The New Adventures of Batman (1977)

[Silver Nemesis]

The New Adventures of Batman (1977) was Filmation's follow up to their earlier animated series The Adventures of Batman (1968-69). Where the earlier series had starred Olan Soule and Casey Kasem as Batman and Robin, The New Adventures of Batman starred none other than Adam West and Burt Ward. It was the first time West had played the role in almost a decade.

Burt Ward had appeared as Robin alongside Yvonne Craig's Batgirl in an equal pay PSA in 1972, but Adam West had declined to join them. West had been trying to distance himself from the Batman franchise for a time following the cancellation of the live action series in 1968. The New Adventures of Batman marked his return to the role after a nine-year absence.

The series can be seen as a follow-up to both the live action TV show and the previous Filmation series. Like most DC cartoons of that era, the tone is very light-hearted and kid friendly. Batman and Robin use their wits, vehicles, gadgets and acrobatic skills to defeat their foes, but never their fists.

I first saw this series back when I was a student, but I recently re-watched it and thought I'd share some of my observations. To that end, here's a commentary/retrospective in which I'll highlight some points of interest and endeavour to contextualise the series in relation to the comics and other screen adaptations.

There are several nods to the live action series from the sixties. For one, Bruce and Dick use Batpoles hidden behind a sliding bookcase to reach the Batcave.

They have a Batphone connected to Commissioner Gordon's office. Its colour occasionally changes from red to yellow, though this is most likely the result of an animation goof. Also note how the 'R' emblem on Robin's costume has disappeared in the following image, which is another typical animation goof.

Robin makes frequent use of his 'holy' catchphrase.

Unfortunately there's no Aunt Harriet or Chief O'Hara, and Gordon does not resemble the Neil Hamilton version. It's mentioned in this series that Gordon's middle name is Worthington, which is his middle name in the comics too.

The Barbara Gordon Batgirl appears in many – but not all – of the episodes. It's a pity they couldn't have got Yvonne Craig to voice her. Her costume is based on the comic book version rather than Craig's.

I think I'm right in saying that this is the only Batman TV adaptation not to feature Alfred. He's mentioned, but never appears on screen. The Riddler, Scarecrow and Solomon Grundy were not allowed to appear in the show for legal reasons. However the Riddler does appear during the opening credits and for some reason his costume is pink instead of green. Maybe it was meant to be an inversion of the green and purple colour scheme from the comics.

Bat-Mite features very prominently in the series. He'd made regular appearances in the comics throughout the Silver Age, but this series marked his first appearance in a media adaptation. He displays a romantic obsession with Batgirl, which I expect was inspired by the comic book Bat-Mite's similar infatuation with Batwoman in 'Batwoman's Publicity Agent' (Batman Vol 1 #133, August 1960).

The Bat-Mite that later appeared in the Batman: The Brave & the Bold TV show and comics would also have a crush on Batgirl.

The Bat-Computer is depicted as an A.I. that can speak directly to Batman, Robin and Bat-Mite.

Batman, Robin and Batgirl often put their hands together after defeating the main villain, like they do at the end of Batman & Robin (1997). Bat-Mite always adds his own hand last.

Every episode ends with a 'Bat Message' where Batman and Robin impart a moral lesson to the young viewers (e.g. don't be afraid to talk about your problems, don't take dangerous shortcuts, take care of your teeth, use your talents responsibly). Later episodes ditch the moral lesson in favour of a gag, even though they still display the Bat Message text in the background.

Comic villains who appear in the series include the Joker...

...Penguin...

...Catwoman...

...Mr. Freeze...

...and Clayface...

A lesser known comic villain to appear is Moonman. Both he and the basic plot of the episode 'The Moonman' are adapted from 'The Menace of the Moonman' (World's Finest Comics Vol 1 #98, December 1958). Moonman is an astronaut who was infected by mysterious space waves that cause him to transform into a villain with magnetic powers whenever he's exposed to the light of a full moon. His true identity is astronaut Scott Rogers (named Brice Rogers in the comics), an old college friend of Bruce Wayne. He loses his powers once he's cut off from moonlight, much like how Nuclear Man loses his when cut off from sunlight in Superman IV (1987).

