Forget HBO’s Penguin: The Best Batman Series Shows Superhero Perfection
A different kind of Gotham story
The Penguin works as a standalone continuation of Matt Reeves’ The Batman, presenting Gotham through a crime-drama lens. Its success also raised anticipation for The Batman - Part II, a film that has faced production problems and delays since 2022.
But Batman himself has little connection to the series beyond the Penguin’s earlier appearance in The Batman. That distance makes it difficult to rank the show as the top Batman series, despite its quality.
An animated series with reach
Batman: The Animated Series, released in the 1990s, is presented as the leading Batman show. Its animation, score and mature storytelling helped it stand out, while its influence reached later television, films and comics.
The series also changed how audiences saw several villains, including Mr. Freeze and Harvey Two-Face. Its treatment of Mr. Freeze gave the character a compelling history that later stories continued to use.
Characters and voices endure
Harley Quinn was created for Batman: The Animated Series rather than for DC Comics. The character later became one of Batman’s most popular adversaries, illustrating the show’s wider impact on DC storytelling.
Voice actors Kevin Conroy and Mark Hamill became closely associated with Batman and the Joker. They later voiced those characters in other projects, including the Batman Arkham video games.
A stronger superhero identity
The Penguin is primarily a grounded crime drama set in a superhero world, with Batman’s spotlight appearing in the final seconds of its last episode. Its tone and story offer less of the comic-book material associated with the genre.
Batman: The Animated Series embraces its superhero roots. The comparison argues that this, alongside its filmmaking and franchise influence, makes it a stronger Batman series and a standout superhero show.
Key points
- The Penguin is praised as a Gotham crime drama but has little connection to Batman himself.
- Batman: The Animated Series is credited with influencing Batman stories across television, films and comics.
- The animated series created Harley Quinn and helped redefine characters such as Mr. Freeze.
- Kevin Conroy and Mark Hamill became closely linked to Batman and the Joker through their voice work.