Love Batman the Animated Series but always kept Batman Beyond at arms length? I’ve got you covered! Here are 10 Episodes that might make you a believer.
The year is 1998 and word has gotten out that not only are they cancelling The New Batman Adventures in favour of a new show set decades in the future… but Bruce Wayne is no longer Batman! Many people were upset by this news for extremely understandable reasons. BTAS was a monster hit, for many the definitive take on an 80 year old character, and one of the finest animated series of all time. More Batman? Cool! No Bruce? Count me out.
Batman Beyond premiered in January 1999 and ran for three seasons (and a movie), gradually winning over a decent chunk of those who initially wanted nothing to do with it. Every few years there’s a new attempt at an ongoing Beyond comic. The Beyond suit is one of the most popular alternate costumes in the beloved Arkham series. Recently, ostensibly real concept art for a pitched Spider-Verse style animated movie was shown off and the internet lost its shit. It’s not BTAS, but Beyond has grown a pretty passionate fanbase in its own right.
BUT not everybody was won over. Some followed through on their threat to never watch the show. Some gave it a try, shrugged and stopped watching, feeling it was simply too different. With heavy anime inspiration, a network-mandated teen focus and Terry McGinnis trying to fill Bruce’s shoes, it certainly isn’t for everyone.
That’s where this list comes in! If you’re somebody who never watched Beyond at all or just never finished it, I’ve got 10 episodes that might change your mind!
1) Rebirth (S1)
Original Air Date: January 16, 1999 (Part 1) January 23, 1999 (Part 2)
Directed: Curt Geda | Written: Alan Burnett (story – Part 1 & 2, teleplay – Part 1,) Paul Dini (teleplay – Part 1) & Stan Berkowitz (teleplay – Part 2)
I’m starting as I mean to go on: by cheating. This is a two-part episode but I’m counting it as a single entry on the list. I don’t think that’s unreasonable given it’s the two-part premiere of the series. Unlike BTAS, which started with an experienced Batman on just another case, Beyond had an explicit origin story opening that depicts Bruce’s final days on the job before introducing our new protagonist, Terry, and the world he lives in. The art department absolutely crushed it in this regard, establishing the distinct Bladerunner-inspired ‘Neo Gotham’. The holographic newsreaders; the transport elevators; the made-up future slang; the bizarre unnamed sport teenagers play; The Jokerz gang. None of these concepts needs clumsy exposition, mirroring the way most of the characters and ideas in BTAS arrived fully-formed.
Unsurprisingly, fan favourite scribes Paul Dini & Alan Burnett are on fine form, serving up a shockingly compelling ‘Final Night’ for Bruce, and cleverly tying his retirement from crime-fighting to him losing the will to fight a corporate takeover by new Big Bad, Derek Powers. Better still, the only thing that convinces Bruce to return to the public eye and take in Terry as his successor? A good old fashion mystery! Part One is the stronger of the two (oh hey look, that’s the one Dini worked on!), but Part Two debuts the iconic Beyond Suit properly, with Terry showing off its array of fun powers. The second part also shows Derek Powers’ Joker Moment as he is transformed into the radioactive skeleton man, Blight.
Read the full review here (Part 1 | Part 2)
2) Meltdown (S1)
Original Air Date: February 13, 1999
Directed: Curt Geda | Written: Hiliary J. Bader (story & teleplay) & Alan Burnett (teleplay)
While Beyond had a deliberate mission statement to create its own entirely new Rogues Gallery rather than constantly trotting out ‘Son of Two-Face’ or ‘Old Man Riddler’, there were a couple of instances of BTAS villains returning, and Mr. Freeze’s unique physiology made him an ideal candidate. With Derek Powers’ nasty case of ‘Transformed Into a Radioactive Skeleton Man’ worsening, he seeks treatment in the form of a new body. Naturally he’s wary to try such a radical procedure, so trots Victor Fries out of… cold storage… to try it on him first. Thus Victor is made ordinary flesh and blood again and must grapple with the totality of his transgressions against the people of Gotham.
