Watch This Clip, from my Batman: TAS Video Power Hour, just from 59:02 and pay attention to the lines:
"Not that it matters anymore," the Clock King gloats over Hamilton Hill in. The two of them are balanced on the nearly-level hour hand of Gotham City's largest clock tower. The mayor is in a supine position with his arms and legs tied behind him.
"Now that you have an appointment to keep, at three-fifteen precisely. With the Grim Reaper! (maniacal laugh)"
Temple Fugate's nefariously clever plan might be gruesomely effective - (from earlier in the episode) "At three fifteen on the dot those hands will come together and you'll be crushed like an insect" - depending on how the clock was constructed, and of course what type of insect you're talking about. It's of course a reference to when, years ago, haggard efficiency expert Temple Fugate lost a court case that sent him into financial ruin, caused when disaster struck after young lawyer Hamilton Hill told him to break out of his routine by taking his coffee break fifteen minutes later than usual... at 3:15pm.
But, ironically enough, what "the creep with the clocks" - as he is first referred to by Batman - is wrong about, is THE TIME when those two hands would come together. By 3:15, the hour hand would have already moved about a quarter of the way between 3 and 4, still quite far from the imposing minute hand of doom. Can anybody tell me what time Mayor Hill's untimely demise ACTUALLY WOULD HAVE OCCURRED, had Batman not heroically saved the day? No seriously, I don't know the answer. I never was able to grasp the practical applications of trigonometry.
Additional Episode Note: The Clock King made a second appearance in this Season 2 episode Time Out of Joint. In this go-round, he has a disgustingly too overpowered weapon that lets him slow down time. (It's unclear as to whether it allows him to turn back time... or TURN BACK TAIOME as Cher would sing.) Either way, it was from a time towards the end of the original run of the series when the episodes got a little more fantastical, but there are also some of my all-time favorites on the third DVD collection. Not to do any corporate shout-outs in this innocent primarily sports and entertainment blog, but as Google already knows, there are a lot of YouTube users who would love to see this show available on NetFlix. Or maybe at the very least on Amazon Prime? I mean you can buy it on Amazon regular. I just think making any kind of Batman more widely available is a good thing for our culture in general.
The Shakespeare reference in the title clearly implies
that our villain has run out of things to smoke...
I can't believe it's been almost two months since my last activity on this blog, but anyone who's checked out my YouTube page recently should have a good idea of what I've been up to during that time. That's right, my Movie Scores Power Hour is now online and ready to view! Unlike my previous effort - chronicling some of the best moments in Batman: The Animated Series - this one needs only the audio to fulfill its function. The video portion, while not entirely necessary, includes provides useful information about each minute-long clip - title, year, director and composer of the movie from which it was taken, along with a piece of key art (i.e. a poster) and a screenshot or two. Below is the full video for your viewing / listening enjoyment:
Rather than go through clip by clip, as I did in my multipart companion to the Batman: TAS Power Hour, I'll just give some overall thoughts and bits of clarifying information that will hopefully make the experience more enjoyable (and thus drive up views). First, here's a leaderboard of composers who appear on the list more than once. Please keep in mind that while I think I got a great deal of the most iconic scores in film history, this was by no means meant to be an objective "best of" list - there's no such thing as a creative work that's completely separate from its creator, and my personal preferences often and proudly come to the fore throughout this hour.
John Williams - 11
Hans Zimmer - 4
Howard Shore - 4
Bernard Herrmann - 3
Jerry Goldsmith - 3
Nino Rota - 3
Elmer Bernstein - 2
Ennio Morricone - 2
James Horner - 2
Randy Edelman - 2
That's right, a whopping ELEVEN (this one goes to 11) clips from the modern day master of film music John Williams. And what's more, six of those eleven are paired with director Steven Spielberg. (No wonder two of those pairings show up in the top 10.) Fittingly, Mr. Williams is represented in the leadoff track, the opening title from the original Star Wars, for a long time my favorite movie and still my favorite film score (when taken over over the whole trilogy). My second favorite score appears all throughout this power hour as the cue to drink / introduce the next clip. I'm a sucker for a good leitmotif, and the different themes that Howard Shore crafted for the Lord of the Rings trilogy perfectly set the tone for a deep fantasy universe. In fact, three of his four appearances in this power hour are Middle Earth related, which happen to mark the halfway point.
Before we reach that milestone, however, we hear all four entries from Hans Zimmer, a composer who is as prolific as he is bombastic. The placement of Zimmer's contributions highlights the "block" structure around which I formatted this power hour. We hear from him first in the "superhero block" where his collaboration with James Newton Howard on The Dark Knight is contrasted directly with Danny Elfman's seminal theme from 1989's Batman. (The relatively short block is finished off by the Superman theme by, who else, John Williams.) Zimmer and Lisa Gerrard (the power hour's only female contributor) then start off the "epic/war movie block" with Gladiator. This block goes in chronological order going by subject matter, featuring the Roman Empire, 13th century Scotland, the American Civil War, World War I, and three entries from World War II. This block segues flawlessly into the "music you've heard in every trailer ever" block, starting with Zimmer's unforgettable Crimson Tide theme followed by Randy Edelman's ubiquitous Dragonheart (see if you don't have an "oh, THAT one!" reaction halfway through, and ending with Clint Mansell's haunting orchestral anthem (played by the Kronos Quartet, yes like the winter storm) for Requiem for a Dream. (Remember the trailer for Two Towers? Are you getting the LotR theme?)
I haven't seen Hans Zimmer's score for Inception (his second collaboration with Christopher Nolan on this power hour) show up in any trailers yet; even though it definitely has the proper triumphant epic tense feel, it might just be too recognizable on its own. As we head towards the halfway point, I tried to stick with the triumphant theme, grouping a couple of inspiring sports movies (the third sports-related film, the unmistakable and used-everywhere Chariots of Fire, earned a spot in the top 10) with a couple of inspiring John Williams scores based on space (including the second track from a Star Wars film). The halfway point is marked by repeats, as we see the second appearance of The Godfather - the haunting opening waltz is easily a top 10 track, but the melodious love theme is a distinct motif that also merits consideration. (Andy Williams's version also serves as a warning not to attempt to transform movie scores into pop ballads by adding lyrics. Don't listen unless you want your impressions of this great piece of music forever shaken...)
