10 Reasons Batman Animated Is The Definitive Dark Knight
10. The Animation Style
Though everyone has their own preference, The Animated Series' two art styles blended the best gothic elements from the comics with the vibrancy of the silver age to create something with a very timeless feel. Mobsters dress in 1940s fashion and the police force all have cars with a distinctly retro look. All this and more contribute to the sense that the show is its own thing - its own slice of Batman with an unashamedly outlandish look and feel. Everything from the character designs to the colour pallet on display are pretty immaculate, with some of the best animation of the series emerging in the explosive finale to the fan favourite episode 'Harley and Ivy'. It certainly looks surreal, but it's just too unique not to love. The style creates a dark and foreboding atmosphere whilst also painting a picture of Batman that is equally caring as he is fierce. It's not an easy thing to pull off, and some of those more gothic elements may have been lost in the transition to TNBA, but BTAS still remains the best visual representation of the Dark Knight we've ever seen.
WhatCulture's very own resident movie guy, Ewan has been working in the content creation biz for over 10 years now, having started as a freelance contributor to WhatCulture Gaming all the way back in 2015. After graduating with a First-Class Honours in History from Northumbria University in 2017 (where he won a prize for a totally killer dissertation on the Watergate years), Ewan took on the role of Comics Editor at WhatCulture and quickly developed WhatCulture Comics into one of the biggest superhero-focused channels on YouTube. He followed this with a brief hiatus at Screen Rant in 2021, where he worked across the Gaming and Film sections as a writer and editor, before returning to WhatCulture as a Senior Content Producer / Presenter in 2023. He started his own podcast, We Love Dad Movies, in 2022, and has contributed several written pieces to the Eisner-nominated comics website Shelfdust as well.
In his current role, Ewan incorporates his love of cinema, comic books, and history into written pieces and video essays for WhatCulture's Film & TV channel, as well as WhatCulture Gaming and WhatCulture Horror, with a particular focus on nineties-era Dad Movies, old school Westerns, and Golden Age Hollywood Noir. John Carpenter is his fave, and he thinks Batman Beyond should never have been cancelled. If that's your vibe, you'll probably like his stuff.
