In the early months of '97, we had the opportunity to see the remaining first season of Superman, shown on Kids' WB weekend mornings. In the episode "Tools Of The Trade", an appearance of Darkseid was made, his first in over ten years, and a much better adaptation. And in the season finale, entitled, "Two's A Crowd", a focus was made on the Parasite, evolving him closer to the comics by giving him the 'doctor' split consciousness.

Later, in the fall, the second season of Superman premiered in a two part episode featuring the Phantom Zone criminals. Also, Superman went weekdays with old episodes of Batman, and was renamed The Batman-Superman Adventures. Notable episodes of Superman include: "Speed Demons", with a guest appearance by The Flash; "Mxyzpikilated", a very funny episode featuring Gilbert Godfrey as the voice of Mxyzptlk; "Brave New Metropolis", which featured an alternate Earth's Superman (possibly the first animated Elseworlds); and one of the best so far, "Father's Day", showcasing a major fight between Kalibak and the Man of Steel. This episode also featured the very tense confrontation of Superman and Darkseid.

Probably the most anticipated show of a comic character in the new season was the return of Batman. Set a few years after the old series, the new style of Batman showed a darker Caped Crusader, contrasted by lighter sidekicks Batgirl and the new Robin, Tim Drake. Having the feel of a 'grittier' Dark Knight, the new Batman is more violent than ever; even hearing Batman punch a thug now sounds like thunder compared to the slaps from the previous series. Also, time seems to have affected the rest of Gotham as well. Commissioner Gordon looks older and thinner. Catwoman and Poison Ivy look pale as ever. And most horrifically glorious is the Joker, seemingly more maniacal with his black shaded eyes. Unfortunately, the new Batman has had little exposure; only six episodes of the new style have been shown to date. Most notable of these six are four: "Holiday Knights", an adaptation of the Batman Adventures 1995 Holiday Special; "Sins Of The Father", the new origin of the Tim Drake Robin, based on the comic origin of Jason Todd; "You Scratch My Back", an episode showcasing Dick Grayson as Nightwing; and "Cold Comfort", a disturbing episode featuring Mr. Freeze. This episode, to some viewers, may have left a huge gap in between the time of Mr. Freeze's last appearance, in "Deep Freeze". Originally planned for a summer release alongside Batman and Robin, Batman: SubZero was to be a straight-to-video release featuring a detailed backstory of Mr. Freeze as well as Batgirl. It was then pushed back to a Fall schedule, and now pushed even further to a definite Spring release in '98.

All in all, 1997 was a very good year for Batman and Superman; at both airings of "World's Finest" on October 4th and prime-time on October 17th, the WB received its largest audience ever for an animated special. And, with numerous guest appearances and continually unfolding plotlines, it looks as though 1998 will be even hotter.