Thursday, 8 August 2024

Batman: The Animated Series- Nothing to Fear

 "I am vengeance. I am the night.I am Batman".

Three episodes in. No Robin this time. We've had Man-Bat. We've had the Joker. Now it's the Scarecrow... and his introduction is excellent, certainly the finest episode so far.

It helps that the animation style used to depict the Scarecrow- less realistic, genuinely using the grammer of horrow, slightly cartoonish- is perfect. Yet the script gives us a perfect introduction to the character. Batman's greatest fear is fitting- the disappointment of his father in the playboy/vigilante he's become- and is perfectly set up.

The rapport between Gordon and Bullock is fun, and I love the early-'90s, mildly sardonic Alfred.

It's also fun to explore the series' visual style, not quite realistic, very much influenced by the Tim Burton aesthetic of the movies. And I was amused at both the airship and the Scarecrow's underlings looking like hoods from the '40s, complete with homburg hats and tommy guns, in a deliberate ambiguity as to the time period.

This episode is a real step up. I'm hoping and expecting now to see just what the hype is about...

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