Top Five B:TAS

[DisneyBoy]

Okay, so I know these "best of/top ten" lists can get annoying, but I was trying to think of which B:TAS episodes I'd consider equal to one another, and I've been having trouble.

Over the Edge is in there, no question. 5 star show with no shortcomings at all.

The Laughing Fish is the best Joker episode, bar none, even with the uneven animation. The score is awesome and really, it deserves to be included.

I'd like to say Almost Got 'Em should be there because it's unique, but the animation really could have been better in some places (the Two-Face sequence anybody?) and ultimately it's good because of how it's put together, not so much because of the individual parts (Ivy and the Halloween pumpkins isn't a "must see moment", and neither are the other parts).

Heart of Ice ain't all that and a bag of potato chips. I wouldn't recommend it as one of the best because of the soup ending and the look of the show (dated).

And between Second Chance, Two-Face Part One, Catwalk, Demon's Quest Part One and Feat of Clay Part Two, I just can't seem to tell which are the obvious three to accompany TLF and OTE.


So...who should make the top five?

[ROBOTRON]

Over the edge? So this includes TNBA....good.

1. "Over the edge" - Bad to the bone...it just doesn't get much better than this.

2. "Judgment Day" - Two-Face's 3rd personality really was too cool.

3. "Mudslide" - I've got a soft spot for this Clayface episode.

4. "Growing Pains" - Imagination runs wild as Robin falls in love with a part of Clayface.

5. "Beware The Gray Ghost" - Classic BTAS episode!

[Jedigreedo]

I would have to say...

-Perchance to Dream
-Robin's Reckoning (counting both parts as one)
-Dreams in Darkness
-Over the Edge
-Growing Pains

[Harvey Two Face]

Mine have got to be:

Two Face pt 1
Over the Edge
Heart of Ice
Judgement Day
The Clock King

[Spider-Man]

My top five are:

Heart Of Ice
Over The Edge
Two-Face, Part 1
Mad Love
Robin's Reckoning, Part 1

Special mention of "Beware The Gray Ghost." Despite the sudden eruption of naysayers, "Heart Of Ice" is the best episode, bar none. "The Cat and The Claw" (both parts), "Moon of the Wolf," "Cat Scratch Fever," "Shadow of the Bat" (both parts), "The Terrible Trio," "Animal Act," and "Be A Clown" are some of the worst.

[ABrown]

Wow, where to begin? From the original Batman The Animated Series there's "On Leather Wings", "Pretty Poison", "It's Never Too Late", "Heart Of Ice", "The Demon's Quest: Parts 1 and 2", "Fire From Olympus", "House And Garden", "Deep Freeze".

Then from The New Batman Adventures there's "Sins Of The Father", "Cold Comfort", "You Scratch My Back", "Never Fear", "Growing Pains", "Over The Edge", "Old Wounds", "Judgement Day". How does someone choose???

I'm curious why so many people list "Two-Face:Part 1" and "Robin's Reckoning:Part 1". They're both ok episodes but I 'm not sure why so many people think they're two of the top episodes.

I guess if I had to though I'd go with:
1. Heart Of Ice
2. Over The Edge
3. Growing Pains
4. Deep Freeze
5. House And Garden

[matthewscott614]

The Demon's Quest Part 1 & 2
Two Face Part 1 & 2
The Laughing Fish
Harlequinade
Night Of The Ninja

[thedanmachine]

hmmm this is a toughie,

Two Face Part 1
The Laughing Fish
Mad Love
Perchance To Dream
Double Talk

[ROBOTRON]

Mine have got to be:

Two Face pt 1
Over the Edge
Heart of Ice
Judgement Day
The Clock King

Ah yes, "The Clock King". What brilliant writing and perfect casting/voice acting can do for an otherwise "dull" character anywhere else.

"The Clock King" would certainly grace my top 10.

Bravo.:D

[DisneyBoy]

(counting both parts as one)

Na-a-aaaah! Both parts are not made equal. Feat of Clay Parts One and Two couldn't be less alike. So no two-in-ones.

