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Batman: The Brave and the Bold S02 E12

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Episode Title: “Gorillas in Our Midst!”

Original Air Date: April 16, 2010

So we have the return of Detective Chimp, the character whose name describes him perfectly because he is a detective who is also a chimp. Along with Batman, the hirsute Sherlock Holmes is out to stop a trio of criminal gorillas, so when the shows throws in B’Wanna Beast and Vixen it seems perfectly set up for a real rumble in the jungle. Read on to find out how it unfolds.

The teaser has the Sinister Professor Milo controlling rats in order to perpetrate a diamond heist. On a mission to stop him are Batman and the vengeful Spectre. Batman manages to prevent the theft of the priceless gems, but insists that Spectre allow the police to handle the doling out of Justice. After Batman disappears into the night, Spectre decides that the best punishment is to turn Milo into a large piece of cheese and leave him to the rats.

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The story proper begins with Batman and Detective Chimp infiltrating Grodd’s Gorilla fortress where they discover a meeting between Grodd, Monsieur Mallah, and Gorilla Boss. The three apes are discussing a plan to replace all of Gotham’s human population with sentient Gorillas. Most people are familiar with Grodd, the mind controlling, super intelligent gorilla enemy of the Flash, but Mallah is a staple member of the Brotherhood of Evil, and is rarely seen without his brain in a jar companion The Brain. People are probably less familiar with Gorilla Boss, a beast that was formed by putting the brain of a Gotham Gangster into a gorilla from the zoo, who has casued problems for Batman on a few occasions. Apparently the trio of silverbacks have formed an organization named G.A.S.P. (Gorillas and Apes Seizing Power) and the Dark Knight and Detective Chimp must stop them in order to protect humanity.

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Detective Chimp is worried about the state of Gotham while Batman is away, But Bats assures the Chimp that Gotham is safe in the bizarre but capable hands of B’Wanna Beast and Vixen. Vixen is a moderately well known and capable heroine (who now has her own animated series on CW Seed) who can channel the abilities of the animal kingdom into her own body (sort of like a more exotic Animal Man). B’Wanna Beast, on the other hand, has what might well be one of the strangest super powers in all of comic books as he has the ability to combine two or more animals in his vicinity into a chimera that is under his control. A couple of B’Wanna creations in this episode include a cat-horse and an Ostrich-Alligator, so you can imagine what a challenge it is for writers to help Beast take down Villains. Vixen and B’Wanna successfully take down Killer Moth in Batman’s absence.

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Batman and his companion aren’t faring as well at Grodd’s fortress where the evil gorillas discover that their monkey butler is actually Detective Chimp and put him in a hallmark villain’s death trap from which the Dark Knight has to rescue him. As Batman is saving Chimp, the army of gruesome gorillas depart for the city that never smiles, Gotham. The Caped Crusader and the investigative simian give chase.

All involved parties converge on the ark in Gotham, with B’Wanna and Vixen initially combatting the Gorilla army and Batman and Detective Chimp soon join in the fray. The battle does not go well for our heroes as Vixen has her power taken away, and Batman is captured. The unlikeliest of heroes emerges when B’Wanna merges Batman with a lizard, a lion and an eagle forming a Bat-Griffin that the gorillas cannot contain. As the Gorillas are defeated, Batman returns to normal, Detective Chimp is still donning his deer stalker cap and B’Wanna and Vixen reveal that they are very much in love.

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This episode is good, light hearted fun with the sort of absurd characters that I am a sucker for. On the first viewing I did feel a little unsatisfied, but after rewatching I began to enjoy it for the farcical story that it was. I have always like the more comedic characters like Detective Chimp (and continue to hope that someday he will begin to show up on tee shirts), and am always curious about how B’Wanna’s powers will be shoe horned into any adventure. As for my recommendation for this episode, skip the first viewing and go directly to re-watching it. Also, if you can figure out a way to do that, please let me know.


Gotham S:02 E:10

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Episode Title: The Son of Gotham
Original Airdate: 11-23-15

Without going into too much detail just yet, I think it’s safe to say that I’m pretty much fully on board again with Gotham. There’s only a couple middling things here and there that have been bugging me, but for the most part I’m truly enjoying where the arcs are for every character on the show. Gordon, Riddler, and Bruce are all three continuing down a darker path. Meanwhile the escalation of the Court of Owls, currently referred to in the show as the Sacred Order of St. Dumas, is a little bit out there but I can go along with it for now.

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I will say right off the bat that the best part of this episode was the entire mini story arc with Bruce Wayne, who I will refrain from calling “Baby Bruce” or some variation at least for a while. Even though I correctly predicted what was going to happen from the moment Silver St. Cloud and Bruce Wayne were captured I still really enjoyed how it played out. Especially the moment at the end where Bruce revealed to Cat what he had said when he whispered in Silver’s ear and used the truth about how he felt towards Selina to make it sound more convincing. We also got to have a nice little moment with Alfred facing off against Tabitha Galavan, it’s been a little while since he’s been able to show what he can really do besides be a butler.

As for the police force, it does have an awfully mixed reaction towards officer deaths. Over the course of two seasons, probably a few dozen officers have died via various gang wars and whatnot, but this is the first time that we really get a moment of an officer’s funeral. Not only that, but it’s the very cliched funeral with the rain and the black umbrellas that’s usually reserved for when an important character dies, not just some random officer that was introduced a couple episodes earlier and had maybe ten to fifteen minutes of screen time before her death. It also led to Gordon’s very Batman-like discussion of the morality of killing severely psychotic criminals in order to prevent further deaths, while Lee provides the counterpoint that without justice, Gordon would just be another murderer albeit one who wears a badge. The random skunk-haired, cannibal criminal is a far cry from the Joker, but the similarities are there, it was one of the low points of the episode for me, but I also understand why it was there and even though I didn’t entirely like the scene, I don’t fault the show for including it.

