THE UNOFFICIAL BATMAN: THE ANIMATED INTERVIEWS, VOL. 5

The exhaustive oral history of Batman in animation continues.

In this hefty fifth volume of the ongoing interview series covering the famous comics character Batman through one animated series after another (starting in 1992 with the critically praised Batman: The Animated Series), Miller traces the character’s appearances in animated media after the cancellation of Batman Beyond in 2001. This installment follows the pattern of earlier volumes by framing its narrative via a series of interviews with virtually everybody connected with the projects discussed, from artists and storyboarders to writers, directors, producers, and the voice actors who brought all the characters of the extended Batman mythos to life (the most famous being the late Kevin Conroy as Batman). Once again, Miller has filled virtually every page with photos and color stills, from raw storyboards to pics of convention appearances by stars and showrunners over the years, making these volumes a unique visual resource on this subject. In addition to the interviews, the text also includes detailed episode guides for Batman’s appearances after Batman Beyond in shows such as Justice League, Justice League Unlimited, and several straight-to-video feature productions. As with all the previous volumes, Miller presents the perfect blend of fan appreciation and industry-insider details. Animator Bruce Timm, for instance, reflects on the work-intensive nature of the two-part 2003 Justice League episode “Wild Cards” (which featured Mark Hamill reprising his role as the Joker): “We probably spent more man-hours in the editing bay on that particular show than any other JL episode. It seemed like practically every single shot needed some kind of trim or ‘speed-up’ or ‘slow-down’ or re-take.” Throughout the work, Miller’s respect and affection for the character and his animated incarnations are evident in many of the interviews, such as when executive producer Michael Uslan sums things up with, “So, that’s I think where it begins and ends. It’s story. It’s quality.”

Another sumptuous must-have reference for Batman fans.