Year of the Bat - Number 16
Welcome to Year of the Bat! In honor of Kevin Conroy, Arleen Sorkin, and Richard Moll, I’m counting down my Top 31 Favorite Episodes of “Batman: The Animated Series” throughout this January. We’ve reached the halfway point of the countdown!
TODAY’S EPISODE QUOTE: “Fear’s a prison, you see, and I’ve just broken out!”
Number 16 is…Never Fear.
Out of all the Scarecrow’s appearances in B:TAS, this episode from the TNBA era is generally considered to be the best. It’s one of several stories taken directly from the comics, too, as the episode is (somewhat loosely) based on the comic tale “Fear For Sale.” The original comic was published in 1987, and was chiefly created by writer Mike W. Barr, and artist Alan Davis. While that story is really, REALLY freaking good – seriously, one of the Top 5 best Scarecrow comics, in my opinion, without question – I honestly think the Animated Series adaptation is even better. Not only that, but in some ways – despite the fact no one actually dies in this story (though several come awfully close) – I would argue the cartoon is darker than said comic, as well. Wrap your head around that!
The premise focuses on the Scarecrow returning to Gotham City, presumably after a long dormancy, with a brand new form of his Fear Toxin: instead of the usual method of installing fear in people, causing them to hallucinate violent apparitions and have horrifying visions of their greatest phobias and traumas, this new gimmick TAKES AWAY people’s fear. Now, one may wonder, why is that such a bad thing? Well, here’s the thing: fear is a rational human response, intended to keep us out of danger. We run away from things that scare us, or stay alert for trouble in times of distress, for self-preservation’s sake; we avoid doing certain things at least partially because fear reminds us of the consequences of those actions.
If you REMOVE fear…then a person has no restraints, no cares, and quite possibly no conscience. This is where things get interesting: while going undercover to try and figure out Scarecrow’s plans, Bruce gets a dose of the Anti-Fear Toxin himself. Batman becomes impulsive, thrillseeking…and, most alarming of all, homicidal. It’s therefore up to Robin to keep Batman from going down a path he must not travel, while also trying to stop the Scarecrow’s newest bid for power.
The first thing most people talk about with this episode is Scarecrow himself, and for good reason. The character is given a brand new voice, provided by Jeffrey Combs for this outing, as well as a brand new look, which most people agree is far superior to the one from the first three seasons. While the Scarecrow is great in those earlier seasons, I do agree with the apparent majority that the version found in “Never Fear” is a superior rendition, simply because he’s much more creepy to behold and to hear. I was never really scared of the Scarecrow himself in his earlier outings, but this version is a whole new story. The uniqueness of his plan in this story is also worth commending, whether it’s based on an already-published comic or not.
However, I think a lot of people underestimate what a good episode this is for Batman and Robin, as well. I may or may not have said this in an earlier entry, but I actually preferred Tim Drake as Robin over Dick Grayson, at least in the Animated Series. This episode is a great example of why. Robin really takes the spotlight and initiative here, as it’s ultimately really Tim that saves the day. There’s this great scene that I absolutely love, where Batman – under the influence of Scarecrow’s toxin – tries to convince Tim, after Robin ties him up to keep him from hurting people or running into trouble, to let him go. Kevin Conroy’s performance is so convincing, it almost tricks the viewer, as well as Robin himself, but Tim doesn’t take the bait. The two really do feel like partners here, in a lot of ways, and it’s a great tale for both. Whether you love it for the heroes or the villain, “Never Fear” is arguably the pinnacle of Scarecrow storytelling in the Animated Series.
I say “arguably” because of one other episode I’ll get to later in the countdown…but that’s another story.
Tomorrow we move into the Top 15!
Hint: “Kids these days. No respect.”
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Still a trio after all this time 💗
[ID: A drawing of Miles Edgeworth, Larry Butz, and Phoenix Wright; both from the present and past. Near the top of the image the trio is posing for a photo; Larry, in the middle, is grinning widely, and leaning his elbows on the shoulders of the other two. Miles crosses his arms, looking toward his friends and scowling over the contact, Phoenix smiles fondly while observing the interaction. In the middle and lower half of the image, and superimposed over their older figures, is a picture of their younger selves in a very similar position. Young Larry is once again in the middle, leaning his arms on his friends’ shoulders, while young Miles opens his mouth in protest, and young Phoenix is again observing his friends and laughing with a open smile. End ID]
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Year of the Bat - Number 29
Welcome to Year of the Bat! In honor of Kevin Conroy, Arleen Sorkin, and Richard Moll, I’m counting down my Top 31 Favorite Episodes of “Batman: The Animated Series” throughout this January.
