Batman: The Animated Series Season 2- Part 4

And now, the fitting conclusion to the second season of Batman: The Animated Series...


Episode 22- Off Balance: We get a lot of seeds planted for the arrival of a huge villain in the Batman universe. We see Batman kinda work alongside the mysterious Talia al Ghul to stop the villain Count Vertigo. We hear the mentioning of Talia's father, a secret Society of Shadows, and we see Batman's identity revealed to her without his consent. This is where the title makes an excellent double meaning. The off balance effect can be from both Count Vertigo's disorienting eye patch, as well as Batman's uncertainty of what side Talia is on. If you're familiar with Batman lore, you can probably assume how things are going to end. But, the highlight comes at the end when we are given a tease with the reveal of Talia's father. I can't wait for them to get back to this story arc, cause things are about to get really good.

Episode 23- The Man Who Killed Batman: We get another very interesting concept in this episode, as a clumsy henchman is believed to have inadvertently killed Batman in an explosion. The result is that Sid the Squid has fame, but not the way he'd like. People are challenging him to stake their dominance and The Joker tries to have him executed because he ended the long standing battle between his greatest foe. You really see a good side of respect that Joker has for Batman. The punchline of Joker's schemes has theoretically been snuffed out thanks to this guy, but you can't help but feel bad for Sid because he didn't ask for any of it. The ending, of course, shows us that Batman isn't dead and we get a resolution that allows justice to be properly paid while also giving Sid the proper fame he desires. Very nice concept and execution. We get to know a lot more about the Joker's relationship with Batman than we'd initially thought and we spend some quality time to get to know and relate to the character of Sid.

Episode 24- Mudslide: This episode picks up where we last left off with Clayface. His molecular structure is deteriorating, and he is looking for any method to stop him from melting all over the place. This naturally turns to crime, which Batman has to put a stop to. But, you kind of wish he'd give the guy a break right? I mean, he didn't ask to be this way. I'm surprised Batman wasn't trying to synthesize some kind of cure during this episode. All that aside, I always enjoy Clayface episodes so we can hear what new material Ron Perlman can bring to the role.

Episode 25- Paging the Crime Doctor: Here, we get a little more depth on recurring villain Rupert Thorne. We get to see the dynamic he has with his brother, a very accomplished doctor that has lost his license and is reduced to helping patch up the criminals of Gotham. We also get another good look into Batman's relationship with Leslie Thompkins, and the discovery that Thorne's brother was best friends with Leslie and Bruce's father. The action is in the background of the episode and I don't mind one bit, because the forefront of the episode features elements like characters and their relationships with other characters. Where will the allegiances lay? Does the bonds of family outweigh the morals of right and wrong? The dichotomy is not as black and white as you'd expect. It's more complicated than you would at first suspect and I love how the show doesn't stoop to kid friendly cliches.

Episode 26- Zatanna: This episode dives into the realm of magic and gives the viewers a look into a lesser known DC superhero. We get an interesting romance between her and Bruce Wayne that calls back to his previous training with her father. In an interesting flashback, we see that he studied the art of escaping in order to build his skills necessary to be Batman. I like seeing that kind of past development a lot. Not much else to the episode than that. If you're a fan of magic, you'll enjoy watching this episode. But I'd stay for the flashbacks that peel back the layers that helped shape a young Bruce Wayne into The Dark Knight.

Episode 27- The Mechanic: This episode calls back to that moment in Batman Returns when the Penguin rigs the Batmobile to be under his control. Of course, there is more to the episode than that, but you can't help but compare when the episode came out only a year after the film AND features a similar plot with the SAME villain. Call it an homage, but it needed a little more creativity in my opinion.

Episode 28- Harley and Ivy: This season knew how to end on a high note. We really get an opportunity to further develop two of the most well-known female villains in all of comic books. Harley Quinn is sent packing from The Joker's lair, leaving her completely devastated. She then forms a team and friendship with Poison Ivy. We get to see Ivy as a confident, independent female, and we see that Harley is addicted to The Joker in a very unstable way. We get hints that Joker is abusive, but Harley still believes he loves her. Even on the Jokers point of view, he knows he threw her out, but expected her to come back like she always does. For a kids show, a side story like this takes serious balls to do. Ivy's sick of seeing her friend like this, knowing Joker is no good and Harley is blinded by love. Throw Batman into the mix and an annoyed Joker trying to get Harley back, and you have a great climax where something has to give. It's a very enjoyable episode that all genders can enjoy. Women can watch it with a feeling of empowerment, and men can enjoy it because it's an awesome episode.

Series Spotlight: Rupert Thorne, voiced by John Vernon

Here's a villain I wasn't expecting a lot out of, but he leaves a good impression with his multiple appearances. If you're a fan of The Dark Knight Trilogy, think of Rupert Thorne as the Carmine Falcone equivalent on this show. He's one of the most feared gangsters and doesn't need any crazy costume or superpowers to get the job done. He makes a couple of appearances on this disc of episodes, so I couldn't help but spotlight him. His highlights on the show so far definitely include being the man that got under Harvey Dent's skin enough to help transform him into Two-Face, as well as had a relationship developing episode in "Paging the Crime Doctor" with his brother. He's not as physically imposing as other villains, but he still has a lot of power in the crime world and can be a serious thorn in Batman's side. See what I did there?

Series Spotlight: Final Thoughts on Season 2

I really think Season 2 upped the amount of quality because it was able to build off the success of the first season. We got to see the showrunners take a lot more risks in the stories and ideas that they wanted to develop, arcs and characters were able to develop further with more long-term effects, and the show continued to deliver what fans had come to expect. This offered Batman: The Animated Series to continue being smart and mature, while also not breaking any boundaries that made it inappropriate for kids. With tons of validation as one of the top cartoons at the time, the sky was the limit for this show for what was to come next. More characters could be introduced, deeper stories could probably be addressed, and the potential could also exist for this universe to be put on the big screen. Maybe it's time for another crossover with my movie blog in the near future...


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