How far after Legacy and Batman's age...

[Nightfeather]

I'm a newbie here, but I was just curious as to where this series falls in relation to the other series. My guess, it can't be far after Legacy; maybe 2-3 years (or even less). Why? Take a look at the facts:

1) For this, we presume that Batman Beyond is on the same time line.

2) We know that in Batman Beyond: ROTJ, Joker is killed by Tim Drake when Drake is still young. That means that this event must take place in the somewhat near future. (I know they probably won't address the joker's death at all; just for argument's sake).

3) The Joker is still alive in this series.

4) #'s 2 and 3 restrict the amount of time that could have elapsed between the series.

5) So Batman is probably no more that 2 years older than what he was after the Batman/Superman Adventures.

thoughts...

[Toddman]

Welcome to the boards Nightfeather!

Now on to your question...

It seems to me that RIGHT NOW the whole of the "Animated-DC Bruce-Timm Universe" actually falls into a timeline that can be explained in real time.

For example...

In BTAS "Robin's Reckoning" pts 1 & 2, we find out that Batman has been active for at least nine years. If we assume that he first took in Dick Grayson fairly early in his career as Batman, like within the first 6 months to 1 year, that would mean that Batman had been active since 1983 at that point ("Robin's Reckoning" first aired in Feb. of '93). MOTP contributes to this timeline when it's established that Andrea Beaumont left Gotham "almost ten years" ago (from the movie's release date of 12/25/93), just before Bruce became Batman.

So Batman continues to operate in Gotham throughout the 80's and into the 90's, at some point he is joined by Dick as Robin.

BTAS debuts in Sep. of 92. By that time Dick is away at college, most likely as a freshman (going by his comment of having waited "half his life" to catch up w/Tony Zucco in "Reckoning").

Batman has his first encounters with all of his major enemies w/the exception of Joker and Penguin AFTER the premiere of BTAS. (the Joker was said to have had origin "seven years ago" in "Beware the Creeper" which first aired in Nov. of 98, or one year before the first episode of BTAS)

BTAS lasts until Sep. of 95, w/Dick still in college.

In 96 Superman debuts on KidsWB. Assuming that the series takes place in current 1996 and taking into account Ma Kent's line about "that nut in Gotham City" we can assume that Batman has been running around for a good THIRTEEN YEARS before Superman makes his first appearance.

We pick up w/Batman and company 2 years after the last episode of BTAS, in Sep. of 1997 with TNBA. By this time Dick has graduated from college, as seen in the flashback sequence in "Old Wounds."

I guess that we can assume that all of the events from TNBSA come to an end w/the final new episode of Superman ("Legacy") and lead us right up to JL in the fall of 2001.

The events from the flashback in ROTJ have not happened yet, as the Joker will show up alive and well at some point this season in JL. When will they happen? No time soon I would bet.

So after all of that, we know that Batman has been active for just over eighteen years in the Animated DC Universe. Superman has been around for just over five.

Now this theory only works if the players in the animated universe actually go by our standard of time. If they follow the rules of their comic book counterparts, then no matter how long these characters have been on the air, all of their adventures can be compressed to only five or six years. That means that Tim Drake might be 13 now and might be only 15 in seven or eight years.

All of which leads me to what I said at the beginning of this post, this time line only works RIGHT NOW. If JL continues for another ten seasons (one would hope), I don't think the creators will want to portray Batman as being in his late forties.

Whew! I'm worn out. I've had that timeline swimming around in my head for a little while now, thanks for letting me get it all out. Hope it helped!

Toddman

[The Guard]

Ok...you guys can't assign certain years for the animated series. They have been specifically designed not to be tied to a certain era. Hence the futuristic police blimps along with 30's and 40's style cars. That's why there is so much high tech equipment, yet all the TVs, including those in the Batcave are in black and white. Timm said early on that he didn't want a certain era.

[Samhaine]

Originally posted by The Guard
Ok...you guys can't assign certain years for the animated series. They have been specifically designed not to be tied to a certain era. Hence the futuristic police blimps along with 30's and 40's style cars. That's why there is so much high tech equipment, yet all the TVs, including those in the Batcave are in black and white. Timm said early on that he didn't want a certain era.
Well, in the ep Beware the Grey Ghost there's a Time magazine, and the date on the cover is Sept. 1992 (there's an actual date, I just don't remember). So, the show was dated.

[Matt Hazuda]

I remeber either Timm or Dini saying in an online interview that BB is supposed to be an Elseworlds type of story, and not necessarily what will actually happen. I hope not, cause i'd like to see ol' Robin make it to be more like Tim Drake in the comics, who at least is a better character. Maybe they could also find some way to get Young Justice in there down the line.

[Toddman]

Originally posted by MDawg957
I remeber either Timm or Dini saying in an online interview that BB is supposed to be an Elseworlds type of story, and not necessarily what will actually happen.

I think that should be left up to each individual fan's judgment. Since Nightfeather started this thread and posted ...

"1) For this, we presume that Batman Beyond is on the same time line."

...I'll go with that.

I also enjoy the BB future, so for me, until they present a different version of the future, I'm taking BB as word.

Toddman

[TerryMcGuiness]

Well the intresting thing there is that Paul Dini views Batman Beyond as Elseworlds.

Bruce Timm on the other hand considers it continuity.

This is from interviews I've read with both guys.

Of course, Bruce Timm is also of the mind that contuinuity should be a fluid thing. So if there are inconsistancies, just deal.

Basically, Bruce isn't gonna bow to contuinuity cops they way comics did if it hinders him from telling the story he wants to tell.

Besides since all the series are seperate entities then you can either believe they are tied or not. Hell, you can even take or leave TNBAS as the contuinutation of BTAS.

Myself, I like Batman Beyond as the future of what happens to Bruce Wayne but I loathe the Call as being what happens to Superman.

I also think JL is about 10 years after Legacy. It'd explain why Superman looks a bit older and lets face it, even if both Bruce and Clark are in their 40 do you really think they'd be any less effective? Life isnt all about your teens and 20's despite what mass media would have ya believe.

Basically think of JL as them being in the later half what is essentially still their "prime".

[Karkull]

You did a nice job on your timeline, Toddman, but remember in The Last Son of Krypton that it was established that there had been reports of Superman activity for years beforehand, but no one really got a photo of him. Batman may have gotten an earlier start, but Superman's first public activities were not all documented in the pilot.

As for Batman Beyond's connection, its still an Elseworlds story. I sincerely doubt that they'll kill off the Joker.

[Toddman]

Originally posted by Karkull
You did a nice job on your timeline, Toddman, but remember in The Last Son of Krypton that it was established that there had been reports of Superman activity for years beforehand, but no one really got a photo of him. Batman may have gotten an earlier start, but Superman's first public activities were not all documented in the pilot.

As for Batman Beyond's connection, its still an Elseworlds story. I sincerely doubt that they'll kill off the Joker.

Thanks, Karkull. You're right, I forgot that Superman had been operating in relative secrecy for a while. It wasn't until Lois Lane saw him and gave him the name "Superman" that he really went public.

As for BB and all of that "elseworlds" nonsense, I know that they won't kill off the Joker in the JL's "reality," just as know Bruce Wayne won't retire in JL. I don't think it's an elseworlds story, though, I think it's a look into the future. Granted, it's a future that we will never "catch up" to, because we are dealing w/fictional characters and their modern day exploits.

I'll buy into it being an "elseworlds" when there is something "else" presented as a possible future.

Toddman