4. "Growing Pains" - Imagination runs wild as Robin falls in love with a part of Clayface.

The animation here is waaaay too anime, what with the impossibly large-scale buildings, stark set decoration and line quality. Tim's crush is alright, but just a little bit too boring to hold my interest the whole episode, and Annie isn't much of a character. The story ends up feeling like a manipulation. The Judge seemed to have his own unique identity even before the big twist was revealed...Annie didn't. Definitely not an episode I'd show to someone if they asked to see the best of B:TAS. It's not horrible, but not amazing.

2. "Judgment Day" - Two-Face's 3rd personality really was too cool.

Hmmm...I like it a lot - one of the better TNBA episodes in terms of mood, villain and score - but it's still just a strange twist on something that was already complicated enough. The concept of Two-Face having three personalities just goes a step too far, despite how well the episode ultimately pulls it off. But yes, the Judge was cool.

Dreams in Darkness

This is the one where Scarecrow tries to poison the water supply beneath Arkham, right? It's underrated, but not one of the best. But I like that you mentionned it! People all have individual favs...

Despite the sudden eruption of naysayers, "Heart Of Ice" is the best episode, bar none.

Hey! I've been "nay-saying" for YEARS! "Heart of Ice" is overrated, bar yah-hun!

Deep Freeze

Thank You! I really, really like this one, but it doesn't get much love from the fans when compard to HOI, which is too bad. The Disney villain, Nora's return, the animation and special effects...it all makes for one heck of an interesting mix. But is it better than Catwalk...? That's where I waver...

Mad Love

The comic will always be better in my eyes, if for nothing else than the Joker's proper design.

Hmmm...could my five be:

-Over the Edge
-The Laughing Fish
-Catwalk
-Second Chance
-Deep Freeze......?

I really want to put The Demon's Quest in there...but who should go? Those last three are all on par with one another...so who is the weakest link?

[GregX]

1. "I Am the Night"
2. "The Laughing Fish"
3. "Two Face" Pts 1 & 2
4. "The Demon's Quest" Pts 1 & 2
5. "Heart of Ice."

[Starfire6417]

My top 5 are:
1.Night of the Ninja
2.Day of the samurai
3.Robin's Reckoing
4.Twoface part 2
5.Bane

[Palin Dromos]

My top 5 are

1. Heat of Ice - It's been lauded everywhere, no need for me to be repetitive.

2. Over the Edge - Also lauded everywhere.

3. Growing Pains - I'm really happy to see that many others here enjoy this ep too. DB I'm going to have to completely disagree with you about showing this as an example of the best. The animation is great, so what if it's more 'anime' than usual. The emotional impact of the episode is about loss and a realization that you can't save everyone, sometimes life isn't fair. It's also a great example of how Robin can be used effectivly as a character in Batman's world.

4. His Silicon Soul - It's got great themes about idenity. Also despite it being kind of the third part of the HARDAC trilogy it stands on its own very well, they do enough to remind you about "Heart of Steel" without getting bogged down. You don't really miss out on what this episode is doing if you didn't see "HoS." Maybe I just really love the last line. Plus its got a Batman vs. Batman fight.

5. Beware the Gray Ghost - Aside from the totally awesome casting of Adam West, this ep provides a great window into some of the 'good' that drives Bruce Wayne. There's ton's of examples of the darkness that drives Bruce to be Batman, the revenge, the anger, the guilt, but here we see one of his inspiriations to seek justice. Even Bruce is guility of a little hero-worship. Plus it's an entertaining little mystery.

[ABrown]

I've always felt like alot of the best BTAS stories were the ones that didn't necessary have what would be considered a "happy ending." MOTP didn't really have a happy ending. Andrea and Bruce kind of had to go their separate ways with her leaving Gotham. Growing Pains didn't end with a little girl getting to return happily to her family, it ended with Tim sad that he basically lost the fight to free her from Clayface. And House And Garden ended with Poison Ivy losing the family that she had created for herself. The endings were usually what best provided justice, but they were definitely not always happy endings.