EPISODE QUOTE: “The final stunt IS the best.”
Number 29 is…The Ultimate Thrill.
This is widely regarded as the most…um… “suggestive” episode in “Batman: The Animated Series.” While the show was not above a few innuendos and implications here and there, they were usually pretty subtle. This episode, rather infamously, basically turns any undertones into overtones: subtlety is not part of the game. You can decide if that specific element is a good or a bad thing, but it certainly makes it memorable. Regardless, that’s NOT the real reason I love this story.
“The Ultimate Thrill” focuses on the exploits of a character named Roxy Rocket: an original villainess created for the DCAU. She actually got her start in some spin-off comics for the franchise; the creators enjoyed the concept of the character so much, they finally gave her an animated outing with this story. The basic plot is pretty simple: Roxy teams-up with the Penguin, stealing jewelry for him while he acts as the fence, paying her for her work and then pawning off the baubles to the highest bidder. Penguin gets fed up with Roxy’s overzealous thrillseeking, however, and – out of fear she may cause trouble for his business at the Iceberg Lounge – tries to have her assassinated. Batman must now try to capture Roxy, before Penguin’s minions get to her first.
It's the two villains who make this story so memorable. In Penguin’s case, this is the only really major story he had in the New Batman Adventures era of the show. He popped up frequently throughout season four, but it was usually as a cameo or just a minor supporting role. In this story, he’s the main villain (not the main ANTAGONIST, but the main VILLAIN; there’s a difference), and I really like the way he’s used here. By this point in the series, Oswald Cobblepot had seemingly reformed and was running a prestigious nightclub called the Iceberg Lounge…but was secretly still a villain, doing his dirty deeds out the back window. It was great to see that character concept in full action here.
Roxy, however, is the one who truly makes this story. Her origins are only described, not shown, but setup for the character is really great: once upon a time, Roxy was a movie stuntperson, and an aspiring actress. However, her stunts became increasingly dangerous, to the point where no one wanted to hire her for fear of either herself or others being hurt in the process. Roxy thus turned to a life of crime, figuring that nothing could be more thrilling than the life of an outlaw. We’ve had other villains who enjoyed the thrill of the chase, so to speak – Catwoman is a good example, for instance – but none quite so…intensely as Roxy Rocket. To say that Roxy is an adrenaline junkie is putting it far too mildly. It’s made pretty darn obvious that she basically “gets off” on thrills; that’s where so much of the more suggestive side of the story comes from.
Even ignoring that specific angle, though, it’s just interesting to see HOW MUCH of a thrillseeker Roxy is. She will do literally ANYTHING, it often seems, just to get some excitement. From very simple things, like mock-gambling, to outright taking pleasure out of the thought of her own possible demise, it seems like she’ll try just about whatever, short of murder, simply for the sake of a little excitement. On that note, yeah, Roxy’s also not really depicted as outright EVIL, but simply a thrillseeking lunatic: in both this episode and her comic appearances from the DCAU, she’s consistently depicted as being much less violent and cruel compared to a lot of other baddies. There are even hints of a sort of self-deluding naivete to Roxy: she describes herself out loud as “the heroine of the story,” and seems legitimately shocked when other characters turn against her. When Penguin tries to kill her, she’s absolutely flabbergasted. When Batman snaps the cuffs on her at one point, she’s genuinely confused why. I love the different layers of this character, and I really wish we could have seen more of her…but you can certainly say that her single appearance (barring a Superman crossover) was a banger.
Did I mean it “that way” when I said “banger”? Maybe, maybe not. With Roxy Rocket, neither would be surprising. Ha Ha.
Tomorrow we move on to Number 28!
Hint: “Sometimes there are no happy endings.”
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Favorite Fantastic four member?
Johnny: OK, who's your second favorite from F4?
Spidey: Definitely Sue Storm (she's a scientist too).
Johnny: How about another Storm? Who's the third? Come on man, you can't do this to me!
Spidey: ...
Spidey: But I do admire the way Ben has adapted to any domestic and social difficulties when changes have been made to his body...
Johnny: F@ck you!
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