Moonman is a bit like Man-Bat insofar as he cannot control his nocturnal transformations and has no memory of them when he reverts to his human form. Like the comic book version, he is eventually redeemed when his powers run out and his villainous Moonman alter ego vanishes along with them.

In addition to the classic rogues, the show also introduced some new villains.

Sweet Tooth – an effeminate pink-haired rogue who commits crimes themed around candy and has only one tooth because all his other teeth were rotted away by sugar.

Sweet Tooth never appeared in the comics, although he did show up in the Batman: The Brave and the Bold episode 'A Bat Divided!' and the animated feature film Scooby-Doo! & Batman: The Brave and the Bold (2018).

He was also referenced in Batman: Arkham Knight (2015).

Which means Sweet Tooth exists in the Arkhamverse.

Professor Bubbles – a generic mad scientist operating out of a domed laboratory on the seabed. His main idiosyncrasy is the gurgling sound he makes when he talks.

Electro – an extraterrestrial villain with mind control powers and the technology to shrink people and objects. He has some similarities with the Superman villain Brainiac, and at one point he even threatens to shrink Gotham City and put it inside a bottle.

Chameleon – a shape-shifting robot built and controlled by the diminutive Dr. Devious.

Zarbor – a being from Bat-Mite's home dimension who possesses the same reality-warping powers.

At one point Zarbor assembles a team of villains including himself, Joker, Penguin, Clayface and Catwoman. Had Riddler featured in the series, I expect he would've taken Clayface's place to recreate the villainous team from the 1966 film.

To be honest, the only really memorable new villain from this show is Sweet Tooth. It's not surprising that he's the only original bad guy from this series to be referenced in later Batman media. He would have been a perfect villain for the Batman '66 comics.

The first villain to appear in the show is the Joker. His sidekick throughout this series is a hyena named Giggles.

Catwoman first appears in the episode 'Trouble Identity'. Her outfit is a brightly coloured variation of the Julie Newmar costume. A similar costume had featured in the late sixties comics, only it was green instead of gold. Her 'kitten' henchwomen wear cowls shaped like those of the Golden and Bronze Age Catwomen.

If you thought the 'It happened at sea – C for Catwoman' riddle was absurd in the 1966 movie, there's an even more bizarre riddle in 'Trouble Identity' where the Bat-Computer feeds the Dynamic Duo a clue as to which villain has recently framed Batgirl.

BATMAN: 'To be is not to be. That is the answer.' Of course!
ROBIN:  I don't see, Batman.
BATMAN: Of course you see! Think Robin! What would happen if you took the 'B' out of 'Batgirl'? Seeeeee what I mean?
ROBIN: See? See? Of course. The letter 'C'. Cat. Catwoman! Catwoman! She was impersonating Batgirl to throw us off the trail!
BATMAN: Quick! To the Batmobile!

I re-watched this scene several times, and I still don't get the logic.

Catwoman's depiction in this show is very much in the vein of the Silver Age version. For a brief period in the sixties, the Silver Age Catwoman was portrayed as being almost like a Bond villain, with a vast hideout, numerous henchmen and various high-tech gadgets at her disposal. The Catwoman in this show possesses similar resources. One of the most bizarre is a cat-shaped magnetic missile she launches at the Batcopter.

She also unleashes a cat robot to hunt down Batgirl at one point.

In this same episode Batgirl herself uses a gadget that fires a batarang attached to a rope, rather like the grapple gun that would appear in later comics, movies and TV shows. Batman and Robin both use the same gadget in the episode 'Curses! Oiled Again!' later in the series.