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Another moment that was somewhat predictable was the hearing for Mayor Galavan where the former Mayor unsurprisingly testifies that it was all a lie, Galavan had nothing to do with it, and instead it was actually the Penguin. Ok, I did lie a little bit, I was completely aware that Galavan would be set free after this hearing, but I didn’t put enough thought into it to predict that he would place the blame on the Penguin which is a smart move. We also end the episode with Penguin finally back on the streets with at least one of his minions on the trail of Galavan, with a completely coincidental rescue of Gordon along the way. I imagine there will be more working together between Gordon and Penguin, though it will have to be away from the prying eyes of Captain Barnes who would be much more likely to turn Penguin in rather than work with him. And just a final quick mention to the Riddler who gets a brief scene with Lee that shows both his continued darker side along with a bit of comic relief through his unlikely houseguest Penguin.

Batman S:01 E:17

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Episode Title: True or False Face
Original Airdate: March 9, 1966

When the Riddler first appeared in the 1966 Batman series he had only appeared in a few issues of the comics. He went on to become one of the most iconic Batman villains. Not every villain had such good fortune, however. The villain known as False-Face first appeared in a Batman comic book in February of 1958. That was it! One and done. Eight years later he got his shot on the television series, once again for only one story. Here is the first of his two-part appearance…True or False Face.

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As our story begins False-Face and his chief lieutenant, Blaze (Myrna Fahey) manage to steal the jeweled Megenberg Crown and replace it with a fake literally right under the nose of Chief O’Hara. Of course, Batman and Robin are called in. As our heroes meet with Commissioner Gordon, a messenger arrives with a note from “F.F.” It reads: “I intend to give money to a defenseless little girl.” Since false face often speaks in opposites, the Caped Crusaders determine that the “girl” is actually a boy, or “lad.” “Little” would actually be big…and “defenseless” would be armored. Of course…False-Face plans to strike the Ladd Armored Car Company! But not only that, Batman soon realizes that the elderly messenger is actually the lovely Blaze in one of False-Face’s disguises. She manages to escape, though, in a spectacular dive out the window.

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Our heroes soon learn that one of the Ladd armored trucks in running late for a pickup at the Gotham City National Bank. When the heroes arrive at the bank they find the truck out front, but they quickly realize False-Face is posing as one of the guards. You see only a criminal would disguise himself as a licensed bonded guard yet callously park in front of a fire hydrant. A chase ensues and False-Face even poses as an old lady crossing the street to lay a trap for the batmobile. After a fight, though, the police show up and False-Face manages to disguise himself as none other than Chief O’Hara.

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Later, Batman realizes that the note he received earlier was printed on the same kind of paper used to print money. False-Face must be planning a counterfeiting scheme. When they investigate the factory where the money is made, they capture Blaze who is trying to steal more paper. Our heroes interrogate her, with Chief O’Hara (really False-Face) present. She offers to lead them to False-Face, taking them to an out-of-service subway station. There she hits them with some knock-out gas. Next thing we know, False-Face has the Dynamic Duo glued to the subway tracks with a train fast approaching. Cue the cliffhanger…

Cliffhanger Narration:
Disaster threatens
Bashed by the BMT
Will the Dynamic Duo dice with death – and descend to defeat?
Can Batman and Robin break the unbreakable,
slip out of the chemical clutches,
escape the epoxy?
Keep your batwings crossed until tomorrow –
Same time – same channel – same perilous predicament!

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This is truly a wild episode with so much going on. I admit, at first I wasn’t that keen on the False-Face character. It seemed a bit too gimmicky. First, the episode keeps it a mystery who our guest villain is played by. The credits just say “Guest Villain – ?” We do know who played the part, but like the show I’m not going to reveal the actor until next time. Beyond that, when he’s not taking on some other identity, False-Face is portrayed as a guy in a creepy plastic mask. We never see his actual face. At first it seems a bit goofy. But as the episode continues, the writers make great use of the fact that this villain can quickly change his appearance. This is played for laughs at times, like when he does the little old lady bit, and at other times it’s quite sinister, like when he takes O’Hara’s place.

False-Face has many other great tricks up his sleeve, as well. In the opening scene he has a mask that doubles as an explosive device and Blaze aids in their escape by discarding a red cape that inflates and blocks the door so the police can’t chase them. He’s also able to place a giant airbag outside of police headquarters so that Blaze can make her high diving escape from Gordon’s office. He’s also got a candy machine that sprays knock-out gas…perhaps he borrowed this trick vending machine from the supply the Joker had in our last few episodes.

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I’ve also got to say that I really admire False-Face’s choice of a first lieutenant. Blaze is a crafty villain in her own right. At times it even seems like she’s the real brains of the operation. Her leap out the window is one of the most exciting moments of the series so far. However, our cliffhanger has given a hint that she doesn’t want our heroes to die and may even be sweet on Batman. Is it possible she may switch sides? I guess we’ll see how that turns out next time in Holy Rat Race. Next week…same bat time, same bat channel (superhero).

Bat Gadgets Used:
Batanalyst

Holys:
Holy Bouncing Boiler-plated Fits
Holy Houdini
Holy Armor-plate

Batman: The Brave and the Bold S02 E13

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Episode Title: “The Siege of Starro! Part 1″

Original Air Date: September 17, 2010

This episode features the beginning of the culmination of all the Starro teasers we have gotten so far. Much like the first season built up Equinox via teasers, this season has built up Starro. But we’re only half way through the season, so why bring it to a peak now? Also, I didn’t feel like the show stuck the landing with Equinox last season, so I wonder if they’ll do better this time around. Read on to find out.

The teaser is a voice over montage of villains throughout time, and the heroes that have opposed them. It features Anthro fighting Kru’ll the Eternal, Etrigan the Demon fighting Morgaine le Fey, Jonah Hex and Cinnamon fighting the Royal Flush Gang, the Justice Society of America fighting Per Degaton’s army, and Batman fighting Ra’s al Ghul. It culminates with Guy Gardner and Kilowag facing off against a team of Green Lanterns under Starro’s control, and unfortunately Guy and his big companion fall under the control of Starro as well.

