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DC Animated Universe
Batman & Robin Adventures Vol. 2
The adventure continues in this follow-up to the four-time Emmy-award-winning Batman: The Animated Series, including a sequel to the hit animated movie, Batman: Mask of the Phantasm! Join Batman and Robin as they fight crime against the deadliest, craziest villains Gotham City has to offer. The dynamic duo takes on the likes of Joker, Harley Quinn, Phantasm, Two-Face, Bane, Scarecrow, Catwoman and more as the streets of Gotham get darker and wilder.
BATMAN & ROBIN ADVENTURES VOL. 2 collects issues #11-18 and Annual #1, featuring the animated stories inspired by the television series and written by series creator Paul Dini (BATMAN: ARKHAM CITY, BATMAN ADVENTURES: MAD LOVE) along with Ty Templeton (BATMAN '66 MEETS THE GREEN HORNET), Brandon Kruse (The Tick) and Rick Burchett (ALL-NEW BATMAN: THE BRAVE AND THE BOLD) and others.
BATMAN & ROBIN ADVENTURES VOL. 2 collects issues #11-18 and Annual #1, featuring the animated stories inspired by the television series and written by series creator Paul Dini (BATMAN: ARKHAM CITY, BATMAN ADVENTURES: MAD LOVE) along with Ty Templeton (BATMAN '66 MEETS THE GREEN HORNET), Brandon Kruse (The Tick) and Rick Burchett (ALL-NEW BATMAN: THE BRAVE AND THE BOLD) and others.
232 pages, Paperback
First published December 12, 2017
13 people are currently reading
129 people want to read
About the author
Paul Dini
726 books719 followersPaul Dini is an American television producer of animated cartoons. He is best known as a producer and writer for several Warner Bros./DC Comics series, including Star Wars: Ewoks, Tiny Toon Adventures, Batman: The Animated Series, Superman: The Animated Series, The New Batman/Superman Adventures, Batman Beyond and Duck Dodgers. He also developed and scripted Krypto the Superdog and contributed scripts to Animaniacs (he created Minerva Mink), Freakazoid, Justice League and Justice League Unlimited. After leaving Warner Bros. In early 2004, Dini went on to write and story edit the popular ABC adventure series Lost.
Paul Dini was born in New York City. He attended the Stevenson School in Pebble Beach, California on an art scholarship. He attended Emerson College in Boston, where he earned a BFA degree in creative writing. (He also took zoology classes at Harvard University.)
During college, he began doing freelance animation scripts for Filmation, and a number of other studios. In 1984, he was hired to work for George Lucas on several of his animation projects.
The episodes of the He-Man and the Masters of the Universe cartoon that were written by Dini have become favorites amongst the show's fans over the internet, although despite this as well as contributing to interviews on the released box sets of the series, Dini has made no secret of his distaste for Filmation and the He-Man concept. He also wrote an episode of the Generation One Transformers cartoon series and contributed to various episodes of the Ewoks animated series, several of which included rare appearances from the Empire.
In 1989, he was hired at Warner Bros. Animation to work on Tiny Toon Adventures. Later, he moved onto Batman: The Animated Series, where he worked as a writer, producer and editor, later working on Batman Beyond. He continued working with WB animation, working on a number of internal projects, including Krypto the Superdog and Duck Dodgers, until 2004.
He has earned five Emmy awards for his animation work. In a related effort, Dini was also the co-author (with Chip Kidd) of Batman Animated, a 1998 non-fiction coffee table book about the animated Batman franchise.
Dini has also written several comics stories for DC Comics, including an acclaimed oversized graphic novel series illustrated by painter Alex Ross. (A hardcover collection of the Dini and Ross stories was published in late summer 2005 under the title The World's Greatest Superheroes.) Other books written by Dini for DC have featured his Batman Animated creation Harley Quinn as well as classic characters Superman, Batman, Captain Marvel and Zatanna.
Best known among Dini's original creations is Jingle Belle, the rebellious teen-age daughter of Santa Claus. Dini also created Sheriff Ida Red, the super-powered cowgirl star of a series of books set in Dini's mythical town of Mutant, Texas. Perhaps his greatest character contribution is the introduction of Harley Quinn (along with designs by Bruce Timm) on Batman: The Animated Series.
