SEASON 2
THE ULTIMATE THRILL
NUMBER: 96
AIRED: 9/14/98
WRITTEN BY: Hilary J. Bader
DIRECTED BY: Dan Riba
RATING: **** (out of 5)
SUMMARY: Roxy Rocket (first seen in The Batman Adventures Annual #1) is robbing an airship 3,000 feet above the ground. When she is done, she jumps out of the craft and freefalls down untill she reaches about skyscaper-level. A remote-controled rocket swoops down and catches her, and Batman arrives in the Batplane
and goes after her. She looses him after the plane suffers wing damage and has to make an emergency landing. It turns out that Roxy is selling what she steals to the Penguin, but he is unhappy with her risk-taking (she was a stunt woman who was fired when she began taking unessesary risks). Later: Wayne Industries
has bought a rare painting and Roxy breaks in and steals it at the unveiling. Bruce sneaks out and becomes Batman who chases Roxy in his glider (seen in World's Finest). After he stops her rocket, they chase each other around a construction site where she gives him the slip. Meanwhile, Batgirl finds out that Roxy
is selling to Penguin. The Penguin and Roxy have a falling out and he sends his henchgirls after her to make sure she doesn't squeel to someone. Batman arrives at the Penguin's apartment and gets him to tell where Roxy is. Meanwhile, Roxy has taken care of the henchgirls when Batman arrives. He chases her on a
rocket and then jumps onto hers. They pay a game of chicken (jump off the rocket or crash into a cliff) which is foiled when Batman grabs her and they jump off. They survive and Batman cuffs her.
COMMENTS: I enjoyed this episode a great deal. Not only was it fun, but it had great animation and action sequences as well as a good plot. It was fun, and the best Penguin episode I've ever seen. While many might argue that it was all action, no plot, I say that it did have a lot of action, but the plot was
neat as well. I recommend this episode to anyone, especially fans of "Batman: The Animated Series" who don't like TNBA; this had a real 'old' episode feel to me, which I thought to be very refreshing.
CULT OF THE CAT
NUMBER: 99
AIRED: 9/18/98
STORY BY: Paul Dini and Stan Berkowitz
WRITTEN BY: Stan Berkowitz
DIRECTED BY: Butch Lukic
RATING: **.5 (out of 5)
SUMMARY: Catwoman is stealing a gold cat statue from a bunch of people in cat costumes (think, The Black Panther). They chase her all the way into town. She offers to give it back, but they say that it has been defiled and muct be sanctified with her blood. She fights with and runs away from them. Meanwhile Batman
captures some crooks, and when he goes back to the Batmobile he finds Catwoman waiting inside. She explains her plight to Batman who says he'll help if she returns everything she's ever stolen. They outrun the cat-people. At Catwoman's place(?), they find out that the people are from a cult of cat-worshipping thieves
that is run by Thomas Blake. The cat-people arrive and kidnap Catwoman, while Batman barely gets away. However, he does kidnap one of them who tells where Catwoman is. Meanwhile, Catwoman says (lying) that she will convert to the cult's "religion." She goes to a room where she begins to steal stuff. Batman shows
up and she knocks him out. The noise is heard by Blake who shows up. They will use Batman as their sacrifice, which turns out to be to a genetically-engineered sabre-toothed tiger creature. Batman fights it and Catwoman helps him. She sends it after the cult members while Batman fights Blake. The cat-creature comes
back and jumps on Blake, sending it both it and Blake into a large pit and knocking them out. Meanwhile, Catwoman has escaped with many of the stolen goods needed to convict the cult. She's living it up in penthouse somwhere...
COMMENTS: This episode was unoriginal and very cliched. I felt that I had seen similar (and more interesting) episodes before, and I thought this one was pointless and boring. I also thought that the subplot with the genetically-engineered creature was very stupid. I thought Batman was supposed to be grounded in
reality... Not to mention that the cult members' costumes looked like the Black Panther from Fantastic Four with claws from Wolverine. Also, Catwoman's animation is noticably different in this episode than in "You Scratch My Back." A real disapointment, in my opinion.
CRITTERS
NUMBER: 100
AIRED: 9/19/98
WRITTEN BY: ?
DIRECTED BY: ?
