Batman: The Animated Series - The Legend Begins 31 years old

The Legend Begins

Taking a cue from the caped crusader's comic book rebirth in Frank Miller's The Dark Knight Returns and Batman: Year One, this 1992 animated series saved the TV Batman from a fate worse than camp and drew an unexpected audience for an afternoon cartoon: adults. The initial five episodes gathered here feature such supervillains as Man-bat, the Scarecrow, and Poison Ivy, but the deliciously demented Joker (voiced by Mark Hamill) steals the show in his two appearances, especially in the twisted "Christmas with the Joke." Escaping Arkham Asylum in a rocket-powered Christmas tree, the clown prince of crime preempts a TV showing of It's a Wonderful Life with his own homicidal holiday treat. It's a solid start to a sleek, stylized, smartly written series that only improved with time. Ages 7 and up.

Credits

Batman: The Animated Series - The Legend Begins Cast

Name Character
Mark Hamill He was 50, now 72 years old as Joker
Efrem Zimbalist, Jr. He was 83, 95 years old when he died as Alfred Pennyworth
Bob Hastings He was 77, 89 years old when he died as Commissioner James Gordon
Kevin Conroy He was 46, now 68 years old as Bruce Wayne
Kevin Conroy He was 46, now 68 years old as Batman

Batman: The Animated Series - The Legend Begins Crew

Name Department
Batman: The Animated Series - The Legend Begins poster
Batman: The Animated Series - The Legend Begins (31 years)

The Legend Begins

  • Release day: Thursday, April 23, 1992
  • Runtime: 111 minutes