Going Through the DCAU
Two men with too much time on their collective hands have taken up a mission of questionable importance…to watch and discuss every episode of the various DCAU collective series, the so-called Timmverse. That’s right, Jimmy Impossible and Tom Kelly have taken it upon themselves to review every episode of Batman the Animated Series, Superman the Animated Series, Batman Beyond, and Justice League. OK, we’re skipping The Zeta Project and Static Shock. We’re not sure how much that last one counts anyway.
Batman the Animated Series
Beginning at the beginning, we have the original Batman cartoon, where Kevin Conroy gave thousands of impressionable kids the idea on what Batman sounds like. Heavily-influenced by the two Tim Burton/Michael Keaton Batman films, Batman swoops into action in a surprisingly nuanced and mature manner for a kids’ show. Facing off against classic, obscure, and new villains, this series is where the DCAU started.
- Part One – “On Leather Wings”, “Christmas with the Joker”, “Nothing to Fear”
- Part Two – “The Last Laugh”, “Pretty Poison”, “The Underdwellers”
- Part Three – “P.O.V.”, “The Forgotten”, “Be a Clown”
- Part Four – “Two-Face Part 1”, “Two-Face Part 2”, “It’s Never Too Late”, “I’ve Got Batman In My Basement”
- Part Five – “Heart of Ice”, “The Cat and the Claw Part 1”, “The Cat and the Claw Part 2”, “See No Evil”
- Part Six – “Beware the Gray Ghost”, “Prophecy of Doom”, “Feat of Clay Part 1”, “Feat of Clay Part 2”
- Part Seven – “Joker’s Favor”, “Vendetta”, “Fear of Victory”
- Part Eight – “The Clock King”, “Appointment in Crime Alley”, “Mad as a Hatter”
- Part Nine – “Dreams In Darkness”, “Eternal Youth”, “Perchance to Dream”
- Part Ten – “The Cape and Cowl Conspiracy”, “Robin’s Reckoning”, “The Laughing Fish”
- Part Eleven – “Night of the Ninja”, “Cat Scratch Fever”, “The Strange Secret of Bruce Wayne”
- Part Twelve – “Heart of Steel Part 1”, “Heart of Steel Part 2”, “If You’re So Smart, Why Aren’t You Rich?”, “Joker’s Wild”.
- Part Thirteen – “Tyger, Tyger”, “Moon of the Wolf”, “Day of the Samurai”
- Part Fourteen – “Terror in the Sky”, “Almost Got ‘Im”, “Birds of a Feather”
- Part Fifteen – “What Is Reality?”, “I Am The Night”, “Off Balance”
- Part Sixteen – “The Man Who Killed Batman”, “Mudslide”, “Paging the Crime Doctor”
- Part Seventeen – “Zatanna”, “The Mechanic”, “Harley and Ivy”
- Part Eighteen – “Shadow of the Bat Part 1”, “Shadow of the Bat Part 2”, “Blind as a Bat”, “The Demon’s Quest Part 1”, “The Demon’s Quest Part 2”
- Part Nineteen – “His Silicon Soul”, “Fire from Olympus”, “Read My Lips”
- Part Twenty – “The Worry Men”, “Sideshow”, “A Bullet for Bullock”
- Part Twenty-One – “Trial”, “Avatar”, “House and Garden”
- Part Twenty-Two -“The Terrible Trio,” “Harlinquinade,” “Time Out of Joint”
- Part Twenty-Three -“Catwalk,” “Bane,” “Baby-Doll”
- Part Twenty-Four -“The Lion and the Unicorn,” “Showdown,” and “Riddler’s Reform”
- Part Twenty-Five -“Second Chance,” “Harley’s Holiday,” and “Lock-Up”
- Part Twenty-Six -“Make ‘Em Laugh,” “Deep Freeze,” and :”Batgirl Returns”
Batman Animated Movies
These days, Warner Brothers routinely releases straight-to-home-video animated moves of different levels of quality, sometimes with the original cast of the DCAU involved to one degree or another. But the first such film actually got a theatrical release with a clear tie to the original animated series, and the second was a follow-up to one villain’s DCAU plotline. Yes, Batman faces off against the Phantasm, the Joker, and Mr. Freeze.