In 2001 Dini made a cameo appearance in Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back during the scene in which Jay and Silent Bob wear ridiculous looking costumes for a film being directed by Chris Rock, in which Dini says to them "you guys look pretty bad ass".
In 2006, Dini became the writer for DC Comics' Detective Comics. That same year, he announced that he was writing a hardcover graphic novel starring Zatanna and Black Canary. In 2007, he was announced as the head writer of that company's weekly series, Countdown. Paul Dini is currently co-writing the script for the upcoming Gatchaman movie. Dini is also currently writing a series for Top Cow Productions, based in a character he created, Madame Mirage.
Paul Dini is an active cryptozoologist, hunter and wildlife photographer. On a 1985 trip to Tasmania, he had a possible sighting of a Thylacine. He has also encountered a number of venomous snakes, a Komodo Dragon and a charging Sumatran Rhi
Paul Dini was born in New York City. He attended the Stevenson School in Pebble Beach, California on an art scholarship. He attended Emerson College in Boston, where he earned a BFA degree in creative writing. (He also took zoology classes at Harvard University.)
During college, he began doing freelance animation scripts for Filmation, and a number of other studios. In 1984, he was hired to work for George Lucas on several of his animation projects.
The episodes of the He-Man and the Masters of the Universe cartoon that were written by Dini have become favorites amongst the show's fans over the internet, although despite this as well as contributing to interviews on the released box sets of the series, Dini has made no secret of his distaste for Filmation and the He-Man concept. He also wrote an episode of the Generation One Transformers cartoon series and contributed to various episodes of the Ewoks animated series, several of which included rare appearances from the Empire.
In 1989, he was hired at Warner Bros. Animation to work on Tiny Toon Adventures. Later, he moved onto Batman: The Animated Series, where he worked as a writer, producer and editor, later working on Batman Beyond. He continued working with WB animation, working on a number of internal projects, including Krypto the Superdog and Duck Dodgers, until 2004.
He has earned five Emmy awards for his animation work. In a related effort, Dini was also the co-author (with Chip Kidd) of Batman Animated, a 1998 non-fiction coffee table book about the animated Batman franchise.
Dini has also written several comics stories for DC Comics, including an acclaimed oversized graphic novel series illustrated by painter Alex Ross. (A hardcover collection of the Dini and Ross stories was published in late summer 2005 under the title The World's Greatest Superheroes.) Other books written by Dini for DC have featured his Batman Animated creation Harley Quinn as well as classic characters Superman, Batman, Captain Marvel and Zatanna.
Best known among Dini's original creations is Jingle Belle, the rebellious teen-age daughter of Santa Claus. Dini also created Sheriff Ida Red, the super-powered cowgirl star of a series of books set in Dini's mythical town of Mutant, Texas. Perhaps his greatest character contribution is the introduction of Harley Quinn (along with designs by Bruce Timm) on Batman: The Animated Series.
In 2001 Dini made a cameo appearance in Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back during the scene in which Jay and Silent Bob wear ridiculous looking costumes for a film being directed by Chris Rock, in which Dini says to them "you guys look pretty bad ass".
In 2006, Dini became the writer for DC Comics' Detective Comics. That same year, he announced that he was writing a hardcover graphic novel starring Zatanna and Black Canary. In 2007, he was announced as the head writer of that company's weekly series, Countdown. Paul Dini is currently co-writing the script for the upcoming Gatchaman movie. Dini is also currently writing a series for Top Cow Productions, based in a character he created, Madame Mirage.
