10 Reasons Batman Animated Is The Definitive Dark Knight
5. It Introduced A New Generation To The Character
BTAS's most important role is perhaps its harbouring of the latest generation of Bat-fans, taking the place of Burton's films for fans just a little too young to see Jack Nicholson on screen. It certainly did its job however, with Batman being consistently ranked as being among the most popular of heroes for adults today. Obviously this success is due in no small part to the works of Burton and Nolan, but BTAS occupied the perfect visual medium to keep fans interested in between big screen outings. I first saw the show when I was just three years old, and well, it pretty much kickstarted my love for the comic medium. The personal significance of Bruce's animated adventures really can't be understated, and I'm sure I'm not the only one who first saw the cape and cowl through its animated interpretation. The fact that it's still undeniably the best Batman show on offer has meant that it still continues to rake in audiences both young and old to this day - remaining a key staple of any Bat-fan's collection of geekery for what I imagine will be for many more years to come.
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.