After the aforementioned trip to Middle Earth (with a detour to Hogwarts, making it a true "fantasy block"), we get the "Hitchcock block" made up of two of the three collaborations between the master of suspense and composer Bernard Herrmann that are featured in this power hour. The first of the three - the revolutionary staccato strings from Psycho - occurs in the top 10 as it's just too genre-defining to relegate to the second half. A bit of trivia that I have to mention every time I talk about Psycho (and stop me if you've heard this before) is that Hitchcock originally wanted the shower scene to play without any music at all. But that was before Herrmann showed the director what he was cooking up.
Next, the "western block" segues into the "Italian block" - one of the two Sergio Leone-directed / Ennio Morricone-scored "spaghetti westerns" in the hour appears here, the other (The Good, the Bad and the Ugly) absolutely merited top 10 honors. Then we're back into scary movie land, where John Williams also makes an appearance with the driving strings of Jaws, followed by the score John Carpenter wrote for his own movie Halloween, and Jerry Goldsmith's extensively researched inversion of a high mass for The Omen. I actually lost some sleep over editing this clip, not because I was anxious about getting it just right, but because it would get in my head and I would be too scared to drift off.
Now a few clips from here is where I made the only glaring mistake in play order that I would like to have back. I got into some noir with Chinatown (also Jerry Goldsmith) and The Third Man (same lead actors as Citizen Kane, but with a much more fun musical theme), it would make perfect sense to go right to another dark story like On the Waterfront before starting to inject some fun as we head into the final 10, but instead I broke the tension with the jaunty Adventures of Robin Hood (which, at 1938, is the oldest film on the list, beating Gone With the Wind by one year). But like the weavers of Persian rugs who purposely included an imperfection because no one should be perfect but Allah, so I will graciously endure my error.
After a track from Titanic gets us back in the excited and hopeful mood (the addition of that movie was the biggest note I received from my fiancee / executive producer upon screening the first cut for her), we enter the final stretch by getting into some more groovy tracks from the 60's (The Pink Panther), 70's (Enter the Dragon, written by Mission: Impossible! composer Lalo Schiffrin), and 80's (Ghostbusters, which I know is not technically part of the score, but if it's in the movie, it's fair game [cf. the next track MORTAL KOMBAT]). In the final five is the only track from the 2013 movie season, Pacific Rim, which I included because, although I haven't heard many of the Oscar-nominated scores, I can't imagine any of them being more fun than Ramin Djawadi's (Game of Thrones, anyone?) heroic rock anthem.
A double dose of John Williams ends the hour, including the third track from the Star Wars series and the second track from Jurassic Park. Some might question the inclusion of two tracks from the same movie when so many great scores and composers went unrepresented (an unfortunate side effect when working in a 60-song format). But first of all, it's a distinct musical theme, and second of all, I've spent hours of his life waiting in line at Universal Studios listening to this particular riff on repeat, and I couldn't think of a better backdrop for a roll of credits of any kind.
So there you have it: a few words to supplement a few of my favorite movie scores of all time, arranged in a fun and interesting way. Watch it a few times and then tell all your friends! Enjoy!!!
You're almost there! It's the home stretch: the last ten minutes of my Batman: The Animated Series Video Power Hour! Get ready for some action-packed clips, the introduction of a few new heroes and villains, and one very special minute that holds a special place in my heart.
Clip 51: Trial
Air: 69 (May 16, 1994)
DVD: 203
In a scene that's straight out of Batman's worst fear-toxin induced nightmares, our hero has been captured by a group of his most fearsome adversaries and is being forced to stand trial for acting as the catalyst that led to the creation of his supervillain enemies. It's an interesting philosophical quandary that seems to haunt Batman through all his adventures. Two-Face's opening statement is enough to set the scene, but in the rest of the episode, the arguments posed by Batman's defender - Gotham City's post-Harvey Dent D.A. Janet Van Dorn - are compelling enough for the jury of Arkham inmates to arrive at a "Not Guilty" verdict. Not surprisingly, the criminals go back on their word and plan to carry out the Dark Knight's execution regardless. If you want to find out how he escapes, this episode can be found on Volume 3 of the DVD collection.
Recognize the voice of Batman's scene partner in this clip? It's Adam West, the actor who portrayed the Caped Crusader in the iconic campy 60s film and TV show. In a meta-moment, West guest stars as washed up actor Simon Trent, whose claim to fame was playing the Gray Ghost, a TV superhero that young Bruce Wayne used to watch with his father as a child. When a nefarious fanboy starts modeling his crimes on the long-lost plots of the show, Trent is the only person Batman can turn to for help. After some initial trepidation (illustrated in this clip), the actor agrees to don his old costume one last time to help Batman catch the "Mad Bomber" (voiced by Bruce Timm himself). It's a touching nod, not only to one of the bat-giants on whose shoulders this show stands, but also to the impact that masked crime fighters on television can have on our lives.
Remember the duplicants from back in Act 4? Well, it turns out the master computer secretly made one of Batman before being destroyed, and now the proverbial prodigal robot is coming home to roost. This episode rivals "What Is Reality?" for the most sci-fi influenced one of the series, forcing its characters and viewers alike to wrestle with some tough epistemological questions regarding the nature of humanity itself. For example, the M. Emmet Walsh voiced Karl Rossum makes the distinction between memories - and their emotional attachments - and knowledge - which can be implanted as data - and it's partly that realization that causes Robo-Bat to embrace his computer-creator's mission of replacing all humans with machines. In the thrilling finale, it's revealed that the Bat-duplicant was a more accurate copy of the original than even its creator imagined - after it mistakenly believes it had violated Batman's one rule by killing the original, its robo-conscience kicks in and it destroys itself.
