Batman- The Animated Series first aired in 1992 on Fox Kids in the US and was sent out worldwide over the next few years. After first experiencing the Comic version around that time, I was rapidly hooked on the Art Deco design, a new broody Batman, and a virtual absence of any form of wisecrack which had defined the Batman of my childhood- syndicated reruns of the 1966 Batman series. That series may have had the most iconic Batmobile at the time. Still, the city was otherwise soulless, save for the occasional guest star that Batman and Robin would encounter as they climbed walls on the BatRope.

We were in a post-Burton/Keaton world. The Dark Knight Returns was fading from the collective consciousness, and Joel Schumacher was about to return the Movie franchise to high camp with Batman Forever as well as Batman and Robin.

This was the first time I fell for the Collector Bug. I picked up the comic (and its successors) for years: free from the shackles of the rest of the DC Universe, it was left unscathed by the events of Knightfall, Zero Hour, Eclipso and more. No external knowledge was necessary. I picked up the Action figures (and I got in early enough to pick up the plain vanilla Grey/cartoon-accurate version), not to mention the Skydive Batman in his orange flight suit with a mylar foil parachute. I may not have all of Batman variants, but I didn’t think most of them were screen realistic enough, and I was just in my early days of paid employment. But I picked most of them up. Some are still on their cards. Others are not. A quick glance on eBay tells me they have appreciated less than my LEGO sets from 15 years in the future. I bought the Batmobile, the DVDs when they came out, and an art book along the way. Even the push button activated rotating figurine lollypops.
But not the VHS cassettes: I set the timer to record them on my VCR (video cassette recorder) as they were broadcast on Channel 9 at 4:30 on weekday afternoons in mid-1993. Even when I went overseas for a few weeks, the Knoller-in-Chief would drop into my flat on the weekend to change the cassette so I could continue to build my collection of episodes.

I could find some of these figures in a couple of seconds. Others might take a little longer as they are currently in storage at a secure off-site location.

In the meantime, The animated series continued to pull off terrific episodic storytelling (with only a few multi-episode epics) with a distinctive art style all its own. We saw the first introduction of Harley Quinn and the movie Mask of the Phantasm.

To this day, it remains my favourite flavour of Batman.

Suffice it to say that when this press release hit my inbox, I was a little excited. To date, we have not had any LEGO® sets officially associated with Batman: The Animated Series. There may have been a couple that have come close over the years. Still, they were more along the lines of a generic Batmobile and drawing inspiration from the Burton Movies, as well as the animated masterpiece.

Enter 76271 Gotham City Skyline – Part of the LEGO Icons Range. This Epic bas relief has 4210 pieces and will occupy wall space measuring 76 cm x 41.6cm. It’s due for release on April 1 (insiders), April 4 – everyone else. It has a recommended Retail Price of €299.99 / £259.99 / $USD299.99/ $499.99 AUD/2499 CNY/121990 HUF/389.99 CAD/7499 MXN.
It’s a large financial investment, but hanging this set is a big commitment.
I appreciate the colouring of the sky, blood red with clouds filling the night sky, and the Batsignal burning bright, while Police airships scour the cityscape for villains running amok.
Some regions of the model encourage you to peel away some of the layers to reveal the city’s hidden depths.

There are 4 unique minifigures associated with the set: Batman, the Joker, Harley Quinn and a Grey-clad Catwoman.
I have enjoyed a few of my previous ventures into hanging LEGO images on the wall, and this might be one to share that privilege with Great Wave.

The set’s release comes as the world prepares to celebrate the 85th appearance of Batman. Somehow, I suspect there will be more to see as the reargues buy. I’d love to know what you think. Was the Animated series part of your childhood? Something that drew you back to Batman?

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Until Next Time,

Play Well!