[ShadowStar]

1. Perchance to Dream
2. The Man Who Killed Batman
3. Over the Edge
4. Harlequinade
5. Growing Pains

In B:TAS, one's spoilt for choice though...

[dark knight acolyte]

Okay, so I know these "best of/top ten" lists can get annoying, but I was trying to think of which B:TAS episodes I'd consider equal to one another, and I've been having trouble.

Over the Edge is in there, no question. 5 star show with no shortcomings at all.

The Laughing Fish is the best Joker episode, bar none, even with the uneven animation. The score is awesome and really, it deserves to be included.

I'd like to say Almost Got 'Em should be there because it's unique, but the animation really could have been better in some places (the Two-Face sequence anybody?) and ultimately it's good because of how it's put together, not so much because of the individual parts (Ivy and the Halloween pumpkins isn't a "must see moment", and neither are the other parts).

Heart of Ice ain't all that and a bag of potato chips. I wouldn't recommend it as one of the best because of the soup ending and the look of the show (dated).

And between Second Chance, Two-Face Part One, Catwalk, Demon's Quest Part One and Feat of Clay Part Two, I just can't seem to tell which are the obvious three to accompany TLF and OTE.


So...who should make the top five?


Yes, this topic of conversation is certainly starting to date itself, but heck- its so much fun, who can blame the other for continuing to ask?

The chicken soup ending genuinely is a pure matter of taste. Some find it playfully amusing, a light-hearted and unique way to resolve the final battle. Others find it cheesy or, at best, tacky. I've never encountered a neutral opinion. One either defends it or opposes it. To each their own; I mention it only for the sake of observing how split people seem to be with respect to the ending. At least in my circle....

Over the Edge is fantastic, though in terms of character study, pacing, and sheer viewer encapsulation, I still prefer Two-face pt. 1 as the best of the series. However, as I could respect an argument for either, I suppose one could then determine that those episodes can be considered equal. I certainly consider them the two best episodes of the series, so for me this thread becomes, "which episodes are comprable to OTE or Two-face 1?

I agree that Heart of Ice, while classic and invigorating, suffered from a dated animation filled with glitches- and while I have NO problem with the ending, I still can't overlook some contrivances, especially in plot pacing and camera work during the origin playback scenes. So, HoI I do not put quite on the same tier as Two-Face or OtE. I know that some of this doesn't affect the "feel" of the episode and seems nit-picky. But, when you're narrowing down five greats from a list of over a hundred episodes, not being picky is a flawed manner narrowing the field. You have to be. Best is best, not just really good. HoI is not the best. There are at least a handful that are better, though I give it mad props for being an AMAZING episode that certainly breathed life into a lifeless character (at the time), Mr. Freeze.

Robin's Reckoning part 1 is an episode that I'd put on that plateau. Heartfelt story, great animation, great episode. One is hard-pressed to really find flaws in that segment as it is done so tastefully.

I've always felt Almost Got 'Im was given far too much credit, as each of the villains' segments were fairly vanilla and, as a whole, boring up until the Joker's revelation-filled story. It's a good episode, and not necessarily flawed in any way, but I don't know that when I think of it that the word "great" comes to mind. Just really good and incredibly exciting.

While based on the graphic novel that is superior to the episode itself, I've always believed that folks who compare novels to movies and vice versa are genuinely wasting theirs and everyone else's times, so I won't do the same. Things should be judged of their own merit per their own media without the unnecessary "faults by comparison." Therefore, MAD LOVE ranks way up there- great episode, based on a book or not.

Laughing Fish... ... hmmmmm.... I love that episode...

As I get older, I come to appreciate the Gray Ghost episode more and more as it is chalk full of appreciation for the man who got me into Batman (albeit a unique- though authentic- version), Adam West. Appreciating our heroes is a theme presented much more deeply and touchingly here than I could have understood at 10 years of age when it originally aired.

