"B:TAS" - a couple questions I have

[Michael24]

Okay, so after getting sidetracked awhile back during B:TAS, VOL. 1, I've finally gotten back to my DVDs and have been watching the first three volumes consistently for about the last week or so. It's been great catching up with the show again, and to finally see many of the later episodes in their entirety. Watching so many episodes back-to-back, I noticed a couple things and wanted to ask about them.

1) I noticed that a few episodes don't have title cards, such as "The Laughing Fish" and "The Demon's Quest, Part I." In these episodes, the titles actually appear over the opening shot of the episode. (And in the case of "Demon's Quest," even appear after a brief James Bond-like teaser sequence.) Were these non-title card moments an attempt to show titles in new ways that just didn't catch on?

2) I also noticed that there are a fair amount of origin story episodes, mostly for the villains, and even a two-parter for Robin. Even Batman has his origins somewhat explored in certain episodes. But as I get halfway through the last disc of Volume 3, I realized there was never a Joker origin story. At first I thought maybe it was because his origin was too violent and thus difficult to adapt, but I think Two-Face's origin (even changed from the comic origin) was pretty violent yet well-handled. So how come B:TAS never had a Joker origin episode?

[klammed]

I'm not too sure about this (having only managed to get vol 1 so far)

But if I remember... and this was... a really long time ago, there was an episode with a sort of 'flashback' with Red hood falling in the chemical vat.

anyone else remember anything of the kind?

[Michael24]

Red Hood. That was Joker's--or rather, Jack Napier's--name before becoming the Joker, right? (I think I read that about his comic book origin, but I'm not too familiar with the comic origins of everybody. I only just recently discovered how different some of the show's villain origins where different from their comic roots.)

And if Napier's identity as Red Hood was kept for B:TAS, I guess he branched off and became Red Hood sometime after the flashback events from MASK OF THE PHANTASM.

[David64]

2) I also noticed that there are a fair amount of origin story episodes, mostly for the villains, and even a two-parter for Robin. Even Batman has his origins somewhat explored in certain episodes. But as I get halfway through the last disc of Volume 3, I realized there was never a Joker origin story. At first I thought maybe it was because his origin was too violent and thus difficult to adapt, but I think Two-Face's origin (even changed from the comic origin) was pretty violent yet well-handled. So how come B:TAS never had a Joker origin episode?

Joker's origin is mentioned on television in "Beware the Creeper". It's on the volume 4 DVD

[Bird Boy]

The missing title cards were due to the drawer (I think it was Radomski. I'm sure someone will correct me if I'm wrong) of the cards being bogged down with work. I don't know if they ever did any kind of temporary cards or not, but they were never shown publically if they were.

It's also one of the reasons TNBA didn't feature them--simply too much work on their plates.

-BB

[Bleu Unicorn]

The missing title cards were due to the drawer (I think it was Radomski. I'm sure someone will correct me if I'm wrong) of the cards being bogged down with work. I don't know if they ever did any kind of temporary cards or not, but they were never shown publically if they were.

It's also one of the reasons TNBA didn't feature them--simply too much work on their plates.

-BB
You got it right - that's also partially why TNBA and STAS didn't do the title cards. Not only did it separate them from the old BTAS style, but Radomski had left the series so no one really had the time to work on them.

[alexander knox]

Batman TAS came out at the heels of the success of the two Burton films. The origins of Joker, Catwoman, and The Penguin were already pretty much covered in the 1st two films, and the series was made to be somewhat of a continuation at the time. Thats why you see The Penguin in the more deformed shape with the flippers for hands and all in the earlier episodes. Once the series began to take on more of a continuity of its own, the creaters were more allowed to revamp the characters in their own fashion.

[Michael24]

Thanks for the anwers, guys. That explains why I never saw Joker's origin episode. By the time TNBA started, I was starting college and then in the process of moving to a new house, so I lost track of it and barely caught bits and pieces. Now I'm even more looking forward to VOL. 4 so I can check out "Beware the Creeper." And if that episode references MOTP, does it by any chance mention how The Joker escaped from Andrea?

Too bad about the title cards. They always had great artwork. I'll miss them while watching VOL. 4.

[Maxie Zeus]

The missing title cards were due to the drawer (I think it was Radomski. I'm sure someone will correct me if I'm wrong) of the cards being bogged down with work. I don't know if they ever did any kind of temporary cards or not, but they were never shown publically if they were.
-BB

I thought the use of "animated" title cards on "The Laughing Fish" and "Heart of Ice" was a deliberate choice on Timm's part. Didn't he say someplace--I can't find a reference--that that was going to be his "Hitchcock" touch on the eps he directed: that they'd fold the title and credits into the opening animation?

I don't know what the story is on "The Demon's Quest."


Now I'm even more looking forward to VOL. 4 so I can check out "Beware the Creeper." And if that episode references MOTP, does it by any chance mention how The Joker escaped from Andrea?

No. I don't know how many spoilers you want, so I won't go into details. But it's not really an "origin" story for the Joker at all. It only explains where he came from.

[Bird Boy]

I thought the use of "animated" title cards on "The Laughing Fish" and "Heart of Ice" was a deliberate choice on Timm's part. Didn't he say someplace--I can't find a reference--that that was going to be his "Hitchcock" touch on the eps he directed: that they'd fold the title and credits into the opening animation?

Hmm...possibly. That may have been in Modern Masters, I can't remember. Though "Heart of Ice" was a title card to an extent..."Laughing Fish" was actually part of a building in the intro of the episode.

-BB

[Stu]

Hmm...possibly. That may have been in Modern Masters, I can't remember. Though "Heart of Ice" was a title card to an extent..."Laughing Fish" was actually part of a building in the intro of the episode.

-BB
Timm's said it on these forums, I remember him saying he did indeed want the title cards to be animated to add his own personal touch, but stopped it because Day Of The Samurai (or Night Of The Ninja, I can't remember which one he directed) didn't really have an animated card that would fit, or something.

[Jimbo]

Now I'm even more looking forward to VOL. 4 so I can check out "Beware the Creeper." And if that episode references MOTP, does it by any chance mention how The Joker escaped from Andrea?The episode makes no mention of it, but do check out the Batman & Robin Adventures - Annual #1 (1996) to see what happens between The Joker and Andrea Beaumont after the events of "Mask of the Phantasm".

[cameronpoe1986]

1. I think that those could be considered "title cards," even though they may move or actually be a part of the episode, but it pretty much has the same effect. As a previous poster pointed out, it was probably done for artistic/storytelling purposes.

2. Joker's origin has never been fully explained in the comics or elsewhere. His true name and where he comes from remain a mystery to this day. I'm guessing they never told his origin because it's more threatening and mysterious to have this killer clown who comes out of nowhere to torment the citizens of Gotham