Batman: The Animated Series finally heads to Blu-ray in 2018. As one of the most popular superheroes in history, Batman has starred in some of the greatest comic book-based films and TV shows of all time. This very much extends to the animated realm, thanks to the aforementioned Batman: TAS. Airing weekday afternoons on FOX Kids, TAS debuted in September 1992, and ended in September 1995. 85 episodes were produced in total.
Batman: TAS became well-known for presenting more complex, thought-provoking stories than the average kid-targeted cartoon, creating beloved adaptations of several notable comic arcs along the way. Batman: TAS took full advantage of the Caped Crusader’s extensive rogues’ gallery as well, including just about any major villain that a Batman fan could want to see realized in animated form. From The Joker, to Bane, to even Killer Croc, Batman never had a shortage of worthy foes to both outwit and outfight.
In news sure to please anyone who grew up watching Batman: TAS, CBR reports that Warner Bros. Home Entertainment is planning to release the entire run of the classic show on Blu-ray. Produced long before the rise of 1080p, Batman: TAS’s episodes will be freshly restored and remastered for HD. This mirrors the process undergone by Batman: Mask of the Phantasm, which came out on Blu-Ray this past July. An animated feature, MotP served as a theatrical extension of Batman: TAS’ success.
While the Batman: TAS Blu-ray set is expected to come out in late 2018, further details - such as a specific release date and price point - have yet to be revealed. Also unclear is whether the set will include the 24-episode run of The New Batman Adventures, a follow-up series that aired on The WB from September 1997 to October 1998. While technically a different show, The New Batman Adventures was packaged alongside Batman: TAS for prior DVD releases. Logically though, it would probably make financial sense for Warner Bros. to package them together on Blu-ray as well.
Batman is going through a pretty interesting pop culture period right now. Theatrically, he’ll soon be once again portrayed by Ben Affleck in the DCEU entry Justice League, which fans hope will prove a worthy successor to the widely acclaimed Wonder Woman. Over on the small screen, Gotham’s Bruce Wayne seems to be getting closer and closer to going full-on Dark Knight, having recently acquired a sort of proto-Batsuit that he uses to fight crime.
More: Catwoman Says [Spoiler] to Batman’s Marriage Proposal
Batman: The Animated Series heads to Blu-Ray in late 2018.
Source: CBR
