50-26...
50. It’s Never Too Late
There’s nary a supervillain to be found in this
outing, a somber, character-driven affair, in which aging mobster Arthur
Stromwell tries to prevent a war with rival Rupert Thorne. Once Stromwell’s son
goes missing, he assumes Thorne is behind it, and Batman must race against the
clock to prevent an all-out gang war breaking out in Gotham City. Strong
writing and resonant thematic work makes this an episode, an early indicator
that Batman: The Animated Series was
operating at another level than most cartoons of the day (or, indeed, any time
period).
49. Chemistry
The unthinkable happens in this episode, as Batman
meets that special someone and decides to retire the Bat-mantle as Bruce Wayne
gets himself hitched. Of course, there’s a little more to it than that, as it’s
revealed that Poison Ivy has created synthetic plant people to woo Gotham’s
elite out of their wealth… one of which
is Bruce Wayne’s blushing bride. It’s a jam-packed episode where the events
happen a little too quickly, but is made up for with several wonderful
sequences, like the first “unmasking” of one of Ivy’s plant-men.
48. Double Talk
The Ventriloquist is given a clean bill of mental
health after his latest stay at Arkham, but his old gang members want their
jobs back, and thus stage events to get poor Arnold Wesker back in touch with
his dummy Scarface. Wesker’s dilemma feels genuine and heartfelt, and I like
that Bruce Wayne gives him a job at Wayne Industries as a mail
clerk--presumably to help him get back on his feet, but also to keep a close
eye on the former rogue.
47. Critters
This is one of the most derided episodes of the
entire series, which is really unfair. Sure, the villain Farmer Brown feels of
a piece with the goofballs that used to show up on the ’66 Batman show, but the
design of his genetically-enhanced farm animals is cool as all get out. B:TAS MVP Joe R. Lansdale adds flair to
the script with his crackerjack dialogue, and, really: how can you hate a show
with mutant, Pterodactyl-like chickens, a horde of giant praying mantis and the
creepiest talking goat to ever grace a cartoon? Let go of your hate, fanboys,
and learn to embrace the fun.
46. Heart of Steel Parts 1&2
Batman goes Blade
Runner in this two-part epic, in which the artificial intelligence HARDAC
takes control of his creator Carl Rossum’s robotics company and begins creating
robot duplicates of Gotham’s most important citizens, such as Mayor Hill and
Commissioner Gordon. The animators circumvent the censors by having the enemies
be artificial, and thus are free to inflict all manner of carnage throughout,
but the real selling point is the introduction of Barbara Gordon. She doesn’t
don the mantle of Batgirl just yet, but her proactive attitude in taking on
HARDAC by her lonesome to discover what happened to her father is a nice
foreshadowing of the hero she would later become.
45. The Man Who Killed Batman
This is it, the episode of B:TAS where Batman finally meets his maker. Who is the perpetrator
accused of offing the Dark Knight? That would be wannabe criminal Sid the
Squid, a putz who accidentally causes Batman to fall into a giant explosion,
and subsequently finds himself the most famous felon in Gotham, as a result.
But that fame comes with a price, as now every crime boss and two-bit hood in
the city want a go at the man who killed the Bat, not the least of which is the
Clown Prince of Crime himself, who is enraged that someone beat him to the
punch in offing his greatest foe. It’s a fun, comedic episode that nevertheless
has an edge, and Mark Hamill gets to do some of his best work in the entire
series. Oh, and it turns out Batman’s not really dead in the end. Surprise.
44. Avatar
Once this episode opens with a music-only sequence
featuring a Peter Cushing lookalike as an archaeologist at an Egyptian tomb, it
had my heart. The rest of the episode is equally rich in classic genre
excavation, as Batman races against Ra’s al Ghul to find an ancient, mummified
sorcereress that holds the secret to eternal life. Complicating things, Ra’s’ daughter
Talia aligns herself with Batman (who spends a refreshing amount of time out of
costume for most of the episode), which is always tricky, because the Dark
Knight is never sure how much he can trust his mightiest foe’s loyal daughter.
