Twenty years ago this week, the Fox television network premiered the critically acclaimed Batman: The Animated Series, stoking a long-running animated universe that escalated to include Superman and the hailed Justice League in its expanding exposure.  “On Leather Wings” (September 6th 1992) introduced us to animation unlike anything basic cable every offered, inducting an entire age group into the relatively serious and sometimes frighteningly adult world of the Dark Knight. Fueled by the genius of Bruce Timm and Paul Dini, Gotham was saturated in an art-deco motif that echoed the noir pulp serials of the 30’s and 40’s, establishing the universe in a mysterious timeframe that feels straddled somewhere between the 1939 World’s Fair (something utilized in the B:TAS major motion picture – Mask of the Phantasm) and the contemporary. Side kicked by a chill-inducing orchestral score composed by the late Shirley Walker, the show set new boundaries of what a children’s cartoon can be, dangerously carving a line of risk-taking maturity arguably never rivaled since.

The series was watermarked by profoundly adult and surprisingly dark psychology, something that would dynamically influence the future of the comic book source material it derived from. Even the casual appearance of actual firearms was something predominately extinct at the time; parental groups restricting cartoons to the use of sci-fi harkening lasers, despite it perhaps not fitting in the context. In “Heart of Ice,” the most celebrated episode in the DC Animated Universe at large, Dini is praised for his reworking of the one-time generically cold-themed Mr. Freeze. The emotionlessly monotone Victor was now given a tragically heartwarming love story that evoked sympathies so powerful it begged viewers to question if they were truly on the Batman side anymore. It has since become the default interpretation for the character.

Quoting the Shakespearian soliloquy, “Perchance to Dream” offered an alternate reality in which Bruce’s parents were never gunned down. When revealed to be nothing but an elaborate dream fantasy caused by the abused neurotechnology of the Mad Hatter, Jervis Tetch exclaims “I was willing to give you whatever life you wanted, just to keep you out of mine!” Helping to establish his rogues gallery as the highest quality in quite possibly literature at large, characters like Ra’s al Ghul, Poison Ivy, Scarecrow, and Killer Croc, roles primarily unheard of outside of the comic community at that time, became household names. These weren’t your typical cookie-cutter cartoon villains, grounded in a macabre intelligence perfectly fitting the gritty and noir settings, making second-tier foes not only memorable but even oftentimes poignant.

Culminating in a successful three season run that ended in a fourth re-designed chapter, the show was unfortunately cancelled due to dying interest. However, it fortunately was carried onward with spin-off shows like Batman Beyond, Justice League, and Justice League Unlimited, revealing the endurance of the icon. In fact, the emblem status has become so culturally significant that in something oftentimes unnoticed, the opening credits never actually write the title anywhere, the silhouette of the Dark Knight illuminated by the flashing lightening was recognizable enough. From inducting the instant classic of Harley Quinn to introducing an entire generation to the voice actors that have become synonymous with the characters, Batman: The Animated Series helped alter the perception of what children’s entertainment should be. Smartly toned, beautifully stylized, and baring a remarkable respect toward the established continuity, Dini and Timm manifested Kevin Conroy’s Batman into what might go down as one of the most multi-dimensional and intricately masterful interpretations of all-time. Certainly unforgettable! Utilizing both the fantastical elements with a sense of realism and identifiability, the series blurred the line between Saturday morning cartoon show and art. For that and so much more, it has become etched into the fond nostalgic memories of both children and adults everywhere. I think I speak for the nerd community at large in saying…Happy Anniversary, Batman: The Animated Series. Happy 20^th Anniversary!