Batman: The Animated Series: Season 1: Episode 65: The Worry Men
What’s the episode about? Gotham socialite Veronica “Ronnie” Vreeland comes back from South American travels with little worry dolls and gives them out to Gotham’s elite at one party. They sleep with them under a pillow, and the next day they give all their money to Jervis Tetch (alias The Mad Hatter), who wanted to leave his life of crime after leaving Arkham, but needed money to buy an island, so he travelled to South America, enslaved a doll maker in one specific village, Ronnie came to that village, saw him, wanted dolls, bought all the dolls, brought them all through customs back to Gotham and gave them all out successfully. A classic elaborate plan that hinges on SO MANY THINGS TO GO RIGHT AND THEY ALL DO.
[and then suddenly…]
May 20, 2015
in batman,Comic Books
Batman: The Animated Series: Season 1: Episode 31: The Cape and Cowl Conspiracy
What’s the episode about? As mentioned in Waynesday 9, this episode features Wormwood, a scheming blackmailer/evil guy, who is working for a Russian baddie to acquire Batman’s titular cape and cowl.
[and then suddenly…]
October 16, 2013
in batman,Comic Books,TV
Batman: The Animated Series: Season 1: Episode 28: Dreams in Darkness
What’s the episode about? As mentioned in Waynesday 13, this episode involves Batman being dosed with fear gas by the Scarecrow, locked up in Arkham, trying to stop the plot while being constantly confronted with his worst fears.
[and then suddenly…]
October 2, 2013
in batman,Comic Books
Batman: The Animated Series: Season 1: Episode 63: Fire from Olympus
What’s the episode about? A rich guy named Max starts to believe that he is Zeus, because he has racketeering problems and a staff that shoots electricity. He thinks his high-rise building is Mt. Olympus. Batman rises out of the darkness to the roof of Max’s skyscraper on a batcraft, and Max thinks that Batman is Hades, which is fan-tastic. Max goes totally mad, and his ladylove tries to help him but fails, which is sad. By the end, he’s completely power-crazy and ends up in Arkham.
[and then suddenly…]
September 18, 2013
in batman,Comic Books
Batman: The Animated Series: Season 1: Episode 28: Dreams in Darkness
What’s the episode about? The episode begins with Batman locked up in Arkham, restrained in a strait jacket, struggling to warn the orderlies that there is danger. Turns out he’s right, but the Scarecrow has seriously messed him up with fear gas, and he has traumatic hallucinations through the episode which are TRULY disturbing. More one those another Wednesday.
When does this frame happen? Near the end, Dr. Jonathan Crane, his piercing blue eyes hidden behind his burlap mask, checks the time several times as he impatiently waits for his master plan to come together.
Why are you sharing it? Ok. So you’ve decided on a career in super-villainy. You got caught, you escaped. What’s next? It’s probably time to spend some of your nest-egg scheming money on a nice pocket watch (not a digital watch (which again, goes back to the anachronism of Gotham)), and why not splurge a little more and get a grim reaper decal that swings his scythe up and down every other second. What could be the harm? Celebrate your decision to be evil. You’re worth it.
It’s an adorable detail, and I just like to imagine Dr. Crane at the store, seeing the grim reaper option and inwardly freaking out because it’s even more wonderful than he could have imagined.
September 11, 2013
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Batman: The Animated Series: Season 1: Episode 23: The Forgotten
What’s the episode about? Bruce Wayne is kidnapped and forced to work in a mine. I don’t know why. Not a great episode. Not a lot of Batman screen time.
[and then suddenly…]
April 3, 2013
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This isn’t about a particular episode, and these screenshots are from two separate stories. The point of this post is to talk about how I’ve never really thought about Gotham being set in a particular point in time, other than the 20th century. Gothamites have electricity, and TV news, and experiments that turn people into Bane and Poison Ivy. Freeze makes an underwater city in one episode, and that takes some serious hydro-engineering. How do you bring in air? How do you take out trash? Sidetracked.
In the first of these two shots, Bruce Wayne holds a comically large cellphone.
Batman: The Animated Series ran from 1992-1995, and during that time, cell phones were big. It’s funny to see them in 2012, but that’s fine. The realization that I’m having is that Gotham exists in several points in history all at once, and we can choose to focus on whichever era is convenient to the storyline.
[and then suddenly…]
November 28, 2012
in 2012,batman,cartoons,children's television,Comic Books,TV
Batman: The Animated Series: Season 1: Episode 48: The Mechanic
What’s the episode about? Batman needs a new Batmobile, but with the Penguin finds out who is making it, he forces the poor mechanic to screw up the car. Poor mechanic.
When does this frame happen? Near the end, when Batman and Robin are stuck in the car, they go whizzing past this sign on the freeway. I think. I watched this a while ago.
Why are you sharing it? Las Vegas is Sin City, the Entertainment Capitol of the World, and Glitter Gulch. Santa Clara is known as The Heart of Silicon Valley. I didn’t know Gotham had a nickname, and I don’t know why it would be America’s Playground. On my new favorite Wikipedia page, I learned that Plymouth is America’s Hometown and Detroit is America’s Comeback City. I know Bruce Wayne is rich, and villains tend to crash big charity balls all the time, but Gotham feels more like Crime City, America’s Dark Alley, or maybe Empire City if you wanted to steal a New York nickname. Atlantic City’s nickname is America’s Playground, and I guess in some way, Gotham is a hybrid of New York City and Atlantic City. Since Batmantown is already called Gotham, it needs another name. I just wouldn’t want to play on that playground.
November 21, 2012
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Batman: The Animated Series: Season 1: Episode 31: The Cape and Cowl Conspiracy
What’s the episode about? Wormwood is like the Riddler but without a costume. I find him effeminate and also I keep thinking about the Deep Throat people but actually that’s Woodward (and Bernstein). Wormwood and Batman keep trying to out-clever each other all episode. There’s a melting wax trap I don’t understand, they swordfight with barbells, and Batman finally wins when he disguises himself as a man half his height and looks perfect… it’s pretty ridiculous all around and this episode will come up again.
When does this frame happen? In the end, Woodward (sic, not intentional) is jailed without successfully taking Batman’s costume or learning his identity. Wormwood receives this package in his Arkham cell with an awful poem on cheesy Batman stationary. He opens it up, and it’s the titular cape and cowl.
Why are you sharing it? Batman is vengeance. He is the night. I know he acts like a dumb playboy millionaire for the public but… why can’t Batman craft more biting verse for a defeated foe? But beyond that — ALL EPISODE THEY ARE FIGHTING FOR POSSESSION OF THE CAPE AND COWL — and then Batman just gives it willingly in the end?!
And another thing… if a criminal actually wore the cape and cowl for warmth in prison, other prisoners would beat him up in a symbolic cathartic victory over the Bat. Is it supposed to associate him with Batman so that the others will think he’s undercover working for Batman? It’s SORT of a nice gift. but it’s also not very practical. I am confused. Maybe I should watch this episode again.
November 14, 2012
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Batman: The Animated Series: Season 1: Episode 55: Day of the Samurai
What’s the episode about? Ninja and SamuraiBatman fight honorably on the side of a volcano for the love of a butler named Alfred… kind of. Somehow NOBODY gets burnt to death. Not a realistic volcano fight. Would not order again.
When does this frame happen? Near the beginning, the evil ninja guy kidnaps a student and then… slices some fruit to… relieve stress while waiting for the ransom reply?
Why are you sharing it? Um… it’s a real ninja playing Fruit Ninja. The scene even starts off in the same perspective showing the mid-air swipe, JUST LIKE THE GAME.
November 7, 2012
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