A recurring plot point throughout the series is that of the heroes being framed by the villains. Catwoman frames Batgirl in 'Trouble Identity', Joker frames Batman in 'He Who Laughs Last', and Clayface recruits a young acrobat to help him frame both Batman and Robin in 'Dead Ringers'. Penguin also switches bodies with Bat-Mite in the episode 'Birds of a Feather Fool Around Together' and takes control of Batman and Robin's minds to force them to commit crimes for him.

There's a scene in the episode 'A Sweet Joke on Gotham City' where Batman drives the Batboat through the sewers below Gotham while pursuing the villain Sweet Tooth. The visuals here are somewhat reminiscent of Batman Returns.

In the episode 'The Bermuda Rectangle' Batman pilots the Batplane underwater so that it turns into the Batsub. The second Batplane in the comics could also transform into the Batsub, as demonstrated in 'The Birth of Batplane II!' (Batman #61, October 1950).

And of course the second Batwing featured in the Burton/Schumacher film series underwent the same aquatic transformation.

'The Bermuda Rectangle' also contains a scene where Batman fights a shark. Only this time he uses some sort of sonic device to repel it instead of the more traditional shark repellent.

He encounters another shark in the episode 'Dead Ringers'. This time he's pursuing Clayface underwater using the Bat-Boat (which, like the Bat-Plane, can also transform into the Batsub) when Hagan transforms into a giant shark and tries to eat the Batsub. Batman manages to evade Clayface's attack before blinding him with ink from the Batsub.

Unlike the comic book Clayface, the version of Matt Hagan in this show gets his powers from a special potion that he has to take at midnight. Robin and Batgirl intercept the potion before he can get it, and Clayface reverts to his ordinary human form while battling Batman underwater. Batman then has to save him from drowning before handing him over to Commissioner Gordon. Without his special potion, this version of Clayface is just an ordinary human.

The episode 'Bite-Sized' contains a scene where a miniaturised Batman and Robin surf. This might be a nod to the sixties TV show episode 'Surf's Up! Joker's Under!' (s03e10) where Batman engages in a surf-off against the Joker.

There's a moment in the episode 'Reading, Writing and Wronging' that is reminiscent of Batman Returns, where Bruce sees the Bat-Signal reflected in a mirror as it shines through the window of his study. The Bat-Signal in this particular instance is a fake signal created by the Penguin to lure Batman and Robin into a trap. Why was Bruce looking in a mirror at this time? Because Dick was cutting his hair. You'd think a guy like Bruce Wayne could afford a better barber, but apparently not.

The Penguin imprisons Batman and Robin within a giant birdcage. We've seen him use similar cages in the comics, as well as in Batman Returns.

The Penguin has a car shaped like a penguin. He also has a boat which is meant to resemble a penguin, but actually looks more like a duck. This is rather redundant, since in the episode 'Birds of a Feather Fool Around Together' the penguin-mobile is revealed to be amphibious.

There's a sequence where the Penguin and his goons row the penguin boat through the sewers to find the Batcave. These scenes look awfully familiar...

And if you thought the Bat-skates from Batman & Robin were silly, in this episode the Caped Crusaders press buttons on their boots to activate the 'Bat-Skis'. The Bat-Skis are basically inflatable rocket-propelled sleds that emerge from the soles of their boots, similar to the Bat-Skates in Batman & Robin (1997). They use them to travel from the South Pole all the way to Gotham City.

Absurd as this may seem, they used something similar in the comics, as seen in 'Laugh, Town, Laugh' (Detective Comics Vol 1 #62, April 1942).

Mr. Freeze is the main villain in the episode 'The Deep Freeze' and his depiction is strikingly similar to that of the Schumacher Mr. Freeze. His costume is different, but his voice, personality and fondness for ice puns are all exactly like those of Arnold's version. He displays a fondness for ice lollies and ice cream and is constantly laughing at his own ice puns. He also has a right-hand goon named Frost, similar to Frosty in Schumacher's movie. 

Mr. Freeze has a 'Coldsmobile' armed with a mounted freeze gun like the one used by the Schwarzenegger Freeze.