Paul Dini is an active cryptozoologist, hunter and wildlife photographer. On a 1985 trip to Tasmania, he had a possible sighting of a Thylacine. He has also encountered a number of venomous snakes, a Komodo Dragon and a charging Sumatran Rhi
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
February 21, 2023
"That probably wasn't . . . the smartest thing . . . I ever did." -- Selina Kyle, a.k.a. Catwoman, making a ungraceful getaway (but also giving my opinion on reading this graphic novel), on page 175
Holy sophomore slump, Batman! This follow-up fumbles the admittedly middle-of-the-road yet still effective appeal of the initial volume with nine largely ungraceful and increasingly violent stories. (For just one example, a problematic or tone-deaf moment for me was a scene where Joker and Harley Quinn cruelly assault a police officer on his beat and then prepare to shoot him in the head . . . because Joker is simply 'bored' and Harley will do ANYTHING to get a reaction out of him. For crying out loud, this book is based on the all-ages Animated Series, not the live-action Christopher Nolan-helmed films or the dark Frank Miller incarnation of the characters!) The majority of the segments were not very entertaining, and even worse was that a few of them felt like sequels, or had a confusing 'joined in progress' feeling even though whatever happened before was NOT covered in Vol. 1. Pretty much the only positive aspects were 1.) the consistently good illustration style throughout and 2.) the welcome appearance of Catwoman in her tale (tail? haha!) 'It Takes a Cat.' Otherwise, this crashed and burned because it seemed like the writing staff were on autopilot.
Holy sophomore slump, Batman! This follow-up fumbles the admittedly middle-of-the-road yet still effective appeal of the initial volume with nine largely ungraceful and increasingly violent stories. (For just one example, a problematic or tone-deaf moment for me was a scene where Joker and Harley Quinn cruelly assault a police officer on his beat and then prepare to shoot him in the head . . . because Joker is simply 'bored' and Harley will do ANYTHING to get a reaction out of him. For crying out loud, this book is based on the all-ages Animated Series, not the live-action Christopher Nolan-helmed films or the dark Frank Miller incarnation of the characters!) The majority of the segments were not very entertaining, and even worse was that a few of them felt like sequels, or had a confusing 'joined in progress' feeling even though whatever happened before was NOT covered in Vol. 1. Pretty much the only positive aspects were 1.) the consistently good illustration style throughout and 2.) the welcome appearance of Catwoman in her tale (tail? haha!) 'It Takes a Cat.' Otherwise, this crashed and burned because it seemed like the writing staff were on autopilot.
October 8, 2018
4.5. Like Batman & Robin Adventures Vol. 1, Vol.2 is a fun, well-done compilation of one-off issues (9 episodes).
I like Windows To the Soul with Manbat. When Bruce teases Alfred after Alfred wakes him up in the middle of the night after catching a pair of glowing red eyes looking at him from the dark corners of the kitchen... At first, he's all business and speed, grabbing his belt on the way to the kitchen. And then he's smiling and teasing Alfred. So cute.
I also like the interaction Batman has with Dick after letting Manbat go free.
Shadow of the Phantasm felt pretty serious with Adrea, Bruce's lost love and the (accidental, though super convenient) death of Arthur Reeves.
I actually really like To Live and Die in Gotham City. It was a side/backstory to Bane that I had never seen before -someone who felt betrayed by Batman. Bane went from wanting to help and prove himself to Batman to wanting to hurt him, and that was pretty cool.
I also love Dagger's Tale, told from the pov of a lowly Gotham City thug who gets a tattoo of Batman on his arm to remind him that "ya can't waste yer life fighting all the time. Ya can't beat everybody. There's always gonna be somebody faster... somebody tougher... somebody stronger. There's always gonna be Batman.".
And lastly, there's one amazing page in Joker's Last Laugh where Harley is trying to get the Joker to laugh, so she drops a barracuda down a man's pants.
He doesn't laugh and Harley exclaims: "How can you not be laughing? I'm doing the choice stuff, here..."
The next frame takes place in the same location, but there are ambulances and police cars taking away what we assume is the barracuda injured man.
Commissioner Gordon is there, he says: "I never understand anything that madman does...but these recent activities seem completely random..." (because they're being done by HQ & not the Joker...)
He's interrupted by Robin LOLing from behind a tree.
Gordon: "What's that, Robin?"
Robin: "Sorry. A Barracuda down the pants is kinda funny."
Batman, scowling the most fierce scowl of seriousness that can be drawn in 2D: "No, it's not."