Clip 54: The Clock King
Air: 14 (September 21, 1992)
DVD: 125
This is one of the earlier episodes in the series and the Clock King actually earns himself a second episode in season 2. But he's so gimmicky and utterly unknown in the Batman Universe that I relegated his lone appearance to the very end of the power hour. The Clock King also has one of the more wacky origin stories of any Batman villain: during his morning commute, efficiency expert Temple Fugate (like tempus fugit, see what they did there?) runs into a young Hamilton Hill who suggests he break his rigid routine in an effort to relieve stress. This deviation of course proves to be a disaster that leads to Fugate's financial ruin, and now years later, the newly-minted supervillain is out to take his revenge on the man who has become mayor of Gotham. During this minute of my first screening with an audience, two of the more devoted fans quoted along with this line:
Batman: Give it up, Fugate! Hill committed no crime against you! Clock King: He did worse: he made me late!
In one of writer Paul Dini's more twisted creations we have Mary Dahl, a washed-up actress with a rare condition (termed systemic hypoplasia) that kept her from aging. In an effort to re-live her glory days as the lead in a successful sitcom, she captures her supporting cast in order to celebrate her birthday. This clip takes place during one of her kidnappings where the villainess tries to use her deceiving appearance to draw attention away from her nefarious plot. And she would have gotten away with it, too, if she had been able to resist dropping her trademark catchphrase from her show: "I didn't mean to!" I dare anyone to watch this episode all the way through and not find themselves repeating it unconsciously. I also dare anyone to watch Baby Doll's episode from The New Batman Adventures, where she sparks up a one-sided relationship with Killer Croc, and not feel sick to their stomachs afterwards...
This episode features without a doubt the most talented and handsome voice actor to ever guest star on the show: the indomitable Stuart Pankin! This clip is taken from the opening sequence, where a comically absurd Condiment King attempts to rob a high-end restaurant but is foiled by Batman. It's revealed that the Joker has stolen the Mad Hatter's mind control technology to brainwash three comedians (the Condiment King is actually TV comic Buddy Standler, who sadly doesn't have any lines beyond his encounter with the Dark Knight) for the sake of winning the annual Laff Off comedy competition. Ultimately the Joker ends up with the trophy... except he ends up with it stuck on his head while his pants are around his ankles. Looks like it's the witnesses of his failed heist who have the last laugh in this one.
Clip 57: Christmas With The Joker
Air: 38 (November 13, 1992)
DVD: 102
According to the DVD order, this was the second episode produced, which is a little hard to believe, given its campy nature as compared with the decidedly gritty pilot "On Leather Wings," and the presence of Robin, who doesn't appear again for another 20 episodes. The only compelling piece of evidence is that the voice of Alfred is done by Clive Revill, in one of the three episodes he did before being replaced by Efrem Zimbalist. It's a decidedly uneven episode, but of the stand out moments, I've included my two favorites in the power hour: the expertly arranged minor key version of Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker Suite underscoring the fight with giant nutcrackers and the expertly timed pun delivered by Robin after Batman uses a baseball bat to fend off remote controlled Joker planes: "They don't call you Bat-man for nothing!"
In early versions of this power hour, this spot was occupied by a scene from "A Bullet for Bullock" showcasing the jazzy arrangement of the title theme that led to the episode's Emmy for Outstanding Music Direction and Composition. But then I realized that the hour was sorely lacking in Alfred screen time, so at the last second, I added in this scene of him flying the Batwing (or, rather, overseeing the Batwing's autopilot as it flies itself). This sleek and stylish version of the Batwing is one of my all time favorite vehicles in his arsenal, not least because of the memories associated with the Kenner action figure version I owned in my childhood. Although Bruce Wayne truly accomplished an amazing feat when he designed a computer with the ability to operate an aircraft with little to no input from a human pilot, I find it more impressive that he was able to give the computer the capacity for sarcasm.
Clips 59 and 60: The Demon's Quest, Part 2
Air: 58 (May 4, 1993)
DVD: 161
Remember Ra's al Ghul's episode back in Act 4? Well, we finally get to the thrilling conclusion, and to end the power hour, no less! We're now in Ra's's desert stronghold, where he's plotting to use a satellite to detonate a series of bombs placed in Lazarus Pits across the globe in order to bring the world closer to a state of nature. But none of that backstory is really important to enjoy the exciting Errol Flynn/Basil Rathbone-esque fight between the two shirtless adversaries that occurs in the power hour's penultimate minute. Between the clips, Batman disables the satellite and bests the original eco-terrorist, who ends up plummeting to his presumed doom into the Lazarus Pit he loves so well. With her father's plan foiled, poor Talia is left alone and directionless, prompting Batman to express his undying love with the third kiss he receives in this power hour, but the first that he willingly initiates. (Bonus points if you can name the other two.)
Tell me this image wouldn't be great on the cover of a comic book...
And, again, it wouldn't be a story about Ra's al Ghul without him dramatically rising from the dead, which explains the very last image of the power hour.
So there you have it: 60 minute(ish)-long clips that, in my estimation, best encapsulate the spirit of this show while also giving a loose chronology of the timeline that kicked off the DC Animated Universe. During the last week, the YouTube video has eclipsed 4,000 views, which makes me feel pretty good about my contribution to the spread of Batman-related knowledge and (hopefully) positive emotions as well. And as with all the content I present on this blog, I hope you all enjoyed reading about it as much as I enjoyed putting it all together.
Just two more acts until the end of my Batman: The Animated Series Video Power Hour! I'll try to keep the rest of my commentary short and sweet (while including plenty of pretty pictures), since you're probably all pretty sloshed at this point...
