Batman: The Animated Series remains one of the most beloved and critically praised animated series of all time. The series managed to attract both young and mature audiences with its thoughtful and compelling storytelling that managed to combine the light and dark sides of Batman stories.
While BTAS ended in the mid-90s, it did get a sequel series in the form of Batman Beyond; a series that focussed on a Gotham around 40 years after the events of BTAS. That being said, any sequel to a series as iconic as Batman: The Animated Series is bound to fall down in some respects.
Improves: Future Justice League
While not strictly relating to Batman: The Animated Series, the wider DC Animated Universe certainly links to the original BTAS, so this entry should stand. The Batman Beyond episodes featuring the future Justice League are some of the most memorable in the series.
Showing how Batman Beyond ties into the wider DCAU by including the future Justice League was one of the most imaginative elements in the series and definitely improved the DCAU as a whole.
Doesn’t: Loose Ends From Animated Series
While Batman Beyond may have been set decades after the events of the animated series, Batman Beyond didn’t give fans enough answers surrounding the events of those 40 years, with some characters disappearing entirely.
While this could be due to the fact that the show didn’t get a fourth season, it could still have included some history of the 40-year gap between BTAS and Batman Beyond.
Improves: Deepens The Bat Mythos
One of the bravest elements of Batman Beyond was exploring the future of Bruce Wayne. This isn’t often done in the comics and it certainly hadn’t been done in an animated adaptation for children before.
Batman Beyond, in showing us Bruce Wayne’s future (or a potential future), deepened the Bat mythos and showed the audience a new side to a new Batman story.
Doesn’t: The Ending
Despite not receiving a fourth season, Batman Beyond was given an ending of sorts during an episode of Justice League: Unlimited called Epilogue. The episode tied up some of the loose ends that the series had yet to do.
However, one aspect that fans weren’t particularly fond of was that Terry McGinnis is Bruce Wayne’s son, via an operation by Cus. Fans thought that this just cheapened Terry’s character.
Improves: Batman Is A Symbol
This notion was a main theme of the Nolan trilogy, but its themes have roots in Bruce Timm’s animated universe. In BTAS, the audience is used to Batman being Bruce Wayne, making us believe that Wayne simply is Batman.
However, by the time Batman Beyond comes around, the audience has fully adapted to Terry McGinnis as Batman; highlighting that Batman is a symbol.
Doesn’t: Lack Of Old Villains
Batman’s rogues gallery is one of the biggest factors in his popularity. As with any hero, their stories are only as strong as their villains and Batman’s villains are some of the strongest in all of fiction.
Batman Beyond opted against including most of these villains, which gave it a huge challenge to overcome. Without a doubt the series ed this challenge, but it would be an exaggeration to say that the villains in Beyond are better than they are in BTAS.
Improves: Future Gotham
One of the best elements of Batman: The Animated Series was the style of Gotham. The metropolis was an Art Deco, dark, gothic city with blimps dotted across the perpetual blood-red sky.
Changing such an important part of the ‘winning formula’ of BTAS was certainly a risk, but the creators did a fantastic job of creating Neo-Gotham. The future city is still a character in its own right and fits in with classic imaginings of future cities from the likes of Blade Runner.
Doesn’t: Catwoman
Catwoman was one of the most important characters in Batman: The Animated Series, with the cat burglar featuring in some of the most memorable stories in the original run of the series. Despite being a thief, Catwoman is shown to have a deep connection to Batman and will generally help the Caped Crusader if necessary.
However, despite being one of the most important characters in BTAS, Catwoman didn’t actually appear in Batman Beyond. Instead, the character is only mentioned by Bruce Wayne.
Improves: Old Batman
At first, the notion of a Bruce Wayne who is too old to work as Batman may lead to negative thoughts. One would think that it would be depressing or even boring to have a Batman show without Bruce Wayne in the cowl.
However, the character of Old Bruce Wayne is one of the strongest elements of the series. The character is, as usual, brilliantly voiced by Kevin Conroy.
Doesn’t: Nightwing
Dick Grayson’s Robin is one of the most important characters in Batman: The Animated Series, with the character being the first side-kick to Batman and growing up in front of the audience, with Grayson eventually becoming Nightwing.
However, Nightwing doesn’t actually appear in the Batman Beyond series, leaving his future (and his life) a mystery for fans.