 |
|
|
|
Blast
from the Past - Batman the Animated Series
Posted 07/16/01
|
|
|
One
of the greatest super hero lines ever produced was based on the Batman
Animated Series. Some would argue that this line was the best, with
great style and play value.
The
cartoon broke ground, with its dark backgrounds, edgy story lines, and retro
style. Both children and adults responded with pleasure, and the show
became for many one of the best versions of Batman ever created on T.V.,
film or print.
The
line followed the style of the show, and is the longest running super hero
line ever produced. The line first debuted in 1992, and we are still
getting a few characters each year. Rumor has it that the final end
may come this year, but we've been fortunate to get 9 years of excellent
action figures.
The
show went through several versions, with some style changes and character
changes over time. The action figures followed these changes, and
altered the characters along the way.
|
|
|
|
Kenner, and then Hasbro once they bought them
out, have produced the series, and like all Kenner/Hasbro lines, there
have been plenty of ridiculous Batman variations. But we've also
been treated to some great ones, including versions that match each style
change of the show or movies, and unique ones like Retro Batman which are
excellent designs on their own.
Robin was also produced, though in far
fewer numbers. The first Robin was the weakest, using the old Robin
body from the movie line with an animated style head. The improved
as time went on, and the small Robin from the Adventures of Batman and
Robin was certainly the best.
Cloth capes were used early in the series,
but these switched to plastic capes later on. I still prefer the
cloth, and the very first Batman they produced, Combat Belt Batman, is
still the finest version in the entire line. |
|
|
|
Batman and Robin couldn't do all the work
themselves, and several of the good guy supporting cast was also
produced. Batgirl, Nightwing, Commissioner Gordon and fan favorite
Alfred were all immortalized in plastic. It is extremely rare for
any super hero line to produce these types of second string heroes, and
while it took awhile to get them, Hasbro has to be applauded for the
effort. |
|
|
|
Tons of villains were produced during the
entire run of figures. No other DC based line has ever had this
number of bad guys, driven both by the large selection in Batman's Rogue's
Gallery, and by the unusual willingness of Hasbro to produce them.
First produced were the classics of course
- Penguin, Joker, Riddler, Catwoman, Scarecrow, Mr. Freeze, etc.
Many of these figures were produced in lower numbers than later figures,
and the Penguin and Riddler are still two of the hardest figures to find. |
|
|
|
The Joker has always been the most popular
Batman foe, and this line was no exception. There were plenty of
bizarre variations, but also some great ones. The style of the
Machine Gun Joker, the 40's look of the Jet Pack Joker, and the simple
style of several others gave the Joker fans more than they could have ever
expected. |
|
|
|
During the run of this line, the league of
female action figure collectors was just starting to build. They
were thrilled to get several key female figures in this line, including
Batgirl, Catwoman, Poison Ivy, and the surprise villain from Mask of the
Phantasm. This movie, based on the T.V. show, is still one of the
best Batman movies to ever reach the big screen. |
|
|
|
Some of the villains produced were seen in
many episodes, like Ras Al Ghul, or the Joker. Others, like Bane or
the Mad Hatter, might only be in one or two episodes. But their
visually striking designs made it to plastic and stood toe to toe with the
more common characters. |
|
|
|
While some of the villains were done in
multiple versions, some of the quite silly, others were actually done in
versions that matched the changing style of the show. Examples like
Riddler, Two Face and Mr. Freeze, are great examples of the evolving
animated style.
|
|
This is a classic series of figures, and is
one of my all time favorites. There are only two DC lines that are
must haves for the action figure collector - BTAS and Super Powers.
If you're looking for a terrific line with great variation and excellent
design to collect, I can't recommend another more highly than this. |
|
|
|
 |
|
|