10 Works from the Creator of Batman: The Animated Series for New and Old Fans

Posted on February 5, 2026

by Eric S

For many superhero fans—especially those around in the '90s–Batman: The Animated Series is the definitive version of the Dark Knight (even among comic book readers, who can be somewhat reluctant to give credit to non-comic interpretations). Of course, there would be no Batman: TAS without its visionary creator and producer Bruce Timm, who turns 65 this week.

Although Timm would go on to be a huge influence on comic books, he has spent most of his career in animation. Working for Filmation in the early '80s, Timm utilized his artistic talents on shows such as G.I. Joe, She-Ra, Blackstar, and He-Man and the Masters of the Universe, eventually landing a position at Warner Bros. in 1989 to work on Tiny Toon Adventures. His major claim to fame came a few years later with Batman: The Animated Series, which he developed with legendary writer Paul Dini. Not only did Batman kick off the DC Animated "Timmverse" (that also includes Superman: The Animated Series, Batman Beyond, and Justice League Unlimited, among others), but it would help solidify Batman as a dark, sophisticated character to be taken seriously—a process that had begun in the comics during the previous decade by creators like Denny O'Neil and Frank Miller. The show would go on to win multiple Emmys, receive several feature length films (Mask of the Phantasm is SO GOOD), and spawn numerous spin-offs and follow-ups (Batman Beyond? AMAZING).