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In the Story proper Booster Gold shows up in the Batcave to let Batman know that something significant is soon to happen. Just in case you’re not familiar with the character, Booster Gold is a time traveling and self centered hero, who uses his knowledge of past events to make himself appear more heroic. His data banks can’t quite recall what the event is, but the faceless hunter appears and makes Starro’s invasion plans clear to the Dark Knight. Batman and Booster outmaneuver the hunter in an unremarkable fashion, and Batman deduces that most (if not all) of Earth’s heroes are under the Alien’s control. He sends out a distress signal for any and all free heroes to help face Earth’s would be conqueror.

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The heroes that answer the call are the ones who would not seem important in their “civilian” life. Billy Batson, Firestorm’s separated form, and B’wanna beast are all the help left for Bats and Booster. Captain Marvel and Firestorm are a couple of heavy hitters, but B’Wanna beast with his odd powers that I described in my previous review doesn’t seem to be much of an asset to the team. This improvised group go of to confront the other heroes of Earth that are under Starro’s control and the bulk of the episode are action sequences of the heroes doing battle. There are some interesting match ups like Booster fighting Blue Beetle, and B’Wanna facing off against the love of his life, Vixen. Notably absent are Earth’s villains. I think it is reasonable to expect Starro would recognize their abilities and value them as weapons in his conquest. Conversely, it’s reasonable to expect that any “free” villains would be willing to align with Batman to battle Starro and prevent the Earth from being destroyed. I think this is a major plot hole, and a serious missed opportunity for Batman and Joker to work together.

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Eventually the heroes realize that the way to beat Starro is to revert to their civilian identities and get the drop on the galactic conqueror. The Faceless Hunter monologues with Batman revealing that Galactus – er- I mean Starro spared the Surfer’s -er- I mean Hunter’s world if he would serve as herald to Galactus -er- I mean Starro and find worlds for the cosmic entity to devour -er- I mean consume. Also Faceless Hunter shows a keen interest in B’Wanna’s odd ball power. After Starro is finally defeated, Hunter absconds with B’Wanna exclaiming that he has the power to destroy worlds more effectively than Starro ever imagined, and the viewer is informed that this story is “to be continued”.

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The action and characters in this story are a treat, but I am sorely disappointed that after a teaser about villains throughout history, all the villains are ignored in this episode. Granted, the story is to be continued, so maybe this complaint will be resolved by the events of the next episode, but I’m not holding my breath. Also, with the long, rich history of DC stories (including the first Justice League adventure in which Starro was the bad guy) I am more than a little annoyed that the episode felt the need to borrow so heavily from Marvel’s Galactus lore. On the plus side, my interest is piqued as to how Faceless Hunter is planning to exploit B’Wanna’s power, that is a story element I did not expect. As a stand alone episode this on succeeds on its action, but fails when it comes to story. It is possible the part 2 will redeem the arc as a whole, but we’ll have to wait until next week to find out.

Batman: The Brave and the Bold S02 E14

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Episode Title: “The Siege of Starro! Part 2”

Original Air Date: September 24, 2010

So this is the conclusion to the Starro story arc that has been building the first half of the season. We also get a glimpse of the origin for one of the characters that has been important to the story, and for the first time one of Batman’s colleagues meets his demise. Does all of this lead to a satisfying conclusion of the events set up so far? Read on to find out.

The teaser gives us a succinct account of B’Wana Beast’s origin story. We meet the jungle themed hero before he has become a superhero standing alone in a wrestling ring in a jungle setting. His opponent appears and is a gorilla wearing the mask that we know becomes B’Wana’s. The gorilla easily defeats the young man, and in his despair of defeat B’Wana goes to  drink from a lagoon that contains some radioactive waste. B’wana soon discovers it has granted him gifts, and in a rematch with the gorilla he wins easily and claims the gorilla’s mask for his own, revealing to the viewer that he has grown beast like fangs along the way.

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The story proper opens with the mind controlling starfish from the defeated Starro being removed from Earth’s heroes and general populace alike. We also see that in a spaceship in orbit around Earth the Faceless Hunter is holding B’Wana hostage with plans to use is power to conquer the Universe. The heroes on Earth have a brief scuffle with a still mind controlled Aquaman before freeing him, and Batman turns his attention to rescuing B’wana.

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Back on the ship B’wana escapes from his bands and breaks out some of his best wrestling moves on Hunter, getting the best of the evil alien early on, but eventually Hunter subdues B’wana and begins his evil plan. The Faceless Hunter uses Beast’s chimera power to combine all the discarded starfish on Earth into a large, powerful humanoid monster. The more the heroes on Earth attack this unholy creation the more powerful it seems to grow. This starfish monster extracts the power from the attacking heroes leaving them as withered versions of what they were before.

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Booster Gold is tasked with retrieving Dr. Will Magnus and his Metal Men, with hopes that the android heroes will not be susceptible to the ill effects of the Starfish abominations powers. Unfortunately, Booster finds Magnus still under the control of a face hugging starfish as he orders his Metal Men to attack the time traveling hero. Booster pleas to his ever present, mechanical companion Skeets to try to talk to the androids as the screen fades to black.

The action returns to the Starfish monster and shows hero after hero being rebuffed in their attempts to attack the creature. The Dark Knight himself is caught in the alien chimera’s desolation beam when a portal in the sky opens up and Booster and the Metal Men appear and begin firing on the enemy. The Metal Men all join Voltron style into a large robot calling itself “Alloy, the Mightiest Metal Man of all”. Alloy has some early success in battling the oversized threat to Earth, and Batman is finally free to go into space and rescue B’Wana putting an end to this threat once and for all.

