The Once and Future Thing (JLU)

The Once and Future Thing (JLU)

Author: The Pensky File July 17, 2026 Duration: 1:35:45

Well, congratulations to everyone except me.

I had what I thought was the safest bet on Polymarket: The BATTASS Podcast is never coming back. Easy money, right? Sean Murphy and Clay McCormack disappeared into the wilderness, got busy making comics, and left the podcast to gather dust like a forgotten longbox full of '90s Image books. I practically started spending my winnings before the market even closed.

Then these two jerks decide to un-retire.

So now I'm broke, my prediction record is in shambles, and somehow you're the one who gets rewarded with a brand-new episode of the BATTASS Podcast.

This long-overdue reunion finds Sean and Clay diving headfirst into one of the strangest and most entertaining stories in the DC Animated Universe: the Justice League Unlimited two-parter, "The Once and Future Thing." Time travel? Jonah Hex? Batman Beyond? A future ruled by Chronos? This episode has everything, and the guys break down what makes this gloriously weird adventure such a standout in the series.

As if resurrecting the podcast wasn't enough to ruin my financial future, they've also got new comics to talk about. Sean discusses his latest graphic novel, The Last Driver, a gritty, high-octane story that's already turning heads. Meanwhile, Clay pulls back the curtain on Hard Style Juice, his long-awaited creator-owned series packed with crime, action, and enough attitude to make me wish I'd invested in literally anything else.

It's the kind of conversation BATTASS fans have been hoping for ever since the show went silent: comics, animation, behind-the-scenes stories, and the effortless back-and-forth that made the podcast worth listening to in the first place.

I'm still furious. My wallet may never recover. But if the BATTASS Podcast had to come back and completely destroy my carefully planned betting strategy...I guess this is exactly the episode you'd want it to return with


Ever wonder what happens when two working comic book artists sit down to talk about the definitive cartoon version of the Dark Knight? That’s the simple, compelling premise behind BATTASS: The Batman The Animated Series Show Podcast. Hosts Clay McCormack and Sean Murphy bring their insider’s perspective from the drawing board to every discussion, breaking down each installment of the legendary series. Their conversations are less like formal reviews and more like you’re overhearing a deep, passionate, and often very funny debate between two experts who genuinely love the material. You’ll hear them trace the artistic influences in the show’s iconic style, analyze the sharp writing that appealed to both kids and adults, and share personal insights into why certain characters or storylines resonate so powerfully within the broader world of comics. This isn’t a rushed recap; it’s a thoughtful, episode-by-episode excavation of what made Batman: The Animated Series a cultural touchstone. The result is a consistently engaging podcast that feels both educational and entertaining, offering a unique lens on a show many of us thought we already knew everything about. New episodes from The Pensky File dive into a single chapter of the animated saga, making it a perfect companion whether you’re revisiting the series or discovering it for the first time.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 50

BATTASS: The Batman The Animated Series Show Podcast
Podcast Episodes
Black Out & Golem [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:12:24
Terry, having just started to work for Bruce Wayne, faces off against Inque, a notorious shapeshifting mercenary who is sabotaging FoxTeca, a company formed by Lucius Fox’s son.Willie Watt, a high school nerd who has bee…
Rebirth [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:22:35
Flying cars, digital new anchors, giant pyramid buildings in densely populated cities–where else could we be but in far-flung future…of 2019! That’s right, BATTASS has returned, and we’re taking to the skies on the maide…
The Batman (Patreon Teaser) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 11:50
As Pinhead the Cenobite once said, “You called us, we came!” The boys from BATTASS are here to give you a teaser for their Patreon-exclusive talk about The Batman, the newest live action cinematic installment of the Batm…
Mystery of the Batwoman [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:33:00
BATTASS returns for the final (ok, almost final, but…give us a break on that Harley movie, please) entry in the classic era of Batman: TAS animation, the direct to video film Batman: Mystery of the Batwoman from 2003! It…
World’s Finest [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:42:39
BATTASS is back, and we’re headed to Metropolis! Ali and Foreman, Hogan and Andre, chocolate and peanut butter, this week we’re diving headfirst into the first head to head meet up in the Bruce Timm DC animated universe…
The Animated Series – Wrap Up [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:10:25
This is it! We did it! After 4 years and change and sixty podcast episodes, we’ve made it to the end of Batman: The Animated Series, and it’s sibling show The New Batman Advetures! Our examination of the show referred to…
Beware the Creeper & Judgment Day [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:25:40
This is it, we’ve made it to the end! This week on the BATTASS Podcast, Sean and Clay have made it to the end of the Batman: The Animated Series road as they cover the final two episodes of the “classic” era of animated…
Mad Love & Chemistry [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:31:12
Love is a funny thing, isn’t it? Makes people do things that are truly mad! This week we’ve got two episodes about love – weird, unhealthy, monstrous love – and it’s not even Valentine’s day! But this is love that takes…
Legends of the Dark Knight & Girls’ Night Out [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:30:49
Look! Up in the sky! It’s Batman, and he has his sharp fangs and claws out! Or maybe he’s got a big smile on his face and cracking a joke! Or maybe he’s a grizzled old warrior fighting mutants in the mud! And Supergirl i…
Old Wounds & The Demon Within [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:32:38
This week on The BATTASS Podcast we cover two episodes that tackle the two biggest questions of the series thus far: what was the cause of the final break up of Batman and Robin, and how would Batman react if he was magi…