To which, Robin responds with a chastised and upset, "Right." You can almost hear his "eek!" from the page. Which only makes it funny! Or funnier! lol
Overall, really fun 4.5 star volume.
I like Windows To the Soul with Manbat. When Bruce teases Alfred after Alfred wakes him up in the middle of the night after catching a pair of glowing red eyes looking at him from the dark corners of the kitchen... At first, he's all business and speed, grabbing his belt on the way to the kitchen. And then he's smiling and teasing Alfred. So cute.
I also like the interaction Batman has with Dick after letting Manbat go free.
Shadow of the Phantasm felt pretty serious with Adrea, Bruce's lost love and the (accidental, though super convenient) death of Arthur Reeves.
I actually really like To Live and Die in Gotham City. It was a side/backstory to Bane that I had never seen before -someone who felt betrayed by Batman. Bane went from wanting to help and prove himself to Batman to wanting to hurt him, and that was pretty cool.
I also love Dagger's Tale, told from the pov of a lowly Gotham City thug who gets a tattoo of Batman on his arm to remind him that "ya can't waste yer life fighting all the time. Ya can't beat everybody. There's always gonna be somebody faster... somebody tougher... somebody stronger. There's always gonna be Batman.".
And lastly, there's one amazing page in Joker's Last Laugh where Harley is trying to get the Joker to laugh, so she drops a barracuda down a man's pants.
He doesn't laugh and Harley exclaims: "How can you not be laughing? I'm doing the choice stuff, here..."
The next frame takes place in the same location, but there are ambulances and police cars taking away what we assume is the barracuda injured man.
Commissioner Gordon is there, he says: "I never understand anything that madman does...but these recent activities seem completely random..." (because they're being done by HQ & not the Joker...)
He's interrupted by Robin LOLing from behind a tree.
Gordon: "What's that, Robin?"
Robin: "Sorry. A Barracuda down the pants is kinda funny."
Batman, scowling the most fierce scowl of seriousness that can be drawn in 2D: "No, it's not."
To which, Robin responds with a chastised and upset, "Right." You can almost hear his "eek!" from the page. Which only makes it funny! Or funnier! lol
Overall, really fun 4.5 star volume.
October 15, 2025
The best thing I can say about these Paul Dini universe , is the fact that these take me around 90 odd minutes to finish each volume and not a single minute of those 90 feels tiring or like a task to be completed , it’s just fun all along
August 15, 2018
Solid read, not exactly dense or anything, but hey, they have a sneaky little sequel to Batman: Mask of the Phantasm!
March 1, 2025
Yet another thoroughly entertaining volume in the series. The stories stay consistent with the characters, while further exploring their depths as well as the nuances.a
July 29, 2024
Want to read comics based upon the world of Batman Animated Series? This work is definitely one you should get your hands on! I been reading aloud with my daughters the four volume comic series of Batman in the 90s and volume one of the Batman and Robin Adventures. We are fortunate that we found some more under the series title of Batman and Robin Adventure!
This volume collects issues 11 to 18. The first story concern a late night encounter with the Man-Bat which Batman and Robin had to respond to within their own Bat Cave. The second story is titled “Shadow of the Phantasm” and the story involves Phantasm a mysterious masked figure and this story is told in three acts and an epilogue. It reminded me of the movie they made about Phantasm back in the 1990s. The next story is titled “To Live and Die in Gotham City!” This involves the story of a young man helping the supervillain Bane out when Bane was injured and when Bane recovered and went on his violent rampage he discovers Bane has murderous intent and that was not what he wanted to be involved with and how he became disillusioned; it’s a story about friends and enemies and how Bane sees others. Next is a story titled “Knightmare” that involves the Scarecrow. I wonder if the more recent Batman stories “Knightmare” was a springbroad from this title and story! Batman had to fight his own fears in this story as a result of being effected by Scarecrow’s chemicals. Issue fourteen is titled “Dagger’s Tale” which involved a convict retelling his story of battling with Batman and how his tattoo is a reminder that one can’t beat everybody. The next issue is a story of “The return of Flying Dick Grayson together with the amazing Deadman.” This story involves Dick Grayson going back to the Cirus world that he originally came from to do some stunts again but also he got involved with solving a mystery in the midst of tension with him and Deadman, a stuntman who replaced Dick Grayson ever since Grayson went on to live with Batman. I wish there were more “detective” story like this one! Issue sixteen is titled “It takes a Cat” and Batman has to stop someone stealing jewelry and there’s a twist of who the suspect really is while issue seventeen is titled “But A Dream” and it involves the Mad Hatter mind control technology and Robin is needed to save the day. The final story is “Joker’s Last Laugh!” in which Harley Quinn in trying to get Joker to laugh gets him to join in a crime spree with Batman and Robin having to stop them and in the end she is finally able to get Joker laughing again.