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Batman manages to infiltrate Hunter’s ship and engage the red killer in combat. After a bit of a back and forth, Batman uses his patented style of clever trickery to capture Hunter using the alien’s own technology against him. With the bad guy contained, Bats asks B’Wana if he can fix the situation. Beasts knows that this is an opportunity to save Earth as well as the woman he loves, Vixen. B’wana uses all his remaining energy to rip apart the star beast and dies in the process. In the epilogue we see the remaining heroes gathered around a monument erected in memory of B’Wana, and hear the fallen hero in voiceover say, “”I’d do it all over again, in a hummingbird’s heartbeat.”

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This was a wonderful conclusion to the story. The exposition into B’Wana’s past was both entertaining and touching, and gave more gravity to the conclusion where B’Wana dies proving that he truly is a great hero. This is the first time that this series has dealt with this sort of emotional gravity and finality, and I do think that it worked really well. This story brought back feelings similar to the ones I felt when reading great comic stories like Crisis on Infinite Earths or Watchmen in which it was necessary to sacrifice a hero in order to defeat the threat at hand. Needless to say, this was far superior to the resolution we were given to season 1’s Equinox story arc, and it has me quite enthusiastic to see what the creators will build for us next.

Batman: The Brave and the Bold S02 E16

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Episode Title: “Requiem for a Scarlet Speedster!”

Original Air Date: October 1, 2010

If you like Flashes, not just the Flash but Flashes, then this is the episode for you. Its got Old Flash, Reverse Flash, Kid Flash and, of course, the Flash so it should move quickly, right? It’s also got some rogues and a dash of Outsiders.

The teaser has a confrontation between Batman and snake themed villain Kobra. Kobra is planning to sacrifice a lady to a giant snake statue in order to unleash chaos all over the globe. I’m not real sure how that is supposed to work, but it doesn’t matter because Batman is intent on stopping him. Batman is outnumbered by Kobra and his minions, but luckily he has the Outsiders on hand to back him up. In contrast to previous appearances by the Outsiders, this time the lineup consists of 5 teens instead of three. Since we last saw the team of teen trainees they have added Geo-Force and Halo to their ranks. Halo is a character that I can take or leave, but Geo-Force has always been my favorite Outsider, so I’m glad to see him finally show up. The group saves the lady from being sacrificed, and Geo-Force saves the day by using his Earth manipulation powers to stop the snake statue (that has now come alive) from killing Batman.

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Our story proper starts with Batman stopping 3 of the famous Rogues of Central City (Heatwave, Captain Cold and Weather Wizard) from robbing a bank. The longtime Flash villains lament the recent death of Barry Allen, admitting that they miss their departed nemesis. As the battle sallies forth, Jay Garrick (the Golden Age Flash a.k.a. “Geezer Flash”) and Kid Flash show up to even the odds against the Villains. After the bad guys are defeated, Batman notices that Kid Flash treats Jay rather coolly.

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We get a montage of reminiscence about Batman and Flash working together at the beginning of the episode, and that works really well to set up a feeling of emotional loss about the character being absent. The montage also treats us to scenes of classic villains like Mirror Master and Captain Boomerang. Jay and Batman discuss the circumstances surrounding the “death” of the Flash and how those circumstances have lead to the animosity Kid Flash feels towards Jay.  The death, and subsequent rebirth, of Barry Allen were significant events that heavily impacted a twenty year era in DC comics, so I think it’s great that this is being tackled for the series. This also explains why Barry Allen has been conspicuously absent for the first season and a half. The series has already established that it is not afraid to deal with the mortality of heroes, having previously covered the life and death of Ted Kord and more recently the death of B’Wanna Beast. This episode is the first time we get to dive into the comic book trope of resurrecting a character (after all, in comics no one stays dead).

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Jay has been seeing Barry’s ghost, Batman later sees it, later still Kid Flash admits that he too has seen the “Ghost Flash”. The trio of heroes use the Flash’s old cosmic treadmill to trace the “Ghosts” vibration signature, and find that he’s not dead – just merely transported to the future where he is imprisioned by the Reverse Flash. While our gang of heroes are happy Flash is alive, they are not sure how to face the challenge of rescuing him. Their initial rescue attempt fails so badly that the other two Flashes are captured, and Batman alone is left to pull off the rescue. Batman does manage to gain his own speed powers, but is still no match for the sinister Reverse Flash. The trio of speedsters entrapped cleverly find a way to free Barry while the eldest and youngest Flash remain imprisoned. Thankfully, once the man of the hour, Barry Allen, is free Reverse Flash’s reign is doomed. Barry defeats the big bad, and our heroes return to present day with all seeming right in the world.

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A good episode, solid action, a nice cache of characters, and a touch of sentimentality. This is one of this episodes that really seems to embrace the legacy of the comic book characters, while still firmly creating a new story. Flash fans like to debate about which Flash is the best, but no matter which is your favorite, he is in this episode (unless you’re one of those Bart Allen weirdos).

Batman S:01 E:23

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Episode Title: The Ring of Wax
Original Airdate: March 30, 1966

I’ve mentioned before how the Riddler was not one of Gotham’s A-list villains when the Batman TV series debuted. However, the producers of the show saw the great potential in this character. In the first season he showed up more times than any other member of the rogues gallery, with 4 stories (8 episodes). This week brings us the start of his third appearance with the creepily titled episode The Ring of Wax.

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The story begins at the wax museum of Madame Soleil where a ceremony is being held for the unveiling of a new wax statue of none other than Batman. However, when the curtain opens, the wax likeness is that of the Riddler (as portrayed, once again, by Frank Gorshin). The figure is holding a gun which squirts the audience with red paint. A tape recorder then provides the obligatory riddles. First, “What is black and white and red all over?” followed by, “What has branches and leaves and no bark?” Later at Gordon’s office, it is Robin, as usual, that jumps on trying to solve the riddles. The first seems too easy; a newspaper of course. However the second seems to indicate a library (as books have leaves and there are library branches). So the first riddle answer must have been “book” instead of “newspaper.” The Caped Crusaders decide to head for the Gotham City Library.

