If you listened to Episode 006 of The Sartorial Geek Podcast, you know that our guest Joey Ellis is a big big fan of Batman, particularly the Batman animated movies.

For those of us who have a hard time moving past the fact that not everything animated is for kids (or who haven’t kept up with every piece of Batman news for the past 30 years), here’s a list of our designer’s favorite movies:

Batman: Mask of the Phantasm

Talk Nerdy to Me: 5 Batman Animated Movies for Newbies

Also known as Batman: The Animated MovieMask of the Phantasm came out in 1993 as the continuation of Batman: The Animated Series (which you should totally watch!). With Kevin Conroy voicing Batman and Mark Hamill as the Joker, you really can’t go wrong.

2. Batman: Year One

Talk Nerdy to Me: 5 Batman Animated Movies for Newbies

Released in 2011, Batman: Year One tells the story of Batman and Jim Gordon returning to Gotham City. Jim Gordon is voiced by Bryan Cranston, and Bruce Wayne is voiced by Ben McKenzie, who goes on to play James Gordon in FOX’s Gotham. It’s the circle of life.

3. Batman: Gotham Knight

Talk Nerdy to Me: 5 Batman Animated Movies for Newbies

This animated movie is actually a collection of shorts by a group of anime creators. Yes, it is as interesting as it sounds.

4. Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker

Talk Nerdy to Me: 5 Batman Animated Movies for Newbies

Return of the Joker is set very far into the future of The Animated Series continuity, when Batman (Kevin Conroy) is an old Bruce Wayne and a new young Batman (Will Friedle) is on the scene. Mark Hamill again voices the Joker (in case you couldn’t tell, he is very, very good in this role).

5. Batman: The Dark Knight Returns (Part 1 & 2)

Talk Nerdy to Me: 5 Batman Animated Movies for Newbies

The Dark Knight Returns is an animated movie adaptation of the Frank Miller comic by the same name. It tells the story of a retired Bruce Wayne coming back as Batman to fight crime.

BONUS: Batman: Under the Red Hood

Talk Nerdy to Me: 5 Batman Animated Movies for Newbies

Batman: Under the Red Hood is a Gotham City mystery. Supernatural fans, you might notice a familiar voice!

Have you seen any of these animated movies? Did you enjoy them? Did we miss one of your favorites?

Let’s chat, and don’t forget to check out the other posts in this series!

Ready to dive into these Batman movies? Shop our Amazon affiliate links here: Mask of the Phantasm, Year One, Gotham Night, Return of the Joker, The Dark Knight Returns, and Under the Red Hood!

Author

Jordan Ellis is the co-editor of The Sartorial Geek and the weirdo behind Jordandené, a subtly geeky lifestyle and apparel brand.

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