The Batman Season 1 Episode 1

Kevin Michael Richardson, the voice of The Joker, also plays Carlton Duquesne, in the animated movie "Mystery of the Batwoman".

This episode along with "Traction" and "Call Of The Cobblepot" was released on DVD as The Batman: Training For Power.

Chief Rojas mentions that Detective Yin is from Metropolis.

This incarnation of Joker slightly differs from his previous animated incarnations in terms of his facial appearance. This Joker has eyes with yellow pupils and blood-crimson irises/whites and his teeth, though yellowed like his animated predecessors, are misshapen and uneven. In this episode, they have a squared, jigsaw-like pattern, enabling him to still perform the trademark Joker Smile with no difficulties. In all subsequent episodes, his teeth are simply misshapen and crooked. In fact, they seem to appear differently in every episode.

Actor Rino Ramano is no stranger to voicing superheroes, as he played Spider-Man in the 1999 series, Spider-Man Unlimited.

It's revealed that Bruce Wayne's birthday is in October.

UK airdate: July 11, 2005.

This version of Batman has shorter ears and claws as part of his gloves.

Cartoon Network airdate: April 2, 2005.

Detective Ellen Yin in this series looks like, dresses like, and has the same job as detective Elisa Maza from the series Gargoyles.

Bruce Timm, Eric Radomski, and Paul Dini are all given a nod as they are caricatures on the faces of escapees from Arkham.

Bat vehicle debuts: Batmobile, Batboat.

Bat-gadget debuts: Batarang, grappling hook.

In most incarnations of the Joker's laughing gas, it is lethal. However, since this is a kid's series, the gas only puts its victims in a catatonic state.

In this series, the Joker is depicted in no way that he's been depicted before. He is dressed in a jester/straightjacket costume, has dreadlocks, and fights somewhat like Toad from X-Men.

The character Ellen Yin may be a nod to Ellen Yindel from the graphic novel "The Dark Knight Returns," where in a possible future she replaces Jim Gordon as commissioner and starts hunting Batman.

The bats flying at the screen every time a scene ended is also a nod to the Batman (1966) series.

The Monarch theater, from the original movie, is shown for the first time.

The Joker is introduced.

In the 1989 movie, the Joker held a small parade with gas-filled balloons that he was going to use on the populace, very similar to how the Joker was going to do it in this episode without the fanfare.

The main title design and the poles in the Batcave are nods to Batman (1966) that starred Adam West, who voices the mayor in this series.

Ratings: 3.7/15. The average for this week was 3.3/16.

This is the first animated Joker since the old cartoons before the 90's that isn't voiced by Mark Hamill.