Batman: The Animated Series

[hobbyfan]

Tyger, Tyger is one I've never seen from start to finish. I'm always finding myself coming in a few minutes later, after Selina's already been transformed. I don't know where Avaitor got the idea that this was a Gargoyles rip-off, since it wasn't. In truth, it was a sort-of riff on the Island of Dr. Moreau.

[LumRanmaYasha]

Ah, but wouldn't a Dr. Moreau homage story be more of something you'd expect from Gargoyles? 

Also, the idea of turning a human being into a cat-hybrid creature is sorta like what Dr. Sevarius did to Talon (Elisa's brother).

[Avaitor]

Ah, but wouldn't a Dr. Moreau homage story be more of something you'd expect from Gargoyles? 

Also, the idea of turning a human being into a cat-hybrid creature is sorta like what Dr. Sevarius did to Talon (Elisa's brother).

Yep, that's why I always got a lesser Gargoyles vibe from this episode. Lesser in that Gargoyles did a much better take on this story.

And now I guess it's time to finish volume 2.

Volume 2, Disc 3

"Moon of the Wolf"- Well, this one is just awful. Just really, unbelievably awful. Maybe if you give up sobriety for the night, you'll find some enjoyment out of it, but I haven't tried it, so I can't say. But yikes, it is hard to find any redeeming qualities about this episode. And yes, that is Len Wein, the editor of Watchmen and the creator of Wolverine, who wrote this.

"Day of the Samurai"- This sequel to "Night of the Ninja" is a masterpiece compared to the previous episode, but just like its sister story, this is more interesting than exciting to watch and doesn't make for one of the best. Still, it is a decent companion to that episode and is hardly the show's worst.

"Terror in the Sky"- Another sequel episode, this one brining us back a bit, all the way back to the premiere. I never got much use out of this one. The animation wasn't nearly as strong as "On Leather Wings", and I didn't care for the central conflict, but again, this isn't quite as bad as "Moon of the Wolf".

"Almost Got 'Im"- But this one, I have no problems for. This is Doug Walker's favorite episode, as well as many others, and it's up there for me as well. A great laugh fest all the way through, with some classic lines from each of the villains, totally rocking some incredible chemistry. Even Catwoman is finally done justice, even if only briefly. This episode is especially great when you look up some of Batman's earlier stories, and realize that this is a tribute to similar capers that he used to face back when.

"Birds of a Feather"- The Penguin's best solo episode, this episode toys with the idea of his rehabilitation and the mixed results convicts like him who enter the world again deal with. Other villains will have similar episodes later on, but this is the first of its kind, and made for a compelling story for a villain I've honestly never cared for. The ending is especially a doozy, but don't feel too bad- Peingy will eventually break good later on, somewhat.

"What is Reality?"- Here's a follow-up Riddler adventure, and while it wasn't quite as strong as the first one, it's another good episode. The staff liked making Riddler episodes, but always had a tough time coming up with ideas for him to use, which explains why there's so few of them. We just have one more in volume 3, but he will have a couple of appearances here and there otherwise.

"I Am the Night"- I know some people have it out for this episode, in that they find it highly pretentious. I don't think I'm the right guy to get into why,  so I won't bother. I like it, but is there anyone else who doesn't and can explain the logic behind its hatred?

Volume 2, Disc 4-

"Off Balance"- Len Wein's back, and he wrote a much better episode! This is a pretty cool introduction to Talia, one that's full of excitement, and hints towards more important adventures for her, and maybe part of her family, as well.

"The Man Who Killed Batman"- This episode is even better! Funny from start to finish, this makes Sid the Squid a likable character as well as a comic foil to his own bad luck. Joker and Harley also come in to make a great side story, and the whole thing culminates into a classic ending.

"Mudslide"- Back to Clayface, and he gets an episode nearly as strong as his debut. Of the show's handful of vintage sci-fi throwbacks, this is one of the better ones, keeping a strong character story for Clayface throughout. The ending isn't too happy, but we're not really done with Clayface yet.

"Paging the Crime Doctor"- For a moment, you'd think this episode was attempting to humanize Rubert Thorne, but that doesn't really end up happening. But he gets a compelling story with his brother, which wraps around to a sweet ending with Bruce. I wouldn't call this one of the best episodes, but it's a solid one alright.

"Zatanna"- Here's the first appearance of a DC hero outside of the Batfamily, but also gives the audience more insight into Bruce's training. I like Zatanna's character and always appreciate insight into Batman's past, so the episode works for me, but I don't think she has great chemistry with Batman. And while she never returns to the show, we do see her again in Justice League, way into Unlimited.

"The Mechanic"- Nothing too earth-shattering here, but I like seeing Batman's relationship with Cooper, and the pacing's strong enough. It isn't a classic, but really, if this is one of the low points on the disc, we're in good hands.