All of the pulpy, old-world hallmarks are there: exotic, world-travelling
locales, Bruce and Talia in jodhpurs,
plane rides represented through a dotted line on a map… it’s the type of detail
that made B:TAS such a memorable show
in the first place, and the final showdown with the mummy Thoth Khepera (voiced
by Nichelle Nichols!) is a show-stopper .
43. The Demon Within
One of the nice things about the revamped New Batman Adventures is the increase in
superhero guest stars. Case in point: Jason Blood, aka Etrigan the Demon. The
classic Jack Kirby character gets a lavish treatment courtesy of the slick, new
animation style, and even brings along classic rival Klarion the Witch Boy to
wreak magical havoc in the streets of Gotham City. The plot is simplistic, and
anyone not familiar with the Demon or Klarion will probably be hopelessly lost,
as both are introduced with little fanfare or explanation of who they are or
where they come from. Still, it’s a blast to watch from beginning to end, and
Billy Zane kills it in his dual performance as Blood and Etrigan.
42. Feat of Clay Parts 1&2
Perhaps the best aspect of Batman: The Animated Series is the streamlining of the
Bat-mythos--taking decades of continuity from the comics and boiling them down
to their purest form. At the time, there had been half a dozen versions of
Clayface since his debut in the 1940’s, but the show pulls the best elements
from each to create a definitive portrayal of the mud-man rogue. This version
is Matt Hagen, an actor who has been disfigured and is relying on a special new
face cream to hide his scars and keep getting work in show-business. Things go
horribly wrong, of course, and Hagen soon finds himself a walking pile of
shape-shifting clay. Some of the best animation in the series puts Clayface through
some pretty spectacular transformations, and Ron Perlman’s vocal performance imbues
Hagen with the tragic motivation that was B:TAS’
bread-and-butter.
41. Mean Seasons
This episode takes inspiration from classic
Bat-villain the Calendar Man and refashions him into Calendar Girl, a former
model who was aged out of the business and now covers her face with a mask and
commits crimes coinciding with the four seasons. Calender Girl provides an
interesting psychological portrait of a villain, but the episode really shines
as a satire on the media world, and a pretty searing indictment on its
obsession with youth and beauty--and utter disregard for everything that falls
outside those bounds.
40. Riddler’s Reform
Riddler episodes are tricky, as they all hinge on
the singular gimmick of a crook who commits crimes and then deliberately leaves
a trail of clues behind, daring Batman and the police to catch him in the act.
If you’re not careful, then all the Riddler’s appearances can begin to feel a
bit same-y. Which is why this episode is the best of all the Riddler
episodes--a clever workaround of the villain’s central gimmick that sees Edward
Nygma attempting to go straight by selling his brand to a successful line of
toys. Of course, the Riddler just can’t help himself, and thus taunts Batman
with various clues that suggest he may not be completely reformed after all. It
also helps that the various riddles and puzzles are smart enough to give Batman
a run for his money, and not as far-fetched or simplistic as Riddler schemes
have been in other Bat-media.
39. A Bullet for Bullock
Harvey Bullock gets the spotlight in this episode,
as the hard-nosed GCPD detective fends off several attempts on his life and
reluctantly enlists the help of Batman to help him deduce which of his many
enemies currently has it out for him. It’s one of the most noir-infused
episodes in the entire series, with a jazzy score and a down-on-his-luck
protagonist dodging bullets at every turn. The ultimate reveal of who’s behind
the various killings is more comedic, but also doubles down Bullock’s
unapologetic characterization as a working stiff who’s competent at his job,
but otherwise a complete and total fuck-up.
38. Shadow of the Bat Parts 1&2
After being teased in “Heart of Steel,” Barbara Gordon
makes her debut as Batgirl in this fantastic two-parter, which sees
Commissioner Gordon framed for taking bribes by his new assistant Gil Mason.
It’s the type of plot unique to a cartoon that could only be found on this very
show, and this two-parter uses every opportunity to tell its story in a manner
as sophisticated and adult as possible. Best of all is the characterization of
Batgirl herself, a superhero operating independently of Batman and Robin and
drawing their ire, as a result. But Babs pulls through in the end, proving to
the boys that she can do anything they can, on her own terms and without their
help, if need be. Also the first appearance of Batman’s criminal alter ego
Matches Malone, so points for that, as well.