The stories are fun and the graphics are nice that we went through all 232 pages easily! I recommend it.
This volume collects issues 11 to 18. The first story concern a late night encounter with the Man-Bat which Batman and Robin had to respond to within their own Bat Cave. The second story is titled “Shadow of the Phantasm” and the story involves Phantasm a mysterious masked figure and this story is told in three acts and an epilogue. It reminded me of the movie they made about Phantasm back in the 1990s. The next story is titled “To Live and Die in Gotham City!” This involves the story of a young man helping the supervillain Bane out when Bane was injured and when Bane recovered and went on his violent rampage he discovers Bane has murderous intent and that was not what he wanted to be involved with and how he became disillusioned; it’s a story about friends and enemies and how Bane sees others. Next is a story titled “Knightmare” that involves the Scarecrow. I wonder if the more recent Batman stories “Knightmare” was a springbroad from this title and story! Batman had to fight his own fears in this story as a result of being effected by Scarecrow’s chemicals. Issue fourteen is titled “Dagger’s Tale” which involved a convict retelling his story of battling with Batman and how his tattoo is a reminder that one can’t beat everybody. The next issue is a story of “The return of Flying Dick Grayson together with the amazing Deadman.” This story involves Dick Grayson going back to the Cirus world that he originally came from to do some stunts again but also he got involved with solving a mystery in the midst of tension with him and Deadman, a stuntman who replaced Dick Grayson ever since Grayson went on to live with Batman. I wish there were more “detective” story like this one! Issue sixteen is titled “It takes a Cat” and Batman has to stop someone stealing jewelry and there’s a twist of who the suspect really is while issue seventeen is titled “But A Dream” and it involves the Mad Hatter mind control technology and Robin is needed to save the day. The final story is “Joker’s Last Laugh!” in which Harley Quinn in trying to get Joker to laugh gets him to join in a crime spree with Batman and Robin having to stop them and in the end she is finally able to get Joker laughing again.
The stories are fun and the graphics are nice that we went through all 232 pages easily! I recommend it.
October 14, 2018
"Batman: The Animated Series" was probably the greatest superhero cartoon ever created: great storytelling; well-rounded and interesting characters; real stakes that never got "too dark" for a kids' show, but that also treated kids like they had half a brain. Seriously, that show had it all. So any chance to get a few more stories from these great writers is always a welcome opportunity. I especially liked that these stories featured Robin--who has always been my favorite character (whoever it is wearing the mantle). An added bonus was that this collection included a sequel to the animated movie "Mask of the Phantasm." It was great to get a bit more time with the one woman Bruce Wayne considered giving up his crime-fighting crusade for--the woman who ended up choosing a life that Batman could never condone. Great drama and conflict that translated just as well on the page as on the screen. But my favorite comic was the one where Dick Grayson returned to Haly's Circus.***SPOILER*** The ending was a little depressing--mostly because everything I've ever read showed Mr. Haly as an upstanding sort of man--but desperate times, I suppose. The end result, however, was the bond that Dick and Bruce share. And... you know me and familial themes. It was a good mystery and an even better look at the friendship the Dynamic Duo share. But, above all, this collection had a nice variety of stories with an even better variety of villains. The Joker one, with Harley attempting to cheer him up and make him laugh, was particularly amusing. That is one messed up relationship they have, but it's always fascinating to see those characters play off of other. Still, poor Harley. Plus, there was stories with Mad Hatter, with Scarecrow.... Really, you couldn't ask for a better Batman and Robin collection, and I would definitely recommend it.