RATING: *.5 (out of 5)
SUMMARY: A genetic-engineer/farmer named (what else?) Farmer Brown shows off some spliced super-cows at a show, but some they escape and cause havoc. A court takes away his license. A year later, giant praying mantises descend upon Gotham City. Despite the efforts of Batman, they are destroyed only by a self-destruct
mechanism. At Farmer Brown's farm, he tells his daughter to "run the cows." Then he goes over the the sky and hops in an elevator (it's actually not a farm; just a building interior painted like one) to see Gotham. Batgirl and Robin are patrolling in the Batmobile when the see mutant bulls running down the street.
Meanwhile, Batman (in his jetpack) goes to help a police blimp that is being destroyed by some freaky-looking chicken creatures. Eventually, everything is under control, but Farmer Brown sends a talking (?!) goat to Police Headquarters to demand a ransom or the creatures will return. Bullock follows the goat in an armored
van. It goes to the docks where a boat is waiting to go to the island holding Brown's lab. Batman, Batgirl, and Robin show up but are placed in a silo/rocket containing bugs eggs and aimed at Gotham City! Batman screws it up, they escape, it explodes, and Brown and his daughter are arrested.
COMMENTS: My reaction continues to be "what the #*@! were they thinking" when they made this episode. It's worse than "Moon of the Wolf," which many regard as the worst B:TAS episode ever. This one had a stupid plot, villain, and animation. I am extremely disapointed and think that I'd be better off if I'd never have seen
it. The only reason I gave it 1.5 stars is the Batman with flightpack scene. Otherwise, it sucks. {UGH!}
ANIMAL ACT
NUMBER: 101
AIRED: 9/26/98
WRITTEN BY: Hilary J. Bader
DIRECTED BY: Curt Geda
RATING: **** (out of 5)
SUMMARY: Batman and Robin are out on patrol when they are joined by Nightwing. They see a figure climbing up a radio tower(?) and stealing some sort of chip. They fight with the character, but it runs away. However, Nightwing knocks it's hat off, and it's revealed to be a gorilla from Haley's Circus. The next day, Dick Grayson
Tim Drake pay a visit to Haley's where they talk to the animal controller Miranda. She is very defensive of her animals and Dick becomes unsure if he actually did see Peaches. Batman finds out that several unsolved robberies have occurred at all of the circus' stops. Dick won't believe that Miranda, who he's known since his
childhood, would commit the crimes. Meanwhile, there's an alarm at a factory and Batman and Nightwing find two bears from the circus in the middle of a robbery. The catch the animals and they are taken back to the circus. Miranda sees a clown over by their cage pulling off strange collars. She approaches him and he reveals himself
to be the Mad Hatter in disguise. Batman and Nightwing have figured this out too, and they save Miranda from some of her animals. They then have to fend off several of the circus people (controlled by the hatter, as well) to get to the hatter. Nightwing knocks off his hat and destroys it, leaving the hatter powerless.
COMMENTS: As a fan of the Mad Hatter, I really enjoyed this episode. I like Nightwing too, and seeing him get more action is great! Tying the hatter into to the circus was a nice touch, too, and to me, this episode almost felt like one of the original series' episodes. The animation was good and it had a good story, so I recommend this
episode to everyone.
OLD WOUNDS
NUMBER: ?
AIRED: 10/3/98
WRITTEN BY: Rich Fogel
DIRECTED BY: Curt Geda
RATING: ****.5 (out of 5)
SUMMARY: Robin is apprehending some crooks when Nightwing shows up to help him. Robin makes a comment that Nightwing acts just like Batman, making him lash out ("I'm nothing like him!"). At Robin's coersion, Nightwing reveals what happened between he and Batman. {Flashback Mode:} Dick Grayson is graduating college, but Bruce Wayne is unable to
attend due to catching some criminals as Batman. Later, at dinner with Barbara Gordon, Dick is interupted by a phone call from Batman demanding him to come (he has a lead on a case). Dick is angered and makes up a lame excuse to Barbara. He joins Batman as Robin (old costume, new animation style!) at a hideout where the Joker is preparing his crime.
