10 Best Batman: The Animated Series Episodes
2. Heart Of Ice
Were you unfortunate enough to have seen Arnold Schwarzenegger’s ill-judged portrayal of Mr Freeze in Batman & Robin, you’d be forgiven for dismissing him as one of Batman’s less-interesting villains.
In Heart of Ice, we learn that not only does Victor Fries have one of the most gut-wrenching origin stories of Batman villains, he is also one of Batman’s most dangerous foes.
Heart of Ice is recognised as one of the series’ very best episodes, chiefly because it has a plot to die for – one that would be used as the basis for later incarnations of Mr Freeze in other media. Of the many villains for which the lines between good and evil are blurred, Fries is surely the benchmark. Turning to a life of crime in order to find a cure for his dying wife, Heart of Ice poses questions to the audience of morality and wrongdoing, asking how far you would go to save your loved ones, and Batman’s final judgement on Fries’ nemesis – exposing him for his own wrongdoings – is another reminder of how The Dark Knight’s own morality stretches out beyond merely good vs evil.
The best episode of the series? Almost…