September 24, 2022
A collection that feels just like the Animated Series
I thoroughly enjoyed this collection of comics that is basically a continuation of the beloved Animated Series, my personal favorite Batman version and medium. The art and writing is just like the show, and there are appearances from a number of the rogues, but there’s a story about a small time villain that is one of the highlights of this volume. The ending to his story is a wonderful example of the power of storytelling from this group that made the series such a success. There are some heartbreakers in this one, including Robin’s return to his former circus group, and what feels like the last appearance of the Mad Hatter. The most exciting story in this one, for me personally, was the sequel to the movie “Mask of the Phantasm,” which is my favorite Batman movie of all time. Anything that continues that story, even though I didn’t feel it needed any, is must see in my book. I can’t imagine another version of Batman ever surpassing this one in my mind.
I thoroughly enjoyed this collection of comics that is basically a continuation of the beloved Animated Series, my personal favorite Batman version and medium. The art and writing is just like the show, and there are appearances from a number of the rogues, but there’s a story about a small time villain that is one of the highlights of this volume. The ending to his story is a wonderful example of the power of storytelling from this group that made the series such a success. There are some heartbreakers in this one, including Robin’s return to his former circus group, and what feels like the last appearance of the Mad Hatter. The most exciting story in this one, for me personally, was the sequel to the movie “Mask of the Phantasm,” which is my favorite Batman movie of all time. Anything that continues that story, even though I didn’t feel it needed any, is must see in my book. I can’t imagine another version of Batman ever surpassing this one in my mind.
July 22, 2018
Batman & Robin Adventures, Vol. 2 is more of the same and there's nothing wrong with that. We're treated to new adventures where the dynamic duo face off against Manbat, Bane, Scarecrow, and the Mad Hatter, among others. It also features a sort of epilogue to the animated movie Mask of the Phantasm, that explains exactly how the Phantasm and the Joker managed to escape the blast and has Andrea Beaumont returning to Gotham for the final adieu we never got in the movie. Lucky for her she didn't cross paths with Catwoman who does appear in a later story and tends to flirt a lot with the Batman (I would've paid to see that clash!).
Each and every one of the stories is entirely self-contained, so you can pick it up whenever you want to take a break and go back to simpler times. Curiously, there are more than a few cases of mistaken intentions, as some villains intend to give up their lives of crime.
Definitely recommended for fans of BTAS.
Each and every one of the stories is entirely self-contained, so you can pick it up whenever you want to take a break and go back to simpler times. Curiously, there are more than a few cases of mistaken intentions, as some villains intend to give up their lives of crime.
Definitely recommended for fans of BTAS.
December 12, 2017
A solid read but doesn't measure up to the standard set by previous volumes. Paul Dini has a couple great issues here but the majority are written by Ty Templeton, whose stories seldom rise above the level of serviceable. Also, the art and colors seem hindered by the cheap paper DC decided to use for this trade. Things like that tend not to bother me but they were a real distraction this time around. I'm grateful DC are publishing these books at all but this one could have been better.
December 19, 2024
The Batman & Robin were much more true to the show; felt like getting more episodes, which is what I was after with Batman Adventures. I’ve read the whole run, but it’s been so long that everything felt new. Nice break from fantasy novels with going back to what started my love for reading. On to The Lost Years.
July 3, 2018
If you ever find yourself reading something dense and meaty, like say, War and Peace or the main Batman series, do yourself a favor - take a break for some Batman & Robin Adventures. They're fast, frivolous, and fun. Empty calorie reading at its finest.
June 1, 2020
Batman & Robin Adventures volume 2 was amazing! I really enjoyed how many different villains were in this Batman book. I also liked reading the continue to the Mask of the Phantasm movie in this book. ~Lizzie :)
February 9, 2024
As a continuation of TAS, this is more great stuff with all of the rogues gallery making an appearance and even a sequel to Mask of the Phantasm. It’s good all-ages stuff with clean art. You could easily see most of these working as episodes which is high praise.
