Cartoon Corner- Batman the Animated Series (Volume 2)

Originally posted at the DL August 2015

The main standout feature of this set is it actually has Robin in a majority of episodes.  We'll come back to that.



The main thing that grabbed my attention relative to other bits of the series is how different Batman himself would seem from week to week.  I'm getting the impression that they're taking the characterization of Batman from whatever era of the comics the story that day is most similar to, so he'll go from stoic to barely functioning to master of obscure rhymes and phrases to finger wagging at villains like they're children from episode to episode.  It's not really something I remember seeing in the first or third volumes (the forth, which is after the network change and revamping of the show to match the New Timm style, I'm actually not all that familiar with), although if that's because I wasn't paying enough attention or because they legitimately wrote him somewhat differently I dunno.

In part though it's probably because this season has the most appearances from The Riddler, and simply put the Riddler is the silliest Batman villain and requires Batman to be silly sometimes.  And Robin to be dense.  I guess I'm saying the Riddler episodes have cool moments but they definitely lame up our heroes.

It is interesting to note that Poison Ivy feels like an entirely different character in Harley and Ivy than in any of her other appearances.  I don't think this is necessarily bad writing either.  It feels more like not having to perform for/seduce men is extremely liberating for her, so with Harley she actually gets to show off and enjoy her human side (as opposed to the supervillain eco terrorist side).

Back to Robin.

Best Episode- Robin's Reckoning (Part I).  The handling of Robin in the show in general is actually cool.  He EXISTS in the first part, but it's established that he's sort of on sabbatical; he's focusing on College, but it's implied that he and Batman have been active for a while because he legitimate did hero as Robin in his early teens.  So he's in one or two episodes.  Putting his Origin Story up front early into the season (or dividing up the sets such that the start of the Robin-Centric set has his origin, I'm not feeling like looking up which it actually is) is just a good move in general.  In general though it's a very simple but powerful episode.  The dude who killed the Greysons is back in town, Bats tries to keep Robin off the scent, flashbacks.  I really like that the flashbacks have very direct elements of Batman: Year One in there; the character designs are lifted almost note for note, it's a nice touch.  Doubles as both a reference AND makes the flashback immediately visually distinct.

Weakest Episode: Tyger Tyger.  I... just never understood what they were doing with the characterization in this episode.  Well, for Batman it's obvious, but everyone else?  Ehhhhh.  I also feel like this basic plot was done a couple other times in the series, both before and after this episode, and done better, but I actually can't think of any episodes in particular so maybe not.

Grade- 7/10.  My memory is that volume 1 has some of the absolute grand slam best episodes of the series, but that this set might be a bit more consistent overall? I should probably hold off on that conclusion until I get that rewatch in.