They fight with the henchmen, and the Joker gets away. A new man is left behind, and Batman sends Robin after him. He runs home to his wife and little boy when Robin breaks in. Then Batman smashes through the window and basically roughs the guy up in front of his family(!). Robin is very upset by this, and he leaves. Dick shows up at Barbara's trying
to sort things out, but he only confuses her since he can't tell her that he's Robin. Barbara goes to Bruce to tell him she's worried about Dick and he shows her the Batcave. He reveals he knows that she is Batgirl. Then the Joker makes a newscast demanding a lot of money or he will turn on a radio signal scrambler that will screw with planes' radar
systems, etc. Batman and Batgirl go to find the Joker. They do, and the Joker whacks her off the building and she falls (deja vu...) as Robin arrives (Alfred told him the situation). Robin catches her, they all beat the Joker, and then Dick yells at Barbara (she didn't tell him she was Batgirl) and Batman ("he pulls strings..."). Robin tears off his
mask and cape and leaves. {End Flashback Mode:} Nightwing tells Robin that he'll never be able to forgive Bruce. They find a wallet that the crooks from the beginning had stolen. They take it to the owner (the man that Batman trounced in front of the his family) who now has a job as a security guard at Wayne Enterprizes. He tells them that his
encounter with Batman turned his life around and that Wayne pays him visits sometimes to talk about his family. Nightwing finally realizes the good that Bruce does, and he and Robin see the batsignal. Nightwing goes with Robin, reasoning that it's about time he returned to the fold...
COMMENTS: This was a well-done episode. While I sometimes thought that the animation was a little lacking, there were many powerful scenes and images, that it balanced out. This episode has it all: drama, conflict, action, one-liners, and a well-done subplot. I also thought that seeing Dick in the Robin costume in the new style was a treat. I was
slightly disapointed, however, that Batgirl was in her new one (which I dislike). I also thought that Batgirl's fall was slight overkill (the episode "Over the Edge," anyone?). Not only that, but it wasn't done as well as the scene from that stellar episode. However, I suppose this fall could be the reason why she drempt about dying in that manner to
begin with... Overall, this episode bridges the gap between the two series well (although I think it should have aired before "Animal Act"). Two of the best scenes are when Robin quits and the very end with Nightwing and Robin responding to the batsignal. Bravo!
KNIGHT TIME
NUMBER: Superman 45
AIRED: 10/10/98
WRITTEN BY: Robert Goodman
DIRECTED BY: Curt Geda
RATING: **** (out of 5)
SUMMARY: Roxy Rockett is flying through Metropolis while being persued by Superman after a robbery. He catches her and asks her why she's in his town. She says that ever since Batman's been missing(!), most of the crooks have been picking Gotham clean, so she thought she'd try Metropolis. In Gotham City, Robin is catching some crooks at a jewelry
store when a few of them run away. Superman arrives and catches them. He asks Robin where Bruce is. Robin says he doesn't know and that Batgirl and Nightwing are out of town checking on Ra's Al Guhl. The Batsignal appears, and Superman has an idea... On police headquarters, Batman (Superman in a spare costume) and Robin arrive to learn that Bane is
back in town. Then Supes and Robin check out Bruce's last message when Superman notices mirco-computer things crawling around on a piece of paper at Bruce's office. He discovers that they're all over the phone and there's a needle in it too (so, Bruce has been injected with the things and is now under someone's mind control). They go to the Penguin's
place to see what he's heard about the Mad Hatter recently. After Superman does some Batman-style roughing up, the Penguin tells them. Bat/Superman and Robin find the Hatter, Bane, and the Riddler all conspiring to take Gotham over in Batman's absence. After a fight, the good guys prevail, and they show the Mad Hatter the microthings. He says they're
remarkable and that they're not from earth. Superman finds a sound of a rocket in the background of Bruce's final recordin, and he and Robin head off to Wayne Aeronauitcs (or something like that...) to find that Bruce has been controlled by Brainiac so a new rocket for him could be built. Brainiac inadvertantly blasts the Batman costume off, revealing
Superman. He and Superman fight, and his rocket (with him in it) explodes. Bruce recovers. They figure that Brainiac got into Bruce's systems during his partnership with LexCorp ("World's Finest"!).
COMMENTS: While it is technically a Superman episode, this one had a lot of Batman stuff in it. It was also well written, executed, and animated. From the very beautiful relection of the Metropolis skyline in Roxy's goggles at the beginning to Brainiac's rocket's explosion at the end, this one had very nice art. It was also a treat to see Superman
trying to act like Batman, and it was VERY nice to hear John Glover back as the Riddler after many voices have been recast for this series. I also enjoyed the many red herrings thrown into this episode for good measure (Ra's, Mad Hatter, etc.). This one kept me guessing. Also, on a sadder note, I thought that Roddy McDowell's final performance on this
series was very nice and made me appreciate him that much more.