In summary, I feel Two-Face pt 1 and Over the Edge are in a class all by themselves, ALMOST unarguably. That leaves me to try to select episodes that argued against the two favorites wouldn't result in somebody looking foolish.

These are the top five best non-best episodes, so to speak and in no order:
1) Beware the Gray Ghost
2) Robin's Reckoning
3) Mad Love
And a couple of surprises to wrap up my other five...
4) Fear of Victory (sweet, simple, well-executed... also, I'm a bit biased, as this episode has a sweet nostalgia with me as being the first to air with Robin).
5) On Leather Wings (great animation and a great episode that truly felt like a mini-movie. Also, in terms of series impact, there was- without argument ...heck, ask the producers...no bigger episode)

[Thailog]

There are many good episodes to choose from, and a few had to be left out, but these are simply superb.

"Heart of Ice"
"His Silicon Soul"
"Read My Lips"
"House & Garden"
"Almost Got 'Im"

[batsy2]

1.Mad Love
2.Beware the grey ghost
3.Feat of Clay
4.Harlequinade
5.If your so smart why aren't you rich ?

are my top 5

[The New Titans]

My top five are:

1. Almost Got 'Im (got me into Batman in the first place)
2. Two-Face, Part One (one of the most tense episodes ever)
3. Heart of Ice (has me blubbering with tears everytime I see it)
4. The Laughing Fish (best Joker in animation. EVER!)
5. Robin's Reckoning, Part One (I also blubber with tears everytime I watch this episode)

[Knightmare]

My top five are:


1) Heart of Ice
2) The Laughing Fish
3) Two-Face (part 1&2)
3) Judgment Day
4) Appointment in Crime Alley
5) Beware the Gray Ghost

[Jay]

1.Beware of The Gray Ghost
2.Growing Pains
3.Almost Got 'Im
4.Heart of Ice
5.Joker's Favor

[Cortez2301]

1-"Showdown": I just think it is damn good.Great story,great action, great writing and great characters.Its nice how they got Jonah Hex into the show like they got Zatanna earlier on.And the explosions are just...Damn!

2-"A Bullet for Bullock": I love the whole Mafia/cop/corruption issues they deal with here.Its nice to look at Bullock on his own too.

3-""Trial": I loved looking at all the mentally insane criminals and how they think and view everything else.

4-"The Demon's Quest Part 1 and 2": I'm including both parts just put them as one whole story.The whole real introduction to Ras Al Ghul was good.They could have made his "tests" a little more dangerous (like in India) but it was still great.

5-"Dreams in Darkness": This one might change but I can't decide at this point.This episode was really disturbing and I it was great.It really worked in capturing the darkness the series gives us.

[Hanshotfirst113]

Why has no one mentioned the masterful "Perchance to Dream?"

[DisneyBoy]

Kinda poopy animation...

[Hanshotfirst113]

Kinda poopy animation...

Whereabouts? There's some clunky work, but the way that the rain lashes behind the clock-tower and the water dripping in are brilliant touches, it's one of the most searing psychological examinations of Batman/Bruce Wayne ever.

[Nygma]

Kinda poopy animation...

Well it's not like The Laughing Fish's animation took our breath away.

You want terrible animation that drags a good episode down? Check out Joker's Wild.

[DisneyBoy]

WATCH WHAT YOU SAY ABOUT THE LAUGHING FISH!!!

*hyperventalates for a few seconds until his face stops being red*

Yeah, I think I only ever watched Joker's Wild once and then promptly blocked it from memory. Too ugly to care.

[Toddman]

Whereabouts? There's some clunky work, but the way that the rain lashes behind the clock-tower and the water dripping in are brilliant touches, it's one of the most searing psychological examinations of Batman/Bruce Wayne ever.

I could be mistaken, but isn't that the same rain FX used in Two-Face part 2 and possibly other episodes?


