Surprisingly short-lived but still a popular favorite, Disney's Gargoyles was easily one of the strongest animated series of the 1990s. Combining the humor and fantasy of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles with the dark, brooding atmosphere of Batman: The Animated Series, Gargoyles was a favorite among many wide-eyed kids, teenagers, and the parents of both. Sadly, like most other shows aimed primarily at a younger audience, Gargoyles burned brightly but didn't last long. After only two seasons' worth of shows (with 65 episodes in all), it was soon replaced by The Goliath Chronicles, a terribly inferior version of the original that was abandoned by co-creator Greg Weisman (and rightfully so). The quality of the original is still evident today, ten years after its inception. Pretty good for a "kid's show", huh?

Earlier Disney-produced animated series---such as Duck Tales, Tale Spin, and Darkwing Duck---were time-killers in their own right, but weren't as appealing to most older audiences. It was with Gargoyles that Disney really attempted to create a more mature and dramatic effort, most likely from the impact of the previously mentioned Batman: The Animated Series. Featuring likeable characters, terrific atmosphere and plenty of action, Gargoyles became a short-lived success that could, nonetheless, be enjoyed by parents and kids alike. I remember checking it out almost every day with my dad, and I probably wasn't alone in that situation.

For those unfamiliar with the series, let's get brought up to speed: the story began in Scotland (circa 994 A.D.) when gargoyles were closely guarding Wyvern castle. The gargoyles, of course, were the same mythological creatures of legend: stone statues by day, living creatures by night. Although there was tension between some members of the castle and the gargoyle clan, the winged fighters proved their loyalty to the humans many times. It was quite a unique partnership: each race protected one other on a daily basis, and neither would survive without the other's help. After a bait-and-switch tactic by enemy forces---aided by a double-crossing ally---several of the gargoyles were lured from their posts, trapped in stone before they could return to the safe confines of the castle. Their home was ransacked the following day and, adding insult to injury, they were blamed for the tragedy. Many of the statues were destroyed, while remaining ones were put into a "permanent" state of sleep.

1000 years later, they came back to life when the castle remains were moved to the top of a Manhattan skyscraper owned by billionaire David Xanatos. Though the surviving gargoyles were familiar with one another, they had some serious adapting to do in their new environment. Naturally, they made a few friends and enemies right from the start, most of which were similar to earlier shows like TMNT. Elisa Maza (above left) serves as the "gateway" character, a determined New York City policewoman who did her best to help the gargoyles adjust to their new lives. Enemies were, naturally greater in number, from a few of the clan's former members to the billionaire Xanatos himself.

Season Two introduced plenty of new faces and places, while doubling as (arguably) the series' best run. Fresh off the initial 13 episodes, the second season upped the count to a whopping 52---quite common for an animated series, which are usually shown daily rather than weekly. Since a 52-episode boxed set would be overkill for the average animation fan's wallet, Buena Vista has wisely chosen to split this behemoth into two easily digestible parts. The first half---which aired from September through November 1995---is presented in a solid 3-disc set and includes the following episodes:

As with the first season, a number of elements helped Gargoyles continue to work well---including the orchestral score and terrific art, which reinforced the gothic tone of the series. For my money, though, the strongest element was the voice talent involved, including Keith David (Goliath), Star Trek: The Next Generation's Jonathan Frakes and Marina Sirtis (Xanatos and Demona), Ed Asner (Hudson) and legend Frank Welker (Bronx). There's even a stellar line-up of guest stars including Tim Curry, CCH Pounder, Jonathan Rhys-Davies, Cam Clarke, David Warner, Nichelle Nichols and more.

Season Two continued the trend of throwing in a few multi-part storylines---including the excellent four-part "City of Stone"---which helped to give Gargoyles even more of a cinematic feel. With these bases (and many more) covered so well, it was no surprise that the second season held its own against the acclaimed first round of the series. Although it's a shame it burned out so quickly, the first two seasons of Gargoyles remain some of the better animation landmarks of the past decade.

It's a shame that the next and final collection (Season Two, Volume 2) will close out the series proper, but fans should be thrilled that the surviving content has been treated with respect. Make no mistake about it: this is a solid collection of episodes, made better by Buena Vista's great DVD treatment. These episodes look and sound better than ever, while a few valuable bonus features help round out this excellent 3-disc release. With that said, let's see how this release stacks up, shall we?

Presented in their original TV-friendly 1.33:1 aspect ratios, these episodes look excellent overall. The transfer is virtually dirt-free with no major digital imperfections---though there's a few compression artifacts here and there, due to the larger amount of episodes----while colors are bold and clear. It's a substantial visual improvement over the original broadcast appearance, so fans won't be disappointed in the least. Likewise, the Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround mix offers a basic audio presentation with clear dialogue and strong music. Optional English captions are also included with this release.

As with the first season's collection, the animated menus (seen above) are attractive and easy to navigate. Each 24-minute episode stands alone with no chapter breaks, which proves to be slightly annoying but a minor issue overall. Each disc contains either 8 or 9 episodes, while no layer change was detected during playback. The packaging is also sharp, as this 3-disc release is housed in a foil-enhanced foldout slipcase. No inserts here, though a handy episode list is printed on the inside.

Here's some good news: the technical presentation and extras found here are right about on par with the first season's collection. Here's even better news: there's twice the amount of total episodes for only $10 more! Overall, it's great to see that Buena Vista's been putting some real effort into Gargoyles so far: they could have easily churned out a bunch of barebones DVDs---or, even worse, none at all---but fans have been treated with a pair of releases that cover the bases nicely. If you have fond memories of this acclaimed series (and if you've read this far, you probably do), Gargoyles: Season 2, Volume 1 should be just as satisfying as the first collection. Easily Recommended.