- Part Twenty-Seven –Batman: Mask of the Phantasm and Batman and Mr. Freeze: Subzero
Superman the Animated Series
Look! Up in the sky! It’s a bird! It’s a plane! It’s SUPERMAN! Yes, Superman in his own animated series which would eventually cross over with Batman and create an expanded universe in ways that Batman, confined to Gotham, rarely did. Taking on a different, lighter tone, Superman stood for the standard Truth, Justice, and the American Way.
- Part Twenty-Eight -The three-part pilot “The Last Son of Krypton”
- Part Twenty-Nine -“Fun and Games,” “A Little Piece of Home,” and “Feeding Time”
- Part Thirty -“The Way of All Flesh,” “Stolen Memories,” and “The Main Man” parts one and two.
- Part Thirty-One – “My Girl,” “Tools of the Trade,” and “Two’s a Crowd”.
- Part Thirty-Two – “Blasts from the Past” parts one and two, “The Prometheon,” and “Speed Demons”
- Part Thirty-Three -“Livewire,” “Identity Crisis,” and “Target”
- Part Thirty-Four – “Mxyzpixilated,” “Action Figures,” and “Double Dose”
- Part Thirty-Five – “Solar Power,” “Brave New Metropolis,” and “Monkey Fun”.
- Part Thirty-Six – “Ghost in the Machine” and “Father’s Day”
- Part Thirty-Seven – “World’s Finest”
- Part Thirty-Eight – “Hand of Fate,” “Bizarro World,” and “Prototype”
- Part Thirty-Nine -“The Late Mr. Kent,” “Heavy Metal,” and “Warrior Queen”
- Part Forty – “Apokalips…Now!” parts one and two, and “Little Girl Lost” parts one and two
The New Batman Adventures
We’re taking a quick side-trip back to Gotham. Batman returned to animated form alongside his longtime friend Superman in a, dare I say it, new series of adventures with Nightwing, Batgirl, and a new Robin.
- Part Forty-One – “Holiday Knights,” “Sins of the Father,” and “Cold Comfort”
- Part Forty-Two – “Double Talk,” “You Scratch My Back,” and “No Fear”
- Part Forty-Three – “Joker’s Millions,” “Growing Pains,” and “Love is a Croc”
- Part Forty-Four – “Torch Song,” “The Ultimate Thrill,” and “Over the Edge”
- Part Forty-Five – “Mean Seasons,” “Critters,” and “Cult of the Cat”
- Part Forty-Six – “Animal Act,” “Old Wounds,” and “The Demon Within”
- Part Forty-Seven – “Legends of the Dark Knight,” “Girls’ Night Out,” and “Mad Love”
- Part Forty-Eight – “Chemistry,” “Beware the Creeper,” and “Judgment Day”
More Superman the Animated Series
And now we’re back to finish off Superman after a brief sojourn to Gotham City.
- Part Forty-Nine – “Where There’s Smoke,” “Knight Time,” and “New Kids in Town”
- Part Fifty – “Obsession,” “Little Big Head Man,” and “Absolute Power”
- Part Fifty-One – “In Brightest Day…,” “Superman’s Pal,” and “A Fish Story”
- Part Fifty-Two – “Unity,” “The Demon Reborn,” and “Legacy” Parts 1 and 2
Batman Beyond
Gotham City will always need a Batman, but in the future, Bruce Wayne may be too old to do it himself. That leaves the job to teenage Terry McGiniss who, as the new Batman, takes on the sorts of threats that only a future Gotham City can throw at him.
- Part Fifty-Three – “Rebirth” parts one and two, “Black Out,” and “Golem”.
