5 Incredible Batman: The Animated Series Episodes You Never Got To See

3. Batman’s Criminal Turn - The Batman Adventures - Vol. 1 #35

Batman Adventures Lost Years
DC Comics

The Adventures comics also examine the limits and potential of Batman, fleshing him out into a real character with aspiration, faults, and weaknesses (and not in the whole ‘do you bleed?’ type of way).

All of this is explored in The Batman Adventures issues 35 and 36, which pick up after Batman has a large portion of his memory erased by Hugo Strange. Catwoman recognises this, and manipulates Batman into assisting her in crimes. Despite having no memory of her, or anything at all since the age of 6, Batman’s natural virtue shines through, and he assures his ‘partner’ that he’ll help, despite suffering immense guilt for the robbery they commit together. Catwoman even remarks that, despite having lost his memory, ‘there’s just no winning’ with Batman’s moral compass.

After Catwoman is cornered by Robin, amnesiac Batman swings in and he and the Boy Wonder square off. Robin manages to calm Batman just enough to convince him to go back to Wayne manor, which he remembers. Eventually, he manages to regain his memories that were stored in a diamond he and Catwoman stole while on the wrong side of the law. After having to recall his entire life, including the death of his parents, Batman is truly back. Catwoman later finds him to apologise, but it’s revealed that Batman holds no memory of his time as her partner, and she leaves into the night, relieved at the return of their relationship to the status quo.

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