Top Ten Episodes of Batman: The Animated Series and Batman Beyond

Hi, this is Kevin Conroy and you're listening

to the GeekCast Radio Network. Welcome to Legends

of the Dark Knight, episode 39. I'm your host,

Steve Megatron Phillips, and joining me is...

Batman. No. DfJ and Mike, hello. Hello. How are

you? I'm doing great. Unfortunately, we only

have two episodes left. Yeah. It's a happy and

a sad moment at the same time. Yes, you know

what we've had a good run It's longer than our

transformer podcast I've ever run well Well,

no beast unleashed was 30 Yep, so this one's

gonna hit 40. Yeah. I mean I could only Unless

I want to start doing podcasts like how the wonderful

people over at the Arkham Sessions do where they

talk about one episode per podcast, the only

way I could have stretched out like Secret Origins.

Secret Origins podcast could have been 91 episodes

if we did it episode by episode, you know? I

mean, it's just one of those things. But yeah,

no, Legends is, you know... The legend is coming

to an end, and we're here in episode 39. This

episode has gone through many gestational changes

over the last two years. There was one point

where we were going to sit here and talk about

all the toys from the DC Animated Universe. There

was one point where we were going to do something

else. And then I'm like, oh, well, everybody

loves top lists. Let's, and I mean, top lists.

I wasn't going there. Yeah, well, Michael Wilson

would have if he was here. Or Kevin. Or Don.

Well, he lives in Canada. That whole country,

that whole region, that whole region's mind's

in the gutter. I was going to say the whole region's

topless, but... Somehow that scares the living

hell out of me. So we are here to talk about...

Our top 20 BTAS and Batman Beyond episodes, they're

two top 10 lists, totaling up to 20 episodes

per show, or totaling both shows. But before

that, we have to talk about something equally

as awesome. The complete track list for Batman

the Animated Series Original Soundtrack from

Warner Brothers Television Series Volume 3. La

La Land Records has done BTIS Volume 3. And it

is epic. It contains... I believe it's over 20?

Let's see here. This is from our friends, The

World's Finest, has a breakdown of the complete

track list for the highly anticipated Batman

anime series, Volume 3. CD release available

from La La Land Records, as I already said, October

7th, so it's already out at this point. The multidisc

set will be available to order directly from

the label's website or through select online

vendors. The first 200 people who purchase the

score through the La La Land Records website

will receive a signed front tray card and autographed

by composers Lolita Romanes, Michael McQuistion,

and Carlos Rodriguez at no extra charge. Quantities

are unlimited. um so here's what's happening

with this set we have scores from robin's reckoning

parts one and two we will have uh scores from

pov the clock king tiger tiger see no evil that's

disc one so all of that is on disc one 40 tracks

total disc time for disc 1 77 minutes 38 seconds

disc 2 starts off with cat scratch fever the

forgotten i am so excited that is probably the

one that i'm most excited for because i love

that theme during the scene when they're trying

to escape uh i love that um be a clown one of

your favorites uh then we have dreams in darkness

The Underdwellers, Terror in the Sky, rounds

out disc 2, total disc time 78 minutes 32 seconds.

Disc 3 starts with a main title demo with two

pianos, Shirley Walker and Danny Elfin playing

both pianos. Then it goes into Night of the Ninja,

Day of the Samurai, Prophecy of Doom, Eternal

youth yes, I love eternal youth Absolutely love

that one. What is reality which that's the Riddler

episode where he gets trapped in the computer

yep mudslide That rounds out disc three total

time 78 26 Disc four of the set final one I am

the night is the first first nine tracks heart

of steel part one and two and then we have blind

as a bat paging the crime doctor and the man

who killed that man rounds out the fourth disc

the total time on that is 78 28 total time the

entire album 328 312 minutes and 53 seconds wow

so I am going to be, I'm currently as of this

recording waiting on my copy from La La Land

Records so I can review it for the site. I'm

actually going back and re -listening to the

original first two volumes so I can re -write

because I did this whole thing back when you

and I did that 73 years of Batman thing two years

ago when we did our whole Batman Week theme thing.

I had written up a post about Soundtracks of

the Bat, and I kind of covered the old 60s show,

I covered the movies to that point, both the

90s movies and the Nolanverse, as well as all

of the Batman -centric DCAU stuff. Since that

time, I've gone back and I've looked at that

post and I'm like, yeah, I really need to rewrite

these. So I'm going to be rewriting and it's

going to be all new content. I'm not going to

really rehash anything from that other post.

