The 10 best Batman Beyond episodes ever

Early this 12 months, HBO Max made each episode of the beloved Batman: The Animated Sequence accessible to stream on the service. As well as, all three seasons of its sequel collection, 1999’s futuristic Batman Past, have been additionally made accessible to stream. With the twentieth anniversary of the collection’ last episode approaching later this 12 months, there was no higher time to call our favourite episodes from one of many darkest entry factors within the DC Animated Universe.

A studio-mandated reboot-sequel to the wildly profitable BTAS that includes a teenage protagonist specializing in an all-new forged of villains with nary any forethought, Batman Past was destined to underwhelm. It’s a credit score to collection creators Bruce Timm, Paul Dini, and Alan Burnett — all of whom labored on the unique collection — that the glossy animated collection overshot expectations and has since grown right into a cult traditional. Combining cyberpunk and sci-fi tropes akin to physique modification, synthetic intelligence, and organic engineering with themes of redemption and the burden of legacies, the story of Terry McGinnis’ inheritance of the long-lasting cape and cowl (minus the cape) beneath the tutelage of older and world-weary Bruce Wayne turn out to be one of the enduring and defining incarnations of the Darkish Knight up to now.

Strap into your flying Batmobile of the long run: Listed below are the picks for Batman Past’s finest episode from two individuals who adore the present, Polygon’s Susana Polo and Toussaint Egan.

Rebirth Half I & II

Picture: Warner Bros. Animation

Batman Past exists due to an government mandate — to interchange Batman with a teen — however it persists as a result of the inventive workforce went to nice lengths to spin straw into gold.

What if Gotham was Blade Runner’s Los Angeles? What if town was overrun by the clown gangs from Akira, they usually worshipped a mythologized model of the Joker? What if our Kaneda, on this metaphor, turned Batman, however was additionally, form of, Spider-Man? What would it not appear to be if Batman: The Animated Sequence had its personal Darkish Knight Returns? And is Bruce Wayne anybody if he can’t be Batman anymore?

The present’s two-part pilot is in some ways the entire of the present itself distilled right into a mini film, with moments that rank amongst among the finest beats of Batman historical past. As when the chief of the Joker gang sneers “Who do you assume you’re speaking to, previous man? We’re the Jokerz,” just for the roughed up tones of Kevin Conroy to gleefully deadpan (are you able to gleefully deadpan? He manages it) “Positive you’re.” —Susana Polo

Meltdown

Picture: Warner Bros. Animation

Batman: The Animated Sequence is legendary for reinventing obscure Batman villains, which have been usually so compelling that they have been swiftly adopted into the comics. Most fashionable readers may not even know that earlier than Batman: The Animated Sequence bought their fingers on the character, Mister Freeze was only a diamond thief with a chilly gimmick; no dying spouse in cryostasis, no company malfeasance, no quest for revenge, no pathos.

However for Batman Past, the identical workforce who gambled on “future teenage cyber Akira Batman” gave themselves an extra problem: no previous villains. Storylines couldn’t dredge up unhealthy guys from BTAS except the concept was very, superb. “Meltdown” could be very, superb.

Mister Freeze stands on the frozen coronary heart of most of the finest episodes of Batman: The Animated Sequence, maybe the one one among its villains to have a real through-line of character growth. And positive, it was an arc that ended along with his physique decaying away till he was only a head on a robot-spider base that crawled throughout partitions and into the neck of his Mister Freeze swimsuit, however … that guidelines. “Meltdown” brings Freeze to his final kind as a tragic anti-hero, a last button on Batman: The Animated Sequence’ most profitable villain rehabilitation challenge. —SP

Shriek

Picture: Warner Bros. Animation

“Shriek” is noteworthy for introducing one of the fascinating villains of the McGinnins Batman-era: the renegade sound-amplifying engineer Walter Shreeve (aka Shriek). The episode opens with Shriek making an attempt, and failing, to assassinate Bruce Wayne on the behest of Deric Powers, CEO of Wayne-Powers Enterprise (and the super-powered villain often called Blight). With Bruce alive but hospitalized, it’s as much as Terry to uncover the killer’s true id whereas Shriek makes an attempt one more extra delicate and manipulative technique of reaching his mission. In “Shriek,” we get an excellent alternative to see the brand new Batman flex his nascent detective expertise, plus some cool struggle scenes that make creative use of some neat diegetic sound manipulation. To not point out an iconic change between Bruce and Terry on the finish. —Toussaint Egan

Disappearing Inque

Picture: Warner Bros. Animation

The funniest issues about Batman Past have been the features of the present designed to make executives assume it will be extra toyetic than Batman: The Animated Sequence — a leading edge 2000s cyber future look! Authentic villains! A teen Batman! — really made it darker, extra violent, and chock-a-block with physique horror.

“Disappearing Inque” is the second look of the villain Inque, Batman Past’s twist on Clayface, a excessive femme fatale with the consistency of an oil slick — in her first look she almost kills Terry by forcing her physique down this throat. However this episode trades on her true risk to Batman: She is aware of he has an previous man in his ear serving to him.

Inque breaks freed from jail by promising her obsequious guard that she may give him powers similar to hers, and captures Terry, forcing Bruce to don Chekov’s Exosuit to avoid wasting his protégé on the expense of his personal coronary heart. On the finish of the entire thing, Inque’s horrible guard winds up with solely a half dose of the Science Potion, and is rendered into goo with none potential to regulate his kind, sentenced to a life in jail being fed a liquid weight-reduction plan by an equally annoying caretaker, with all of the horror and comeuppance of a traditional Twilight Zone episode.

