Batman: Mask of the Phantasm (1993)

Frequently held up as the finest of the Batman animated films, Phantasm is not only excellent, it’s a key feature in the success of Christopher Nolan’s Batman franchise. The influences on The Dark Knight (2008) especially are impossible to ignore, as a powerful criminal who is connected to an ex-girlfriend of Bruce Wayne accuses Batman of murdering a crime lord. Batman, obviously, is not guilty, but he's is spotted at the scene moments after a mysterious figure vacates. What makes Phantasm so important is the human struggle of Bruce Wayne, as we see him go through heartbreak in various flashbacks, as he is forced to confront his troubled past when it threatens his wellbeing and stature in the present. Another interesting development is Mark Hamill’s Joker, sidelined to a bit part although still crucial to the story. Nolan’s Dark Knight put the Joker front and centre, grinding Batman almost into the ground; but Phantasm leaves the Joker as an irritant in Batman’s side, and focuses on Wayne’s personal troubles. It makes for an interesting and effective story, and one that if we’d gone without, we almost certainly wouldn’t have seen Nolan’s trilogy in the same form as it is. 8.1/10