What I always liked about "Batman - The Animated Series" was that it truly looked like a comic book brought-to-life. Unlike the increasingly loud and over-the-top spectacle of the live-action film franchise, this series remained dark, gothic and intimate, with a premium placed on characterization and story. While the animation wasn't always consistent, and the show eventually ran out of steam (perhaps due to numerous spin-offs and other superhero shows made by the same studio), the early episodes, like the three from 1992 included on this disc, were thrilling and fun.

Of the three stories featured, the best one is the two-part episode, simply titled "Two-Face," which shows how Bruce Wayne's long-time buddy, D.A. Harvey Dent, evolves into one of the series' most intriguing super-villains. The second episode, "It's Never Too Late," is also very good; Batman tries to end a vicious gang-war by attempting to convince a powerful mob-boss to change his ways. This episode is surprising in its complexity, with themes of epiphany and redemption you just don't see in cartoons - it's also one of the first cartoons which depicts the effects of drug-abuse. The last episode, "I've Got Batman in My Basement" is the worst of the three, and brings the disc to an anti-climactic close. In this one, a young boy, who longs to be a detective, rescues Batman from the Penguin and stashes him in his mom's basement. The episode isn't bad, but it just can't compare to the first two. It's easy to see why this show succeeds where so many other previous superhero cartoons failed. There's tremendous attention to detail in achieving its comic-noir look. In addition, these aren't simply well-written cartoons...they are well-written STORIES, playing more like mini-movies than TV episodes, with sharp dialogue and great characterization. Batman and Bruce Wayne have distinctly separate personalities (even if they ARE sometimes at odds with each other), and Harvey Dent/Two-Face is depicted more as a tragic figure than a true villain. All the characters are expertly voiced by actors (including John Vernon and Richard Moll) who don't seem to be aware they doing cartoon voices - many of the performances are emotionally complex and understated. Where "Batman" sometimes suffers is in the animation. While the show looks great, the limited animation is sometimes distractingly clumsy and cheap-looking. Even my 8-year-old daughter pointed it out while we were watching. Still, I'd rather see mediocre animation of a good story than expensive, state-of-the-art effects for a story that sucks eggs (like the subsequent live-action "Batman" sequels). On a personal note, I'm happy to report that this disc is 100% Robin-free.

Since these episodes are over a decade old, it isn't surprising that the original master print shows some of its age, and has numerous scratches. But overall, Warner has done a decent job with this DVD transfer. The soundtrack, presented in Dolby Digital, fares better. The disc sounds pretty clean; I didn't notice any distortion, and Danny Elfman's theme sounds as majestic as ever.

Like the extras on recent similar Warner titles ("Challenge of the Superfriends" and "Justice League"), this volume includes introductions to each episode, this time by producer/director Bruce Timm. This and other features are sure to please fans of the series. Most of the extras consist of narrated text, such as a "tour" of the Batcave; this feature offers fun details about Batman's various vehicles, as well as the numerous gadgets on his utility belt, accompanied by scenes of these tools in action. Another similarly-structured feature ("Arkham Asylum") gives brief bios of some of Batman's more popular foes. There's also a trivia game, "Darknight Detective," a multiple-choice quiz which tests your knowledge of the disc's episodes, along with accompanying footage. It's fun to do one time, but it's sort of a pain trying to get out of it if you decide not to finish playing

Long-time Batman fans will surely enjoy this disc - the "Two-Face" episode alone is worth the price - but I think even younger viewers raised on the current slew of superhero programs, like "Justice League," "X-Men Evolution" and "Teen Titans," will appreciate the fact that, if it weren't for this show, none of the others they know and love would have followed. This volume is a fine addition to anyone's animated DVD library.