- Part Fifty-Four – “Meltdown,” “Heroes,” and “Shriek”
- Part Fifty-Five – “Dead Man’s Hand,” “The Winning Edge,” and “Spellbound”
- Part Fifty-Six -“Disappearing Inque,” “A Touch of Curare,” and “Ascension”
- Part Fifty-Seven -“Splicers,” “Earth Mover,” and “Joyride”
- Part Fifty-Eight -“Lost Soul,” “Hidden Agenda,” and “Bloodsport”
- Part Fifty-Nine -“Once Burned,” “Hooked Up,” and “Rats”
- Part Sixty -“Mind Games,” “Revenant,” and “Babel”
- Part Sixty-One – “Terry’s Friend Dates a Robot,” “Eyewitness,” and “Final Cut”
- Part Sixty-Two – “The Last Resort,” “Armory,” and “Sneak Peek”
- Part Sixty-Three – “Eggbaby,” “Zeta,” and “Plague”
- Part Sixty-Four – “April Moon,” “Sentries of the Last Cosmos,” and “Payback”
- Part Sixty-Five – “Where’s Terry?” “Ace in the Hole,” “King’s Ransom,” and “Untouchable”
- Part Sixty-Six – “Inqueling,” “Big Time,” and “Out of the Past”
- Part Sixty-Seven – “Speak No Evil,” “The Call” Parts One and Two, and “Betrayal”
- Part Sixty-Eight – “Curse of the Kobra” Parts One and Two, “Countdown,” and “Unmasked”
- Part Sixty-Nine – Return of the Joker
Justice League
Sometimes, one or two heroes isn’t enough. Sometimes a big threat comes along that needs a whole team of heroes to deal with. And that’s when you call in the Justice League.
- Part Seventy – “Secret Origins,” “In Blackest Night,” and “The Enemy Below”
- Part Seventy-One – “Injustice for All,” “Paradise Lost,” and “War World”
- Part Seventy-Two – “The Brave and the Bold,” “Fury,” and “Legends”
- Part Seventy-Three – “A Knight of Shadows,” “Metamorphosis,” and “The Savage Time”
- Part Seventy-Four – “Twilight,” “Tabula Rosa,” and “Only a Dream”
- Part Seventy-Five – “Maid of Honor,” “Hearts and Minds,” and “A Better World”
- Part Seventy-Six – “Eclipsed,” “The Terror Beyond,” and “Secret Society”
- Part Seventy-Seven – “Hereafter,” “Wild Cards,” and “Comfort and Joy”
- Part Seventy-Eight – “Starcrossed”
Special Movie Chat
Adapted from a script for an animated feature meant to bridge the gap between Justice League and Justice League Unlimited, Crisis on Two Earths isn’t quite in the DCAU, but it is a fun direct-to-home-video feature all the same.
- Part Seventy-Nine – ‘Crisis on Two Earths
Justice League Unlimited
The Justice League expanded its roster, adding just about every hero DC had, for more adventures that wrap up things in an epic manner.
- Part Eighty – “Initiation,” “For the Man Who Has Everything,” and “Kid Stuff”
- Part Eighty-One – “Hawk and Dove,” “This Little Piggy,” and “Fearful Symmetry”
- Part Eighty-Two – “The Greatest Story Never Told,” “The Return,” and “Ultimatum”
- Part Eighty-Three – “Dark Heart,” “Wake the Dead,” and “The Once and Future Thing”
- Part Eighty-Four – “The Cat and the Canary,” “The Ties That Bind,” and “The Doomsday Sanction”
- Part Eighty-Five – “Task Force X,” “The Balance,” and “Double Date”
- Part Eighty-Six – “Clash,” “Hunter’s Moon,” and “Question Authority”
- Part Eighty-Seven – “Flashpoint,” “Panic in the Sky,” “Divided We Fall,” and “Epilogue”
- Part Eighty-Eight – “I Am Legion,” “Shadow of the Hawk,” and “Chaos at the Earth’s Core
- Part Eighty-Nine – “To Another Shore,” “Flash and Substance,” and “Dead Reckoning”
- Part Ninety – “Patriot Act,” “The Great Brain Robbery,” and “Grudge Match”
- Part Ninety-One – “Far From Home,” “Ancient History,” “Alive!,” and “Destroyer”
Recommended Reading
Many episodes are adaptations of existing comic books. Jimmy also takes a look at those and compares them to their animated counterparts:
- Required Reading Part One – “Appointment in Crime Alley”, “The Cape and Cowl Conspiracy”, “The Laughing Fish”
Going Through Young Justice
New series, new continuity, more DC heroes, as a group of young heroes becomes the Justice League’s covert action team as they learn the ropes of being both in a team and heroes in their own right.
