Batman: The Animated Series- The Demon's Quest, Part 2

 "You must understand, beloved. I share my father's vision and seek the same ends, but I do not choose his means to those ends."

"I know." 

After an extraordinary first episode, this concluding instalment can't quite manage to live up to it, feeling very rushed in its twenty-three minutes of screen time. It's still impressive, though, leaving us with a strong impression of both Ra's Al-Ghul and Talia as characters. I hope we see them both again. Both David Warner and Helen Slater are very good indeed.

The cliffhanger resolution is obvious, with Batman saving Talia. But the lore is interesting- the Lazarus Pit can resurrect, but at the price of a temporary loss of sanity, and it can be fatal to those not in need of healing. And there are hints that it won't keep one alive forever, and that we are all ultimately mortal.

Batman still refuses Ra's' offer, however, so he and Robin are left to die as the place is evacuated for Ra's desert sanctuary. Fortunately, Batman and Robin survive, having the best plot armour in the business, but it's an entertaining section to watch, as is Batman's detective reasoning as he works out the location of said desert sanctuary.

There follows an amusing section in which Batman infiltrates a large group of camel riding minions only to be caught... wearing a mask beneath a mask. It's hilarious how Ra's removes the outer mask yet leaves the cowl intact, and then commits the ultimate baddie mistake by happily explaining all his plans to the Batman. So, well, he wants to end environmental devastation by killing half the human race. lovely.

Oh, and there's more lore- there are a number of Lazarus Pits, in various specific locations worldwide, which is tantalising. As is the ending, as the defeated Ra's falls into the pit calmly and with a smile. That final shot is hardly unexpected.

And yet, even more fascinating is the spark between Batman and Talia. But is he two timing Selina Kyle, with whom he also has a bit of a flirtationship? I'm sure we'll see... 

 

 

Batman: The Animated Series- The Demon's Quest, Part 1

 "The master gave you no permission to leave."

"I didn't ask for any."

At long last the Animated Series, having already teased us with Talia, finally gives us its Ra's Al Ghul, and what a Ra's Al Ghul. This episode, adapted by Denny O'Neil himself from his 1971 original in Batman #232, is a tour de force. It matters not that we know from the beginning that Al Ghul is behind everything, the whole thing is just so compelling. And David Warner... what a performance.

I love how Al Ghul works out Batman's identity, an obvious method to one with his resources, and the whole treasure hunt through India, Malaysia and the Himalayas on which he leads Batman. Batman, of course, knows exactly what's going on, but is surprised to see himself being offered the chance to be a dying Al Ghul's successor... yet he rudely refuses, causing great offence. Unsurprisingly, as the offer includes a declaration of Talia's love for him.

But it seems that Al Ghul is dying... but Talia insists on getting him to the Lazarus Pit, which revitalises him. Yet, if this exists, why did he say he was dying and make the offer to Batman? And why does he seem to have gone bonkers and lifted Talia above himself?

I'm sure we'll find out. But wow. What an episode. 

Batman: The Animated Series- Shadow of the Bat, Part 2

 "I hate wet shoes!"

A solid conclusion here, with the newly coined Batgirl earning her spurs and, in the end, the grudging respect of both Batman and Robin, after a few false starts. It's also nicely plotted, with Gil Mason and Two-Face plotting together to rule the law and the underworld respectively. I had to laugh, of course, at the sight of Jim Gordon not recognising his own daughter in that mask, but heigh-ho.

I suppose the plot was rushed a little, what with our baddies changing their plans to spring and then kill the Commissioner, a decision clearly based on the fact that the story needed to be wrapped up quick. But still, this is a solid debut for Barbara Gordon's alter ego. It gets points too for a solid set piece with Batman and Robin trying not to drown, especially as we're only really seen so much of the two of them together in the series thus far.

What's this about Harvey Bullock keeping Thorne's involvement to himself, though...? 

Batman: The Animated Series- Shadow of the Bat, Part 1

 "This place gives me the willies..."

Yes, I know- thirteen straight days without a blog post, something that hasn't happened in a loooong time. In my defence, I'm still adjusting to life after recovering from my surgery with everything being all busy again with fatherhood, my relationship and my career back to being full time again- all good things, but I have less free time than I did before February. I'm adjusting, but I'll get there. Plus there's been the heatwave, a lot of stuff to do, and, er, a YouTube "watch later" list that I'm slowly getting under control.

Anyway, it's back to Batman: The Animated Series. It may have left Netflix but it's now on Amazon Prime so I pick up right where I left off, and this is certainly a strong start to the new season. Functionally, this is the episode where Barbara Gordon becomes Batgirl. It is, I think, the first time Bruce uses his "Matches" Malone disguise, something I remember from the comics back in the day. 

It puts all the world building that's been going on to good use in this tale of someone framing Jim Gordon for corruption. The story depends strongly on the supporting cast of both cops and mob bosses, giving Gotham a real sense of place. The animated series is properly established by now and uses all that world building to powerful effect, also giving us some tantalising clues about Jim Gordon's framing. And the ending, with Two-Face revealed and Barbara (with some help from her teddy bear!) debuting her proper Batgirl costume.