"Harley and Ivy"- We end the set with one of the show's most iconic episodes. The animation is a little wonky at some points, but everything else is fantastic. Harley and Ivy have both been well-defined at this point, each with their own strong personalities fleshed out enough to make their chemistry come off as fresh and exciting as it is. The lack of Batman until midway through the second act is a welcome change of pace, and does help to build up the titular character's relationship. Even the Joker, who this episode isn't really about, gives the audience hints of just how abusive his treatment of Harley is, an aspect of the show and their characters which will matter more later on in the series.

This episode has become a bit of a feminist icon, and had a hell of an afterlife. Besides having the two characters team up some more times later on, not only in the show, but even in a couple of comics series, if you talk to someone about this show, this episode is usually one of the few to come up first. For one thing, it's surprisingly hard to find a show or movie with a well-written, believable friendship of two women, especially on a show intended for boys. There are obvious lesbian undertones among their history together, but beyond them, it becomes apparent that both women just want a friend of their own, and after a lot of the crazy shit that goes down in Gotham, I don't think it's hard to understand why Harley and Ivy connect to each other. On top of that, literally everything about this episode works, it is just that good and important.

And that's volume 2. The show is getting into a little more of a groove, but it's still not fully consistent yet. There are still some obvious duds, some worse than in the previous volume, but Timm and crew are clearly learning what works and what doesn't as they go along. Just like the first volume, the last disc here is the strongest, but the first isn't too bad itself. We only have a handful of episodes of episodes left of the original 65 episode order, and then we go into the Adventures of Batman & Robin. All of this, and some new characters, in volume 3, coming soon!

[LumRanmaYasha]

People find "I Am the Night" pretentious? Why? I don't see it... 

[gunswordfist]

Some real great stuff there. I'm partial to "Eternal Youth" since it gives Alfred some good focus and it's a Poison Ivy episode and I love pretty much all of those. "Perchance to Dream" is a classic (though I will always question why the Mad Hatter would go through all that trouble when he could just kill Batman, or why he didn't even bother to unmask him... ). I LOVE "Robin's Reckoning;" easily Dick Grayson's finest moments in the entire series and one of my all time favorites from the show too. "Laughing Fish" and "Joker's Wild" are fun Joker eps with some very memorable moments. "Heart Of Steel" were the first episodes of the show I ever watched, and I enjoy them, though it's been a while since I've last seen them so I don't know how I'd rate 'em now. And I'll second that the Ridder's first ep is also one of my favorites too.

But yeah, Catwoman episodes are terrible. It's a shame, since I like how the character is portrayed in the series, yet they never seemed to make a good plot around her. I think the only Catwoman episode I can say I like is "Batgirl Returns," and that's only an average episode to me.

I thought the same thing.

[Dr. Ensatsu-ken]

I also pointed that out a long time ago. I remember that Desensitized tried to explain that away, but given that he's tried to kill Bat man in the past, it really doesn't make sense that he wouldn't just do it when he had the perfect chance to.

[Spark Of Spirit]

I don't really know why except that maybe he cares more for playing around than anything else. He is a man-child after all. I'm not the writer, though.

Why is "I Am The Night" pretentious?

[Avaitor]

I never thought that was the Hatter's MO, at least not in this instance.

And man, there's a thread I remember from the DCAU board from way back, but tz's archive is whack, and I can't find it. I also don't remember the nam of the guy who posted it, so it'd be hard to find.

[Dr. Insomniac]

Why do people find "I Am The Night" pretentious?

[Avaitor]

First thing I could find.

[Spark Of Spirit]

So basically because people are over-analyzing it.

It's one of those episode that tries to tell you at every given moment that its deep, profound, and completely transcending standard cartoon convention

I don't recall it "saying" that, but I do recall fans asserting what it "says" via their own interpretation.

Gordon gets shot. Oh the potential! Oh the--oh wait, it's just a cheap meaningless ploy to get Batman to suffer a nonsensical crisis

Bruce's parents get shot. I guess that's just a ploy to get him to be Batman.

BTAS fans have some weird opinions.

[LumRanmaYasha]

Mmm...can't say I agree with a lot of those peoples' views. I thought the point of the episode was that Bruce had been on a losing streak, and the final nail in the coffin was when Gordon got shot, which is something he felt he could've prevented but failed too, which is why he's at the point where he feels he should just give up. Maybe the dialogue is a little over dramatic, but otherwise I thought this was a pretty good episode showing Bruce under pressure and then wising up to the fact that while not everything always goes as he wants it, he IS making a difference, and he needs to keep up the good fight. I thought it was effective, and I certainly didn't get any sense of prevention from it. It certainly could have been done a little better, but I can think of far lesser episodes to deride than "I Am the Night."

[talonmalon333]

BTAS fans have some weird opinions.

Every fanbase in existence.

[Spark Of Spirit]

BTAS fans have some weird opinions.

Every fanbase in existence.

Of course, but this kind of criticism is quite over the top.

[hobbyfan]

Zatanna is a personal favorite, and I'm just sorry we didn't get to see her again until JLU. Liked the idea of Zee & Bruce being childhood sweethearts, which Dini later explored in Detective Comics.

You guys do remember that they brought in Julie "Earth Girls Are Easy" Brown to play Zatanna for this one shot, right?