Batman the Animated Series Complete Set Pre-Order Sale - $75.99

[quote name='etcrane']Hi all, not sure if this has been posted, but the Batman Animated Series complete set that is coming out on November 4th is currently on sale for the pre-order at Amazon. It's 75.99 down from $107 regularly. Sounds like an awesome deal to me, so I wanted to share it with you. Here's the link -

http://www.amazon.com/Batman-Comple..._bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=dvd&qid=1221471493&sr=8-1[/QUOTE]

It has always been this price since it was listed on Amazon.
 
Complete waste of money. These were just $17.99 at Best Buy (still might be). Further, Season 4 is a complete joke. The creative team behind the show left after season 3 to do the new Superman animated show for WB, so a new team was brought in. Season 4 is a completely different show for the most part..
 
Wow I had no idea that the latter episodes were that bad. Thanks for the warning. I might just pick up the first couple of dvd sets instead.
 
this is just about word for word and scene for scene from "dark knight returns" by frank miller... but they recreated it terribly...
 
Well this was a kids show, i don't think the censors would have allowed all the violence in the comic.

Furthermore, season 4's art style was a vast improvement over the earlier show.
 
i actually enjoyed that brief recreation of frank miller's dark kinght returns. a better example of vol. 4 being a joke would have to be that episode with talking farm animals.
 
i just ordered the complete series from WB store (~50). Only catch is you have to have at least 2 items in cart...but that can be a cheap dvd. free shipping on 50+.

the coupon is STILL active!
 
[quote name='JolietJake']
Furthermore, season 4's art style was a vast improvement over the earlier show.[/QUOTE]

Have you the brain worms?

It was gritty and borderline adult when it started. Then it turned into that derivative Teen Titans crap. Yeah, I know Teen Titans wasn't around back then, but that's the sort of shift it employed - overly simple angular stuff that ended up becoming the norm for any and all comic book based cartoons.

It was far more unique at the beginning, like a retro 50s sort of thing, but modernized with better coloring and a lack of outlines.
 
[quote name='Strell']Have you the brain worms?

It was gritty and borderline adult when it started. Then it turned into that derivative Teen Titans crap. Yeah, I know Teen Titans wasn't around back then, but that's the sort of shift it employed - overly simple angular stuff that ended up becoming the norm for any and all comic book based cartoons.

It was far more unique at the beginning, like a retro 50s sort of thing, but modernized with better coloring and a lack of outlines.[/quote]
It was a cleaner style, they finally started using some computer generated stuff instead of some of the grainy and dusty hand drawn stuff. Check out the opening sequence and see if you can spot the little white speck near batman's mouth.
That style carried over into all the other DCAU stuff for a long time, even JLU.

Have you ever seen the pilot short they did originally? The art style was much more fluid, but they didn't use it.
 
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[quote name='chewster777']Wow I had no idea that the latter episodes were that bad. Thanks for the warning. I might just pick up the first couple of dvd sets instead.[/quote]

Don't let them fool you, that episode doesn't really represent season 4.

While it's a very different series than the other 3 seasons, the art is more like the WB Superman cartoon. There are some good episodes in season 4, it's worth the 15-20 you'll pay for it.

I'm looking forward to the extras in this set, anybody know what they might be?
 
[quote name='honzoh']Complete waste of money. These were just $17.99 at Best Buy (still might be). Further, Season 4 is a complete joke. The creative team behind the show left after season 3 to do the new Superman animated show for WB, so a new team was brought in. Season 4 is a completely different show for the most part..[/quote]

I disagree that it is a complete joke.

[quote name='chewster777']Wow I had no idea that the latter episodes were that bad. Thanks for the warning. I might just pick up the first couple of dvd sets instead.[/quote]

They are decent to awesome for the most part.

[quote name='JolietJake']Well this was a kids show, i don't think the censors would have allowed all the violence in the comic.

Furthermore, season 4's art style was a vast improvement over the earlier show.[/quote]

Yes.