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Meanwhile, Riddler and his men are at their new hideout – a candle factory. There Riddler reveals that he stole the wax figure of Batman because it was made with a new type of wax, banned in our country, because it is a universal solvent which can eat through the locks of any vault. The vault he has his eye on is the one at the library which houses a rare book on the lost treasures of the Incas. Batman and Robin show up just as Riddler and his men nab the book, and a fight ensues. However, Riddler manages a getaway by using a spray adhesive to glue our heroes’ feet to the floor.

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The Dynamic Duo free themselves with a bat laser and head back to the Batcave to analyze the waxy substance Riddler left behind. They find it contains Nitrogen, Uranium, and Sodium; the first letters of each word being NUS…or if reversed, SUN. The French word for “sun” is Soleil. So Riddler plans to strike at Madame Soleil’s museum again! Our heroes head for the museum, but don’t notice Riddler and his men disguised as wax figures of Revolutionary War soldiers. A couple of blow darts fired from a fife knock out the Caped Crusaders. Next thing we know, they are suspended over a vat of hot wax…about to be turned into giant candles. Cue the cliffhanger narration…

Cliffhanger Narration:
Infamy of infamies!!
Can this be the end of our beloved Caped Crusaders??
Will Batman wax serious?
For the sake of our heroes, let’s think positively!!!
But it looks bad, very bad!
How can we wait until tomorrow night…
Same bat-time…
Same bat-channel!!?

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This episode is proof positive as to why the Riddler is the greatest villain of this series. In this episode alone, Gorshin earns his Emmy nomination for supporting actor in a comedy. He is wonderfully unhinged! He’s so impressed with his clever plan throughout this episode that he simply can’t contain himself. He prances around like a child coming down the stairs on Christmas morning. Then there’s the laugh…which is simply devilish. Oh, and the bit with the wax version of the Riddler is fantastic! The figure is both extremely lifelike and eerily creepy. The creep factor is increased when it shoots red paint out of its gun, which looks a lot like the bright red blood used in Hammer horror movies. There’s also a little bit of fun to be had with his henchmen this time. Their appearance alone is comical as one, Matches, is extremely tall, while other, Tallow (which is the name of a substance once used to make candles), is pretty short. Tallow, by they way, is played by Joe E. Tata, who would later play the lovable owner of the Peach Pit, Nat, on Beverly Hills 90210. Riddler also has a female member of the gang, Moth (Linda Gaye Scott). She wears a strange Barbarella-style costume with wings made of shiny blue fabric.

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We get some really fun moments with our heroes in this one as well. For example, as Batman and Robin run into the library to try and thwart the Prince of Puzzlers, the librarian lets out a loud “Heavens to betsy!” Batman quickly reminds her to keep her voice down in the library by gently pointing to the “no talking” sign.” I also love how things are getting a bit more convoluted when it comes to the solutions our heroes come to for the Riddler’s clues. It’s one thing to easily solve the riddle of “what is black and white and red all over,” but the way Batman and Robin figure out the clue about Soleil’s wax museum is a huge stretch…and I love it! Take the first letter in the name of each ingredient of the wax, put them together, reverse the order, and translate into French…perfectly logical.

Before closing this week’s review, I should mention that earlier this week we celebrated the 50th anniversary of the premier of Batman. It first rolled out on January 12, 1966 and, as this episode shows, the series is still as entertaining as it was then. But enough of the past, we need to think about the future! Things aren’t looking good for Batman and Robin at the end of this episode. How will they escape from being dipped in wax? Find out next time in Give ‘em the Axe. Same bat-time, same bat-channel (superhero).

Bat Gadgets Used:
Bat Laser
Hyper Spectrographic Analyzer

Holys:
Holy Mucilage
Holy Iodine

Batman S:01 E:25

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One thing’s for sure when it comes to this classic Batman series, no matter how many times the Caped Crusades put the Joker away it won’t be long until the Clown Prince of Crime breaks out and strikes again. This time Batman’s arch nemesis begins a series of crimes that seem as ridiculous as the villain himself. Cesar Romero returns as the Joker, moustache and all, in today’s episode The Joker Trumps an Ace.

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Our episode begins with the Joker and his men terrorizing a group of wealthy patrons at a fur shop. And for what? To steal one measly hair pin. Having already received a report that Joker has stolen a hole from a golf course, Gordon and O’Hara figure a new wave of crime is in the works. They dial the emergency phone, interrupting Bruce and Dick’s efforts to put a puzzle together upside down (it’s excellent training for Dick’s visual memory). As they arrive at the Commissioner’s office, the heros find a package that contains a bizarre inflatable jack-in-the-box, as well as a recording. They soon realize that the Joker plans to steal the jewel-encrusted gold golf clubs of the Maharajah of Nimpah, who is visiting Gotham.

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Our heroes show up at the golf course as the Maharajah is playing a round with the mayor. When the visiting ruler sinks a putt, knock-out gas streams out of the hole. Then the Joker’s men sneak in to grab the clubs…and the Maharajah. A chase ensues with the Batmobile pursuing the Joker’s van (disguised as a laundry truck). But suddenly, the van seems to vanish from the golf course. Batman then finds a small toy version of the van left in its place. Inside the toy van is a note that leads the heroes to where the Joker’s lair may be.

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When Batman and Robin arrive at the old warehouse, they spy the Joker and his gang seated around a table. But when they throw their bat-a-rangs, they bounce back. It’s a trick using mirrors…which is also how the van seemed to disappear. After a fight scene, the Dynamic Duo are captured and sealed in a smokestack which is slowly filling with gas. It’s too tight for our heroes to use their bat ropes, and the Joker has neutralized the other items in their utility belts. Cue the cliffhanger narration.

Cliffhanger Narration:
But help from where?!!
Not the Joker, certainly!
And no one else know where they are!
Is this the Joker’s crowning jest?
Find out tomorrow night –
Same time, same channel!
But be prepared —
No help is likely to come!