Season One
- Part One – “Independence Day” and “Fireworks”
- Part Two – “Welcome to Happy Harbor” and “Drop-Zone”
- Part Three – “Schooled” and “Infiltrator”
- Part Four– “Denial” and “Downtime”
- Part Five – “Bereft” and “Targets”
- Part Six – “Terror” and “Homefront”
- Part Seven – “Alpha Male” and “Revelation”
- Part Eight – “Failsafe” and “Disordered”
- Part Nine – “Secrets” and “Misplaced”
- Part Ten – “Coldhearted” and “Image”
- Part Eleven – “Insecurity” and “Performance”
- Part Twelve – “Usual Suspects” and “Auld Acquaintance”
Going Through Avengers: Earth’s Mightiest Heroes
Yeah, something came up for Jimmy involving his access to Young Justice, so the guys took a side trip to a rather underrated Avengers cartoon.
Season One
- Part One – “Iron Man is Born” and “Thor the Mighty!”
- Part Two – “Hulk vs the World” and “Meet Captain America”
- Part Three – “The Man in the Ant Hill” and “Breakout” Parts One and Two
- Part Four – “Some Assembly Required” and “Living Legend”
- Part Five – “Everything is Wonderful” and “Panther’s Quest”
- Part Six – “Gamma World Parts One and Two” and “Masters of Evil”
- Part Seven – “459” and “Widow’s Sting”
- Part Eight – “The Man Who Stole Tomorrow” and “Came the Conqueror”
- Part Nine – “The Kang Dynasty” and “The Casket of Ancient Winters”
- Part Ten – “Hail Hyrda!” and “Ultron-5”
- Part Eleven – “The Ultron Imperative” and “This Hostage Earth”
- Part Twelve – “The Fall of Asgard” and “A Day Unlike Any Other”
Season Two
- Part Thirteen – “The Private War of Doctor Doom” and “Alone Against A.I.M.”
- Part Fourteen – “Acts of Vengeance” and “Welcome to the Kree Empire”
- Part Fifteen – “To Steal an Ant-Man” and “Michael Korvac”
- Part Sixteen – “Who Do You Trust?” and “The Ballad of Beta Ray Bill”
- Part Seventeen – “Who Do You Trust?” and “Prisoner of War”
- Part Eighteen – “Infiltration” and “Secret Invasion”
- Part Nineteen – “Along Came a Spider” and “Beyond…the Vision!”
- Part Twenty – “Powerless” and “Assault on 42”
- Part Twenty-One – “Ultron Unlimited” and “Yellowjacket”
- Part Twenty-Two – “Emperor Stark” and “Code Red”
- Part Twenty-Three – “Winter Soldier” and “The Deadliest Man Alive”
- Part Twenty-Four – “New Avengers” and “Operation Galactic Storm”
- Part Twenty-Five – “Live Kree or Die” and “Avengers Assemble!”
Going Through Avatar: The Last Airbender
Book One: Water
- Part One – “The Boy in the Iceberg” and “The Avatar Returns”
- Part Two – “The Southern Air Temple” and “The Warriors of Kyoshi”
- Part Three – “The King of Omashu” and “Imprisoned”
- Part Four – “Winter Solstice, Part 1-The Spirit World” and “Winter Solstice, Part 2- Avatar Roku”
- Part Five – “The Waterbending Scroll” and “Jet”