LEGENDS OF THE DARK KNIGHT
NUMBER: 104
AIRED: 10/10/98
STORY BY: Robert Goodman and Bruce Timm
WRITTEN BY: Robert Goodman
WITH ACKNOWLEDGEMENT TO THE WORKS OF: Bill Finger, Dick Sprang, and Frank Miller
DIRECTED BY: Dan Riba
RATING: ***** (out of 5)
SUMMARY: Three kids see a newspaper with a shadowy picture of Batman on the front cover. They all talk about how cool he is. One says he's not human, and he has big fangs and wings. One of them says that his uncle has met Batman. He tells the story (animated in a Dick Sprang style): The Joker breaks into a music museum place and knocks out the guard
(the kid's uncle). He procedes to steal a music score to an opera when Batman and Robin show up, chum! They rush to fight the Joker after explaining how they figured out his clue, foul jester! The Joker catches them on a giant piano which he begins to play. The mallets (I think that's the term...) are being pushed down closer and closer to the dynamic
duo. They miraculously escape ("Gee, it's a good thing we were wearing earplugs...") and take out the Joker's henchmen with the bow of an upright bass. then they beat the Joker by catching him in a giant saxaphone. (Back to the present)The kids chide the boy, and one of them (a girl) tells what Batman's really like (about 50 yrs. old, Robin's a girl...
yep, it's Dark Knight Returns time!): Two members of the mutant gang catch Robin when Batman smashes through the roof and gets the location of their leader. He shows up at the big gang meeting in a hulking tank and shoots the crowd with rubber bullets. He gets out and fist-fights with the mutant leader. Batman wrestles him to the ground and breaks his leg
with his bare hands. (Back to present)The kids are amazed at the story when they actually see Batman. They take off after him and end up in an abandoned theater. They saw Firefly, not Batman, and he sets the place on fire (he's running one of those insurance scams...). Batman shows up and fights him, defeating him. The kids escape and call the police.
They leave the scene all thinking Batman was how they had each described him.
COMMENTS: The word "phenomenal" comes to mind. The animation in this episode was outstanding, reflecting each style extremely well. The Sprang part was hilariously absurd, and the the Miller part was grimly dark. It is amazing. This is definitly one of the best episodes out of the show's enitre run. Bravo, guys!
GIRL'S NITE OUT
NUMBER: ?
AIRED: 10/17/98
WRITTEN BY: Hilary J. Bader
DIRECTED BY: ?
RATING: ****.5 (out of 5)
SUMMARY: Livewire is being tranported to Gotham City for treatment. The armored car she's in drives through an area with some downed power lines, and she escapes. Batgirl finds her causing trouble and they fight, but Livewire gets away. Meanwhile, in Metropolis, Supergirl is bored. Clark is out of town and she's house-sitting. She hears about
Livewire's escapades and decides to go to Gotham. Meanwhile, Livewire finds Poison Ivy and Harley Quinn's hideout and proposes that the three of them form a team. They go on a stealing spree and Batgirl and Supergirl both show up to fight them. Eventually, they escape. Batgirl reveals her identity to Supergirl and they talk about what it's like
to be heroes. They figure out where Ivy, Quinn, and Livewire are, and they go there. There is a dramatic showdown/climax/finale where the two of them use the abilities of the villainisses against them (i.e. Livewire inadvertantly shocks Poison Ivy into unconciousness when she comes in contact with water). Later, on the news, Harvey Bullock thanks
Bat and Supergirl in his own unique way ("we were assisted by a couple of rookies... they have some real potential").
COMMENTS: This episode was done very well. I liked how Livewire fit into the team of Harley and Ivy, and how Supergirl and Batgirl became instant friends. I thought that in this episode we saw a little bit of the Batgirl from B:TAS (smart, resourseful, not reduced to air-headed one-liners) emerge. I also thought the animation was very good on this
episode, as well. I am very pleased how all the various world's finest incarnations are playing out. They have proven to be some of the best episodes of the series'.
CHEMISTRY
NUMBER: ?
AIRED: 10/24/98
WRITTEN BY: Stan Berkowitz
DIRECTED BY: ?
