Series Five

Basically, Kenner flipped after the fourth wave and started going nutso on the variations like Crime Squad and the next step Duo-Force (basically Crime Squad II). In two years the only new villain released was Ra's Al Ghul, and then he wasn't even in his BTAS outfit!

So it went from 1994-1996, tons of ludicrous Batmen and Robins were thrust upon the shelves with nary an end in sight. Even renaming the line The Adventures of Batman and Robin to match the animated series didn't help. But then....

The one-two punch of Harley Quinn and "Machine Gun" Joker was announced for 1997! This was the rejuvenating call for the BTAS line. In short order, it was revealed that the animated series would get the first new episodes in three years, moving from FOX to WB network. Then Bat-Girl was shown at Toy Fair 1997, and in was known that the new series would sport all-new character designs!

So what does the future hold? Well, at least some redesigns of past figures for 1998, along with a basically untouched Mad Hatter. Rumors are thick of such figures as Bullock, Montoya, and Gordon. But what of the non-redesigned characters from BTAS? The ones like Maxie Zeus, Lock-Up, and Count Vertigo? Only time will tell if we'll ever see a complete set of BTAS figures.