The Batman (2004)

Our Review

The Batman ran on Kids’ WB from 2004 to 2008, five seasons and 65 episodes, and it occupies a strange spot in Batman animation history: most people have seen it and almost nobody defends it in the rankings, which is exactly when it deserves a second look. Duane Capizzi and Jeff Matsuda rebuilt Gotham as neon art deco with hard angles and gave every rogue a silhouette you could recognize from across the room.

Rino Romano’s casting of a younger, more physical Bruce against a rogues’ gallery rebuilt the same way makes the early career premise work: the Joker is funnier and scarier for being before the grotesque era under Kevin Michael Richardson, the Penguin is a genuine racketeer, Detective Ellen Yin played by Ming-Na Wen gives the Gotham PD a real arc, and seasons built around Batgirl and a strong villain of the week structure give the show more depth than its reputation admits. Alastair Duncan’s Alfred, a calm take from the manor, anchors every Bruce scene.

It is not Batman: The Animated Series and it does not pretend to be: the serialization stays episodic and later seasons lean on the Justice League roster crossover gravity. IMDb users keep it at 7.4. For design alone, and for a cartoon Batman that respects the detective half of the name while swinging through Matsuda’s skyline, it is a top three contender nobody expects. All 65 episodes are in the guide.