37. Off-Balance
Talia al Ghul makes her first appearance here, solo
and without her father, just as it happened in the comics. She teams with
Batman to stop the villainous Count Vertigo from stealing a hi-tech sonic weapon,
only to double-cross him and report to her father in the end (the first of many
betrayals--you’d think Batman would learn eventually). Vertigo’s
reality-warping effects are nicely animated, and already the chemistry is there
between Talia and Batman. It’s another fine example of how the series would set
up larger events to come, a rarity for cartoons at the time.
36. Dreams in Darkness
After a strong dose of the Scarecrow’s fear toxin,
Batman finds himself an inmate at Arkham Asylum after wrecking the Batmobile,
and struggles to prove his sanity in time foil the Scarecrow’s latest plot.
More fantastic hallucination/dream sequences really make this episode, as
Batman has to overcome the fear toxin coursing through his veins to take on
Scarecrow and his minions. Of course, the show has to come up with some BS
excuse for why Arkham’s staff doesn’t immediately remove his mask and blow
Batman’s secret identity, but it’s a plot contrivance that’s easy to forgive
when the rest of the episode is as good as it is.
35. Batgirl Returns
Batman is pretty much absent for this entire
episode, as Batgirl forms an uneasy alliance with Catwoman in taking on corrupt
businessman Roland Daggett. The episode is highlighted for its beautiful, fluid
animation, as both these incarnations of Batgirl and Catwoman have never looked
better, but the real fun is seeing the inexperienced Babs bounce off of a
Selina Kyle she’s not entirely sure she can trust. The episode also is the
first to introduce the interesting dynamic between Dick and Barbara--who at
this point don’t know about each other’s interesting night lives, as the two
are quite chummy in their everyday lives, but they can’t stand each other while
in costume.
34. Harley’s Holiday
Harley Quinn gets her first adventure without any
involvement from the Joker, a nice change of pace that foreshadows the
character’s modern-day status as a solo
operator. The plot this time around
finds Harley given a clean bill of mental health after her most recent stay at
Arkham, but one bad day sends her spiraling back to the red and black tights,
where she proceeds to kidnap Veronica Vreeland. It’s essentially a screwball
comedy, with everyone from Batman and Robin, Harvey Bullock, mobster Boxy
Bennett and Vreeland’s own five-star general father getting involved in the
chase. A zany episode overall, but Batman’s last-minute kindness shown to
Harley is enough to bring the tears at the end.
33. Old Wounds
The rift that finally pushed Dick Grayson to quit
his role as the original Robin is revealed in this episode, as the now-grown
Dick relates to Tim Drake the events that led to him splitting away from his
former mentor. It’s another TNBA episode
that would have benefitted from being a two-parter, but still manages to pack
in a surprising amount in its twenty-two minute run-time. Dick’s reasons for
leaving are genuine, and never once feel forced or contrived, as the former
Robin grows increasingly uncomfortable with his mentor’s increasingly harsh
methods--an assumption he later reconsiders after seeing one of the crooks Batman
menaced in the past given a job in the present at Wayne Industries by Bruce
Wayne himself. It was one of the many things I appreciated most about the
series’ interpretation of its title character: how it showed the many facets of
Batman, and how it wasn’t always about punching out the bad guys.
32. The Clock King
The Clock King was a joke of a villain in the
comics, possibly better remembered for the giant clock he wore as a mask over
anything else, but once again the creators of B:TAS worked their magic and completely reinvented the villain into
a far more compelling character. In this iteration, The Clock King is the uber
anally-rententive Temple Fugate, a stickler for punctuality and schedules whose
life is ruined due to the advice of future Mayor Hamilton Hill to loosen up and
shake up his daily routine. Seven years pass and Fugate has now fashioned
himself into a supervillain seeking revenge on Mayor Hill, using
carefully-timed and -plotted schemes to foil Batman at every turn. It’s a
terrific reinvention, largely thanks to details like Fugate timing the exact
seconds it takes Batman to throw a punch or execute a kick, and using that
against the hero in a climactic in the Gotham City clock tower.
