In Tim Burton's hands, this comic book character taps into his brooding side and Gotham's underbelly writhes in its vices. Bruce Wayne starts to make a name for himself as a masked vigilante named Batman to the criminal set just when the Joker takes over as tops in the mafia. This film is more "fantasy" - so to speak - then the New Series. This film deals with all the mysteries of Batman and of course it has the Joker, who's one of the better villains. Tim Burton was the one who made Batman the dark, moody character he is and is suppose to be. This movie spawned Batman : The Animated Series and three live action sequels, one of which was also directed by Tim Burton. This movie is composed by Danny Elfman, Tim Burton's regular composer. Finally, Tim Burton finds a nice balance between the subtle humor of Bruce Wayne and the dark and brooding of the Batman, which the New Series lacks.