Batman: The Animated Series- Robin's Reckoning, Part II

 "Looks like you could use some protection right now. And protection is my racket."

Immediately notable here is how especially good the animation is, especially the creative use of angle. There are lots of nice stylistic choices, such as the ever-creepy trope of an amusement park at night. And, as ever, the creative ambiguity surrounding the question of whether this is the 1940s or the present day gives a splendid visual style.

Yes, I suppose you could say this plays out predictably- in flashback, a vengeful Dick gets in Batman's way and inadvertently causes Zucco's escape. In the present, Robin's arrival saves Batman, and Batman intervenes to persuade Robin to find catharsis in justice, not revenge. Something along these lines was always going to happen.

Yet the final reconciliation works well in its nuance. The set pieces are impressive. And we get to see more of the seedy unpleasantness of Gotham at night. A good episode, then, not only because of its big ideas but also the little things.

Batman: The Animated Series- It's Never Too Late

 "All your power and money has bought you is an empire of misery."

Another excellent episode here. It's interesting once again how there's an ambiguity in the setting- the cars and clothes and tommy guns evoking the 1940s while the drugs evoke contemporary times. It's also good to see how the Animated Series follows not only Batman's usual rogues gallery bus also the same mob bosses- once again we see Boss Thorne.

And yet this is a touching and effective story about how one mob boss, with his empire of hard drugs, can yet be reformed. It's an episode full of flashbacks and clever twists and turns- most notably involving Father Michael- and superbly constructed in such a way that it earns its payoff. It's also fascinating to see Batman not just using his brute force and detective skills but also psychology.

I do wonder if or when we'll see Boss Thorne again- or whether Two-Face will ultimately get him...?