A very picture-heavy book, Batman Animated features numerous sketches, storyboards, character designs, finished paintings and other material from the popular animated series about Batman, the iconic superhero character in the comic books published by DC Comics.

The designs of other significant characters, such as Robin, Batgirl and Nightwing, as well as Batman's numerous enemies (e.g., The Joker, Two-Face, and The Penguin) and allies (e.g., Alfred Pennyworth and Commissioner Gordon), are also explored in detail.

The book also goes into the architecture of Gotham City and Batman's various vehicles, and provides a detailed look at the show's overall visual flair, such as the episodes' title cards.

It discusses various production problems ranging from technical challenges to the constant struggle between the creators and the network's censors over whether specific scenes of action and dialogue were too intense.

The book's author, Paul Dini, was a writer and the co-producer for Batman: The Animated Series.