Every Batman Movie Opening Scene Ranked From Worst To Best

Batman: Mask Of The Phantasm's snappy opening sequence confirms at once the terrifying nature of the villainous Phantasm, the tenacity of Batman (Kevin Conroy), and the keen artistry of the film's gorgeous animation.

The movie kicks off with an eye-popping 3D-animated pass over Gotham's various high-rises as the opening credits roll, before transitioning into the 2D aesthetic of the main movie.

The atmosphere is set terrifically well with Batman breaking up a meeting of Gotham's various crime bosses - Bats battles the mobsters, before the Phantasm shows up and causes kingpin Chuckie Sol to fatally crash his car.

While attempting to chase down the Phantasm Batman is spotted at the scene, setting the stage for him to become a repeat murder suspect throughout the story.

This is a strong introduction that does everything it needs to, establishing the central players and setting the core themes without even having Batman open his mouth.