Naturally it’s not long before Fries is donning a cryo-suit and wreaking havoc once more, leading to a tremendously fun three-way fight between Batman, Blight and Freeze. The two villains being superhumanly durable allows them to absolutely wail on each other in a way that is not normally possible, and it ends up being one of the better looking episodes in the show. It’s not just pure action though, as we once again sympathise with Victor. It’s no ‘Heart of Ice‘ by any means, but if that’s your bar then there aren’t many good episodes of BTAS either! Instead it’s just a fun little caper that taps into the legacy of the show’s predecessor.
3) Shriek (S1)
Original Air Date: March 13th, 1999
Directed: Curt Geda | Written: Stan Berkowitz
For BTAS fans the real juice here is in the subplot of Derek Powers seeking to bulldoze a portion of ‘Old Gotham’, specifically the one containing Crime Alley. This leads to Bruce and Terry taking a stroll through the derelict streets, complete with an obligatory wanted poster for The Joker. It’s a Bruce-heavy episode in general, somewhat of a rarity, as the villain’s technology is able to make it seem like he’s going insane, almost killing himself at one point. Naturally, Bruce gets a clean bill of health and ends up convincing the board to vote against the demolition.
The cherry on the top? Bruce reveals he knew he was sane because the ‘voices in his head’ called him Bruce, and that’s not the name his inner monologue uses… Perfect.
Aside from this, the titular Shriek is one of the show’s Big 5 original villains, an expert in manipulating sound, which facilitates one of the most striking fight scenes you’ll ever see in any medium as he is able to ‘remove’ the sound from a room. Seeing Terry navigate heavy machinery in near total silence is legitimately gripping, and I’m still shocked a network signed off on it given it lasts several minutes.
4) Disappearing Inque (S1)
Original Air Date: May 8, 1999
Directed: Curt Geda | Written: Stan Berkowitz
I dare you to not love Inque. Another of the Big 5, she’s inarguably their greatest original creation, daring to ask the bold question: What if Clayface were a sexy spy?
This was her second appearance and saw a hapless dolt (William H. Macy) breaking her out of cryo-storage and helping her restore her full power so she can take revenge on Batman and his unseen helper. And BOY does she almost pull it off. Much like robots allow a greater degree of violence to slip past censors, Inque’s amorphous liquid body and the hyper-durability of the Beyond suit allow for a shockingly gnarly brawl. Seriously, Terry kicks a hole through her at one point and she’s absolutely fine. She also transforms into a spider-creature and eats him (she made him drink her in her first appearance, so it seemed she was workshopping her murder ideas!)
After capturing Terry, Inque dares Bruce to come and save him, and our beloved hero complies, rocking up in essentially The Gray Ghost costume that lulls the sultry villain into letting her guard down before he lets loose with another advanced Batsuit. Again, if you think you’d get a kick out of Bruce suiting up ‘one last time’, this is your episode. It just also happens to feature an amazing villain, phenomenal action and a fun celebrity cameo.
5) Lost Soul (S2)
Original Air Date: October 9th, 1999
Directed: Butch Lukic | Written: Stan Berkowitz
For many, the only way to accept Terry as the new Batman was to add a massive disclaimer that he could only do what he does thanks to an advanced Batsuit giving him a wide array of physical abilities, and having Bruce Wayne instructing him as his ‘man in the chair.’ Several episodes disprove the latter, but perhaps none do a better job arguing against the former than this one.
When a crazy old rich guy was close to death he uploaded his consciousness into an advanced AI, which resurfaces decades later and ends up infecting the Batsuit. Seeing no other choice, Bruce loans Terry his old utility belt and Nightwing’s domino mask, allowing our hero to fight… well… basically Batman. In a coincidentally recurring theme, the suit having nobody in it lets them get away with inflicting tremendous violence upon it, with Terry demonstrating his gymnastic prowess and quick reflexes to cut his costume down to size. It’s also a really fun episode in terms of the dynamic between Cranky Old Bruce and Golden Retriever Terry, with plenty of gentle hazing and ‘back in my day’ comments.