Season 4 definitely improved the majority of the character designs (other than Killer Croc and Joker) and had the best two episodes in Batman the Animated series in Over the Edge and Mad Love. Those episodes really push the envelope IMO.

Season 4 is most definitely worth buying.

BTW, I have a DCAU topic going on here.

http://www.cheapassgamer.com/forums/showthread.php?t=113032&highlight=DCAU

Although, it isn't strictly limited to the Timm/Dini stuff. There is also discussion about the direct-to-DVD movies, The Batman, and other DC animation.
 
I think the worst re-design was the riddler, they changed him from a pretty small, but intelligent guy to some big thug looking guy.
 
Seems like 4 is a toss up. I was an avid viewer of this show and greatly remembering 4 ruining what the previous seasons had done so well. I've had the chance to buy it for cheap and still passed.

Maybe a good comparison would be Spider-Man 3 on blu ray. Yes, it would complete your collection of the first two, but it's just so bad it may taint your collection at the same time:)
 
[quote name='JolietJake']I think the worst re-design was the riddler, they changed him from a pretty small, but intelligent guy to some big thug looking guy.[/quote]


Best ones were Scarecrow and Bane. Man, Scarecrow was freaking awesome.
 
[quote name='chewster777']Wow I had no idea that the latter episodes were that bad. Thanks for the warning. I might just pick up the first couple of dvd sets instead.[/QUOTE]

willard beat me to it. That video cleaver posted is a complete misrepresentation of season 4.
 
It's from an episode that featured unique art styles right? I watched the whole series as a kid and the last series was very polished. The episode in question I believe was about people telling stories about Batman, with unique styles for each story.
 
I don't quite remember, I just remember the art style change, which is NOT the art style seen in the clip. There was also a larger emphasis on the supporting cast with the additions of Batgirl, a new Robin and Nightwing.

Now with all this talk about Batman, anyone know of deals for the Batman Beyond sets? Amazon sells seasons 1 and 3 for $15 and 2 for $18. $48 shipped for all three is not bad at all but I'm wondering if there are any deals.
 
Generally speaking, I didn't like the 4th season as much as the others. However, episodes that have already been mentioned (Mad Love and Over the Edge) were some great stories.

I hated most of the redesigns. They made Batgirl so ridiculously tiny that I could never believe it hurt when she punched anybody. They kept two face the same, but they made the edges smoother, which for me took away from the design.

Scarecrow was good, bane was fine, Batman redesign himself was fine.

Overall, it is worth it to have for the sake of completion and to see how the series bridged between BTAS/Superman, and then Justice League.
 
I'd say that clip adequately represents the final season - a bunch of kindergarten nonsense and shitty flat animation, complete with retarded dialogue.

That's the season they started having him fight medieval monsters and wizards, right?

I mean is that supposed to be the Croc? Seriously? Holy shit. Maybe I just stopped watching it back then because it was that terrible. But I'll be fair and go back and watch everything at some point to see if my theories hold up or not.

The redesigns went into that standard trash every superhero cartoon has though, with hourglass women and cheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeese. I prefer the older stuff where they looked human.
 
[quote name='honzoh']Complete waste of money. These were just $17.99 at Best Buy (still might be). Further, Season 4 is a complete joke. The creative team behind the show left after season 3 to do the new Superman animated show for WB, so a new team was brought in. Season 4 is a completely different show for the most part..[/quote]

The completely new team thing is a complete load of crap. The creative team (including writers and directors) include many veterans of the previous sets. Look at the episode credits if you want to check, but Paul Dini, Dan Riba, Curt Geda, Bruce Timm and many other series vets were still working on the new series (in addition to the work done on Superman).

Yes, there were some major redesigns (but like 90% of the voices are the same). Some redesigns were for the better (Scarecrow is one scary looking guy) and some for the worse (Joker's face is too simple looking), but the quality of the writing and action did not really suffer. While not prefering the look is understandable, the show is far from complete crap and the episodes still run the range from awesome to just ok (much like the original seasons).
 