RATING: **.5 (out of 5)
SUMMARY: At Veronica Vreeland's fourth wedding (after only a two-week period of being together), Bruce Wayne meets a woman named Susan who he's instantly taken with. She seems to be perfect. As Batman, Bruce can't forget about her. He meets her a few times and ultimately asks her to marry him. She says yes. In a scene less dramatic and touching than
in "Mask of the Phantasm," Bruce explains to Nightwing, Batgirl, and Robin that his parent's deaths don't hurt quite as much, that he's happy, and that he's going to quit being Batman. The three of them will inherit the cave and job. At Bruce's wedding, Veronica calls and says that something's wrong with her husband and that she needs help. Her phone call is
cut off by her husband who confronts her. She jumps in a closet and activates protective laser beams which block the entrance. However, her husband walks right through, and his burns instantly heal. Meanwhile, Wayne arrives to find Ronnie's house in flames. He goes inside and finds her unconcious. He saves her and takes her to a hospital. He tells Robin and
to watch her husband. They follow him to Poison Ivy's hideout where he is revealed to be one of her plant creations. B & R find a liquid that kills Ivy's plants... During this time, Bruce and many other newlyweds are on a cruise. They are all talking about their wives' green eyes and how perfect they are. Bruce leaves and confronts his wife. He discovers
that she's a plant created by Poison Ivy and bars her up in their room. Poison Ivy arrives and explains that her plants are punching holes in the side of the boat. The millionaires will die and their spouses will get all their money, which she will then get. Batgirl and Robin show up in the Batplane. They have the liquid which they use to destroy some of the
plant people. The millionaires escape on the boat Ivy came in, Bruce gets away in the Batplane, and Ivy and her plant-people go down with the ship.
COMMENTS: I didn't like this episode. The plot was cliche ("House and Garden," anybody?) and the animation was lack-luster. I also thought that the scene similar to one in Batman: The Animated Movie was bad. It made the scene in the movie seem less important, and it rushed the story a lot. This was yet another example of a Poison Ivy episode with plant-people.
I think the audience deserves better.
JUDGEMENT DAY
NUMBER: ?
AIRED: 10/31/98
WRITTEN BY: Rich Fogel and Alan Burnett
DIRECTED BY: Curt Geda
RATING: *** (out of 5)
SUMMARY: After the Penguin rips both Two Face and Killer Croc off by giving them less money for stolen jewels than he was paid, a mysterious vigilante calling himself the Judge takes matters into his own hands. He dishes out his own brand of justice on the Penguin, leading a congressman to mention that he likes the Judge's methods. This leads to a partnership of
sorts between the two after the guy's approval ratings go up 10%. The Judge subsequently takes out Killer Croc and the Riddler, which the congressman knew about in advance. Meanwhile, Batman does not approve of the Judge's reckless behavior, so he gets to the next target (according to the congressman) first: Two Face. Suddenly Two Face's security system locks up and
the Judge (via videotape) says that Two Face will die of asphyxiation and gas begins leaking into the apartment. Batman creates an explosion and they escape. Later, Batman figures out the identity of the Judge by identitfying his giant mallet weapon as an award given to attournies. He races to the court building where Two Face is preparing to kill the congressman
to show the Judge that he means buisness. Two Face has two of his men take the man out to be shot when the Judge shows up and beats them. He then turns to the congressman who he says has been laundering money. As the Judge is preparing to kill him, Batman crashes into the building and takes on the Judge. In the end, the Judge is smashed under a giant scales of justice
when Batman pulls off his mask to reveal-- Two Face?! Apparently Harvey developed a third personality to be an avenger of justice that not even Two Face or Dent knew about. The congressman is left with the unmasked Judge as hoardes of reporters descend upon the scene.
COMMENTS: While there were good aspects of this show (i.e. the Judge's character design and a Riddler cameo), it was nothing knew to me. I thought that the animation was fairly poor (esp. on Croc) and the whole show was anti-climatic. This episode was just a poorer rehash of "Second Chance," and I didn't even think this one made a whole lot of sense. Why would this
third personality suddenly appear now (it's been about 6-7 years since Harvey's accident)? And if Harvey had a repressed desire to be a hero why would he be such a bad good guy (almost killing people and roughing them up seriously)? It doesn't seem to gel for me...
BEWARE THE CREEPER
NUMBER: 109
AIRED: 11/7/98
WRITTEN BY: ?
DIRECTED BY: ?
RATING: **** (out of 5)
SUMMARY: Jack Ryder, a reporter for Gotham Insider, is doing a special about the Joker on the seventh anniversary since his accident. The special is being broadcast live from the chemical plant where the Joker was "born." Unfortunitly, the Joker shows up during the broadcast (Batman's watching the show, so he takes off for the plant) and gasses the crew. He then knocks
Ryder into one of the chemical vats. Batman and Robin show up to battle the Joker, but the vat Ryder is in has been drained so they go after him instead, but think he's dead. Meanwhile, an insane, green-haired, yellow-skinned, grinning Ryder emerges from a sewer. He goes to a store and buys a red boa, green underwear, and red gloves and boots. He calls himself the Creeper
and goes to try to get revenge on the Joker. Batman discovers that a yellow-skinned maniac just purchased stuff with Ryder's credit card, so he takes off for that area. The Creeper finds Harley Quinn who he falls in love with, but she drops a huge crate on him as Batman and Robin arrive. She runs away, but when B & R open the crate, they find the Creeper alive and well.