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This episode is a bit uneven, but does have some fun moments. We get the heist at the beginning in the fur shop. This scene has some funny moments as Gotham’s society types deal with being robbed by a clown. Joker also has a nice entrance in the scene, wearing a mysterious hat and cape, covering his face a bit like the Shadow. He then ties up all the rich folks using streamers and uses a big horseshoe shaped magnet to snatch the hairpin. Then we get the Arabian style jack-in-the-box, which is kind of a goofy scene. I mean, we have Robin, Gordon, and O’Hara ducking behind the Bat Shield as Batman surgically tries to open the box, complete with a stethoscope. The highlight though is the high-speed chase through the golf course. The Caped Crusaders even take care not to use the emergency reverse lever because the retro rockets might burn part of the course, thus ruining the golfing experience for years to come.

Ultimately, though, much of this episode feels like setup for stuff that will hopefully pay off in the next episode. The purpose behind the theft of the hairpin, the first scene of the episode, is not revealed. Likewise, we don’t know why the Joker decided he needed to kidnap the Maharajah. Right now his crimes seem totally random, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing…I just hope it all pays off in the next episode.

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We do still get a solid performance from Romero as the Joker, once again. It’s maybe not quite as maniacal a take on the character as he’s given previously, but still excellent. He even gets a moment where he kinda sorta sings a song in this one. However, Joker’s gang is somewhat lacking in personality this time. He’s got half a dozen henchmen this time, not counting his fur-loving moll Jill, but they don’t have thematic names or outfits like we often see out of the henchmen.

Hopefully all the question marks left by this episode will be worked out in our next episode. Join us next time for part II…Batman Sets the Pace. Same Bat-time, same bat-channel (superhero).

Bat Gadgets Used:
Bat Shield
Bat Binoculars

Holys:
Hoy Jack-in-the-Box
Holy Taj Mahal
Hoy Tee Shot
Holy Shrinkage
Holy Spider Webs
Holy Looking Glass
Holy Smokestack


Batman S:01 E:27

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Episode Title: The Curse of Tut
Original Airdate: April 13, 1966

I have two big memories from the year 1977, when I was six years old. First, of course, was going to see Star Wars. Second was seeing the Treasures of Tutankhamun at the Field Museum in Chicago. The King Tut exhibit was a cultural phenomenon in its own right. Millions of people lined up to see the exhibit. In fact, the first time my parents and I went to go see the exhibit we had to turn back because the line was out the front door of the museum and down the block. I even had a T-Shirt with a picture of the famous gold Tut mask that said “Tut Nut.” It turns out, though, that a decade before King Tut took over Chicago, he tried to take over Gotham City in today’s episode of Batman…The Curse of Tut.

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Our story begins as a giant gold sphynx statue appears at a peaceful Gotham park and begins proclaiming that the king of the nile will claim his kingdom. At first, Commissioner Gordon figures it is a publicity stunt of the Gotham Museum, which is about to open a new exhibit of Egyptian antiquities. However, when he calls museum board member Bruce Wayne to protest, he learns that it is not a stunt. Gordon then calls Batman who quickly determines that the villainous King Tut (Victor Buono) is responsible…even though everyone thought he had perished in “that warehouse fire.”

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It seems that Tut was once a Yale professor who was struck on the head during a student riot. Ever since, he has believed himself to be the reincarnation of King Tut, and that Gotham is the new Thebes. He seeks to reclaim his Kingdom. Batman and Robin decide they need to examine the sphynx at the park to try and get some clues. While there, the statue speaks once again. The voice is being provided by Tut’s main squeeze, Nefertiti (Ziva Rodann), broadcasting from a nearby phone booth. The Dynamic Duo find what appears to be a door handle on the statue, but it’s really a booby trap, which they spring without harm. When they confront Nefertiti, they are attacked by Tut’s sword wielding goons.

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The Caped Crusaders easily deal with Tut’s men and then figure that this was just a distraction. Tut will surely strike at the museum’s Egyptian exhibit. Batman heads for the museum, but as Bruce Wayne (remember, he’s a board member). As he gives a tour to some reporters, he displays a mummy…which then suddenly opens it’s eyes and tumbles out of the coffin. Of course, it’s Tut. An ambulance arrives to take the body to the hospital…but the paramedics are Tuts men. They gas Bruce Wayne to knock him out and then kidnap him. Now Tut uses the sphynx to announce that he has captured Bruce and will soon give his ransom demands. However, as Tut’s men escape in the ambulance, with Bruce tied to a gurney, Gotham’s favorite millionaire manages to kick the rear door open. This sends him rolling on the stretcher down the mountain road. He may have escaped the bad guys…but he’s still strapped down and rolling toward a 300 foot drop off. Cue the cliffhanger narration…

Cliffhanger Narration:
Holy Cliffhanger!!
Bruce Wayne hurtling toward an awesome abyss!!
What will be his fate?
How can he possibly be saved this time?
Be in front of your Bat-sets tomorrow night.
Same time. Same channel.
One hint: the most horrendous is yet to come.

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The character of King Tut is a villain original to this series. He has no origin in the Batman comics. Who would’ve thought that such a character would be at the center of what may be one of the most wonderfully nutty episodes of this classic series’ first season. Victor Buono is a real treat as the portly and pompous Tut. Buono had a long career in both TV and movies. He appeared on dozens of classic shows and was even one of the mutants in Beneath the Planet of the Apes, but this is probably the role he is most remembered for. His overly dramatic delivery in this episode is pitch perfect. I love the almost Shakespearean way the words roll off his tongue as he tells one of his henchmen, “You’re a twit.” Later he tells Nefertiti with great dramatic flair, “I must proclaim my reincarnation to the faithful!” He then shifts his tone slightly and adds, “Gimme the telephone.” Buono’s comedic timing is a joy to behold in this episode.