Clips 41 and 42: Almost Got 'Im
Air: 35 (November 10, 1992)
DVD: 146
Pop Quiz: In what year was this giant penny minted? Make your guesses in the comment section or tweet @Hunter_S_Batman!
With all the major villains introduced and all the most interesting origin stories revealed, it's time to go back to the veritable buffet table of Batman's rogue's gallery and grab a second heaping plate full of bad guys. And what better way to start our second run through than with one of the most clever episodes of the whole series, featuring some of our favorite antagonists swapping stories over a high stakes poker game. I picked Two-Face's story because not only is it the most action-packed, but it shows yet another instance of his trademark coin leading to his downfall. Also, die-hard fans intimately familiar with the Batcave of the 1940s will recognize a ret-con of the giant penny that originally belonged to a little-known villain called the Penny Plunderer.
In my opinion, this is one of the deepest and most clever episodes of the series, complete with a decidedly grown-up plot involving insurance fraud, and no fewer than four noteworthy sequences in addition to the high-flying hang glider antics featured in the power hour. I would have especially liked to include the battle of wits (and sleight-of-hand abilities) between Bruce Wayne and the Joker, who was able to blend in perfectly with the blackjack dealers, but it would have taken far too long to explain why the casino was Joker-themed in the first place. Also, the haunting laugh of the spinning Joker head is a much more iconic and memorable image for this clip to go out on.
Clip 44: Birds of a Feather
Air: 52 (February 8, 1993)
DVD: 147
This episode really delves deep into Penguin's character, depicting him as a failed socialite who is genuinely ready to forsake his criminal ways when he is accepted into the upper echelon of Gotham's social strata, but who falls back into his old habits when his status revealed to be nothing more than a practical joke. It's a tragically moving character arc for old Oswald Chesterfield Cobblepot that offers a rare glimpse into the human element behind all the heists and umbrellas and bird-related puns. So of course the clip I choose involves him wearing a Vakyrie helmet and riding around on a prop dragon... What can I say, society is to blame: high society.
The title of this episode should be enough to explain why Catwoman is seen blearily stumbling through a snow-covered forest: she's got the cat scratch fever! In fact, she's been infected by an animal-borne poison that was engineered in a nefarious plot by Roland Daggett to create demand for his anti-toxin, but that's far too complicated a plotline for this late in a power hour. The main thing I wanted to emphasize with this clip is Catwoman's flowing blonde hair, another aspect that's in direct contrast with The Dark Knight Rises, although I don't mind the discrepancy at all since Anne Hathaway was one of my favorite parts of the movie. (See? I can say nice things about a Christopher Nolan movie!) There's also this brilliant joke that ends the minute:
Batman (feeling Catwoman's forehead): You're hot!
Catwoman: Now you notice...
The only problem is that people tend to find the setup so funny that they laugh right through the punch line. Come to think of it, a similar problem occurs in the first minute of this act during an exchange between Poison Ivy and Two-Face: In my screenings, her line, "You're still looking halfway decent" gets a big enough reaction to undermine the setup for this exchange:
Two-Face: Half of me wants to strangle you.
Poison Ivy: And what does the other half want?
Two-Face: To hit you with a truck!
Remember that they used to date...
Clip 46: What is Reality?
Air: 45 (November 24, 1992)
DVD: 148
The only thing better than a Riddler episode is a Riddler episode involving virtual reality! Whereas the climactic battle in Edward Nygma's first appearance was taken directly from a video game, this episode sends the Dark Knight into a video game with a piece of ludicrously advanced technology - how can you justify the existence of a cordless modem in a world where TVs are still in black and white? But it's worth the anachronisms to be able to see a computerized Batman solve puzzles that can only exist in a virtual world. All the sci-fi overtones of this episode actually hide a deeper, character-driven plot: The Riddler has been trying to eradicate all traces of his alter ego Edward Nygma (destroying his birth certificate, DMV records, etc.) - but who needs to see all that? Give me more red-tinted Batman in knight's armor riding a Pegasus, please!
Including both parts of his two-part origin story, Clayface only appears in three episodes of this series (he would go on to tally two more in the 24-episode "3rd season" The New Batman Adventures). He apparently kept a low profile since bursting onto the scene because his chemically-enhanced cellular structure has been slowly decaying. A medical consultant on one of Matt Hagen's films (named Stella just so they could re-create the famous scene from Streetcar Named Desire) has fallen in love with the villain and is illegally working on a cure, but sparks fly when Batman tries to interfere. This clip is replete with theatrical puns and a truly disturbing attempt on Batman's life, elements of which are taken for the final boss battle in Arkham City.
Clip 48: The Man Who Killed Batman
Air: 49 (February 1, 1993)
DVD: 151
It's hard to establish whether Batman truly created the Joker in this universe, since the show does not origin story for the villain (for a good one, I would suggest the 2010 animated movie Batman: Under the Red Hood, featuring Star Trek's Bruce Greenwood as Batman and Futurama's John DiMaggio as the Joker) - but there is no question that the Clown Prince of Crime could not function without the Caped Crusader. This clip shows how Joker's criminal instincts are rooted more in a rivalry with Batman than a desire to cause mayhem, and that with no prospect of a conflict arising between the two, Joker has no motivation to even finish the crime spree he started.
Although Harley Quinn - a character who was created for this show, but who was subsequently added to the official comic book canon - has two standalone episodes all to herself ("Harley's Holiday" and "Harlequinade"), there's nothing like a conversation with a fellow super villainess to delve into the psychological underpinnings behind her association with her abusive employer. Plus in this clip we get to see Harley blow up an Archie Bunker lookalike's car with a personalized bazooka. All I can say that it was darn nice of her to give her victims ample time to run to safety before pulling the trigger...
This image ended up being the YouTube thumbnail pic. Not ideal, but not terrible either, as it is one of the show's finer episodes.