He runs off to track Harley to the Joker's hideout. He finds them and B & R follow. They all fight, and then a huge car chase breaks out. Batman catches and arrests the Joker, and Batman injects Ryder with an anti-toxin that knocks him out. Later, Batman explains to Ryder that the combination of the Joker's gas and the chemicals from the vat transformed him into the
Creeper. He will have to wear a special patch to keep that side of himself from ever coming forth again. As Batman leaves, though, Ryder takes off the patch, and maniacal laughter is heard...
COMMENTS: I thought that this episode was very good. There were funny parts and the background and origin of the Joker shared this episode was very well done (and in the animated continuity his identity is UNKNOWN). However, I thought the Creeper was too over the top. His character seemed out of place on Batman, as he was a lot like Freakazoid! (he even spouts one of that
character's lines). The animation in this episode was good, and so was the plot. This is one of the best episodes of the season thus far.
MAD LOVE
NUMBER: ?
AIRED: 1/16/99
STORY BY: Paul Dini and Bruce Timm
WRITTEN BY: Paul Dini
DIRECTED BY: Butch Lukic
RATING: **** (out of 5)
SUMMARY: Commisioner Gordon is at a dentist appointment, but in place of the doctor happens to be the Joker who is about to take a drill to the commish's head when Batman intervenes. Batman made it because the Joker's clue was "sloppy" and "predictable." The Joker takes this hard as he tries to think of new plans to get rid of Batman. Harley Quinn tries to cheer him up by
showing up in a nighty, but the Joker's attention is elsewhere. He eventually gets so fed up with her that he boots her out into the alley. She takes this opportunity to think back to when she first met him... She was a psychologist at Arkham Asylum, secretly interested in cashing in on one of the inmates' stories. She gets that oppotunity with the Joker who has his eye
on her (Dr. Harleen Quinzel; you rearrange the name a little and get Harley Quinn like harlequinn, the clown character). She's ready to hear anything when she goes into his cell, but not to hear that his dad used to beat him. She begins to feel sorry for him, and over the course of more interviews begins to fall in love with him. One time after he's escaped Batman brings
him in terribly beaten. Harleen loses it and runs out to a novelty shop to steal a costume and some accessories. She returns to bust the Joker out as Harley Quinn. Back to the present, Harley has the perfect idea of how to cheer up Mr. J: she'll kill Batman and then the two of them will be happy. She arranges a meeting with Batman as her true self by lying, and then knocks
him out. He awakes to find himself upside down over a tank of pirhannas. It's a variation on an old idea of the Joker's, except he could never figure out how to get them to smile (Batman was to be hung right side up). Batman reveals to Harley that she was fooled by the Joker from the beginning; he has a million sob stories about a terrible past, but none are true. He also
tells her that the Joker doesn't love her which upsets her greatly to the point where she just about lowers him into the tank. He convinces her to call the Joker, though, because he'll never believe she killed him if he doesn't see it. The Joker breaks into the room enraged and knocks Harley out the window. Batman gets out of his restraints and persues the Joker. He
tells Joker that Harley really had him and was closer to killing him than he ever got. The two fight, and the Joker is knocked into a smokestack. Later, at Arkham a badly bruised and bandaged Harley says how much she hates the Joker... until she sees the rose and get well soon card he sent.
COMMENTS: First off, if you don't already know, this episode was adapted from and award-winning comic book set in the animated continuity done by Paul Dini and Bruce Timm. The comic was very good. The episode was pretty good. While the animation and acting was great, I felt that this story had better pacing and looked better as a comic. This also throws lots of holes into
continuity. Batman appeared in his new costume throughout the entire episode, even in the flashbacks. We all know that Batman has used the old costume (with yellow circle behind the symbol) when fighting with Harley before. However, this episode tries to tell us differently by having Batman wearing the new costume when Harley first got her costume. This isn't right. I also
don't like the fact that now I'm not sure when this story took place (the present or a few years ago, depending which version you subscribe to). Still, though, this was a very well executed episode, but I thought the climatic fight scene between Batman and the Joker atop a train seemed rushed and more poorly animated than the rest of the episode.
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