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I also really love the costuming and production design associated with this villain. Tut has an elaborate hideout, filled with artifacts and decorated in hieroglyphics. Tut’s costumes are just as impressive. He wears flowing robes, gold bands, and a cape made of garish blue feathers. He also has multiple outfits, which is a nice change from the lack of variety in the fashion choices of baddies like the Joker or the Penguin. Speaking of the other villains, usually they have a gang of lackies and one lovely female follower. Tut, though, is quite the player! He’s got not less than five beauties waiting on him hand and foot. Though, apparently Nefertiti has grown somewhat tired of the life of luxury Tut provides. One of my favorite scenes is where she eats a hot dog because she’s grown tired of figs, dates, and pomegranates. When she offers Tut a bite he hisses and exclaims, “Unclean!”

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This episode has many very funny moments from both heroes and villains alike. The dialogue is funny and clever, and the story itself goes in some very original directions. I mean Batman and Robin get involved in a fencing match with Tut’s henchmen! Beat that! The script by Robert C Dennis and Earl Barret is simply brilliant. The two only wrote two stories (4 episodes) of this series. The other set of episodes being Tut’s season 2 appearance…which I am even more anxious to watch now. First we have to get through part 2 of this story, though. Poor Bruce Wayne is rolling toward his death. Find out what happens next time in The Pharaoh’s in a Rut. Same bat-time, same bat-channel (superhero).

Bad Gadgets Used:
NONE!

Holys:
Holy Hieroglyphics
Holy Hurricane
Holy Whiskers
Holy Masquerade
Holy Asp
Holy Cliffhanger (spoken by the narrator)

Batman S:01 E:29

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Episode Title: The Bookworm Turns
Original Airdate: April 20, 1966

There are movie people and then there are book people. I am definitely a movie guy, but my wife likes to fill her free time with books. She’s one of those people who has trouble enjoying certain films because they differ so much from the original book version. I have a feeling that’s the sort of person our villain in today’s episode of Batman is. It’s a character created for this series and portrayed by one of the biggest names to be credited as “Guest Villain.” Before he was Cornelius of the Planet of the Apes, Roddy McDowall showed up in Gotham as the Bookworm in today’s episode, The Bookworm Turns.

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As our episode begins, Bruce Wayne and his ward Dick Grayson are watching the dedication of a new bridge on television. Suddenly, Dick spots a figure he recognizes as the Bookworm. Then they receive a huge shock when they see Commissioner Gordon gunned down on live TV. He falls from the bridge into the river below. There’s no need to wait for the batphone this time. Our heroes spring into action immediately.

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However, a bigger surprise comes at City Hall a short time later when Gordon walks in unharmed. Though, he’s a bit frustrated for having been held for a long period of time by a cop who detained him for a parking infraction. The ticket was issued by Office A.S. Scarlett, badge #1887. Right away Batman recognizes that this is a reference to a Sherlock Holmes story, A Study in Scarlett published in 1887. A typical Bookworm joke. Then, the bomb detector in the Batmobile goes off. Thinking quick, Batman uses the ejector seat to shoot the bomb out of the vehicle. Upon investigation, they find that the bomb was in the form of a book…For Whom the Bell Tolls.

Back in the Batcave, Batman remembers that For Whom the Bell Tolls is a story about blowing up a bridge. The new bridge must be in danger. Our heroes head out but quickly get called by Gordon who sends them to an old warehouse. There they find a giant picture of the bridge being projected on a wall. You see, Bookworm “blew-up” the bridge. They use the batzooka to shoot the batrope so they can scale the building. From this vantage point they spot where the projector is…atop a Bookmobile. A sonic blast from the Batmobile sends Bookworm and his men running out of the van, and a fight ensues. The baddies make a run for it through a secret tunnel, but back in the bookmobile the Dynamic Duo find a hostage.,,a lovely lady, Lydia Limpett (Francine York).

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Batman suspects that she might be a part of Bookworm’s gang…and he’s right. He gasses her and hooks her up to a lie detector. She ends up in a bit of a trance and doesn’t realize Batman is questioning her. However, she doesn’t really know Bookworm’s plan, so she’s no help to our heroes. They put her back in the bookmobile but now she claims to know the plot…to steal the Declaration of Independance. Batman knows this is a lie, but he wants to spring Bookworm’s trap. He heads off to where the historic documents are kept, while Robin stays with Miss Limpett. However, she uses some knockout gas of her own and the next thing we know Robin is tied to the bell clapper in the clock tower, Big Benjamin. The sound will be intense enough to kill the Boy Wonder. Cue the cliffhanger narration…

Cliffhanger Narration:
Holy Midnight
The first minute of the new day…
The everlasting end for Robin!
Stick merciful cotton in your ears…!
The death-knell sounds tomorrow…
Same bat-time…
Same bat-channel!

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I gotta say, this series has been knocking it out of the park with the last few original villains they’ve introduced. King Tut was loads of fun and now we get the bizarre and brainy Bookworm. I love his look! His suit and hat are supposed to be made out of old bookbindings. Plus he has these big thick Coke bottle glasses and large desk lamp attached to his hat! The best thing, though, is the way Roddy McDowall plays the part. Bookworm is supposedly a frustrated writer. He’s able to speed read and retain everything he reads…but he can’t come up with anything original. Any time someone suggest he write his own stories he flies into an explosive rage. It’s very unexpected that this somewhat unintimidating looking character would be one of the most manic villains we’ve seen yet. Not to mention the fact that the first part of his plot is one of the grimmest images we’ve seen on the show…Commissioner Gordon gunned down by a sniper and plummeting off a bridge.

Despite the dark beginning, as this episode progresses it has some laugh-out-loud funny moments. I completely lost it when the fight sequence was about to start. Bookworm’s men all surround the Caped Crusaders and just before the first punch is thrown Batman stops them. “Your glasses!” he exclaims. The crooks then obligingly take off their specks as Batman reminds Robin, “Never hit a man with glasses.” For what it’s worth, Joker tried to remind Batman of this rule in the 1989 Tim Burton film…Batman didn’t go for it.