Most of all, though, I love how noir this is, from the first class animation to the plot to the mood. This is what peak Batman looks like. 

Batman: The Animated Series- The Mechanic

 "I need a new car..."

Yes, I know: I'm doing another episode of Batman: The Animated Series as opposed to the other series I'm blogging- Stranger Things, Dexter, Gen V, with The War Between the Land and the Sea starting within days.

Fear not; I'm still blogging all of the above. But I've been struggling with a rather unpleasant hernia for the last year or so which makes it increasingly difficult to concentrate, among other things, and is slowly getting worse over time. The good news is that my employers are kindly allowing me to work the hours I can, on full pay, and that the whole bloody thing should be sorted by surgery in late January. I should be right back to normal after that.

But that means there are days when I can only manage to focus on a twenty minute episode as opposed to something longer. Hence Batman: The Animated Series. It doesn't mean I won't keep blogging those other programmes when I feel up to it, or films. But that's the situation....

Plus, of course. this show leaves Netflix on 21 December....

That said, I enjoyed this episode very much. Not for the fairly standard blackmail plot, perhaps, but for the worldbuilding. The Penguin (I loved his vulture!) is getting nicely fleshed out as a character by now. As ever, the car chases are hugely entertaining. And yet again the cars and the clothes evoke, appropriately, the '40s.

Yet even better than that is the introduction of Earl- not, I believe, a character from the comics or any other medium? That Batman should maintain his own mechanic makes perfect sense and, of course, adds to the texture of Batman and his world. I particularly loved the monochrome origin sequence, featuring a very retro Batmobile and Batman in his pre-1964 costume.

Surprising to see John de Lancie in a fairly minor role here, but yet another strong episode.

Batman: The Animated Series- I Am the Night

"A weary body can be dealt with. But a weary spirit... that's something else."

The title of this episode reminds me of Audioslave's "I Am the Highway"... but I digress before there's anything to digress from. Anyway, contrived though Batman's depression may be, this is a good episode. And contains another instance of homages to creators as cops refer to the "corner of Adams and O'Neil", a nice touch.

It's the anniversary of the murder of Bruce's parents, so he's already out of sorts, but then we have the double whammy of Jim Gordon being badly hurt while Batman is elsewhere and... well, for me, the contrived nature of it all doesn't work. This kind of depressive episode seems out of character for someone like Batman who, while I'm certainly no psychiatrist, just doesn't seem the type to doubt his purpose.

Regardless, though, it's a good episode for developing Bruce's relationships with those around him- Alfred, Robin, Lesley Thompkins, Jim and Barbara Gordon, and it gets away with its flaws. It's just that I suspect this is a highly popular episode... and, for me, it isn't quite up there.

Batman: The Animated Series- What Is Reality?

 "A pixel is worth a thousand words..."

It's 1992. Of course there's going to be a virtual reality episode. And, the zeitgeist back then being what it was, we get a Neuromancer-style Cyberspace experience with the Riddler controlling his own virtual world in an episode that's fun and fascinating in and of itself, in its use of the character of the Riddler, and as a product of its time, the year when Snow Crash was published and with the Cyberpunk genre changing all around it.

The Riddler begins by erasing all references to Edward Nygma, eager to embrace who he now is and forsaking a past of betrayal and nominative determinism. But much of the fun is seeing how quickly and easily Batman, Robin and even Alfred deal with some really rather difficult riddles.

Ultimately, though, the surreality and sheer spectacle of the thing is quite simply a joy- the chessboard scene, in particular, is such a delightful riff on Alice in Wonderland. And if, in a cartoon made in 1992, and episode like this did not exist, that would be deeply and profoundly wrong.

Batman: The Animated Series- If You're So Smart, Why Aren't You Rich?

 "How much is a good night's sleep worth?"

It was the 1960s Batman TV series that really popularised the Riddler as a villain, with only a couple of appearances in the comics at that point, so it's appropriate that this episode should feel, structurally, much like said TV series. Robin is in it. Our heroes confront the villain and his henchmen early on, are defeated, and come back later to save the day. There's even a deathtrap, albeit not for our heroes.

Yet the mood is very much par for the Animated Series, an aesthetic of creepy amusement parks at night and shadowy figures in murky rooms. And we get a version of the Riddler's traditional origin story, the creation his former employers are ripping him off for being a computer game in this version. I like that. I also like that, yes, Mockridge is saved... but, with the Riddler getting away, he may be rich but now lives in fear. He's rich, yes, but not smart.

There's a surprising slight bias to puzzles as opposed to riddles, perhaps, but this is an entertaining little episode, the little puzzles in the maze being enormous fun. I suppose we'll just have to see if the Riddler as a character has any legs beyond this origin story, 

Batman: The Animated Series- The Strange Secret of Bruce Wayne

 "Leave your message at the sound of the shriek..."

So we meet Dr. Hugo Strange, another member of Batman's traditional rogues' gallery, although perhaps one of the more obscure ones in recent decades, more a Killer Moth or a Gentleman Ghost than a Joker or a Tw-Face. Interesting, though, that we're getting some of the more minor and perhaps old-fashioned villains than, say, the Riddler.