Mr. Freeze does have a second episode, but to be honest, it doesn't really add anything either to the show overall nor to the character's story. But since the tragic backstory established for this episode basically went on to redefine the character of Mr. Freeze, it felt fitting to let him finish out this act with a heart-wrenching monologue that still brings the occasional single tear to my eye, even after all these watchings. Speaking of tears, here's a bit of trivia about this sequence: Bruce Timm has stated that one of his biggest regrets about this series was not having Mr. Freeze's tears turn into icicles halfway down his cheek. But even without that bit of minutiae, "Heart of Ice" is still one of the all-time great episodes of the series.
If you followed along with the previous three posts in this series, you should be half way through this Power Hour and roughly 2.5 beers in. I hope you're enjoying the experience and that you're ready for more of my insightful commentary!
This image (you can barely see Batman there on the far right) is at the exact
midpoint of the power hour, and was almost the thumbnail pic on YouTube.
Series creator Bruce Timm made a conscious choice not to retell the story of how young Bruce Wayne's parents were gunned down before his helpless eyes, but luckily he didn't have any objections to showing the scene in dream sequences, coma fantasies, or drug-induced hallucinations. "Dreams in Darkness" features one of the show's most interesting storytelling tropes as we hear Batman narrate the plot from the confines of his cell in Arkham Asylum, in which he's been locked after receiving yet another dose of Scarecrow's fear toxin. Given that he's in such a state, it's only natural that his mind would revisit the most traumatic event of his life, complete with remarkably emotional and evocative imagery. A fitting backstory-related clip to mark the halfway point!
Clip 32: I Am the Night
Air: 34 (November 9, 1992)
DVD: 149
Staying with the parents death theme, this clip shows Batman performing his annual ritual of returning to Crime Alley to commemorate what happened on that fateful night all those years ago. Joining him on the scene is Dr. Leslie Thompkins, an old colleague of Bruce's parents and a sort of surrogate mother figure, in the same way that Alfred/Commissioner Gordon play the dual role of father figures. (It's revealed later in this episode that Jim Gordon is the same age Thomas Wayne would have been if he hadn't met an untimely end.) This is one of the more cerebral episodes of Batman: in addition to the two Santayana quotes, Batman also utters a line from Nietzsche ("When you look too long into the abyss, the abyss looks back through you") during a moment of personal crisis. It's not often that you get such philosophical depth in a children's cartoon show, and it's one of the reasons why it will always stand as not only one of the most compelling shows to grace the small screen, but also one of the most thought-provoking.
Clip 33 and 34: The Demon's Quest, Part 1
Air: 57 (May 3, 1993)
DVD: 160
The next two clips return us to the Ra's/Talia al Ghul storyline that ended the last act. A couple things to point out right away that contradict the character's most recent cinematic portrayal: he's not the one who trains Bruce Wayne in his quest to become the Bat, he doesn't make any attempt to hide his true identity behind a red herring decoy figurehead, and he doesn't pronounce his name like a girl character on Frasier ("roz"), but rather a much more masculine "raysh" (like "race" with an "sh" on the end). I don't know how it would be pronounced in the original Arabic (it does in fact mean "The Demon's Head"), and not to keep harping on our good friend Chris Nolan, but I definitely prefer the animated version. Also, as much as I admire Liam Neeson, I must say that the vocal majesty of David Warner is unparalleled in terms of capturing the life of the 600-year-old criminal mastermind. Although, who knows what Neeson might have been able to do if he didn't have to spend half the movie pretending to be a different character...
In the first clip, Ra's introduces himself and the problem: both his daughter Talia and Batman's sidekick Robin have been abducted. Between the clips, most of the action happens: hero and villain join forces and embark on a mission to rescue their loved ones, before it's revealed that Ra's had masterminded the whole thing as a test to see if Batman was ready to lead his forces to a new age. When Batman refuses, Ra's goes into conniptions and dies, requiring his resurrection by way of the mysterious Lazarus Pit. Let me just say, and I promise this is the last negative point I'll make about Nolan's trilogy, but to have a story about Ra's al Ghul without the Lazarus Pit is like having a story about Batman without the Batcave. While there is a sequel to this episode, we won't see clips from it until much later in the hour.
Clips 35 and 36: Robin's Reckoning, Part 1
Air: 51 (February 7, 1993)
DVD: 132
While Bruce Timm put a pin in showing the story of Bruce Wayne's death, he put no such restrictions on the death of Dick Grayson's parents. The demise of the Flying Graysons is one of the most emotionally powerful sequences in the show, so much so that this episode won the Emmy for Most Outstanding Half Hour or Less Program. There's something about that single frayed trapeze wire swinging into frame that just evokes a much greater sense of loss than if we'd actually seen them splat on the circus floor. The second clip shows how Bruce and Dick begin to bond through shared tragedy, and more importantly we see how the orphaned Bruce becomes somewhat of an adoptive father to his soon-to-be sidekick. This of course undercuts some of the more perverse sexual undertones between the two that critics and subversives are quick to bring up... despite an overly-playful fencing scene that takes place in Part 2.
The backstory here, if it's not obvious, is that Robin has tracked down the crook who caused the death of his parents (played by the incomparable Thomas F. Wilson, aka Biff Tannen) and is ready to return the favor. I feel bad about having to cut this clip before the full extent of Batman and Robin's dialogue where the Caped Crusader convinces the Boy Wonder not to take matters into his own hands, but I only had a minute and had to use the first part of it to adequately showcase Robin's signature bulletproof motorcycle, another sequence that made it into the opening title when the show became The Adventures of Batman and Robin.
Clip 38: Heart of Steel, Part 2
Air: 41 (November 18, 1992)
DVD: 140
Knowing the plot of this two-part episode isn't really important for what I needed this clip to accomplish; it's enough to know that it involves incredibly life-like robots called "Duplicants" (not to be confused with Blade Runner's "Replicants," even though M. Emmet Walsh plays an important part in both). And that Commissioner Gordon's daughter Barbara, who turns out to be a very capable adventurer even before donning the Batgirl costume (SPOILER ALERT), is instrumental in both uncovering the villain/CPU's master plan and in orchestrating its ultimate destruction. Also note that the censors couldn't say anything about the sexy blonde Duplicant getting brutally crushed by an elevator, since she's not technically a human after all...