I'm going to rewrite everything. I'm going to

write up reviews for all three scores, all three

volumes of the score. What are you most interested

in hearing from volume three out of the track

listing that I just talked about? All of it.

I love Batman animated series music, so whenever

I see it. like yeah I am too I mean yes I did

kind of go yeah at Tiger Tiger it's not because

of the music it's because of what Tiger Tiger

is it's a really bad episode of the series you

know I'm hoping okay now that we have volume

three I know eventually they're gonna do a volume

four I'm just waiting at this point the two episodes

I really want them to do Over the edge and old

wounds because in volume 2 I already have almost

got them So I'm set for almost got him. I got

that music. That's done. I Need over the edge

and old wounds. Those are the two episodes that

I really really want Was hoping they'd be on

here, but they're not but I mean Robin's reckoning

What's reality you know what is reality that

kind of makes up for it? Cannot wait to listen

to this stuff absolutely awesome. I think I've

taken up enough time here um we are going to

Head to our top ten Batman the animated series

Episodes this is our favorites episodes after

this lady. That is the sickest thing I've ever

seen You're creeping me out you she kissed me

The voice kept calling me Bruce in my mind. That's

not what I call myself. What do you call yourself?

Oh Yeah, I suppose you would but that's my name

now hmm tell that to my subconscious Then I can

set the Batmobile to scan for can't I uh -huh

unless they've already made an omelet out of

him Hey, it is time to go beyond. This is our

top ten favorite Batman Beyond episodes. What

is your number ten, sir? I'm gonna go Disappearing

ink Really? Yeah. Okay. What do you like about

that one? Just the fact that it's ink and you

got the disgruntled employee syndrome oh yeah

poor Warren yeah my number 10 is also an ink

episode but it is her premiere episode in blackout

this episode shows you how long Terry has really

been Batman it isn't been very long since he

put the suit on uh... because he is constantly

learning from ink and his battle with her because

let's face it ink is terry mcginnis batman's

you know she is his joker she is his you know

two -faced she is basically his main villain

uh... and this is the one where she almost actually

she does she does get into the cave And this

is what causes Terry later to be you know reinforcing

the door and everything else as I love blackout

number nine sir Well real quickly going back

to my other one. That's the one that Bruce used

the armor in the great ghost That was the coolest

thing ever saying Bruce go back in a bat suit

Where's Terry oh interesting Because you have

to have Bruce Going with Max to try and find

Terry Yeah, that was kind of funny Yeah, that

was really funny because you know She's gonna

try to trick Bruce to sneak off and then he tricks

her so he can sneak off and find Terry So that

was really cool My number nine is the introduction

to the Royal Flush Gang in Dead Man's Hand. I

absolutely love this. I think this is awesome.

This is a point where Terry and Dana are broken

up. I've often wanted to see what would happen

if Terry and Melanie aka Ten would, you know,

let their relationship blossom. We kind of saw

it in the 2 .0 comics written by Kyle Higgins,

but it didn't last long enough. So there is that.

But absolutely loved Dead Man's Hand. Probably

the only time in my entire life that I can say

I actually enjoyed something, and George Lazenby

actually did, because he was the voice of King

in the episode. Your number eight, sir? I'm gonna

say Babble. Just because you have everything

being affected by Shriek's Tuning for yeah More

or less and then you know tuning fork into this

series as a weapon go ahead I'm sorry, but it

but yeah, so I mean it's and then Shriek has

a building fall on them Yeah, okay major pretty

much um What I do love about that episode is

how Bruce and Terry babble, but they still look

at each other and by the looks in their eyes,

they know what to do. I love that whole scene

in the Batcave. Well, they are father and son.

Nobody knows that yet. We do. Oh, yeah. So my

number eight is the inside peak. I looked at

this episode and I'm like, oh, no. What is this?

And I figured it was your standard paparazzi

moment. And it kind of is, but I really do like

the episode. I like looking at Ian Peake and

seeing what he's become or, you know, seeing

how Terry would deal with a problem like this,

you know, almost being exposed. So that's why

I enjoy Inside Peake. Your number seven, sir?

My number seven would be Joyride. Really? Well,

there's an ulterior motive behind it. Jokers?

Well, it's jokers, but you also have the dead

body of the joker in the episode. Full on with

his costume and bow tie, but it's his skeleton.

But it's wearing the boutonniere and yeah. It's

in a mine shaft which could have been assumed

to have been Arkham Asylum area. My number seven

is when Terry got the call. One of the reasons

why I absolutely love this episode is how the

first part ends with Terry and Bruce looking

at the kryptonite absolutely love that and then

crap and then in the second part of the episode

where Superman is flying vertically to catch

Terry and Terry says how fast is this thing Mach

3 is that faster than a speeding bullet? It's

not just because of that but it's because of

the music that's under that tone It's a darker

version of the Superman the animated series theme.

