Batman and Robin Adventures: Sub Zero One shot Pg 16

Like many, the Batman animated series had a significant impact on my love for both the caped crusader and the superhero genre. I remember the first episode I saw, “Feat of Clay Part 1”. The artistic style was something I had never seen before, but I was hooked. Like clockwork, I would watch reruns on Fox Family every week. From the opening theme to the credits, the viewer was engulfed in a more noir atmosphere with an Art Deco styled Gotham City. The show had a much darker and mature tone than anything I was watching, and tackled more complex themes. The most polarizing aspect of the show, and something that I believe changed the trajectory of Gotham’s rogues gallery, was the character development of its’ amazing roster of villains. Batman’s supporting cast was the focus of each episode, resulting in complex backstories and “bad guys” that you often sympathized with. Those innovations helped shape the characters as we know them currently.

Batman The Animated Series is credited for the reinvention of Mr. Freeze from being a joke character, to the tragic and popular villain we know today. The reason why Mr. Freeze is one of my favorite villains is because of the episode “Heart of Ice” and the movie “Subzero”. They both describe the same thing: a scientist driven by his love for his wife, forced to a life of crime to fund his research and find a cure for his beloved Nora. This page comes from “Batman and Robin Adventures: Subzero”, which is the official comic book adaptation to the animated movie, “Batman: Subzero”. I love how this page gives off the classic vibes and art of the show. Mr. Freeze’s facial expression in the last panel sums him up perfectly; a sympathetic character with a tragic backstory who is willing to do any and everything to save his wife.

Thanks to Will from comicartpage for the opportunity.