Clip 39: Shadow of the Bat, Part 1
Air: 61 (September 13, 1993)
DVD: 157
Staying with the Barbara Gordon theme, this clip represents the first time the adventurous coed dons what would eventually become the Batgirl costume, only this time she puts on the cape and cowl in an effort to impersonate Batman to make it seem like he showed up to endorse a rally in support of her father. It's one of those long, drawn-out, complex political storylines that you can afford to let breathe over the space of a two-parter, but for our purposes, it's enough to show how the Dynamic Duo's newest partner burst onto the scene - and that what appears to be a fashion choice of letting her auburn hair flow out the back of her cowl was actually a result of her first interaction with the Boy Wonder... at least in this universe.
Clip 40: Shadow of the Bat, Part 2
Air: 62 (September 14, 1993)
DVD: 158
It strikes me that of the three Bat-allies that appear in this show, only Batgirl makes the conscious choice to become a crime fighter, i.e. she is the only one that wasn't thrust into the life with some childhood crime-related trauma. Her father is still alive and well (if in constant danger) and although her mother is never depicted (maybe she picked up and moved to Ohio like she did in TDKR - maybe the town of Springdale where witness protection placed our friend Charlie in "Joker's Favor"), there's nothing in the show to suggest that she met with a violent end. Either way, Batgirl is by far the least committed to the costumed hero lifestyle, as she only appears in three total episodes. In this clip, she performs her first competent heroic act (using some gadgets borrowed from Batman and Robin and stolen from police headquarters) by rescuing her father, who somehow doesn't recognize her, despite the close quarters lines of dialogue they share. Although with all the commotion in the background and the bullets flying, I can imagine it's very hard to distinguish voices...
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.
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.
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.
Even though Two-Face is one of the most iconic villains in the Batman universe (he appears in seven episodes, tied with Catwoman and trailing only the Joker and Harley Quinn), his two-part origin story has to happen later in the timeline than Clayface's, because his pre-Two-Face character plays a pivotal role in the origin of another villain: Poison Ivy. The first of two clips from this episode not only sets up Pamela Isley's dastardly attack on Gotham's dashing district attorney, it also offers a rare glimpse into Bruce Wayne and Harvey Dent's relationship. I think having those two be close friends adds much more to the Batman/Two-Face dynamic than making them rivals for the same girl's affection, to which they were reduced in Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight. It adds an extra reason for the hero to want to save/rehabilitate the villain over and above the traditional reasons, like the two being opposed on the good/evil spectrum.
Poison Ivy's introduction - as in the Clayface clip that ended "Act 1" of the Power Hour - is the first time we hear the character's villain name, both times spoken by the villain his/herself. Like the preceding clip, this one is less about action and more about Poison Ivy's origin story, which she courteously narrates to Batman while he's immobilized by a perverse Little Shop of Horrors-esque giant fly trap. Some incarnations of Poison Ivy give her the power of controlling her victims with mind-affecting pheromones, but I find her a plenty powerful enough force given just her army of mutated plants and her natural immunity to poisons and toxins; not to mention that she's skilled enough in botany which allows her to use her nasty poisonous lipsticks (and their corresponding antidotes, of course).
Clips 13 and 14: Two-Face, Part 1
Air: 17 (September 25, 199)
DVD: 110
Speaking of the last plot point, one thing I find especially poignant about the two two-part origin stories we've seen so far, is that they both symbolize a changing of the guard from Gotham's old school crime bosses to the costumed extremists that populate Batman's rogue's gallery. In Feat of Clay, pharmaceutical magnate Roland Daggett (not to be confused with John Daggett from The Dark Knight Rises) produces the chemical that turns Matt Hagen into Clayface. And in Two-Face, Rupert Thorne is the driving force behind Harvey Dent's transformation, both mentally and physically. Thorne and Daggett both continue to play important roles as the series progresses, but it's interesting to see this type of escalation (mentioned by Jim Gordon at the end of Batman Begins) at work.
In the exciting conclusion of the two-parter, Two-Face has his arch enemy in his sights and is about to put his fate in the hands of "the great equalizer," his trademark two-headed coin. It's never fully explained why the merged psyche of Harvey Dent and Big Bad Harv has an obsession with chance, beyond the fact that his new dual nature makes his life "a dichotomy of order and chaos." Not to keep comparing these episodes with The Dark Knight, but the coin is one plot points, albeit a minor one, that I felt was handled better in Christopher Nolan's movie (although I would have liked to have seen the villain actively scratch off one side of the coin, rather than just having it be passively damaged). Speaking of the movies, Batman's method of foiling his foe - confusing him mid coin flip by tossing a conveniently placed crate of silver dollars at him - was lifted directly for Batman Forever, where Val Kilmer's Batman makes strategic use of his coin purse to defeat Two-Face in the climactic battle.
Again with stories from the movies, anyone who's familiar with Tim Burton's 1992 classic Batman Returns should recognize this plotline, where the Penguin takes control of the Batmobile and drives it around remotely with a helpless Batman trapped inside. Only, this episode uses the backstory and subsequent blackmail of Earl, the mechanic who designed and maintains the current Batmobile, to get into this sequence. And also Robin is there too. This clip is the first (unjustified) departure from my rule of using each villain's first appearance in the series, because the Penguin's debut episode, I've Got Batman in my Basement, has no redeeming qualities except the music (where the Penguin leitmotif is revealed). Oh, and also maybe that scene where the episode's pre-teen protagonists ineffectually try to use the Batmobile's weapons, like an unfunny trip to Q Branch in a James Bond flick.