Present up for Inque, the perfect villain in Batman Past, keep for the present’s sparing however at all times on level use of a rock guitar association of the Batman: The Animated Sequence theme music. —SP

Splicers

Picture: Warner Bros. Animation

Whereas Batman Past’s season 1 episode “The Successful Edge” addressed the risks of performance-enhancing medicine, “Splicers” tackled one other parental bugbear of youthful indiscretion: physique modification! A brand new fad has caught on amongst Terry’s classmates in the best way of splicing: the mix of animal attributes into human DNA for beauty impact and bodily benefits. Batman confronts the mastermind behind the brand new course of, Dr. Cuvier of the Chimera Institute, and thwarts an try on the lifetime of the district lawyer by his spliced henchmen, however not with out taking a dose of the mysterious serum within the course of. As Terry contends with the results of his newfound transformation, he’ll should face off in opposition to Cuvier one final time with a view to shut his splicing operation down for good.

“Splicers” looks like an ideal time capsule of the issues and youth tradition of the early aughts regardless of happening in an alternate 2019 and options an explosive finale in what stands out as one of many first of the collection’ a number of ventures into physique horror. Plus, it’s bought rapper Ice-T offering the voice for ram-spliced teenage goon. Enjoyable! —TE

Earth Mover

Batman Past,

Transferring into its second season, Batman Beyond started to tell apart itself aside from Batman: The Animated Sequence by being genuinely horrifying. Working example: Earth Mover. When one among Terry’s college buddies Jackie fears that she is being stalked, Terry chases after and confronts the person — solely to find that he’s composed solely of filth. When Jackie and her father are kidnapped by extra of those unusual entities, Batman should face off with one of the highly effective and disturbing enemies that he has ever encountered. I gained’t spoil the twist, but when for some motive you may’t inform by the picture hooked up, it’s grisly. —TE

Thoughts Video games

Picture: Warner Bros. Animation

In all of the situations of Batman Past tipping its hat (err, cowl) to Katsuhiro Otomo’s 1989 anime traditional Akira, no nod is extra express than the episode “Thoughts Video games.” Whereas patrolling town within the Batmobile and memorizing the US presidents for an upcoming historical past examination (together with a playful nod to an as-of-then unknown forty third president that’s positively cringe-inducing now in hindsight), Terry receives a number of telepathic cries for assist from Tamara, a younger lady who bears a placing resemblance to Wednesday Adams.

After studying that Tamara has been kidnapped by a clandestine felony group often called the Mind Belief, Terry should cope with the group’s cadre of superpowered assassins with a view to rescue her. The struggle scene between Batman and a mysterious mute (later revealed in Justice League Limitless to be the son of crime boss Steven Mandragora) within the deserted college home is one among collection’ finest, and the scene of Tamara conjuring a psychic projection of her stuffed animal to distract one among her captors represents the height of Batman Past’s aforementioned Akira worship. —TE

Out of the Previous

Picture: Warner Bros. Animation

Batman Past is a present about legacies — not simply need it means to inherit them, however what it means for many who relinquish their burden. Talia al Ghul, the daughter of Batman’s longtime adversary Ra’s al Ghul and one among Bruce’s former lovers, visits him to supply him a easy present: everlasting youth by way of the now-perfected rejuvenating properties of the Lazarus pits. Confronted with the mounting frustrations and bodily challenges of his advancing age, Bruce reluctantly accepts the supply — solely to instantly remorse it.

“Out of the Previous” ranks as among the best Batman Past episodes for a number of causes, the least of which embody a implausible dynamic duo team-up between a youthful Bruce Wayne and his younger apprentice and the return of arguably probably the most difficult and harmful nemesis the unique Batman has ever confronted, other than the Joker. —TE

The Name

Picture: Warner Bros. Animation

As we speak, the DC Animated Universe is a sprawling community of exhibits, with a continuity as deep as some other spinoff within the DC Multiverse (though it nonetheless doesn’t have its personal designated Earth). That expansive world started with its creators permitting the broader world of the DC Universe to bleed into solo exhibits wherever attainable.

Working example: The primary look of the Justice League within the DCAU is the Justice League of Batman Past. The plot stands effectively sufficient by itself in “The Name,” however the actual promoting level of this episode is the present’s workforce flexing their conceptual expertise on older variations of Superman and Large Barda, and a whole unique roster of futuristic Justice League members, together with new takes on Hawkman, Aquaman, Inexperienced Lantern, and the Atom. —SP

The As soon as and Future Factor, Half Two: Time, Warped

Picture: Warner Bros. Animation

OK, OK, this isn’t an episode of Batman Past. However it is the perfect episode of Justice League Limitless that options the Batman Past setting. (Earlier than you rush to the feedback, I’m conscious that that may be a class that features “Epilogue.” However right here’s the factor: The Batman Past elements of “Epilogue” are usually not good.)

In the event you’ve by no means watched “As soon as and Future Factor,” it is best to most likely begin with Half 1, however simply perceive that it’s actually 20 minutes of setup for the principle occasion. The principle occasion is current day Batman and Inexperienced Lantern following a time-traveling madman to the Batman Past-era, the place they workforce up with a center aged Static, Hawkgirl, Inexperienced Lantern’s combined race-and-species son Warhawk, Terry McGinnis, and his mentor, Outdated Batman.

Even when the episode didn’t have three Batmans in it, it will nonetheless be a wild and satisfying expertise. However it does have three Batmans in it, and so we get to see Kevin Conroy act his method by means of a scene the place current day Batman performs Good Cop to Outdated Bruce Wayne’s Dangerous Cop. —SP