August 20, 2024
Awesome collection all the good villians.
Great story lines and splash panels...Definitely nostalgic.....and a close version to '60s Batman. Harley Quinn plus Cat woman always works for me.
Great story lines and splash panels...Definitely nostalgic.....and a close version to '60s Batman. Harley Quinn plus Cat woman always works for me.
January 22, 2020
One thing is certain is that ...... Harley Quinn will do anything to make joker laugh
September 6, 2022
oof. the flying grayson issue. ooooooooof.
January 25, 2025
If you like the animated cartoon show of the same name you will love this.
June 27, 2025
I came across this collection in my library and thought to myself how cool it was, but my brain needed to see it in the best light possible, so I learned about the collection's three volumes. I want to say that I loved Batman: The Animated Series. I always found it odd that they renamed it 'Batman & Robin Adventures' for some reason; it wasn't like the radical change in art that was the Kids WB series. My guess was to keep it kid-oriented by dropping his sidekick's importance. Still, if this could bring back happy memories, I was all for it. These stories were ideas thrown out, but couldn't be adapted because they were too short. The second volume was in, and I have to admit I was pleasantly surprised.
Windows to the Soul. This appears to be a simple case of a bad dream, but it's not. It's the return of Man-Bat. But what makes this weird is that it comes sometime after what was believed to be the last outing after Woman-Bat was revealed. Kind of sad.
Shadow of the Phantasm. THIS WAS PHENOMENAL! A caper that answers some loose ends after the epic Mask of the Phantasm movie. Bruce Wayne's first love, Andrea Beaumont, returns after her infamous murder spree against the men responsible for the death of her father. But things aren't what they appear to be, as one more man must pay for the ruination of her life.
To Live and Die in Gotham City. A follow-up to the first appearance of Bane in the animated series. I have some criticisms of this, but it's not that bad.
Knightmare. A caper involving Scarecrow.
Dagger's Tale. A common criminal flaunts a tattoo of Batman on his forearm and the story that goes with it.
Second Chances. A series of robberies of prominent, wealthy men who take their families to Haley's Circus. Bruce and Dick go behind the scenes at what was the latters' former home. A fellow DC Comics character debuts in the Animated Series in a slightly different way, but he is most welcome in the end. A sad turn of events follows, but a well-told story.
It Takes a Cat. A series of robberies committed by a feline-inspired costume convinces Batman that Catwoman is back, presumably after her retirement in Europe. But as it turns out, it's a fellow DC Comics character debuting in the Animated Series. Still as goofy and embarrassing as the comic.
But a Dream. Mad Hatter's former assistant Alice's wedding is approaching. Having been driven to insanity because of his obsession, he manipulates things once more before her big day.
Joker's Last Laugh. Joker is in a rut as he can't find it in himself to deliver a caper that can make him laugh. So Harley works her hardest to get her Mister J back in comedic shape with ridiculous consequences.
This collection was great! Even better than the first. The stories are better, particularly those that connect with other great stories from the animated series. I have to admit, it made me sad with Man-Bat. Are they implying that Langstrom returned after everything bad that happened? Bruce Timm made a big mistake with that. But the best story has to be the spinoff to the Mask of the Phantasm.
The Batman animated series made several spinoff films that made it straight to video, except for one, The Mask of the Phantasm. Given a theatrical run, it wasn't nearly as big as the other Batman-related films, but it was more than worthy. A strong, dramatic story, but make no mistake, it was too short, with plenty of plot holes. I once read a fan believed that there was no way Joker survived if Andrea did too, but this story answered that question. But even more, was the lone survivor of the person directly responsible for her father's death just allowed to live? Once again, this story answers that question beautifully.
I especially enjoyed the stories that brought forward characters from DC Comics in Deadman and Catman. Deadman was fun because it showed he was a rival to the Flying Graysons for years before their deaths, and it was a welcome irony in that he is so mean to Dick but in the end, they come together as heroes. Catman was funny, and it showed that Selina hated having to compete with a fanboy. I found it weird that this was the first time in a long time that it mentioned her old friend, Maven.
