Batman is a figurehead in comic book history, being one of the most recognizable comic book characters of all time, is arguably the mascot of DC comics next to Superman, and is often listed as many people’s favorite superhero of all time. With a backstory and motivation ingrained into the minds of many and with various different interpretations popping up all over the place in both animated and live action which range from dark and gritty to light and goofy, it’s hard to find a perfect adaption for younger audiences. While the Adam West show can appeal to them, it misses the mark on what the character stands for, and while The Dark Knight and the 1989 Tim Burton version are great movies that explore the dark depth of the character quite well, they feature many things that aren’t suitable for kids. The 1993 animated movie, Batman: Mask of the Phantasm, may be the perfect version not only for kids to watch, but also in demonstrating the purest form of Batman through the screens yet. Taking place in the same universe as the heavily popular animated series in the mid-90s, Batman (voiced by Kevin Conroy) finds himself being accused of murdering several mob bosses across Gotham, with the real culprit being a new vigilante titled the Phantasm (voiced by Stacy Keach). At the same time, an old lover of Bruce’s, Andrea (voiced by Dana Delany) returns to Gotham, bringing back painful memories of lost love and forcing him to recall the final push that convinced him to permanently become the Dark Knight. With the Phantasm on the loose, the police hunting him down, and even acquiring a hit from the Joker (voiced by Mark Hamill), Batman has to pull out all his detective and vigilante skills to take down this new vigilante before he kills again. This movie is quintessential Batman: the gothic story, the bittersweet narrative, the tragic character moments, the top notch acting, heavenly score, great noir-style visuals, the timeless feel, as well just being an enjoyable comic book story mixed with dark truths, it has it all. Though badly advertised, failing pretty hard at the box office due to a minute cinematic release, and only receiving a small cult following over the years, Mask of the Phantasm is a forgotten gem that desperately needs more attention.

As previously mentioned, the story, written by Alan Burnett (who is involved in pretty much everything DC) is a classic Batman fable, with plenty of emotional turmoil and tragic undertones everywhere that express what is fantastic about his world and his mythos. The movie sticks true to the original Batman source material and keeps it rough and heavy, grounding a story about superheros and making it much more about the individual struggles than the overall cosmic threats. But with that said, it never goes too far where it becomes ugly and dull, it’s still realizing it’s a comic book and has fun with that. Existing within the same world as the 90s animated series (which many considered to be the best version of the Dark Knight already), which featured a world that was gothic and disturbed on some level but could still contain some usual comic-book theatrics and have fun with itself sometimes, so it makes sense this movie is no different. It can have Batman facing the turmoil of getting over his parent’s deaths and feeling guilty about feeling genuine love for a woman, but it can also have rocket packs and remote-controlled helicopters that shoot guns. The tone never feels off-balanced or conflicting, it finds that perfect mix of tragic and light-hearted that makes these kind of stories inviting to many comic fans. The movie even features a mystery element to it; it’s ironic since even though Batman is declared the world’s greatest detective, none of the movie’s really highlight that aspect very well. Here the plot and the script for the film written by Burnett, Paul Dini, Martin Pasko and Michael Reaves is constructed with enough clues and revealing plot points that while slightly obvious to some, still works with the themes of Batman and is paced out in a very effective way. The movie is roughly only an hour long, but the direction by Bruce Timm and Eric Radomski uses every minute perfectly in telling its story; switching between the present with the Phantasm and Batman’s struggle to overcome him and the conflict that has arisen among the police force, and the past with Bruce feeling guilty in finding love, the eventual fall-out that came with that relationship (and just any semblance of his happy and bright future) as well as the true introduction of Batman. The movie also came out at a time where PG meant something, so the movie is home to some intense off-screen deaths and a few shots of blood, but they are used with purpose in illustrating the movie’s more intense set-up. The downside to this film however is that while it handles itself brilliantly, the movie doesn’t really take any risks. While that’s not a major problem for the film as a whole, it lacks that next step that every other Batman movie has taken when coming to the big screen, while this movie is largely very straightforward in following the layout of the show it’s based on, which isn’t wrong but slightly holds it back. While it has great gothic elements, fun visual storytelling and imagery, wonderful character work with superb voice-acting and a truly amazing climax from both a writing and visual standpoint, it doesn’t feel like much is truly mind-blowing with its content

