The New Batman Adventures
A revamped Batman series with a darker look and broader cast.
The New Batman Adventures is an American animated superhero television series that aired on Kids' WB from September 13, 1997 to January 16, 1999. Produced by Warner Bros. Television Animation, it serves as the third and final season of Batman: The Animated Series and the third series in the DC Animated Universe. The show was revamped with a streamlined art style to match Superman: The Animated Series and shifted focus to Batman's supporting characters.
Quick Facts
- Genre
- Superhero
- Action
- Adventure
- Mystery
- Thriller
- Creator
- Paul Dini
- Bruce Timm
- Alan Burnett
- Director
- Andrea Romano (voice director)
- Writer
- Stan Berkowitz
- Alan Burnett
- Paul Dini
- Rich Fogel
- Based on
- Batman
- Bob Kane
- Bill Finger (uncredited)
- Composer
- Shirley Walker
- Lolita Ritmanis
- Michael McCuistion
- Kristopher Carter
- Country
- United States
- Language
- English
Facts from the source article.
Production
Batman received a sleeker, brawnier appearance with a darker costume: the yellow ellipse around the bat emblem and blue highlights on his cape and cowl were removed, and his utility belt changed from yellow to light brown with pouches instead of capsules, resembling his look in Batman: Year One. His gadgets and vehicles were redesigned with a dark color scheme. Bruce Wayne's hair was brushed back, his eyes became blue instead of black, and his business suit changed from brown to black.
Kevin Conroy's voice for Batman became more stern and less distinguishable from his Bruce voice. Writers kept Batman's dialogue terse and grim to contrast with the lighthearted supporting cast. Commissioner Gordon received a more slender build and a flat-top hairstyle. Producer Paul Dini stated Batgirl would appear in every episode because Kenner wanted a toy line, the publicity from Batman & Robin, and because they loved Batgirl.
Tara Strong (credited as Tara Charendoff) replaced Melissa Gilbert as Batgirl's voice to sound younger. Batgirl did not appear in every episode but appeared more often than Batman's other partners and was his main partner instead of Robin, differing from most Batman series and comics. In this iteration, Batgirl is from the outset aware of Batman, Robin and Nightwing's identities, and they of hers; a flashback in episode 18, "Old Wounds," explains how.
Home media
The series is available on iTunes and Google Play as "Season/Volume 4" of the complete animated series. It was released on Blu-ray as part of Batman: The Complete Animated Series in fall 2018. On HBO Max, it is subsumed as Season 3 of the original series as of January 1, 2021.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who created The New Batman Adventures?
The New Batman Adventures was created by Paul Dini, Bruce Timm and Alan Burnett.
How many episodes of The New Batman Adventures are there?
The New Batman Adventures has 24 episodes across 1 season.
More in 1990s American Superhero Television Series
Spotted an error? Know more?
Reader corrections go straight into our review queue. Suggest an edit · How this site is sourced