The rest of the stories were fine, but not nearly as good as the others. Bruce Timm is very sensitive when it comes to making Batman look bad, so he does everything in his power to do that for Bane. Dagger's Tale had a good dramatic tone. I can't help but wonder who they could have gotten to do the voice-overs for the guest stars like Dagger, Deadman, and Catman. Mad Hatter's attempt to marry his assistant brought him full circle. All in all, a good collection.
Windows to the Soul. This appears to be a simple case of a bad dream, but it's not. It's the return of Man-Bat. But what makes this weird is that it comes sometime after what was believed to be the last outing after Woman-Bat was revealed. Kind of sad.
Shadow of the Phantasm. THIS WAS PHENOMENAL! A caper that answers some loose ends after the epic Mask of the Phantasm movie. Bruce Wayne's first love, Andrea Beaumont, returns after her infamous murder spree against the men responsible for the death of her father. But things aren't what they appear to be, as one more man must pay for the ruination of her life.
To Live and Die in Gotham City. A follow-up to the first appearance of Bane in the animated series. I have some criticisms of this, but it's not that bad.
Knightmare. A caper involving Scarecrow.
Dagger's Tale. A common criminal flaunts a tattoo of Batman on his forearm and the story that goes with it.
Second Chances. A series of robberies of prominent, wealthy men who take their families to Haley's Circus. Bruce and Dick go behind the scenes at what was the latters' former home. A fellow DC Comics character debuts in the Animated Series in a slightly different way, but he is most welcome in the end. A sad turn of events follows, but a well-told story.
It Takes a Cat. A series of robberies committed by a feline-inspired costume convinces Batman that Catwoman is back, presumably after her retirement in Europe. But as it turns out, it's a fellow DC Comics character debuting in the Animated Series. Still as goofy and embarrassing as the comic.
But a Dream. Mad Hatter's former assistant Alice's wedding is approaching. Having been driven to insanity because of his obsession, he manipulates things once more before her big day.
Joker's Last Laugh. Joker is in a rut as he can't find it in himself to deliver a caper that can make him laugh. So Harley works her hardest to get her Mister J back in comedic shape with ridiculous consequences.
This collection was great! Even better than the first. The stories are better, particularly those that connect with other great stories from the animated series. I have to admit, it made me sad with Man-Bat. Are they implying that Langstrom returned after everything bad that happened? Bruce Timm made a big mistake with that. But the best story has to be the spinoff to the Mask of the Phantasm.
The Batman animated series made several spinoff films that made it straight to video, except for one, The Mask of the Phantasm. Given a theatrical run, it wasn't nearly as big as the other Batman-related films, but it was more than worthy. A strong, dramatic story, but make no mistake, it was too short, with plenty of plot holes. I once read a fan believed that there was no way Joker survived if Andrea did too, but this story answered that question. But even more, was the lone survivor of the person directly responsible for her father's death just allowed to live? Once again, this story answers that question beautifully.
I especially enjoyed the stories that brought forward characters from DC Comics in Deadman and Catman. Deadman was fun because it showed he was a rival to the Flying Graysons for years before their deaths, and it was a welcome irony in that he is so mean to Dick but in the end, they come together as heroes. Catman was funny, and it showed that Selina hated having to compete with a fanboy. I found it weird that this was the first time in a long time that it mentioned her old friend, Maven.
The rest of the stories were fine, but not nearly as good as the others. Bruce Timm is very sensitive when it comes to making Batman look bad, so he does everything in his power to do that for Bane. Dagger's Tale had a good dramatic tone. I can't help but wonder who they could have gotten to do the voice-overs for the guest stars like Dagger, Deadman, and Catman. Mad Hatter's attempt to marry his assistant brought him full circle. All in all, a good collection.
January 5, 2022
Art style is cool and matches Batman: The Animated Series. These comics are short form stories of the same characters from the show.
Note: I read this while a subscriber to DC Comics now defunct “DC Universe@ streaming service.
Note: I read this while a subscriber to DC Comics now defunct “DC Universe@ streaming service.
July 11, 2023
I really wish some of these stories were featured in the Animated Series.
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