The completely new team thing is a complete load of crap. The creative team (including writers and directors) include many veterans of the previous sets. Look at the episode credits if you want to check, but Paul Dini, Dan Riba, Curt Geda, Bruce Timm and many other series vets were still working on the new series (in addition to the work done on Superman).
Click to expand...

I have been under the impression, since it happened, that the team left to do Superman. I'll have to do some research, and sorry if I was misleading, but I thought it was common knowledge and was the reason 1)the show sucked 2)the animation drastically changed 3)the stories sucked and 4) the show sucked.
 
[quote name='Strell']I'd say that clip adequately represents the final season - a bunch of kindergarten nonsense and shitty flat animation, complete with retarded dialogue.

That's the season they started having him fight medieval monsters and wizards, right?

I mean is that supposed to be the Croc? Seriously? Holy shit. Maybe I just stopped watching it back then because it was that terrible. But I'll be fair and go back and watch everything at some point to see if my theories hold up or not.

The redesigns went into that standard trash every superhero cartoon has though, with hourglass women and cheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeese. I prefer the older stuff where they looked human.[/quote]

Please, you come off like a Simpsons Comic Book Guy, you're better than that.

This is a better representation of season 4:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QnLYT2EWQmc&feature=related

Please decide for yourself folks, don't listen to the kind of people who freak out if one person leave the staff of their covetted game developer/animation studio or whatever.
 
That video with the kids is a HUGE misrepresentation of Season 4. That episode is a bunch of short stories told by different people and each story has a distinctly different style. Nothing about that episode (which does suck btw) represesnts what the show was like.

Good job posting a better example Willard.

Btw, both of these episodes are on the recent Gotham Knight DVD. Check it out if you're not sure you wanna buy Season 4.
 
[quote name='Strell']I'd say that clip adequately represents the final season - a bunch of kindergarten nonsense and shitty flat animation, complete with retarded dialogue.

That's the season they started having him fight medieval monsters and wizards, right?

I mean is that supposed to be the Croc? Seriously? Holy shit. Maybe I just stopped watching it back then because it was that terrible. But I'll be fair and go back and watch everything at some point to see if my theories hold up or not.

The redesigns went into that standard trash every superhero cartoon has though, with hourglass women and cheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeese. I prefer the older stuff where they looked human.[/quote]


The only real issue I had with the first three volumes in regards to art is that all the men looked like they had size 60 waists.
 
Seriously - did Batman start fighting wizards though in the fourth season?

Come the fuck on. Like I said, I'll reserve total judgment until I go back and re-watch everything, but for god's sake, that one clip is HORRID. Don't tell me it isn't. Sure I'll let you say 90% of the original staff was around for it, but clearly whoever was the dude that threw his hands up in the air and said THIS IS DONKEY SHIT had left by then.

Yer gonna have to give me a while until I can watch everything and see just how dramatic the shift is.
 
The Dark Knight like episode was one fo the best of that season, don't knwo how anyone can think otherwise.

Yes Strell, he fought the demon Etrigan in one episode. It was actually a pretty good episode.
 
[quote name='Strell']Seriously - did Batman start fighting wizards though in the fourth season?

.[/quote]

Because everything before that was completely plausible right?

I don't remember the wizard, but I do remember a bunch of Greek gods in the earlier series. That was ok with you?
 
[quote name='A Happy Panda']Now with all this talk about Batman, anyone know of deals for the Batman Beyond sets? Amazon sells seasons 1 and 3 for $15 and 2 for $18. $48 shipped for all three is not bad at all but I'm wondering if there are any deals.[/QUOTE]

Best Buy had them all for ~12.99 about a month ago. Amazon matched them then.

[quote name='honzoh']I have been under the impression, since it happened, that the team left to do Superman. I'll have to do some research, and sorry if I was misleading, but I thought it was common knowledge and was the reason 1)the show sucked 2)the animation drastically changed 3)the stories sucked and 4) the show sucked.[/QUOTE]

I believe the main reason for the drop in quality is that the show had moved from FOX to the then-fledgling, now-defunct WB! Network. As such, the character designs were made more simple because they are cheaper to animate this way. At the same time, I believe that this is the direction that Timm wanted to take the show anyhow.