Absolutely love it. But yeah, the call would

be my number seven your number six Inkling Stop

stealing my thoughts. Well, that's all right.

You stole the call which I'm I have higher so

But yeah, it's it's showing that uh, you know

ink originally started doing it because she was

trying to make a living And then it backfired

better in the ass Yep This also shows that she

has a daughter who cannot Keep money to save

her life. She has constant bills She's almost

worse than me at debt management, honestly. Well,

and then she screws her own mother over. Yep.

Cold -hearted bitch. Yep. Uh, number five, sir?

Ace in the hole. Wow. Only number five? Hey,

he's a dog. So? He's an awesome dog. He's in

my top five. Get off my ass. He's only the baddest

ass dog in the entire DCAU. Yeah. What do you

like about Ace in the Hall? Because he's a dog.

Well, because it shows his story, you know, I

mean, from the get -go, you know, him as a puppy

and then, you know, him being more or less corrupted

and then raised to... kick ass and take names

and yep and uh then the fact that uh he helped

bruce yep uh my number five is april moon i don't

know what it is about this episode but i this

is really just a one -off episode has no real

continuity ties to anything else or anything

i just really like this episode You're just like,

mooting people. No. No. No, I'm not Canadian

and my last name is not Dodd. Thanks very much.

No, you should be nice. We do have Canadian listeners

and cohorts that host shows with us. You should

single the one out by himself. That's what I

said. I said I'm not Canadian and my last name

is not Dodd. The key cash radio network does

not take... responsibility for anything Michael

Blanchard says about Canada. Right. Sure. It's

my own half. Anyway. Anyway. But April Moon,

it's an interesting, it's your standard story

about old guy gets screwed over for, you know,

young guy, etc. But it's still a really cool,

sad story because this doctor just wants to do

the right thing. Absolutely love it, though.

You're number four, sir. my number four is the

call I like the vertical flying Superman and

then the modern Justice League who they had to

you know of course they have you know hot girls

replacement they have GL's replacement instead

of Martian Manhunter they have aqua girl And

then, instead of Wonder Woman, they have Barda.

Right, right. Which doesn't make any sense, because

I think she's supposed to be... Well, they probably

couldn't use Wonder Woman at the time, or something.

It was probably some embargo or something. Yeah,

they always had a stupid embargo. Which means,

she doesn't age. They took her from Apocalypse,

and she's a Justice Leaguer now. So yeah, and

then Superman. I wasn't really fond of his voice

But I kind of dug the new design for him being

older Mm -hmm, so I gave it some leeway anyway

Yeah, it's shooter McGavin ladies and gentlemen

He eats pieces of shit like you for breakfast

You mean pieces of shit No Alright my number

four is egg, baby What It's number four it it

deserves it. It's just a hilarious episode Hey,

at least my countdown doesn't include Terry's

friend dates a robot You know I know I know it

doesn't I'm just saying in general if you want

to pick out a bad episode You could pick out

anything except egg, baby egg, baby is just awesome.

It's hilarious It shows you how Terry can juggle

life and Batman at the same time And it's just

really really funny to me your number three sir

the ultimate resting place of Derek powers and

mr. Freeze meltdown Interesting I like it because

we finally get rid of powers and Sorry Mike But

I like seeing mr. Freeze come back to normal

mm -hmm with them cloning him a body and then

Seeing him try to actively participate in society

and then his body starts having issues and Howard

tries to double -cross him and he saves Batman

tells him to leave him be making you once again

feel sympathetic yeah Are you going to say anything

else? Nope. Okay, you just kind of went silent.

I'm like, wait, why? Number three for me is Ace

in the Hole. Pretty much everything you already

said about it. You know, it's Ace's origin story.

We get to see how he and Bruce came to be. And

this is obviously after Alfred has passed away.

And it was just a really, really interesting,

awesome episode. And that dog ain't afraid of

nothing. I mean, he went after that gigantic,

you know, steroid -induced dog. That was pretty

awesome. Your number three or two? Do forget.

Two. Number two, sir. Rebirth. You get to see

Batman in the New Age Batsuit in the beginning.

Yep. Then unfortunately, he starts suffering

a stroke. Heart attack. But yeah. either way

um and he actually picks up a gun and then puts

it down and then uh seeing terry put on the suit

and their relationships start from there right

right love Terry's line in that you're no Batman

you're just some scared old man or some lonely

old man or something or other. My number two

actually was my number one on my blog post at

the time but my number two is out of the past.