31. Holiday Knights
The first episode of The New Batman Adventures is actually an adaptation of a Batman Holiday Special comic that was
produced by several of the show’s creators. All but one of the original stories
in that special are adapted, providing three separate vignettes of holiday
antics in Gotham City. All three are short and to-the-point, nothing terribly
deep or meaningful but certainly an awful lot of fun to watch. The end also
reveals a holiday tradition between Batman and Commissioner Gordon meeting for
a cup of coffee to celebrate the ringing in of a new year.
30. Zatanna
It’s the very first team-up episode, as Batman joins
forces with Zatanna Zatara. The backwards-talking magician from the comics is
depowered and re-envisioned into a stage magician who finds herself in a spot
of trouble after an illusion gone wrong ends with the money in the Gotham Mint
going missing. We get another flashback to Bruce’s wandering years, where it’s
revealed that he trained with Zatanna’s father in the discipline of escape
artistry, and maybe had a thing going with Zatanna while he was there. Batman
and Zatanna’s chemistry carries the episode, and the final showdown aboard a
massive flying wing provides all the pyrotechnics a fan could possibly want.
29. Never Fear
The Scarecrow gets his TNBA makeover in this episode, and is the most successful redesign
of the bunch--gone is the lanky straw-man of old, replaced by a ghoul resembling
a Western preacher with a gruesome mask (is it even truly a mask anymore?) and
a torn noose hanging around his neck. It’s a fantastic design, and made all the
more creepy by the recasting of Jeffery Combs in the role, who brings an icy
and devastating calm to the former Jonathan Crane. The plot is simple enough,
with the Scarecrow now working with a self-help guru to remove peoples’ fears
instead of triggering them. Of course, Batman gets hit by a dose, and we get to
see a Dark Knight without fear, and thus, without limitations, leaving Robin in
the unenviable position of standing up to his now out-of-control boss.
28. Joker’s Favor
This is the one: the debut of the now-ubiquitous
Harley Quinn. Given the character’s eventual popularity, one would assume the
episode would be all Harley, all the time, but her introductory appearance is
about as low-key as it gets--Harley is essentially a hench-girl who could have
never appeared again and probably no one would have noticed. Instead, the main
focus of the episode is Charlie Collins, an ordinary guy who runs afoul of the
Joker and forced into owing him a favor; a favor that the Joker calls in
several years later when he needs help bombing a ceremony held in honor of
Commissioner Gordon. It was the first Joker episode produced for the series
that was worthy of the villain’s legendary status, and although her appearance
here is as nondescript as it gets, Harley’s later popularity speaks for itself.
27. Robin’s Reckoning Parts 1&2
We get to see the series tackle Dick Grayson’s
origin story with this two-parter, in which old demons are dug up from the past
to haunt the present. Tony Zucco, the man responsible for Dick’s parents’
death, shows back up in present-day Gotham City, and Batman keeps a vengeful
Robin out of the loop while he tracks down Zucco. Both episodes flash back
between the present and the past, as we see a young Dick Grayson at the circus
and his transition to living in Wayne Manor. The character dynamics are once
again what truly makes this two-parter great, and the added run-time really
allows the story to breathe, instead of just desperately racing to the next
action scene. The bond between the orphaned Wayne and Grayson immediately
asserts itself in the narrative past, but is pushed near to the breaking point
in the present as Robin goes behind Batman’s back to hunt down Zucco on his
own. The growing uncomfortable and contentious relationship between Dick and
Bruce was something that the show would later mine in The New Batman Adventures, and was one of the things that helped
define the show from the simplistic Superfriends
of old.
26. Beware the Creeper
Steve Ditko’s oddball superhero from the late
sixties gets his animated debut here, in an episode penned by comics luminary
Steve Gerber. The series had teased the character’s eventual appearance in
earlier episodes, as his alter ego Jack Ryder frequently showed up in news
broadcasts, but here we get to see his transformation in Ditko’s weird, wacky
character. His origin is altered slightly from the comics in order to bring
Batman and the Joker into the mix, as Ryder gets dumped into the same toxic
chemicals that gave birth to the Joker while doing a special report on the Clown
Price of Crime. Gerber’s script is whip-smart and actually funny, with The
Creeper getting all the best lines, maniacally voiced by VO stalwart Jeff
Bennett.
No comments:
Post a Comment