There's a chase scene where he uses it to freeze the pursuing Batmobile.

There's a scene involving a frozen dinosaur.

Batman and Robin use the aforementioned Bat-Skis to chase Freeze across the ice during the finale, much like how they use their Bat-Skates during the opening scene of Batman & Robin. You've got to wonder if Schumacher was a fan of this show, because watching this episode it feels like you're watching an even goofier version of Schwarzenegger's Mr. Freeze.

In the episode 'Curses! Oiled Again!' Bruce and Dick are shown playing with a slot car racing set at stately Wayne Manor. Could this be the same slot car racing set Aunt Harriet got them in the sixties TV show episode 'The Duo Defy' (s02e60)?

This episode marks the first time two villains team up in this series. Here, it's an alliance between Catwoman and Clayface. Catwoman is shown to have her Kitty-car from the comics in this story. It's capable of boosting itself into the air to leap over barriers.

She also has a Catsub that reminds me of the Penguin's submarine from the 1966 movie.

In the episode 'Birds Of A Feather Fool Around Together' Bruce and Dick are shown to have a bowling alley in stately Wayne Manor. The pins are shaped like villains from their rogues gallery.

In the episode 'Have an Evil Day (Part I)' they're also shown to have a basketball court in stately Wayne Manor. This episode ends on a cliffhanger where Batman and Robin are captured by the villains. They aren't placed in a death trap as they typically were in the sixties TV show, but their capture nevertheless evokes the cliffhangers from the live action series.

'Have an Evil Day (Part I)' mostly takes place on Bat-Mite's home world of Ergo, a strange alien planet populated by weird creatures. Seeing Batman and Robin in a full blown sci-fi context feels like a throwback to the Atomic Age Batman comics of the fifties.

This episode shows Bruce and Dick training in a gym at stately Wayne Manor where they practice hitting targets that resemble their rogues. A Zarbor target has been added to the collection. Interestingly, there's also a Riddler target, just as there was a Riddler-shaped bowling pin in the bowling alley in the episode 'Birds Of A Feather Fool Around Together'.

They couldn't use Riddler as a villain on the show, but they could have him appear in the intro and make cameos in the form of a bowling pin and punching bag? Apparently so.

The plot of this episode sees Batman and Robin's credibility being once again destroyed by the villain. This time Zarbor uses his powers to turn them evil so they'll assist him as his henchmen. Batman and Robin start calling themselves the Crime Duo and laughing villainously whenever they do something bad. This is one of the funniest parts of the series.

As far as I'm aware, this series is not generally considered part of the Westverse canon. But I wouldn't object if it was. The show's comprised of harmless little adventures that wouldn't do any damage to the mythology if they were canon. It's not one of the best Batman animated shows, but it's an interesting curiosity for fans of West and Ward. And it's nice to see them battle comic villains like Clayface and Moonman that they never fought in the live action show.

[thecolorsblend]

I've often wondered what the thinking was behind this show. Because the nods and similarities to the Sixties show are self-evident. Undeniable, frankly.

But at the same time, depending on how you want to define "dark", this animated show is noticeably darker than the TV show. I watched the entire series start to finish years ago. And off-hand, I can't recall a single sequence ever taking place during the daytime. From memory, literally everything takes place at night. Which the Sixties show obviously differed with as many sequences took place in broad daylight.

Bat-Mite was another challenge. While I've never been particularly fond of the character, he could've fit into the live action show fairly easily. I don't think the tone of the show would've been irrevocably destroyed had Bat-Mite been included. In fact, I'll even go out on a limb and suggest that one reason he was omitted from the show was due to how expensive the character's powers might be for a Sixties TV show to bring in to live action.

But the cartoon's determination to set all (or most?) scenes at night does indicate a desire (on somebody's part) to take Batman in a darker direction.

Were I inclined to put this into some sort of context, my suggestion would be that the TV versions of Batman and Robin had become more active at night because their villains had become more active at night. The Westverse was never going to be very dark. At most, it might become a little poorly lit. But never "dark".