Out of the past is easily the most creepy and

awesome episode of the entire series at the same

time. You get to see Bruce and Terry as Bruce

a younger man and Terry his own age And you know

you get to see them team up absolutely love that

Just everything about out of the past was great.

I mean first of all superstitious cowardly lot

Wonderful, you know that play. It's not schwarbage

that play is sway Absolutely love that so that

is my number two. What is your number one sir

like I didn't already know out of the past Mm

-hmm. I just love the fact that race comes back

one last time in the most original fashion I

would say disturbing that to it, but I love the

fact that uh like 40 something year old Bruce

and Terry are fighting side -by -side and Bruce

is like strong and big as an ox Then it's about

to thrash Terry and then they they knock him

out So it's kind of funny seeing that And then

you gradually see him age again towards the end,

but he did look kind of strange when he was younger

Mm -hmm Would have been nice to see him put on

the old bat cape temporarily and have him in

terry kick some ass but it was it was still cool

nonetheless seen both of them and my number one

obviously is rebirth rebirth is the beginning

of the series rebirth is Basically, Bruce Wayne

trying to save the granddaughter of one of his

oldest female friends, because it's Bunny Rayland,

who is Veronica Rayland's either daughter or

granddaughter, something like that, I forget.

As you already said, just that chilling line

before the... Because I think this was the only

episode of Batman Beyond that opened with a prologue

before we got the actual... title sequence of

the show and you see that ending part there where

he's like never again and you know just absolutely

awesome and then as you go through you know I'm

not gonna retread what you already said but what

I love about this one took me it took me this

show has been off the air Batman Beyond has been

off the air since It's been 13 years since Batman

Beyond went off the air So It took me 13 years

to find out that when at the end of rebirth When

Terry is sleeping on his bed and his mom knocks

on his door She's like you you have a visitor.

It's it's Bruce Wayne when he wakes up the bat

suit is under his bed And I love how the episode

ends, you know, Bruce says, you know, I find

in my old age, I could use a gopher, you know,

go for this, go for that. Terry says, I think

I can handle it. And Bruce says, very well then,

Mr. McGinnis, welcome to my world. And the music

swells and it is awesome. And then we obviously

go to what happens to Derek Powers, but absolutely

love Rebirth. It's one of the best episodes the

entire series. Yep. So those are our countdowns

for Legends of the Dark Knight. What do we want

to talk about? I think we should talk about Epilogue.

Yeah. Because that's naturally the final conclusion

to the entire DCAU, really. Yep. It is very much

so. Epilogue was something I was not expecting

at all. It was something that I just figured

that most people associate it as being the series

finale to Batman Beyond because let's face it,

under the mask or unmasked is... Unmasked is

so not a series finale, but Epilogue, which aired

as a Justice League Unlimited episode for Justice

League Unlimited Season 1, it basically tells

the story of 65 years in the future. Adult Terry

McGinnis breaks into the home of Amanda Waller

and wants her to tell him a story of how he became

to be Bruce Wayne's son. I actually have the

article pulled up here on the DCIU wiki. I'm

going to, if you don't mind, I'm gonna go ahead

and go through the continuity notes here. That's

cool. When the CADMAS procedures that could have

alerted someone's DNA came into question, Bruce

Wayne says that those procedures have been illegal

for decades. The Terry McGinnis response didn't

stop the Joker from using them on Tim Drake,

referencing Return of the Joker. Terry mentions

Mr. Freeze, possibly referring to his predecessor's

showdown. in Batman the Animated Series, episode

Heart of Ice, and the new Batman Adventures,

Cold Comfort, or his own encounter in Batman

Beyond episode Meltdown, or even a combination

of all the encounters. Terry continues dating

Dana Tan since high school, and she now knows

his secret identity. The JLU members who appear,

Cai Rho, Warhawk, and Ahn Ahn, were all introduced

in Batman Beyond episodes The Call. Warhawk likewise

appeared in the episode, The Once and Future

Thing Part 2, Time Warped. Likewise, the Rogues

who appear as members of the Iniquity Collective

consist of three Rogues from Batman Beyond, Ink,

Shriek, and Stalker, introduced in Batman Beyond

episodes, Blackout, Shriek, and Bloodsport, respectively.

Ace previously appeared in the Justice League

episode, Wild Cards. Amanda Waller serves as

the government liaison, possibly replacing King

Faraday for the Justice League. It's possible

that Bruce named his dog after Ace from the Royal

Flush Gang. You know, I never thought about that.

