The Dark Knight's First Night

This is the original sales pitch for "Batman: The Animated Series", and what it lacks in polish, it more than makes up for in spirit - which is exactly what it captures. Just the Dark Knight, preying on a pair of thugs on a rooftop. Crime is nasty and Batman responds in kind, settling scores with fists and a well-placed batarang. It's like watching storyboards come to life with all the theatricality of a Fleischer Superman cartoon (and this is probably where that influence is strongest).

This is absolutely worth the time of anyone who loves the show, if for no other reason than to see the prototypical seeds being sown. But more than that, it's surprisingly effective.

Put simply, were I a TV exec in 1991, I'd greenlight the hell outta this show.

8/10