Anyway. Welcome back, btw.

[The Joker]

Epic post/thread, Silver.

Makes me want to get acquainted with the show, quite frankly. Especially since, as you state, nothing happens that is egregiously opposed to the '66 Batman show's continuity, and this could be considered something of a 'lost 4th season' of the Adam West show, depending on how you want to view it.

But at the same time, depending on how you want to define "dark", this show is noticeably darker than the show. I watched the entire series start to finish years ago. And off-hand, I can't recall a single sequence ever taking place during the daytime. From memory, literally everything takes place at night. Which the Sixties show obviously differed with as many sequences took place in broad daylight.

This leads one to believe that there might have been some influence from DC Comics with what Batman comics were then-currently depicting at the time. Considering "New Adventures" aired post-Schwartz/O'Neil/Adams collaboration, the night setting could have been a tip of the hat of some form of synergy between the two.

[The Dark Knight]

Good timing with this analysis given the complete series is being released June 25:

https://www.gamespot.com/articles/new-adventures-of-batman-the-complete-collection-blu-ray/1100-6523099/

[Silver Nemesis]

But the cartoon's determination to set all (or most?) scenes at night does indicate a desire (on somebody's part) to take Batman in a darker direction.

Were I inclined to put this into some sort of context, my suggestion would be that the TV versions of Batman and Robin had become more active at night because their villains had become more active at night. The Westverse was never going to be very dark. At most, it might become a little poorly lit. But never "dark".

This leads one to believe that there might have been some influence from DC Comics with what Batman comics were then-currently depicting at the time. Considering "New Adventures" aired post-Schwartz/O'Neil/Adams collaboration, the night setting could have been a tip of the hat of some form of synergy between the two.

The nocturnal setting does give the series a darker and sometimes spookier look than most other superhero cartoons from the 1970s. I think Joker's right about it being an attempt to reflect the imagery of the contemporary comics. The Galactic Guardians show (which also starred West) was the pre-DCAU series that best reflected the Bronze Age tone, but that was a Hanna-Barbera production. The New Adventures of Batman is certainly the closest Filmation got to the 1970s comics, even though most of their plots and characterisations were still drawn from earlier eras.

Makes me want to get acquainted with the show, quite frankly. Especially since, as you state, nothing happens that is egregiously opposed to the '66 Batman show's continuity, and this could be considered something of a 'lost 4th season' of the Adam West show, depending on how you want to view it.

In that sense, The New Adventures of Batman can be compared with Star Trek: The Animated Series. Both 1970s Filmation cartoons brought back the actors from a popular 1960s live action show to voice their characters in a cheaper more kid-friendly format. If each of the three live action seasons of Star Trek represents one year of the Enterprise's five-year mission, then the two animated seasons can be seen as years four and five. Similarly The New Adventures of Batman can be seen as year four of Batman and Robin's crime-fighting careers, and year two of Batgirl's.

The absence of Chief O'Hara, Aunt Harriet and Alfred could be explained by them simply moving away from Gotham. Or maybe they're still there and we just don't see them. The Bat-Computer has clearly undergone an upgrade, as has Batman's arsenal of weapons and vehicles, but there's nothing here that West's ingenious Batman couldn't have constructed. I can't offhand think of any discrepancies between this show and the Batman '66 comics either, so it fits into the canon reasonably well.

Good timing with this analysis given the complete series is being released June 25:

https://www.gamespot.com/articles/new-adventures-of-batman-the-complete-collection-blu-ray/1100-6523099/

That is quite a coincidence. I hadn't heard about the Blu-ray release until now.

[The Dark Knight]

I'm open to this being a continuation of the West universe, representing a gradual maturation that eventually becomes Miller's TDK Returns. Imagining West in that particular story just makes the whole thing better in my eyes. I'll be purchasing the complete collection set when it's released in a couple of months to see for myself if the show allows that idea to be possible.