Batman: The Animated Series Season 2- Part 1

With the first season of Batman: The Animated Series being a success, you can only imagine the need to continue the number of episodes, along with maintaining the quality throughout. I mean, this was a dark cartoon series that allowed the viewer to think, while also being about one of the most popular superheroes ever. You had a great voice cast, spectacular animation, wonderful music. This was a pretty easy formula to follow, and for the most part, they did the job well. Give the viewer Batman, but also an episode with a plot they hadn't seen before. The more you dig into the multi-part episodes, the more groundbreaking the show could be. But, with how popular the rogues gallery was, you can imagine that a lot of their reappearances could come off as filler or formulaic. But the great aspect of this show is that every episode has something good going for it, so let's look at the first 7 episodes of Season 2 to see what the showrunners can throw our way.


Episode 1- Eternal Youth: This one's a Poison Ivy episode and I'm completely fine with that, but the highlight of the episode is Alfred. We dive a little deeper into his character and meet his lady friend Maggie. I think she's his girlfriend, or that she wants to be, I'm not sure. Anyways, it's interesting to peek into this section of Alfred's life, so this episode offers some of that in a humorous way.

Episode 2- Perchance to Dream: While not trying to give away too much, you can guess by that title what the "twist" of this episode is. Bruce Wayne wakes up in a world where his parents are alive, he's engaged to Selina Kyle, and he is not Batman. Just pause there for a moment. That is a LOT to process. His entire motivation for fighting crime and being miserable is gone and he's marrying the woman of his dreams. Good life, right? You can see him try and handle the emotions throughout the entire experience. He's in shock at first, but grows to accept his life and actually be happy. Of course, it's only temporary. Eventually, he figures out what's going on and has to fight someone he probably never thought he'd have to face: Batman! How symbolic. This is a fantastic episode, offering a glimpse into a "what could have been" scenario for Bruce, but alas, returning him to what the life he must accept by the end of the episode. Pretty bittersweet to say the least, but it's kind of telling to see Bruce give up the life he dreamed of having because he knows it's not a reality. That's deep, Batman!

Episode 3- The Cape and the Cowl Conspiracy: The plot of this episode revolves around a gangster and a trap master trying to get Batman's cape and cowl. The episode itself is very interesting, if only to see a couple of random villains try and get the one up on Batman. But the true genius of the episode is within its climax, which I will not spoil, but believe me when I say it'll leave you speechless.

Episode 4- Robin's Reckoning Part 1: Wow. I was not expecting to love this episode as much as I did. We get a 2-part episode talking about Robin's origin, leading up to where he is today. We get to dive into his early relationships with Bruce and Alfred, and we get to see the Boy Wonder grow up over the years, leading to a potential moment for revenge. When the man who killed his parents returns to Gotham, Batman keeps Robin at home and goes after the man himself. Robin, feeling like Bruce is keeping him down, resents the idea of being shut out of this case and goes after the guy himself. Right here, this has the potential for an amazing climax. Both Batman and Robin have similar backstories and have always been asking themselves what they would do if they had the opportunity to avenge their parents' deaths. Now, Robin has that chance and Batman knows it. Tell me you don't want to head into Part 2, right?

Episode 5- Robin's Reckoning Part 2: And to be perfectly honest, I think Part 2 is the strongest conclusion to a 2-part episode we've seen thus far. Seeing Robin have to make that decision is absolutely exhilarating. I never thought I'd say that when it comes to a cartoon series. That scene is tense. And the resolution is absolutely beautiful and emotional. I won't give too much away, but Batman and Robin have a moment where Robin is told the real reason Batman kept him at home. It definitely adds a further dimension in the relationship between these two. They aren't just hero and sidekick, but more like best friends, brothers, or even father and son.

Episode 6- The Laughing Fish: The Joker is looking to make a copyright scam on some fish that have his appearance. Ok, the plot is a little whack, but it is a Joker episode, so it's definitely entertaining. Part of the appeal is that we get more time with Harley Quinn interacting with the Joker, giving a few peeks into their dysfunctional relationship. And we also get a number of great moments with Batman, anticipating what Joker's next move will be. You can tell these two have gone against each other for quite a while now, and they can predict each other's next move and counter it. Not bad for an episode focusing on fish.

Episode 7- Night of the Ninja: This was a very fascinating episode because it relied more on Bruce Wayne saving the day, instead of Batman. A former martial arts rival is stealing from Wayne Industries, as a form of revenge on Bruce. To save the day, Bruce must defeat him in combat. The interesting part is that you could easily imagine Batman being able to beat this guy, but Bruce can't give up that he is Batman. You also could have Robin waiting in the wings, but that wouldn't solve anything personally. It's a great episode to remind the viewer that Batman is only half of the winning combination, Bruce Wayne is that other half.

Series Spotlight: Robin, voiced by Loren Lester

After being seemingly out of the spotlight during the first season of the show, Robin makes a spectacular showing in the first batch of Season 2 episodes, including a 2-parter about his origin. I'm sure a lot of people would say that Robin has a stigma of being an obnoxious sidekick, but he really gets a good impression going on in "Robin's Reckoning." You see him tormented by the loss of his parents, fueled by revenge to avenge him. You can even see his resentment towards being treated like a sidekick in Batman's eyes, while still respecting him as the man who took him in and raised him. But he has a message to deliver that he is not a kid anymore. I like that a lot, actually. It puts a huge chip on Robin's shoulder to show he can hang with Batman, while also delivering a lot of layered emotions and motivations all in one episode. It immediately put Robin on the map as a character that can be explored and utilized in a lot of future episodes. And it also laid some groundwork for the character of Dick Grayson to evolve into something that I will be discussing when we get to Season 4.

Series Spotlight: Alfred Pennyworth, voiced by Efrem Zimbalist, Jr.

I've always had a soft spot for the character of Alfred. He's one of the most kind and influential people that is responsible for giving Bruce Wayne a shred of humanity after the tragic murder of his parents. Willing to do anything to Bruce, Alfred also assists him in fighting crime, usually researching whatever Bruce needs him to or mending Bruce's injuries. I really like the Alfred in this show, always knowing when to give proper advice or a clever response when needed. I also really enjoyed seeing his character expanded as the episodes go on, including a great relationship that shows how he feels towards Robin in the "Robin's Reckoning" episode. You can see that he cares for Dick Grayson the same way that he would a young Bruce Wayne, and knows how to talk to Bruce to remind him that he and Dick aren't so different. Alfred is a very integral part of Batman and Robin's lives, combining both the wisdom and the wit that can come from someone who has a life full of experience to pass on to a younger generation.

And we're just getting started. There's plenty more fun to be had with Batman: The Animated Series in Part 2...


Batman: The Animated Series and images are copyrighted by Warner Bros. Animation