Any follower of pop culture knows that the next Batman movie - The Dark Knight - is opening on Friday in the U.S. (and on various dates throughout the next month around the rest of the world). To get ready for the movie (which is actually the first movie this summer I've been excited about...but I digress) Warner Bros. has given us three animated Batman series - Batman Beyond, Batman: The Animated Series, and The Batman - in the U.S.

As a special treat, we have enlisted the help of some bona fide Batman fans to share their can't miss moments from their favorite shows.

Up first, we have Maria, creator of the Batman Beyond Fans Facebook Group

“Meltdown” is, without a doubt, one of my favorite episodes of the entire series. Not only do you get to see Blight (Derek Powers) in action, but you see Mr. Freeze brought back, and in very creative fashion, I might add. The viewer is able to see something that they usually don't: the human and moral side of a villain, literally.

My favorite moment in the episode has got to be when Mr. Freeze corners Dr. Stephanie Lake, the woman he falls for. She tries to convince him not to kill her or Powers, and Freeze quotes something she once told him, "Remember, there may be some momentary discomfort." He freezes her into a block of ice and all you hear is her screaming. At the end of it, you're like, "Yup, she deserved that. Good job!"

Next we have Nathaniel, whose favorite character is The Joker:

The Joker is one of the best literary villains ever written. While other characters are bound by form and structure, the Joker's antics are boundless, giving the animator and writer complete freedom to explore endless possibilities. His best moments are when he has batman on the ropes and all he has to do is pull the trigger, and when he does out comes the water, or confetti ... Batman himself sums it up best when he says "With the joker, expect the unexpected."

Stephanie, a hardcoreBatman: TAS fan, had this to say about her favorite episode:

Two-Face, Part I has to be my favorite episode in all of Batman: The Animated Series. I absolutely love the fact that Harvey Dent, Gotham City's District Attorney, was having psychological problems before he had that accident that turned him into Batman's nemesis, Two-Face. The animation that went along with the storyline was breath-taking; the usage of shadowing was phenomenal. Everything about this episode is just fantastic.

Last but not least, Jo, a big fan of The Batman, shared this favorite scene:

In The Cat and the Bat, I really like Catwoman's new style, and her attitude is perfect. You can see the rivalry and "relationship" build up between her and Batman. At the end of the episode, Catwoman slips away, but not before saying a few words to Batman ... you just know that this isn't the last you'll be seeing of her.

I dated a guy once wwhose life was golf: if he wasn't playing golf, he was watching it - he even worked for a golf association. We lived in California, so the weekend of the British Open he'd get up at like 4 in the morning so he could watch everyone play - I joined him a couple of hours later (still way earlier than anyone without kids should be up on a Sunday morning). That weekend he called me a "casual" golf fan. We broke up soon after.

I tell you that story because while I'm a Batman fan, I am most definitely a casual Batman fan - I'm just starting to watch the animated series now that we have them on Joost, and I haven't bought tickets for the movie yet. As you will see below, our contributors today - Blame the Kid and Michael Valentine - are certainly not casual Batman fans. I'll let their work and their words speak for themselves ... but we are pretty happy that they've shared their work with us.

Up first we have Blame the Kid, producer of Batman: The Animated Album.

I made this record not only as a tribute to the greatest cartoon of all time, but as an audio capsule of the greatest hero of contemporary mythology (not to mention, some of the illest villains ever). Through the production, I attempt to convey the grit and grime of Gotham City, a setting I have felt close to not because of my time in New York, but through my home in far more lawless Philadelphia. Hard beats, eerie melodies, crime, mystery, insanity and a solitary avatar of justice are what compose the story of Batman: The Animated Album. I hope you enjoy it.

Michael Valentine, a huge fan of both the animated series Batman/ Batman Beyond, directed and starred in Batman Beyond - The Lost Fan Film.

I was eight when Batman: The Animated Series debuted and 18 when Beyond debuted. I was practically raised by Batman. In 2002, as a fan of the shows, I wanted to bring these characters to life. I planned a whole Batman Beyond feature to be produced. At the time, I had no real resources and decided to take on almost every role in production myself. This included writing, character design, story boarding, costumes, fx, directing, and starring as Terry/Batman and the Joker. I also did a make-up test as Bruce Wayne. I had planned to replace myself with someone else later. I was only to provide the voice. Unfortunately, due to having no budget and other difficulties, the film was never finished. Each shot produced in this short was in its testing phase for what was to be shot later. My efforts were in dedication to those who brought us these great shows and the fans who love them. I do have ideas for an updated version to Batman Beyond, and hopefully it will actually happen next time around.