Unlike The Mechanic, this clip from Vendetta is completely by the book: the episode is Killer Croc's first appearance, the clip features his first encounter with Batman, and we even get the villain referring to himself by name. Croc is a difficult character to pin down: in the Arkham Asylum video game, he's portrayed as little more than an overgrown scaly cannibal, while this episode paints him as a gangster with a personal grudge against Harvey Bullock. When he shows up in later shows (he appears in five altogether, one less than the Penguin and Poison Ivy), it's mostly for comic relief. On the technical side, I had to do some clever internal cutting to get around the commercial break between Acts 2 and 3, which stings out with the cliffhanger of Batman being held underwater. Go ahead and watch it again to see if you can spot the edits.
Clip 18: Mad as a Hatter
Air: 24 (October 12, 1992)
DVD: 127
Those of you who are die-hard fans of the series will notice a discrepancy in the music played over this title card. That's because it's actually the Mad Hatter's musical leitmotif from the opening of "Perchance to Dream," the episode that aired two spots after this one. "Perchance" might be my favorite of the episodes not included in the power hour (vying with "Fire from Olympus"), but since its high-concept premise is too complex to capture in even two minute-long clips (no spoilers!), I decided to keep the spirit of the episode alive by using some of its music. Also, it's more descriptive than the eerie atmospheric tones that introduce the actual episode. Although this, his debut appearance, is the only Hatter-centric episode featured in the power hour, his trademark mind-control technique is often co-opted by other villains as a part of their more complex schemes, as evidenced by his five total appearances.
Clip 19: Fear of Victory
Air: 19 (September 29, 1992)
DVD: 124
Although it's admittedly pretty early in the hour to be repeating villains (there are still no fewer than six classic antagonists yet to be introduced), this is a seminal episode because it's the first on-air appearance of Batman's trusty sidekick Robin. Not only that, but it's also the first time we see Scarecrow's visual makeover that will remain through the rest of the series. It's not evident from this clip, but the Boy Wonder has been re-imagined as the College Student Wonder, and earlier in the episode he was dosed by a special variation of Scarecrow's fear toxin that is activated by adrenaline, so his ability to keep it together during his high-flying antics is all the more impressive. In addition, Robin's perfectly-timed circus catch would become one of the clips used in the Season 2 Adventures of Batman and Robin opening title sequence.
For the end of Act 2, I used a rare clip that doesn't include any villains, but rather allows us to explore the relationship between Batman and another one of his most trusted allies: Commissioner Gordon. It's established early in the show that Gordon is always firmly on the side of the Bat, even when his colleagues on the Gotham Police Force are less than convinced of the masked vigilante's good intentions. It's also established early that Batman is so super stealthy that he can sneak out of a room through a window without even the only other person in the room noticing that he's gone (another trope that was expertly co-opted for Nolan's films). And this is the first episode where that happens.
So, I consider myself somewhat of a creative person. And one of the ways that I express my creativity (at least for the past six years) is by assembling and editing Power Hours - the age-old musical drinking game comprised of 60 one-minute-long clips, after each of which the participants all drink a shot of beer. A few years ago, and for a different publication, I outlined my general philosophy behind creating a power hour mix. I still hold to this philosophy for the most part in terms of purely musical power hours, but this past winter I took my first foray into expanding the visual realm, which presents additional concerns and challenges to a familiar format.
After months of tinkering, I presented the fruits of my labor on the YouTubes: a video power hour featuring some of the best, most iconic clips from the masterful 1990s WB show Batman: The Animated Series. I would venture to say it's been pretty well received, at least for a YouTube rookie, with more than 3,100 views over the past two months. My hope is that this project serves as an entertaining and educational trip through my favorite depiction of the Batman universe, and that it both appeals to the tastes of hardcore fans and encourages Bat-n00bs to get into the world of the caped crusader. And if my creation has the added benefit of inspiring a few people to purchase the DVD collections of Batman: The Animated Series (which I wholeheartedly recommend, especially volumes 1 through 3), then hopefully Warner Home Video will allow it to live on the internet unmolested for everyone to enjoy.
Below is the full video of the power hour followed by some of my personal commentary for what I've designated as Act 1 - minutes one thru ten. Five more installments will follow until I've created the official companion to my Batman: The Animated Series Video Power Hour:
Clips 1, 2, and 3: On Leather Wings
Air: 2 (September 6, 1992)
DVD: 101
The first minute of a Batman: The Animated Series power hour has to be the conveniently minute-long Opening Sequence. While this particular minute was taken from the Pilot episode (which was actually second to air), this minute is repeated at the top of every episode of Batman until it was rebranded The Adventures of Batman and Robin part-way through Season 2. That means I've watched this minute at least 70 times when it aired, another 70 times when the DVDs came out, and again 70 times when I re-watched the entire series with my girlfriend. (We've been introducing each other to our favorite shows. So far I've contributed Batman and Arrested Development, she's brought The Wire and Alias. I think we're pretty even at this point...) And even after more than 200 viewings, plus untold reruns and rewatchings, this minute will never get old.
The A.V. Club concisely summarizes the opening within this great feature chronicling the whole series, but suffice it to say it's a brilliantly staged, tonally perfect vignette of a typical Batman situation. Composer Shirley Walker's beautiful orchestration of Danny Elfman's "movie theme" also sets the musical tone for the entire series, and since power hours were originally musical in nature, it's fitting to start with a primarily musical minute. The next minute is predominantly musical as well, as we now get our first taste of the "animated theme" that Walker composed for the series. But going beyond the music, this clip also gives us our first look at two of Batman's most iconic tools: the Batmobile and his all-important grapple gun. This is the first time that Batman uses his signature device in the show's chronology, but he will fire it countless hundreds of times over the course of the series... and he will NEVER MISS. Whether he's standing on the top of a skyscraper or balancing atop a vehicle travelling well in excess of the local speed limit or hurtling through the air in a blind freefall, Batman can whip it out of his utility belt and instantly attach it to the nearest streetlamp or windowsill without even breaking a sweat. Never fails.