I agree with other posters that prefer the art direction on the earlier seasons, but I don't think this last season is absolutely terrible. I look forward to revisiting this chapter int he near future after I wrap up Superman TAS.
 
Yeah I remember really liking the fourth season. I hadn't seen the show in a couple of years, as I kinda assumed they stopped making new episodes. Then I randomly tuned in one day and it was a new Clayface episode, with new art and a tiny Robin and I was all like "whooooa, this is cool!"

The only real knock against it that I can think of is that they lifted some episodes directly from the "___ Adventures" comic books (which were set in the animated universe). "Holiday Knights," "Mad Love," and I think the flashback episode that bridges the gap between season 3 and 4 were all done in comics first, IIRC. Doesn't make them BAD episodes by any means, but I'm just sayin'. Actually it's interesting to see how those episodes had to change some things from the comic to make them more kid-friendly. "Mad Love" sticks out the most as it had some of the more twisted Joker gags and a fair amount of man-on-woman violence removed. Also "Holiday Knights" changed Harley's line from "Happy Hannukah" to "Happy New Year." :D
 
[quote name='willardhaven']
I don't remember the wizard, but I do remember a bunch of Greek gods in the earlier series. That was ok with you?[/QUOTE]

What the hell kind of question is this?

Of COURSE that is ok with me! For at least three reasons:

1) Because all the gods got together in the 1920s and formed a pact, which they called the Dios Contemno Magus Carta, which stated that they all hated wizards. They began a great campaign where they killed all warring wizard factions, which we humans currently observe as the first World War, as really no countries were in conflict - it was just a bunch of gods and wizards dressed up in army fatigues and playing with poison gas (the one manmade weapon that can kill both wizards and gods). Anyway, they sent the wizards into exile, exhalted with a great party, and have since ruled over the unseen magickal world (or Terra Deo as they call it). So my question is - where the hell did Batman find him some damn wizards when those fuckers were condemned to the underworld?

2) Because good things start with the letter g - gumball, Gargamel, grapes, Gordon Ramsay, and Gumby.

3) And finally, because all of these reasons probably piss you off.

Joking aside (and I assure you I am joking), if that's the case, then I must have missed a lot more episodes than I remember. So let me have my fun now while I'm freely admitting that I don't know shit and might have to eat my words once I finally get around to watching them all in subsequent fashion.
 
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Actually in defense of Strell's memory, the Greek god episode someone is mentioning doesn't actually involve Greek gods, but rather an eccentric (and by the end of the episode completely insane) billionaire with a fetish/obsession for the Greek gods.

No arguments though that the show does tend to go a little more to the fantastical in the last set's episodes, but this is to move the show more toward taking place in a bigger DC universe instead of just strictly a Batman universe (which even then it did include some strictly fantasy stuff in the Ra's al Ghul episodes both the Lazarus Pits and the life sucking mummy).
 
[quote name='Strell']W
Joking aside (and I assure you I am joking), if that's the case, then I must have missed a lot more episodes than I remember. So let me have my fun now while I'm freely admitting that I don't know shit and might have to eat my words once I finally get around to watching them all in subsequent fashion.[/QUOTE]

Why devote all that energy to badmouth season 4 if you don't remember seeing it?

Point is, the set is going to be awesome for fans of the animated series who didn't have the whole set (I only own volume 1).
 
Sheesh I'm just having a little fun at the expense of that horrid clip up there, accompanied by memories of supernatural nonsense and terrible art redesign.

You people need to lighten up.
 
I agree with you completely Strell. Season 4 is an injustice to the first three and better left forgotten imo. I basically just pretend it doesn't exist.
 
Alright. This is just dumb. Strell already admitted that he doesn't remember season 4 very well and has openly stated several times that he'll go back and watch said episodes before making any more opinions.

Also I'm not sure what Honzah is agreeing to outside what we all agreed on in this thread, that video clip that was posted is AWFUL. Strell already took back his statements about season 4 so yeah.
 
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