is mad about not successful a stand-up comedy contest. As an alternative of simply murdering the judges, he brainwashes them (courtesy of thoughts management tech bummed off the Mad Hatter), turning them into intentionally lame costumed criminals: Pack Rat, Mighty Mother, and the Condiment King.
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Actual identify Buddy Standler, the Condiment King feels just like the winner of a contest to make the worst super-villain ever. His gimmick is onenote and fully devoid of any menace. He wields two weapons: one shoots ketchup and one blasts mustard. His outfit’s trunks are literal tighty-whitey underpants. He speaks in horrible puns that grind even the Darkish Knight’s gears. However whereas he is clearly no match for Batman, the joke of his character landed with the viewers. The Condiment King has proven up in DC Comics (together with his actual identify retconned into one other terrible pun: Mitchell Mayo). Present Batman actor Robert Pattinson additionally desires the Condiment King in a DC film — why not?
4. Roxy Rocket
“Batman: The Animated Sequence” co-creator Bruce Timm has stated he thinks the Darkish Knight wants extra feminine villains. Therefore, a number of of the unique villains on “Batman” had been ladies: the terrorist Crimson Claw (Kate Mulgrew), the vengeful style mannequin Calendar Woman (Sela Ward), unaging baby actress Child Doll (Alison LaPlaca), and so on.
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One of the crucial memorable of those woman baddies is Roxanne Sutton/Roxy Rocket (Charity James). A former stuntwoman, Roxy determined staged adventures weren’t sufficient of an adrenaline rush for her. So, she turned to crime, driving round Gotham Metropolis in a customized rocket booster and bomber pilot outfit. Roxy first appeared within the collection’ tie-in comedian, particularly the primary three pages of “The Batman Adventures Annual” #1.
However Timm and author Paul Dini favored the character sufficient to reuse her, together with an precise episode of “New Batman Adventures.” In “The Final Thrill” (written by Hilary J. Bader), Roxy dashes throughout Gotham on a criminal offense spree. She falls for Batman as a result of he is the one man who can sustain along with her. (Timm known as “The Final Thrill” probably the most “blatantly risque” episode of “Batman: The Animated Sequence.”)
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Miss Rocket then turned up in “Superman” episode “Knight Time,” operating afoul of the Man of Metal. Dini reused Roxy throughout his “Detective Comics” run within the 2000s, and for a “Justice League Motion” episode, “The Deadly Fare.” (That point, Roxy was voiced by Gillian Jacobs.)
3. Roland Daggett
“Batman: The Animated Sequence” owed a lot inspiration to the up to date Tim Burton “Batman” movies. 1992’s totally wild “Batman Returns” featured three villains: not solely the Penguin (Danny DeVito) and Catwoman (Michelle Pfeiffer), but additionally corrupt businessman Max Shreck (Christopher Walken).
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Shreck did not make the soar to “Batman: The Animated Sequence,” however the present featured an analogous character named Roland Daggett (voiced by the legend Ed Asner). Daggett first seems in “Feat of Clay,” when his firm is producing the sweetness cream Renuyu — an overdose turns Matt Hagen (Ron Perlman) into the shapeshifting Clayface. The present then introduced Daggett again thrice for each time it wanted a businessman villain. In “Appointment in Crime Alley,” Daggett is making an attempt to bomb the titular slum so he should buy up and redevelop the land on a budget.
Daggett is without doubt one of the least colourful, however most callous, villains within the collection. In contrast to the Joker and co. Daggett additionally often escapes justice. He hasn’t made the soar into the comics, however he ought to as a result of he fills an empty area of interest in Batman’s rogues gallery for a Lex Luthor kind villain. Bruce Wayne could use his wealth responsibly and charitably, however there’s much more Roland Daggetts on the market than there are Bruce Waynes.
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2. The Illusion
Simply as “Batman: The Animated Sequence” is one of the best serialized Batman cartoon, the spin-off image “Batman: Masks of the Illusion” is one of the best animated Batman film. Within the movie, one other shadowy vigilante seems in Gotham Metropolis: the titular Illusion (Stacy Keach). Batman can appear to be the Grim Reaper in the fitting mild, however the Illusion embraces that theme even moreso. Their costume has a cranium masks and scythe-like arm blade, as a result of in contrast to the Darkish Knight, Gotham’s Angel of Loss of life has no qualms about homicide.
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The Illusion is out to kill distinguished criminals in Gotham, from washed-up mobsters to the Joker himself. Batman items collectively this thriller, which seems to be tied to Bruce Wayne’s personal previous. Beneath her masks, the Illusion is Andrea Beaumont (Dana Delany), Bruce’s ex-girlfriend and the girl who may’ve saved him from his darkish future. Her father Carl (Keach) bought in debt to the mob, forcing them to flee Gotham collectively. However it did little good, and Andrea is out to avenge her father’s dying simply as Bruce is his.
“Masks of the Illusion” pulls from 1987 comedian “Batman: 12 months Two” (by author Mike W. Barr and artist Alan Davis & Todd McFarlane) the place Batman fought the Reaper, a deadly sword-wielding vigilante. The Reaper was actually Judson Caspian, father of Bruce Wayne’s then-girlfriend Rachel. “Illusion” inverts that and creates a extra highly effective story. In truth, today, the Illusion is a extra well-known Batman villain than the Reaper. Tom King and Clay Mann’s 2021 “Batman/Catwoman” mini-series even introduced Andrea over into DC comics — one thing many Batman followers had waited 20 years to occur.
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1. Harley Quinn
Had been you anticipating anybody else? The triumphs of “Batman: The Animated Sequence” are many. But when the collection’ legacy goes to be singled out into one factor, it is both bought to be (a). Introducing Kevin Conroy as Batman and Mark Hamill because the Joker or (b). Introducing Harley Quinn, the Joker’s therapist turned moll.
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Debuting as a facet character in “Joker’s Favor,” Paul Dini wrote in Harley together with his pal, the late Arleen Sorkin, in thoughts. (Sorkin had simply worn a jester costume on a “Days Of Our Lives” episode.) Sorkin put a lot of (her personal) persona in Harley’s giddy character, and her hanging harlequin costume made Miss Quinn surprisingly unforgettable. The followers liked her, and the writers saved utilizing her. She went from background comedian reduction to devoted highlight episodes, like “Harlequinade,” “Harley & Ivy,” and “Harley’s Vacation.” Her origin was informed in a triple-length one-shot comedian (written by Dini, drawn by Timm): “Mad Love,” which was finally animated into an episode.
Harley Quinn is an icon all by herself at this level, so beloved she’s not even a lot of a villain anymore. Few Batman villains can boast getting their very own film and TV collection, however Harley Quinn positive can. Harley is so prolific that it is laborious to imagine she’s solely been round since 1992. Trying again now, these 50+ Harley-less years for each Batman and the Joker really feel like one thing is lacking.
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