10 Best Batman Characters That Didn't Come From The Comics
2. The Phantasm
The Phantasm is one of the best examples of the TV show doing something differently. While we all loved Mark Hamill’s work as Joker, it was great when The Animated Series served up something completely new.
Batman falling in love with the villain is something that’s happened before, and not just in weird Dr Freeze fan fiction. Tim Burton’s Batman Returns pushed this angle with Catwoman, and Ivy’s pheromones have been used against heroes frequently. In The Phantasm though, the approach is as refreshing as it is compelling.
The Phastasm is a looming, menacing figure, with a voice not too dissimilar from Christian Bale’s infamous bat growl. Outside of her alter ego though, Andrea Beaumont is Bruce Wayne’s ex-lover. A hero and villain love story isn’t groundbreaking, but this is arguably the best one Batman’s ever been involved in.
Even without that juicy angle, she’s one of Batman’s more interesting foes. Both were born wealthy but are left empty by the death of their parents. Both are skilled hand-to-hand combatants. Both stalk around in dark capes at night. It’s very clever writing to show how easily Batman could have fallen into that kind of life, had a few things been a little different.