Batman Power Hour Companion: Act 3

Continuing the Official Companion to my Batman: The Animated Series video power hour, here's commentary on Act 3 (of 6):

Clip 21: Night of the Ninja
Air: 28 (October 26, 1992)
DVD: 135

I sent us on a flashback to young Bruce Wayne's pre-Batman training in Japan to start this act, as I like each act to begin with something personal about our hero rather than just jumping into the action. Although there is plenty of action when Bruce faces another student in his dojo, Kyodai Ken, a villain who (I believe) was created for the series rather than being drawn from the comics. Their matchup reveals that Wayne wasn't always at the top of his game in terms of fighting style and that he could consistently be defeated by this cocky, bald student with a gnarly Asian soul patch. I wonder what would happen if they were ever to meet up again...


Clip 22: Day of the Samurai
Air: 55 (February 23, 1993)
DVD: 144

There's a lot of backstory that isn't described going into this clip, but even without knowing all the details, it still makes for an extremely well-executed hand-to-hand combat scene. First of all, Kyodai knows the Dark Knight's secret identity because he has fought both Bruce Wayne and Batman, and fighting styles are like fingerprints: no two are alike. Hence the lack of ceremony when our hero casually removes his mask. This knowledge allowed him to target Alfred in order to lure Wayne/Batman to this dangerously epic (epicly dangerous?) fighting ground next to an active volcano. Secondly, Kyodai has acquired knowledge of the ancient forbidden fighting style "kiba no hoko" (the way of the fang), which includes a deadly "killing touch" making him that much more dangerous of an adversary. To see who ends up winning the fight, you'll have to get your hands on Volume 2 of the DVD collection.


Clips 23 and 24: The Strange Secret of Bruce Wayne
Air: 29 (October 29, 1992)
DVD: 137

Staying with the theme of villains who know Batman's secret identity, the next two clips are from Professor Hugo Strange's only appearance in the series. Although Strange predates the Joker in the comic book context, the diminutive, demonic psychotherapist has been largely left out of the modern Bat-lexicon until he got a starring role in 2011's Batman: Arkham City. In the first clip, we see how Strange gains this critical piece of information: through the use of a high-tech mind-reading device that he operates under the guise of providing hypnotic relaxation therapy to the rich and famous. In a flourish of iconic imagery (which puts a similar sequence associated with the Riddler in Batman Forever to shame), Bruce Wayne unwittingly reveals his darkest secret to someone who's well-suited to use it against him. Between the clips, Batman thwarts Strange's plan, but it's not so easy dealing with the fact that a dangerous evil genius now knows his biggest secret. For that, he has to engage in some cloak and dagger tactics involving his sidekick wearing a mask straight out of Mission: Impossible. Whenever I watch this scenario play out, I always wonder: wouldn't it have been easier for Dick Grayson to disguise himself as Batman, who already wears a mask, and to have the real Bruce Wayne just play himself? Maybe it's just the case that between Batman and Bruce Wayne, the Dark Knight is actually the more recognizable figure in Gotham City...


Clips 25 and 26: If You're So Smart, Why Aren't You Rich?
Air: 41 (November 18, 1992)
DVD: 140

This episode marks the Riddler's origin story, and the first clip shows the first time we see the villain in full costume - a gorgeous fully painted, rather than drawn, cell that also serves as the first act out in the actual episode. I've always thought the Riddler's episodes are some of the most entertaining, because his challenges require Batman to apply his intellect to clever puzzles while still maintaining an element of action. Also, Robin appears in each episode with the Riddler, which makes for some good back and forth as the Dynamic Duo work out the brain teasers. Plus, John Glover's conservative yet very effective version of the Riddler is yet another example of how this show puts Batman Forever to shame.

