Warning! Contains Spoilers For Batman/Superman: World’s Finest #27!

Batman has been in films, video games, comic books, books, radio, and cartoons, and while all of these have a place in Batman’s legacy, one of the most popular interpretations of Batman has always been Batman: The Animated Series. Now, decades after the show’s debut, DC has perfectly parodied an iconic moment from the show every ’90s Batman fan still loves.

In the opening of Batman / Superman: World’s Finest #27 by Mark Waid and Dan Mora, Bat-Mite perfectly parodies the iconic opening of Batman: The Animated Series. This opening ends with Batman, after having beaten two bank robbers, standing atop one of Gotham’s many skyscrapers as lighting strikes behind him. It’s an amazing visual that any ’90s kid would instantly recognize, even when mimicked by Bat-Mite.

Bat-Mite is one of Batman’s biggest fans and knows everything about him. Bat-Mite — as Mr. Mxyzptlk occasionally does with Superman — quite literally watches Batman’s adventures from the Fifth Dimension and isn’t limited to just seeing one version of Batman. It’s no surprise that Bat-Mite would be aware of Batman: The Animated Series, as it’s considered one of the greatest adaptions of the character.

Batman: The Animated Series Defined Every Kid’s Afternoon in the ’90s

No Batman Cartoon Since Has Matched BTAS

Batman: The Animated Series aired from 1992 to 1995 and was an absolute hit, running for a total of 85 episodes. It helped spawn other beloved cartoons such as Superman: The Animated Series and inspired Marvel to get in on the action with Spider-Man: The Animated Series. One of the most influential cartoons ever made about a superhero, BTAS helped introduce an entire generation of kids to the Caped Crusader. It also had — and continues to have — a huge impact on DC’s comics, which was pretty unusual for a cartoon at the time.

Batman: The Animated Series covers a great deal of Batman’s history and uses pretty much all of his rogues. While iconic characters like the Joker, Two-Face, and the Riddler are often showcased, the show also went out of its way to introduce new characters or reinvent older ones. Characters like Harley Quinn were created entirely and originally for BTAS before being moved over to the comics, and now Harley is one of the most popular comic book characters of all time. Mr. Freeze also received a makeover that completely changed his presence in the DCU.

Batman: The Animated Series Added So Much to Batman’s Lore

Characters Like Harley Quinn and the Modern Version of Mr. Freeze Wouldn’t Exist Today Without BTAS

Despite the many versions of Batman in different forms of media, Batman: The Animated Series continues to be listed as one of the greatest adaptions of the character, and for obvious reasons. Bat-Mite could’ve parodied any moment from any TV show or cartoon that Batman has been in. There are plenty of options, but instead, Bat-Mite chose a very specific and recognizable moment from the opening of Batman: The Animated Series. If Bat-Mite was going for recognition, there’s simply no better bit of imagery than the lightning bolt silhouette from Batman’s best adaption.

Batman / Superman: World’s Finest #27 is available now from DC Comics!