While a lot of Batman’s adventures in the comics have been suitable for readers young and old, he’s a darker character who just feels more at home on the creepier side of the DC universe. Because of that, there are plenty of episodes of “Batman: The Animated Series” that are perfect to watch on Halloween. The Caped Crusader is one of those rare, versatile characters who can masterfully tackle gritty crime stories about mobsters and assassins, while also tackling supernatural beasts and monsters who stalk the shadows.
With enough preparation, he can take on pretty much anything. The 1992 series is widely regarded as one of the best superhero TV shows of all time, and it’s because Kevin Conroy’s Bruce Wayne seamlessly slots in with all aspects of Batman’s adventures.
Because the writers pushed the boundaries of what a “Batman” animated series could do, there’s no shortage of creepy episodes to choose from. Some honorable mentions that didn’t make the cut are the Clayface origin episodes, “Feat of Clay,” as well as “Over the Edge,” the infamous chapter where Commissioner Gordon (Bob Hastings) is tricked into thinking Batgirl (Melissa Gilbert) dies.
Without further ado, here’s the “Batman: The Animated Series” episodes you should watch on Halloween.
Moon of the Wolf
It’s Batman vs. a Werewolf, the concept is the argument! Who doesn’t want to see the Dark Knight hold his own against a classic horror monster like that? “Moon of the Wolf” is fairly standard for “Batman: The Animated Series” because there’s a backstory behind the monster, which explains he never intended to become a villain.
The aptly named Anthony Romulus (Harry Hamlin) was a former athletics star who started using a performance enhancer including wolf DNA in order to win an Olympic gold medal.Obviously, after repeatedly using it, Romulus transforms into a werewolf and is sent out by the doctor he was working with to cover their tracks. Romulus is an original character for the show, but he’s strikingly similar to a character in the comics called Anthony Lupus who essentially has the same origin and powers.
It’s not one of the best episodes of “Batman: The Animated Series,” but it’s perfect for Halloween by blending spooky monster action with superheroics. It’s scary enough to feel edgy for an animated show, but it never goes too far into actual horror territory. “Moon of the Wolf” is definitely a great Halloween pick for younger audiences.
Dreams in Darkness
“Dreams in Darkness” is a psychological thriller where Batman is the one locked up in Arkham Asylum for once, instead of the villains. It’s a haunting story about the loss of agency and control, as Batman is desperate to stop Scarecrow from unleashing fear toxin on the city. But his claims about the villain are completely dismissed by the staff as the ravings of a madman. And it’s surprisingly scary seeing the hero bound in a straitjacket while still wearing his costume.
The doctors believe that if they remove the mask, it’ll break Batman’s already precarious mental state as a result of the toxins. Not only is it a great way of tackling Bruce’s deep-seated traumas, but it also establishes Scarecrow as a truly terrifying villain, one who uses Batman’s very being against him so that he can’t stop his plot to overthrow Gotham.
Of course, the Dark Knight manages to break through the fear toxin plaguing his mind and defends himself from a horde of visions, but they’re no less scary just because the audience knows they’re not real. Sure, some of it’s not very subtle — like when he faces down a giant version of the gun that killed his parents — but it’s still a scary way of tackling the usual villain-of-the-week story.
On Leather Wings
“On Leather Wings” is the first episode of the entire show, and it’s proof that “Batman: The Animated Series” has always been a dark, noir thriller disguised as a kids’ show. The episode revolves around Batman investigating a mysterious bat-like creature after the authorities mistake it in the skies for the Caped Crusader himself.
This leads the detective to Dr. Kirk Langstrom (Marc Singer), who has been experimenting on himself. Sure, it’s the old trope of science gone wrong, but the episode revels in that revealing Langstrom is just experimenting for the sake of it. It doesn’t give him an emotional backstory or heartbreaking motivation, like so many other comic book villains. He’s just a guy obsessed with bats. In case it wasn’t glaringly obvious, he’s a creepy parallel to Bruce Wayne, and that just works.
Batman fighting monsters is always an exciting spectacle, but there’s something inherently spooky about Man-Bat’s animalistic nature, and watching Langstrom’s body horrifically pulse while his teeth grow into fangs in front of Batman is nothing short of terrifying. The episode even throws in flashing light effects to give the change a horror-tinged intensity.
House & Garden
Poison Ivy seemingly settles down and has a nice suburban life with a husband and children after being rehabilitated by the Arkham Asylum staff. So why are giant plant monsters targetting random men across Gotham City in a rash of attacks she claims to know nothing about? Well, it turns out that she’s been funding her own experiments, creating her own plant-human hybrid family… but they dissolve after a short amount of time. That’s a hell of a concept on its own, but it’s only after Batman discovers the truth that “House & Garden” really transforms into a body horror nightmare.
When Batman and Robin finally uncover what Ivy has been up to, she unleashes these fast growing baby monsters onto the heroes, and the hulking behemoths try and rip them to shreds. The imagery of the babies being birthed by plants in “House & Garden” is disturbing enough, but watching them rapidly grow into rampaging beasts before being dissolved by weed killer in the sprinkler system is nothing short of disturbing.
There’s also a truly tragic final twist at the end of the episode that has to be seen for it to have its full effect, so we won’t spoil here — but it’s a surprising gut punch.
Mudslide
Not only is “Mudslide” perfect for Halloween, it makes a great addition to TV shows to watch if you liked the “Clayface” movie. “Batman: The Animated Series” told the villain’s harrowing origin in the two-part episode “Feats of Clay,” but “Mudslide” takes its scary themes even further. This body horror story sees Matt Hagen/Clayface (Ron Perlman) desperately try to become human again using different chemicals — with no success.
The episode makes full use of his gloopy powers, imitating other people and weaponizing himself like never before. It’s got some truly unhinged visuals, like when Clayface absorbs Batman inside his body hoping to suffocate the hero. But just when it looks like Clayface has won, Batman’s face stretches through the brown matter in a moment that the Xenomorph in “Alien” would be proud of. He eventually bursts free, and their brawl continues.
It’s impressive that “Batman: The Animated Series” continuously toys with creepy imagery throughout its run, despite being a kids show. “Mudslide” ends with Clayface disintegrating in the rain, even losing an arm in the process as he clings to a cliff edge. It’s a harrowing end for the sticky villain, and it’s no wonder that DC Studios saw potential in a horror movie after this.