I know relatively little of Hugo Strange except that he knows Batman to be Bruce Wayne and... yeah, this episode is fun and all, but it makes very little sense if one gives it any thought, and not only because the idea of mind reading futuristic tech getting recorded via videotape is hilarious in 2025. I mean, Strange auctioning Batman's secret identity to the highest bidder is hilarious for a start. The fact that the Joker, Two-Face and the Penguin (is the latter really established as a significant villain in the Animated Series by this point?) just passively go along with Strange until Batman tricks them is just silly- these are chaotic individuals who won't just behave as the plot wants them to.

And then, at the end, when Batman apparently meets Bruce Wayne... and it's just Dick with a mask and some stilts?

This episode is very, very silly. It's basically not very good. But it certainly isn't boring...

Batman: The Animated Series- Night of the Ninja

 "Defeat can be more instructive than victory..."

This is a nice little episode with what I suspect is a one-off villain, but a decent one nonetheless. Kyodai Ken is a rival of Bruce's from his days training in Japan, out for revenge, blaming Bruce for his self-inflicted disgrace. It feels right that Batman: The Animated Series should have a ninja episode, and all the ninja stuff is fun.

Also interesting is a bit of character development- Bruce's habit of not confiding in others and suffering alone is brought up by Alfred and Dick... although, given how essential he is to saving Bruce's bacon twice during this episode, it's very convenient for the plot that this should be one of those episodes featuring Robin.

It's also fun to have a bit more of a spotlight on Summer Gleeson, a persistent reporter who has mostly just been a bit of background flavour. Bruce being handicapped by not being able to be seen to fight too well by her is a nice idea, well handled.

Perhaps not an "important" episode. But a good one nonetheless.

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- Robin's Reckoning, Part I

 "That Grayson kid's a real boy wonder."

Tsk. I don't think much of the child labour laws in Gotham City, allowing the Graysons to use their young, underage son in what's described as a "death-defying" bit of acrobatics. Nor do I think much of the health and safety situation. No safety net? Really? With a child involved...?

Yeah... you can sort of tell that Robin's origin story dates from the '40s, can't you? A bit like the way all the hoodlums dress and the cars they drive. It's a bit awkward in the modern age. So it's perfect that this  animated series takes place in a deliberately ambiguous fusion of the '40s and the modern day.

We still haven't seen much of Robin, but this episode serves to flesh him out really well. The narrative, contrasting "now" with flashbacks, also works well. The modern day narrative is simple- Batman finds out that Tony Zucco, killer of Robin's parents, is still alive, but refuses to tell Robin and goes after Zucco himself, refusing to involve his ward. So, naturally, Robin is furious, and this seems to presage a real rift between them.

Yet the flashbacks, taking their time to tell Robin's origin story, are the real point. It's lovely to see Bruce and Dick bond over both of them having had their parents murdered at a young age. So far, so impressive.

Batman: The Animated Series- Fear of Victory

 "There's enough powder in that helmet to panic a pachyderm!"

After a run of very good episodes, we finally hit one that's... well, certainly ok, but no more. The Scarecrow, in the light of strong introductions toother well-known baddies, is perhaps coming across so farcas a little, well pedestrian? 

I mean, he's scaring sportsmen in a scheme to... win bets at an illegal bookie. Hardly the most dastardly evil scheme of all time. It all plays out well enough, and I like the scenes of Robin being courageous despiter his artificial fear, all good character stuff. I also enjoyed the Arkham cameos of Poison Ivy, Two-Face and especially the Joker, who gets a nice little cameo. But overall the episode is simply... good enough.

And what of Robin? Why is he in some episodes but not in most? It is because (he has a roommate, Brian, potentially a recurring character) he's in college? Either way, why not make it clear? Perhaps they will.

Still, I suppose there's nothing wrong with a given episode just being ok: it just speaks to how high the quality has been of late.

Batman: The Animated Series- Christmas with the Joker

 "Jingle bells, Batman smells..."

I love that they use the opening to the version of Jingle Bells I ised to sing in primary schools, even if the rest of the words are different. This is our first introduction to Mark Hamill's Joker (and Arkham Asylum), and it's perfect.

Batman has always been perfect for splendidly dark Christmas tales, and this is no exception. Oh, the plot is straightforward enough, and bonkers, as the Joker dangerously toys with Batman on Christmas Day. It reminds me of those Steve Englehart stories from the '70s which themselves riffed on the early Joker tales. This is very typical Joker stuff, exactly what you want as an introduction.

Incidentally, we now have Robin, after he wasn't in the first episode. Is this the plan, to sometimes feature the character and sometimes not? And which Robin is this? I can't quite recall if Tim Drake was a thing in 1992, but I'm sure all will slowly be revealed. I love the banter between the two of them over Christmas and It's a Wonderful Life.

All very impressive stuff- and very "trad" post-1970 Denny O'Neill revamp Batman in a way which hadn't actually be seen on screen before this. It's fadcinating to see this series unfold.