6) Babel (S2)
Original Air Date: January 8, 2000
Directed: Curt Geda | Written: Stan Berkowitz
Building off Shriek’s first appearance, the villain finds a way to render everybody in Gotham completely unable to comprehend spoken language, quickly plunging the city into mayhem. The entire voice cast knock it out of the park here, seamlessly slipping in and out of gibberish, and it ends up being one of the finest episodes for voice acting.
This episode isn’t on the list because of any of that, but rather because Shriek demands Batman be handed over to him or he’ll make the effect permanent. This results in a scene reminiscent of The Dark Knight, as the city Batman has saved over and over turns on him via a series of talking heads on the news, including some people Terry rescued at the start of the episode. Terry doesn’t hesitate for a moment, offering to make the deal, but Bruce furiously tells Commissioner Barbara Gordon(!) no. Bruce gives Terry a pretty tough time throughout the show, so it means a lot when he stands up for his boy here, disgusted that the populace would turn their back on their protector so quickly, hinting at a little resentment from his own time as Batman. Naturally Terry defies his mentor and heads to his potential death, but saves the day anyway, refusing help from rescue workers in the aftermath.
The whole thing demonstrates Terry is every bit as devoted to The Cause as Bruce, despite their arguments about commitment. Fundamentally Terry is a Good Boy.
8) Eyewitness (S2)
Original Air Date: January 22, 2000
Directed: Butch Lukic | Written: Hilary J. Bader (teleplay) & Rich Fogel (story)
If you read the words ‘Commissioner Barbara Gordon’ above and were disappointed about them being glossed over, then I’ve got you covered. Generally speaking in the BTAS continuity, Batman and the police get on just fine, making it all the more compelling when they find themselves on opposite sides. Think ‘Over the Edge‘. Think ‘Mask of the Phantasm‘. ‘Eyewitness’ gives Terry a turn at having to run and hide from GCPD, after he appears to murder a criminal.
Babs’ past as Batgirl makes it extremely difficult for Terry to outthink her, and we get some delicious exchanges between her and Bruce. There’s tension between the two throughout the series, as she left The Mission behind long before he did, and does not approve of him using Terry as a surrogate to continue his crusade against crime. She allowed it up to now, even giving Terry some juicy gossip about his mentor’s past, but friendship goes out the window here and Bruce must find a way to clear Terry’s name. It’s a tremendous episode for character work and building on BTAS legacy, while also deploying a pair of fun villains and the gripping ‘Batman on the run’ scenes.
9) Out of the Past (S3)
Original Air Date: October 21, 2000
Directed: James Tucker | Written: Paul Dini
As established with ‘Meltdown’, Bruce Timm was hesitant to bring back too many BTAS villains, with a few exceptions. Mr. Freeze made sense as he was ostensibly immortal… but who is the first Batman villain you think of when you think of immortality?
That’s right, Talia al Ghul is back in town and wants her former flame to take a dip in a Lazarus Pit to restore his youth! Obviously there’s more to it than that, and Talia is not to be trusted, but the premise facilitates a one-time team-up between Terry and Young(er) Bruce as they fight goons side by side. Time-travel shenanigans allowed a similar thing in Justice League Unlimited, but this is far more effective, with Bruce dwelling on his mortality throughout. Should he go gently into the night, or do the very Batman thing and try to fight off the impossible in the name of The Mission? He’s initially elated to feel like himself again, but then annoyed with himself for ‘cheating’. It’s powerful stuff beyond the base fan-service gimmick.
The episode also starts with a delightful Batman Musical that sees Kevin Conroy lend his singing voice to a campy send-up of his old adventures, which greatly irritates Bruce. No matter how good or bad that sounds to you, it’s better, and is a pretty fun little homage to BTAS.