Another reason I'm partial to this particular episode is because of its focus on video games: the maze that Batman and Robin are navigating in the second clip is modeled after the Edward Nygma-created "Riddle of the Minotaur" game that Dick Grayson plays earlier in the episode (complete with sound effects stolen directly from Super Mario Bros.). This episode also introduces Batman's palm-top computer, a device that's far advanced beyond even the technology of our time, let alone the retro-1940s universe in which the show is set. But in a world where villains have remote-controlled flying hands, our heroes need technological weapons advanced enough to combat them.

Clips 27 and 28: Read My Lips
Air: 59 (May 10, 1993)
DVD: 164

The Ventriloquist has one of the screwiest gimmicks (serious psychiatric disorders?) in all of Batman's rogue's gallery, as reflected by our hero's reaction upon seeing the dummy Scarface for the first time. Fans of the original Law & Order will recognize the voice(s) of George Dzundza - who played Sergeant Max Greevey on the show's first season - as both personalities of the villain. In a bit of a cheat, you also hear Dzundza's voice when Batman uses his own ventriloquism ability to trick his foe in their climactic confrontation in the second clip. This same voice-over cheat was also employed in "The Strange Secret of Bruce Wayne" when Dick Grayson disguises himself (and his voice) as Bruce Wayne to trick Hugo Strange. I understand that there probably isn't another way to make these scenes work, but they always kind of bump me whenever I hear them.

What's not included in this power hour, since it happens after a lengthy fight sequence following the second clip, is the untimely and brutal death of the Scarface puppet at the hands of about 500 rogue bullets from a henchman's tommy gun. Series creator Bruce Timm said that they always destroyed the dummy in the most gruesome ways possible because it's technically just an intricately carved piece of wood, and the censors weren't able to stop them. True to form, in the other two episodes in which the Ventriloquist appears, his trademark prop is ground up by a wood chipper and decapitated by Scarecrow's scythe.


Clip 29: Bane
Air: 71 (September 10, 1994)
DVD: 210

The first episode in this power hour from the show's second season (which inexplicably had less than 1/3 the amount of episodes as Season 1), is also the show's first and only appearance of the episode's title character. Although Bane is one of Batman's most formidable physical opponents, he does not have a great deal of depth: he's basically a huge chemically-enhanced muscle-bound guy who shouts "I WILL BREAK YOU!!!1" This is why I never understood Christopher Nolan's decision to make him such a cerebral character in The Dark Knight Rises. I understand that Bane is supposed to be a smart guy, but in his traditional appearances he uses his intellect to study fighting styles and strategy, not develop intricate terrorist plots. Because the thing about villains with intricate plans is that they have to menacingly explain their inner workings to the heroes, and having a character with a giant mask covering his mouth try to explain anything makes for some very frustrating movie watching.

Anyway, in this clip (which required some internal cuts to remove the awkward and pointless storyline of shirtless Robin swim-fighting with Rupert Thorne's "secretary" Candace) Batman, on the verge of utter defeat, bests Bane in the only logical way possible: he disables the supply of Venom linked to his adversary's brain, with amazingly effective and dramatic results. This is the main reason why a character like Bane frankly doesn't deserve multiple episodes: he has one very clear weakness, and once it's been exploited, there are very few ways to make another interesting story out of him. It's still a great clip and a very good episode, but let's just say that after the credits rolled I wasn't eager for more Bane.

Clip 30: Off Balance
Air: 44 (November 23, 1992)
DVD: 150

Staying with the theme of characters that appear in Christopher Nolan's third and most recent Batman movie, this clip shows Batman's first interaction with Talia. That's right, Talia. She introduces herself directly, there's no mistaken identity red herring, and they begin their relationship by working together in a heroic setting - which kindles the most meaningful romance in Batman's career. Most importantly though, notice that Batman meets Talia before he meets her father, Ra's al Ghul - that way the fact that they know each other becomes an important plot point when he meets the Demon's Head for the first time (as you'll see in the next act). Not much going on in this clip other than the meeting, but it serves as the act out just to remind fans of TDKR how misguided the use (not to mention the casting choice) of Talia was in the film.