Now, at the end of the road, it’s time to check in with those lists one more time to see how twenty-four episodes of TNBA changes the calculus of the rankings. In the interest of being definitive, this list reproduces the July 2018 text where relevant, adding TNBA episodes where appropriate; removed from the immediacy of watching these episodes, commentary addenda will appear in blue. With that said, on with the show!
“‘P.O.V.’ gives life to the GCPD beyond Commissioner Gordon, and the show is a richer experience for it.”
Batman by way of Rashômon, this episode remains a classic for its unconventional approach to telling a Batman story. It humanizes the supporting cast of the series in a way that illustrates how much the show is actually about Batman’s influence on his city rather than just his nocturnal crusade against crime. Various accounts of Batman reveal the dispositions of his city’s other defenders, and Harvey Bullock is revealed to be more psychologically complex than his donut addiction would suggest. [As you’ll see throughout this list, I’m a sucker for meta-commentary episodes that probe the perception of Batman and superheroes. “P.O.V.” is the earliest attempt in this incarnation, and it’s still one of the best.]
“‘The Clock King’ is a well-oiled machine, a tasteful timepiece of a thing that holds up for this reviewer, who always remembered it fondly”
If the animation were a little better and the set-piece a little bigger, this episode might have landed higher on the list for its strong plotting and note-perfect villain, with a fine casting choice to match. At the end of the day, this choice and #6 are largely interchangeable, tickling that same brainy fancy. [You can get away with a lot if you have a great voice, and this episode persists in my memory not for its flaws but for Alan Rachins and his “how-dare-you” sneer of villainy.]
“It’s impressive how quickly Batgirl becomes an equal partner in Batman and Robin’s fight against crime.”
Three of my Top 10 are two-parters, and this one, which introduces Batgirl, achieves the task of leaving us wanting so very much more. Though Batgirl only donned the cape and cowl in two episodes, “Shadow” brings her to such life with a real sense of purpose, accomplishment, and optimism about saving her city. Kudos to Melissa Gilbert, who gives Batgirl an infectious confidence. [While TNBA would later struggle to grow its supporting cast, Batgirl was a clear case of how to succeed at bringing new blood into the Bat-family. For a character who is all too frequently bogged down by moody grim plots and gratuitous exploitation, Batgirl’s debut here is refreshingly breezy and earnest.]
“When we talk about Batman, it occurs to me that none of us is really talking about the same guy, and yet we’re all talking about the same elephant from a different vantage point. [. . .] And the truth is, he’s all of those things.”
Like my #1 episode on this list, “Legends” is an effusive tribute to the greatest character in all of fiction, a reminder why we cling so devoutly to a man whose behavior seems insane and at odds with itself. It’s a love story created by the most earnest Bat-fans, about the rest of us who flock to every comic, movie, and cartoon about this embodiment of justice, hope, and the belief that maybe, just maybe, we can save ourselves, no matter what color our tights are.
“Riddler is a master chess player in this episode, and ‘So Smart’ does a first-rate job of introducing him.”
One of Batman’s greatest foes gets a whopper of a debut in this episode, which is expertly smart and delightfully haughty, with a pretty solid twist ending. It’s only too bad that the writers never quite cracked the Riddler in the way that they understood Joker; Riddler was the villain this show deserved. [I still get a twinge of regret that we didn’t get five more Riddler episodes like this one. He’s a tough nut, I grant you, but this first Riddler episode gets everything right about a character who deserved so much more screen time than he got. Oh, well; that’s why we’ve got the comics.]
“‘On Leather Wings’ is a show bible unto itself, a manifesto for who Batman is (and even a wink toward how he came to be).”
Please don’t read my placement of the pilot episode as indicative that the show never lived up to the promise of its first episode. Instead, consider how strong this show started and how thoroughly it continued that pace of excellence. An unconventional choice of villain leads to a profound statement on what Batman is by exploring his polar opposite. [For all the shows that come recommended with the proviso that their first episodes don’t find their feet, it’s a blessing that “On Leather Wings” is a potent augur of things to come, among the top episodes for its effortless blast into action.]
“After ten episodes, this one feels the most mature, the most thorough, and the most compelling.”
How appropriate that Two-Face gets a two-parter for his origin story (if only he’d been #2 on this list!). It’s one of the most sobered takes on a Bat-villain and a high bar for the show’s animation. Moreover, it takes full advantage of its nature as a two-parter by giving us two distinct halves of a very wonderful whole. [When I think back on this two-parter, it’s almost too easy to forget that Batman is even in this one – that’s how articulate and full Harvey Dent’s arc feels in these two episodes. The best two-parters feel like mini-movies, and “Two-Face” is no exception there.]
“All of it falls under the rubric of [Dennis] O’Neil and [Len] Wein doing a bang-up job with the script, adapting the original issues almost frame for frame”
As we round into the Top Three, it was anyone’s game, and I agonized over the placement, considering every possible permutation of that ranking. This globetrotting adventure takes Batman far out of his element but safely within his comfort zone as he faces kidnapping, global ecoterrorism, and the worst arranged marriage imaginable. But it’s a magisterial adaptation of a fine comic book issue with ample room to breathe. [Again, the mini-movie effect is in action here, with a sweeping yet faithful adaptation of an all-time classic comic. Ra’s al Ghul is another villain who could have used more great episodes like this one, but it’s hard to snub a debut as dynamic as this one.]
“There’s something oddly noble about an enemy whose endgame is to dispose of the hero by giving him everything he wants.”
When I reviewed this episode last July, I wondered if it’d be #1 on this list, and it’s painfully close. It’s an episode that is almost impossible to discuss without spoiling its central conceit – how Bruce Wayne can exist, happily, in a world where Batman also operates – but it’s an episode that ends up being an elegiac exploration of the core tragedy in Batman’s life.[It’s Kevin Conroy’s favorite episode for a reason, and not just because of how much his prodigious vocal talents are on display. It’s a neat story, even abstracted from the wider world of the Bat, for its tight execution and a twist ending that remains clever to this day.]
“In short, this is an episode about me, a love letter to my genre and a defense of that selfsame love.”
This episode is pure poetry, a touching tribute to the very idea of superheroes and the creative forces that inspire us to become better versions of ourselves. The emotional resonance of Adam West, who passed not long after my review went up, as Batman’s role model is enough to draw out a tear or two, especially when his Simon Trent realizes, “It wasn’t all for nothing...” The notion that storytelling can heal wounds and save lives is perhaps the most important thing this show has every communicated. [When I purchased the Blu-Ray collection, this was the second episode I queued up, and it still plays on the heartstrings. We often forget that the Gray Ghost is an original creation for the show, but the way he resonates for us despite being brand-new speaks to the emotional investment we all have in the meta-message of this episode – that these stories matter.]
Next week, it’s another stroll through the worst of the worst with the Bottom 10 episodes.
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