You'll be fine watching these episodes in production order. The episodes stand alone very well.

I've had this episode saved on my TiVo for going on four years now. It sure would be nice to finally get it on DVD.

thanks for your answer.

Damn! I only have the 1st Volume, which I got the day it came out, and I LOVED it!!! I better start get a cracken, and catch up with the other 2 Volumes...

Honestly I really didn't like the Gotham Knights series as much. I think they really screwed up on the character design and I personally cannot stand timothy drake as Robin and he was in almost every episode. Still it is good animation and there are a couple gems in there. I just liked it better when Fox aired it.

Now batman beyond on the other hand...simply awesome.

I forget who said it, but these Batman TAS volumes are NOT exactly production order. For example, the second episode of v1, entitled "Christmas with the Joker" is actually episode #38.

They are fine if you watch them in DVD order. There's little things and references to previous episodes, but it doesn't have as big an arc as say Justice League does.

I've been putting off getting Vol. 3 since I'm not done watching Vol.2 yet but if buying this next set means having all the TAS shows then I'm going to have my wife pick the last set up at Wal-Mart ASAP.

Are these worth a blind buy? I like Batman, but have never been a cartoon junky. This would be my first foray into animated series DVDs.

If you like Batman, then you'll like these sets.

A lot of people consider BTAS to be the one of the best animated series ever made. I have all three volumes and for me personally, there is not a single bad episode.

It's the best rendition of Batman in any medium ever.

It's very good to be sure, but this statement is pretty inaccurate, or at least representative of the fact you've seen TAS and the movies and that's it.

Or else it's, you know, an opinion. Take it for what it's worth.

But DamingR, obviously I agree that if you like Batman, you'll like these. Maybe rent one disc first to try it out, but the sets aren't very expensive if you're thinking of blind-buying one.

< - Own them on VCD

I remember watching this show as a kid and loving it. Now that I have all the DVD's I want to watch them again. But the production order thing REALLY bugs me. If I watch them in the order that zakiwon suggested on the previous page would they make more sense? I guess all I want to do is watch them in the order that they were susposed to be seen, that way characters don't just pop up and then vanish all the time. Either way it is great to have this show on DVD!

Characters don't pop up and vanish all the time. As a couple of people have said, the order on the DVDs works quite well. I can't imagine that rearranging them in production order v. broadcast order would make much difference at all.

Agree. Strongly.

Agree with the earlier assertion that this is the best Batman in any medium...or at least my favorite. I love the 1940's serial style and the tone. The animation is top notch throughout and there are VERY few bad episodes. My comics experience is limited mostly to graphic novels, so I probably shouldn't speak to that, but Batman TAS is at least superior to every other video based version of Batman...including Batman Begins.

At very least, it is my favorite cartoon series, bar none, and it seems to be aimed at adults at least as much as it is at kids.

As far as viewing order goes, the episodes are pretty much all standalone, with an occassional episode referring back to an earlier one...generally when a villian reappears. Robin is there about 1/8th of the time, and there's really no continuity to that. I think that they assume he's off at college most of the time and pops in for an episode here and there. Bottom line: I'd recommend watching them in DVD order.

Edit to add: Best. Joker. Ever.

http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/newsitem.cfm?NewsID=3636

could tie in same day with this

from davisdvd

Warner Home Video has announced The Batman vs. Dracula for release on October 18th. Gotham City is terrorized not only by recent escapees Joker and Penguin, but by the original creature of the night, Dracula! Can Batman stop the ruthless vampire before he turns everyone in the city, including The Caped Crusader, into his mindless minions? The disc arrives with a fullscreen transfer and Dolby Digital Surround. Extras include a "Science vs. Superstition" featurette, "City of Knight" interactive map with behind the scenes clips and "Voices in Close Up" multi-window montage with pop-up trivia boxes and interview footage with the voice talent. Retail is $24.98.

heh. That would be an interesting cross marketing decision.....but I kinda doubt it actually. Would make more sense to release v4 near Christmas. Earliest I would expect this set would near Thanksgiving, to take advantage of all the shopping done the day after.

By the time it became Gotham Knights, I stopped watching the show.
Was it as good as the earlier episodes?

I have all 3 volumes of the DVD.
Is it worth getting the fourth volume?

Personally I thought Gotham Knights was kick ass. They changed to a different animation style (reminiscent of anime to a degree) and the dynamic was changed a bit since Robin was drawn as a kid instead of a teenager.

Not just "drawn as"; he was a different, and younger, character. The original Robin had become Nightwing.