Superman the Animated Series was a tremendous success for Warner Brothers in the mid-to-late 1990s. It featured great voice acting, familiar and beloved characters, and a bright color palette. It brought with it the hope and optimism that Superman is so famous for. However, another DC animated series eclipses it in the modern consciousness:Batman the Animated Series.
The two shows were tonally similar, featured A-list characters, and were both successes among fans and critics. Yet,Batman the Animated Seriesis much more fondly remembered than its Superman counterpart. Why is there such a disparity? With both shows featuring a similar art style, the same type of mature storytelling that still appealed to younger audiences, and plenty of action, why is one more fondly remembered than the other?
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Part of it could be timing. Since 1989, the longest gap in time between Batman movies was eight years (betweenBatman and Robinin 1997 andBatman Beginsin 2005). Five feature-length Batman films debuted between 1987’sSuperman IV: The Quest for Peaceand2006’sSuperman Returns. This is a huge advantage for Batman in the pop culture landscape’s memory. Furthermore, there was no Superman film in the 1990s. Whereas whenBatman the Animated Seriesdebuted, it was coming fresh off the heels of two successful Batman movies inBatmanandBatman Returns.
Both shows came out during the same decade and therefore were catering to the generally same generation: older millennials and younger Generation X kids. This audience of mostly 80s kids belonged to the Reagan era where individualism and greed reigned supreme. What better role model than abillionaire playboy who is also a superhero? Even though billionaires are not relatable for most people, perhaps they are more relatable, no matter how extravagant, than an alien who can shoot heat vision from his eyes and fly faster than a speeding bullet. Batman simply fit this era’s ethos better than Superman could.
There’s also the fact that Batman likely has the best rogue’s gallery in comic book lore. The mainstream viewing audience also knows many of them thanks to a variety of movies and television shows. The Joker, The Riddler, The Penguin, Catwoman, and Bane are all household names, and that is hardly an exhaustive list of Batman’s villains. They are a colorful, playful bunch inBatman the Animated Series, playing off of Batman’s stern nature in an interesting clash of personalities.
The Joker is a psychotic clown, Two-Face has two personalities and one is evil. That’s fairly easy to understand. Superman’s villains, on the other hand, require a little more nuance to understand. Lex Luthor and Brainiac might be great villains, but they are significantly more cerebral for the average viewer, let alone the average child who was watching these shows in the 1990s. Not to mention most viewers have no idea who Mr. Mxyyzptlk and Titano are, for example.
Along with the characters came some great voiceover performances. Kevin Conroy as Batman and Mark Hamill as The Joker were a winning one-two combination. Not only did they star inBatman the Animated Series, they reprised their roles forSuperman the Animated Series. The dynamic duo also reprised their voice roles for a variety of animated films and video games. They have been the animated voices of Batman and the Joker for nearly three decades. Batman and the Joker are simply more ingrained in the cultural consciousness than Superman and Lex Luthor, and Kevin Conroy and Mark Hamill are synonymous with the two.
Batman: TASmight have also maintained its reputation because of its darker outlook. Art mirrors reality, and some of the worst aspects of modern lifesound more like Gotham Citythan Metropolis, a city where the sun shines and a being with the power of a god serves as its protector.
By contrast, Gotham is a city with a corrupt and inept police department, rife with violence and predators, and is only protected by the Bat-Family. Though a fantastical place, Gotham is clearly modeled after New York City or Chicago, whereas Metropolis does not resemble any place on Earth in either look or tone.
Modern movies have also not helped Superman’s reputation. 2013’sMan of Steelreceived mixed reviews from critics and fans of the character alike. It revealed a darker Superman, one who receives questionable advice from Papa Kent and actually kills General Zod in combat. Then, there isBatman Vs. Superman: Dawn of JusticeandJustice League,both of which were rejected by critics. This was likely aWarner Brothers, Zack Snyder, and DC problemmore than it was a Superman problem. But, it still put a damper on the character in terms of recent feature-film appearances.
Despite similarities in tone and a variety of shared characters in the same existing universe,Batman the Animated Seriessimply has more longevity and nostalgia thanSuperman the Animated Series. Batman is more relatable to its target audience, has star-power behind its vocal talent, and is more fit for the 21st century.
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