The characters are all very recognizable and are therefore not required to have that much of an introduction in the movie. Either through watchers of the show, avid comic fans or just from knowing who Batman is, not much is really necessary in detailing out the characters and their roles, which gives the movie much more time to dive into what new stuff they come up with. There’s a nice new element added to Bruce’s past about him feeling bad about betraying his parent’s legacy by feeling happy with the love of his life, the Phantasm leads to a nice parallel with Batman’s overall purpose and muddying his ethical road, and the scenes with the Joker are wonderfully funny and threatening at the same time, much like the character himself and placing him in a supporting role without it detracting from his usual fantastic presence. Andrea is pretty likeable, with Dana Delany doing great as the voice (even some much that the team would bring her back to voice Lois Lane on their Superman animated series), the two sharing some genuinely nice scenes together, and their tale leads into the classic bittersweet element very nicely. The Phantasm has a cool voice, intimidating presence and ghostly illusions that could only work in comic book setups like this. The voice actors are all wonderful in portraying their roles with the old cast familiar from the animated show still holding strong and the new cast fitting in very easily to boot. Kevin Conroy and Mark Hamill are fantastic in their roles; both have portrayed the characters so faithfully and effectively that their voices are often the first to come to mind for comic readers. Conroy carries the weight of Batman but the playboy of Bruce Wayne very effectively, and Hamill is fittingly perfect as the King of Clowns with his infamous laugh and great comic timing. Even some vocal performances from people like Hart Bochner, Abe Vigoda, Dick Miller, and John P. Ryan make the world feel believably gritty, yet still playfully comic book-esque.

With animation comes elements that can’t always been replicated perfectly in live-action adaptations, and Mask of the Phantasm handles that part excellently too. Since comics are a physically crafted format on paper, it means that animation can more effectively capture many of the creative and memorable visuals that comic strips can produce. The film has amazingly flowing and tight line-work, as well as bright colorful characters balancing off the darker backdrops. The movie is home to some great shadow work that feels right out of a film noir, and fantastic angles that feel ripped off of a comic book panel. The film knew to up the animation budget from an already pretty impressive looking show, allowing things to be a lot brighter, more expressive, and equally more intense and even sometimes graphic. The movie didn’t pander to the times of its release and kept the film as a 2D-drawn movie, in a time where CG was the new craze and almost every other superhero related thing was doing it. Aside from the opening, the 2D style truly works best in conveying the emotions of the characters and the importance of the story far more effectively. What was also upgraded upon was the music. Shirley Walker took her already fantastically crafted themes on the animated shows and blew them out of the water again with the introduction of a choir and even more booming instrumentation’s, sending chills down audiences’ spines with how well it captures the dark epic scale of the story and character (she was already a legend with the composing scene, and this just pushed her to mythic status).

Batman: Mask of the Phantasm may not be the most recognized Batman film like most of the other famous versions, but it easily deserves to be put up there as one worth searching out and appreciating for what it brings to an already overstuffed table. It captures the purest essence of Batman down to his mythos and his ideologies, to the darker storylines and troubled characters. It’s a perfect version to show to the kids; younger audience will get into the Joker and the various comic book elements, while the adults can get into the tragic storyline and the overall visual and musical spectacle. It ticks all the right boxes and comes out on top as one of the best adaptations of a Batman film while also appealing mainly to a younger audiences. If anyone is a fan of Batman or just appreciates a good mystery, definitely check this movie out. A hidden gem among the ranks of famous Batman films, a dark knight tale that needs to be seen.

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