Toddman

[Alex Weitzman]

I'm probably not going to blow anybody's mind with my choices.

1. Heart of Ice
2. The Laughing Fish
3. Perchance to Dream
4. Over the Edge
5. Two-Face, Part I

[DisneyBoy]

I could be mistaken, but isn't that the same rain FX used in Two-Face part 2 and possibly other episodes?

Oooooooh SNAP!

(and yes, I think it is)

[Hanshotfirst113]

(counting both parts as one)

Na-a-aaaah! Both parts are not made equal. Feat of Clay Parts One and Two couldn't be less alike. So no two-in-ones.

Yeah, the DCAU frequently had two-parters animated by different studios. The two halves sometimes didn't gel.


The animation here is waaaay too animeYou say that like it's a bad thing :(. TMS working on the DCAU was always a huge treat (excepting wasting them on "Fear of Victory"). They were probably the best studio that handled the DCAU (although I suppose that you could run Spectrum as a second).


Hey! I've been "nay-saying" for YEARS! "Heart of Ice" is overrated, bar yah-hun!
Heart of Ice is probably overhyped a bit, but there's no denying its importance.


The comic will always be better in my eyes, if for nothing else than the Joker's proper design.
"Proper" being a matter of taste here. Plus, it's hard to top that brilliant scene with Conroy laughing a cold, humorless, sardonic laugh.

[Thailog]

Why has no one mentioned the masterful "Perchance to Dream?"
A bit overrated to be honest. Not wanting to diminish its greatness, which is unquestionable, but it has a couple of plot holes (not to mention mediocre animation). These "dream-fantasy episodes" are very trick to do, because the audience is seldom fooled. You know that its reality is due to unravel in the climax. The revelation of the Mad Hatter behind it sort of went down the drain once they used his theme music in the title card... Also, his plan was very hard to swallow in the sense that he could not see Bruce's fantasy (always a convenient plot device to keep one's secret identity under wraps) and yet his other self could have a conversation with Bruce in his fantasy world, so as to lay out the whole thing for him (but actually to us).

Out of 85 episodes, there are others that were more successful in their premise.

[ShadowStar]

Why has no one mentioned the masterful "Perchance to Dream?"

I mentioned it before you did. Best episode ever as far as I'm concerned. :p

[dark knight acolyte]

At risk of physical harm, I'll say it: I didn't feel "Perchance.." was great. Very good, absolutely. Arguably great, sure. But, it didn't strike me as great.

For starters, the animation did feel relatively clunky in some places, especially with the car chase at the beginning of the episode (I haven't seen it TOO recently, so I may be mistaken as to what my issue with the animation was, but I seem to remember "jelly cars"). Also, while it is a dream sequence, some of the emotions of the episode seemed so generic with consideration to the situation. Bruce is taken aback/stunned, then relieved to have his parents back, then confused, but in his anger that their return is only a dream, I noticed that the gauntlet of emotions- while admirably present- seemed stale to me at the same time. Robin's Reckoning is an episode where the emotions, so beautifully conveyed in the story pacing and most importantly voice acting, felt more genuine to me.

For such a huge impact episode, I felt that the emotion seemed processed. I already know most will disagree, and this is a subjective reaction, but my impression nonetheless.

[byron lomax]

1. "Two-Face" - really powerful two-parter and the character's best story (and definitely the best villain-origin story too, despite some strong competition).

2. "Perchance to Dream" - great alternate reality sceanario with a stunning conclusion.

3. "Read My Lips" - everything about the episode is just quality. Scarface's reveal was both hilarious and very surprising on first viewing.

4. "Almost Got 'Im" - shows how much fun Batman can be - nothing too deep, just hugely entertaining.

5. "It's Never Too Late" - one thing that made the series stand out was quiet, human character studies. This is my favourite.

I really couldn't say with certainty that these are "the best" or even my solid favourites - but if someone wanted to be introduced to the series, I'd show them these episodes, and demonstrate how well B:TAS told all kinds of stories.