The next minute, the third one taken from the Pilot, continues the musical theme, while also continuing the grapple gun theme. In another crack shot, Batman fastens his grappling hook around the ankle of his dark inversion, Man-Bat, and the two of them go flying through the skies. Although the preceding scene - where Kirk Langstrom transforms into Man-Bat - is brilliant and terrifying in its own right, this minute is more visually stunning, and it also provides a better sample of Walker's Man-Bat leitmotif, the first of many such musical themes that we will hear throughout the hour. Also, pay attention to the voice of the pilot of the police blimp (a timeless invention of the show's producers) - it's Kevin Conroy showing his vocal range. Not only does he create distinct voices for Bruce Wayne and Batman (for the first time in the character's filmed history) he also portrays Bruce's father Thomas and lends his talents to the occasional bit part.
Clips 4 and 5: The Cat and the Claw
Air: 1 (September 5, 1992)
DVD: 115
Many think it was strange to feature such an unheralded villain as Man-Bat in the pilot episode, but I understand the producers' motivation for not wanting the pressure of portraying an iconic character in their very first show. The first show to air, however (and thus America's first look at the animated caped crusader) introduced a character who can only be described as an anti-hero. Catwoman (she's not referred to by that name in the episode, nor in Christopher Nolan's most recent movie) never outwardly schemes against Batman and their relationship is always steeped in mutual respect and romantic potential. The first clip shows the first meeting between the two, while also showcasing Catwoman's musical leitmotif, and the second clip features a bit of timely heroics by Batman, followed up by what might be the most awkward rejection in comic book hero history.
Catwoman: You can't deny there's something between us.
Batman: Yes, and I'm afraid it's the law.
A big part of this two-part episode was the juxtaposition between Bruce Wayne's schoolboy crush on Selina Kyle and Catwoman's romantic interest in Batman, playing on how their different identities almost amount to different personalities. This idea was loosely adapted for Nicole Kidman's character in Batman: Forever, except it's much less effective when the love interest is a cut and dry damsel-in-distress rather than a costumed extremist in her own right. Obviously there wasn't enough time in the scope of this power hour to do this plot device justice, which is one reason I think it acts as such an effective marketing tool for the series as a whole.
Clip 6: The Last Laugh
Air: 15 (September 22, 1992)
DVD: 104
With the first two chronological episodes out of the way, it's time to introduce Batman's primary arch-nemesis, the Joker. This was neither the Clown Prince of Crime's first appearance on the air (both Joker's Favor and Be a Clown aired before it) nor on the DVDs (Christmas with the Joker precedes it by two spots), but I thought it was ideal to place first in the power hour for no fewer than three reasons. Number one, this episode features the Joker on his own, without his sidekick Harley Quinn (who was introduced to the world by this series, much like the police blimps). While she has gone on to become a popular character in Batman's rogue's gallery, it makes sense that the Joker should predate her. Number two, it's the most complete and comprehensive version of Joker's musical leitmotif that defines the character through the 12 episodes in which he appears (the most for any villain on the series, naturally). And number three, sometimes it's fun to spend some time with the Joker and his goons as they pull off a heist - cf. the riveting first six minutes of Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight.
This 20-minute episode did more to define the character of Mr. Freeze than his campy appearances in the 1960s TV show and his laughable portrayal in 1997's Batman and Robin could do to drag him down. Later in the power hour, we'll see more relating to his tragic origin that was imagined for the show rather than taken from the comics. In fact, the character was originally known as Mr. Zero in the comics and didn't become Mr. Freeze until the aforementioned TV series. But this clip serves the purpose of showing the villain in action, as well as getting to hear his punny self-introduction, which amounts to the last vestige of humor to exist in the character. This episode marks one of the four episodes to be directed by series co-creator Bruce Timm, clips from three of which are featured in this power hour.
Clips 8 and 9: Nothing to Fear
Air: 10 (September 15, 1992)
DVD: 103
The first clip from Scarecrow's debut appearance is another great example of how this show uses music to introduce its characters. Although they consciously left out a Batman origin story, our hero meets nearly every villain onscreen - the only ones who are taken for granted as existing before they're introduced during the show are Joker and Penguin. Whenever possible, I tried to showcase these introductions in the power hour, whether they're the villains introducing themselves, their first encounter with Batman, or their first major sequence. And Scarecrow's first use of his hallucinogenic fear toxin - where he induces an attack of acute arachnophobia in an unsuspecting security guard - is top-notch.
In the time between the two clips taken from this episode, Batman gets himself dosed with some time-released fear toxin and has to deal with a reaction in the worst possible circumstances: while hanging from a damaged blimp hundreds of feet above the city. Naturally, Batman's worst fear involves his parents, as he's beset with images of his father calling him a disgrace to the family name. In a display of sheer willpower, our hero talks himself out of the bad trip, dispelling his ghostly tormentor by uttering one of the most iconic self-descriptive lines in his long history: "I am vengeance! I am the night! I AM BATMAN!"
Clip 10: Feat of Clay, Part 2
Air: 5 (September 9, 1992)
DVD: 121
This climactic battle against Clayface happens near the end of his two-part origin story, the first of two villains to receive such treatment. In an interesting twist, the man who becomes Clayface in the show shares characteristics of both the golden age (1940s) and silver age (1960s) versions of the character: he starts out as a B-movie actor, like the golden age Basil Karlo, but he has the name of the silver age Matt Hagen. This sequence doesn't tell us much about Clayface's story, whatever his name happens to be, but it features some top-notch action - illustrated by the fact that every attack he throws at Batman in the episode became part of his moveset as the final boss of 2011's award winning video game Batman: Arkham City. And if this encounter is good enough to end one of the greatest video games of all times, it's good enough to be the first act-out of my power hour.