10) The Call (S3)
Original Air Date: November 11, 2000 (Part 1), November 18, 2000 (Part 2)
Directed: Butch Lukic | Written: Paul Dini & Alan Burnett (story – Part 1 & 2), Rich Fogel (story – Part 1), Hilary J. Bader (teleplay – Part 1) & Stan Berkowitz (teleplay – Part 2)
I did say with ‘Rebirth’ I was starting as a I meant to go on, so it’s only fitting to end the list with another two-parter occupying a single spot on the list.
There’s a chance you were sceptical of Beyond but were willing to watch Justice League and Justice League Unlimited because they still had Kevin Conroy as Batman. Or maybe you were a BTAS or GTFO person. Either way, I do think it’s interesting to look at Terry as part of a superhero team in comparison to Bruce, who actively warns him against joining. Where Bruce is a gruff loner, Terry is a warm socialite, determined to balance a normal life with his nocturnal activities, so it makes sense he’d be more interested in a team-up.
The Justice League Unlimited (not to be confused with the show of the same name) all have fun designs building off legacy characters, with the slowly-ageing Superman leading them, giving us an awkward reunion with Old Man Bruce. Seeing the team in action, deploying their vast array of powers to save Metropolis is thrilling, but the real sauce is in the reveal Superman might have turned evil.
Naturally, Bruce is quick to hand over a hidden chunk of Kryptonite because he’s still Bruce. But it also creates major tension within the group, with half the team telling Terry to go screw, while the others try to defend him. Of course it turns out to be a simple case of mind-controlling parasites, leading to Terry having to fight the entire League by himself, and while the day is saved and apologies are offered, our protagonist does seem embittered by the experience, opting to mirror his mentor by only accepting a part-time position on the team.
The whole thing is a great way to flesh the world out further towards the end of the series, and had a fourth season gone ahead I would have liked to have seen the JLU return, or perhaps even a spin-off show bringing Terry with it instead.
Also not that this should have any impact (for a multitude of reasons), but these are the 2 highest rated episodes of the show on IMDb.
Read the full review here (Part 1 | Part 2)
11) Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker
Original Release Date: December 12, 2000
Directed: Curt Geda | Written: Paul Dini (teleplay), Glen Murakami (story) & Bruce Timm (story)
Wait… I thought this list of episodes only went to 10? Very astute of you. But that’s because this isn’t an episode, it’s a movie!
Honestly, much like Mask of the Phantasm might be the crowning achievement of BTAS and could stand in place of the entire series if trying to convince somebody of its merits, Return of the Joker is probably as good as Beyond gets, so if you can’t be bothered to hunt down the above ten episodes, just watch this. It rules.
Acting as a ‘Final Exam’ for Terry, the movie brings back The Clown Prince through convoluted means, scaring the shit out of Bruce to the point he demands Terry hand the Batsuit over and cease being Batman immediately. This of course doesn’t take, and we’re treated to a 50/50 split of Terry playing solo detective, and some of the most gorgeous animation you’ll see in any Batman project. One of the animators was an alumni of Akira, specifically the orbital laser scenes, and challenged himself to top his own work, leading to a stunning chase scene with Terry trying to out-fly a deadly laser in the Batmobile.
The final confrontation with Joker really underlines the differences in approach between the two heroes, with Bruce acknowledging Terry was a hero in his own right, having more than earned the right to call himself Batman. It’s also a great showcase for Mark Hamill, with his signature laugh returning in full force, and I’m a huge fan of his annoyance with The Jokerz using his name without his consent. Speaking of which, they invented a whole new set of clown-themed punks for the movie not seen in the series, and they end up being more memorable than the regularly-featured delinquents.
Perhaps the most famous sequence in the film is a full BTAS-era flashback though, as we finally learn of the terrible events that made Babara Gordon quit being Batgirl, as well as the horrors Joker and Harley inflicted upon Tim Drake. It’s legitimately chilling stuff, with much of it censored in the theatrical release and restored in the ‘Uncut’ version. Even if you still hate Beyond after all of the above, this movie will give you 10 minutes of new BTAS content, so what more do you want?
The Matt Signal 
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