That's interesting. The movie Terry exits out

of with his mother and father, entitled The Grey

Ghost Strikes, a nod to Bruce's childhood hero.

Andrea Beaumont was the last scene in the film

Batman Beyond, or Batman Mask of the Phantasm.

Despite Waller's scrapping project Batman Beyond,

Terry points out that his father was still murdered

during Batman Beyond Premier Re -earth. Bruce

tells Terry to meet Superman in the Metro Tower.

Apparently Terry hasn't become an official member

since the Batman Beyond episode, The Call, but

only a part -timer much like his predecessor.

In this episode's final scene pictures Batman,

Terry McGinnis flying silhouetted against buildings.

startling an airborne police craft, a reversed

version of the opening scene with Man -Bat in

Batman the Animated Series on leather wings.

This episode marks the first time that Batman

the Animated Series theme has been officially

adapted for Terry. Terry's outfit and hairstyle

mirrors Batman's out -of -custom appearance in

the Justice League episode Star -Crossed. His

adult costume here is what they're talking about

As Bruce was wearing black and gray in that Let's

see here This episode was written and produced

before Justice League Unlimited was renewed for

an additional season Thus this episode was intended

as an epilogue for the entire DC animated universe

Starting in Batman the animated series all the

way to Justice League Unlimited Although it's

ambiguous on screen, producer writer Dwayne McDuffie

confirmed that the black and white sequences

are Terry's imagination of what will happen if

he resides as Batman, not flashbacks. There are

several clues that support this. In the black

and white sequence, Terry smashes the clock down.

By the end of the episode, the clock is intact.

In the black -and -white sequence, Bruce was

uncharacteristically forthcoming in his exchange

with Terry. Also in the final scene, he speaks

casually with Terry. If such a stern spat had

taken place, it would be unlikely of him to dismiss

it. Terry breaks up with Dana in the black -and

-white scene, but later on, he calls her over

the phone, and she reacts too casually for someone

who had just been dumped. According to Bruce

Tim, Wayne also... Wayne is also Matt McGinnis's

biological father. According to writer Dwayne

McDuffie, Bruce, the world's greatest detective,

was aware that Terry and Matt are his genetic

offspring some point after Terry assumed the

Batman mantle and realized Waller's machination,

but would never bring it up, as he wanted Terry

to be his own man, out of respect for Warren

McGinnis as well, since he was the one who raised

him since birth. So, epilogue. Love the flashback

scene an epilogue from you know Waller story

talking about ace and really showing you that

Bruce Wayne does care Yeah, I also love the black

-and -white Flash forward kind of scenes with

the bet him in the Justice League and him and

Dana So really really dig that Epilogue is just

all around a great great episode Yep, I I watched

that episode over and over out when I first saw

it after I listened to Secret Origins So yep,

I would I would say that's one of the better

episodes of the series even though it was even

though it's after Batman Beyond and still It's

not that maybe on Absolutely So I think that's

it until next time Yeah, the final episode of

the podcast episode 40 I have no idea what we're

gonna be doing in episode 40. I really don't

either only I Mean, I think I think that what

we'll end up doing is talking about You know

the ride overall hopefully we get Tara back for

that episode and then I Don't know I guess we'll

see where it goes from there Yep, I'm sure I'll

have some sort of Joker brainstorm or something

between the time now and the time we record that

so yep Hopefully we get some feedback, too Yes,

give us feedback damn it the show's ending Yep,

take it away joker So you can get ahold of us

in the following ways you can call the voicemail

line 502 -526 -5821 You can comment on the episode

post on the website geekcastradio .com You can

email us feedback at geekcastradio .com Get ahold

of us on Twitter by typing in at scp21 for myself

and See if you and Mike for you And so, until

next time... Sorry to get you up so early. It's

okay You never told me you knew Bruce Wayne Well,

actually Why I owe this boy my life He defended

me against a bunch of hooligans once I tried

to reward him, but he absolutely refused Mr.

Wayne wants to offer you a job a job. It's not

much mind you I find that in my old age, I could

use a part -time assistant. You know, a gopher.

Go for this, go for that. An ally, as it were.

Would you be interested? Well, of course he would.

Wouldn't you, honey? I mean to work with someone

as famous as Mr. Wayne. Sure. I warn you, I can

be a difficult taskmaster. I accept nothing short

of excellence from all who work for me. I think

I can handle it. Very good, then, Mr. McGinnis.

Welcome to my world.