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This episode also features the first occurrence of a running gag that will pop up several more times throughout the series. It comes as Batman and Robin are scaling the side of a building with the bat rope. Suddenly, a window opens and a person begins to engage them in conversation. The person in the window is usually a celebrity cameo and this first one is none other than Jerry Lewis. He exclaims, “Are you Batman? Oh you must be ‘cause that’s Robin!” The scene is made even funnier when a few moments later Batman scolds Robin for not holding the batrope with two hands.

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Another very funny moment comes when Batman and Robin utilize the Emergency Bat-turn Lever in the Batmobile to make a 180 and head the other direction. We’ve seen them do this before. A couple of parachutes pop out to help slow them down and they make the quick change of direction. But if you ever wondered what happens to those parachutes, we learn in this episode. Robin picks up the mobile batphone and calls for a parachute pickup. We then see a blue van with the words “Batmobile Parachute Pickup Service” painted on the side zoom off to, I assume, pickup the parachutes. So…apparently there is a guy who sits around in a blue van all day waiting for that moment when he has to go clean up after Batman. If I could sit and watch movies on my tablet all day while I wait…I’d take that job.

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Perhaps Batman could get the parachute guy to help him save Robin…because right now, Robin is about to be clanged to death and Batman is headed the opposite direction. We’ll have to wait until next time to find out what happens in While Gotham City Burns. Same bat-time, same bat-channel (superhero).

Bat Gadgets Used:
Bomb Detector
Emergency Bat-Turn Lever
Batmobile Parachute Pickup Service
Batzooka
Ultrasonic Bat Ray
Bat Gas
Hyper Metric Lie-Detector

Holys:
Holy Homicide
Holy Reincarnation
Holy Explosion
Holy Detonator
Holy Magic Lantern
Holy Bullseye
Holy Human Flies (Jerry Lewis says)
Holy Cinderella
Holy Headache
Holy Midnight (Narrator says)

Batman S:01 E:30

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When we last left Gotham City, Robin had been tied to the clapper of a giant bell inside the Wayne Memorial Clock Tower by the sinister Bookworm. Things seem hopeless since Batman is headed off to find the villain in the opposite direction! Let’s see what happens in part two of our story, While Gotham City Burns.

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As we begin, we see Batman meet up with Chief O’Hara who reveals that there is no sign of Bookworm at the location where Batman thought he would be found. Furthermore, Robin has also vanished from the alley where Batman left him. Batman then goes into a strange trance-like state to try and “fathom the subconscious of a deadly criminal.” He recalls that Miss Limpett said something about “he strikes at midnight.” Of course…a clock! Batman and O’Hara take off in the Batmobile and head for the clocktower. The clock is just about to strike as they arrive. They use the Batzooka to attach two conductive lines from the clock to the nuclear power source in the Batmobile. This gives both the clock and the clapper a positive charge, causing them to repel each other. Thus, Robin is not clanged to death. This is perhaps the most convoluted resolution to the cliffhanger we’ve seen yet.

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The Bookworm is frustrated, but he launches the next part of his plan. Posing as a man from the Gotham Bookmobile, Bookworm comes to Wayne Manor. He gasses Aunt Harriet and Alfred and then steals a priceless first edition cookbook while our heroes remain unaware down in the Batcave. Shortly afterward, a giant cookbook appears in the middle of a Gotham City street. The heroes open up the book and go in to investigate. The cover then closes behind them, trapping them inside. Bookworm then turns the heat up, turning the book into a giant pressure cooker. Meanwhile, Bookworm steals the Batmobile. The police struggle to get our heroes out. Gordon even suggests getting the best safecracker, The Riddler, out of prison to break the book open. However, Batman manages to communicate with Alfred who uses the Batcave computers to locate a manhole beneath the book which our heroes can escape through.

Meanwhile, Bookworm is attempting break into the library to steal some valuable books using the Batbeam from the Batmobile. But when they blast open the wall of library, Batman and Robin jump out…having already deduced Bookworm’s plan. A fight with the henchmen ensues and in the end all the baddies are hauled off to prison.

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This episode is not as strong as the previous one, but it still manages to be fun. Roddy McDowall is still a real treat as Bookworm. He explodes into a rage, throwing papers all over his hideout, when his plan to bump off Robin fails at the beginning of the episode. I also love the way he sees himself as so much smarter than everyone else. This even extends to the epilogue of this story where Bruce Wayne shows up Bookworm with his knowledge of Don Quixote. Bookworm indignantly says, “This fellow, he’s almost as obnoxious as Batman.” As he’s hauled off he keeps looking back over his shoulder as if he’s slowly beginning to figure out that Bruce and Batman are one and the same. It’s a nice little touch.

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I didn’t care for the fact that the resolution of the cliffhanger in this episode is very drawn out compared to many of the other episodes. It’s over seven minutes into the episode before Robin is saved. That’s nearly one third of the episode. This part of the story actually loses some of its impact when we get a much better cliffhanger scenario later in the episode…being trapped in a giant cookbook. This element of the story is just plain weird, not to mention more dangerous feeling than being tied to a giant bell. I was also a bit confused by the element of the story where Bookworm steals a cookbook from Wayne Manor. There’s ultimately no payoff with this plot point, so it just doesn’t quite fit.

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So, while this episode is entertaining enough, it does have the same level of lunacy that the first part of the story had. We’ll most likely get some lunacy next time, though, as Frank Gorshin returns for his last season one appearance as the Riddler in our next episode Death in Slow Motion. Join us, same bat-time, same bat-channel (superhero).

Bat Gadgets Used:
Batzooka
HIgh Energy Radar
Super-Powered Bat Magnet
Anti-Crime Computer
Bat Beam
Automatic Feedback Circuit

Holys:
Holy Tome
Holy Stew Pot
Holy Pressure Cooker

Batman S:01 E:31

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As much as I enjoy classic TV shows like Batman, I love classic movies more. I’ve always been especially intrigued by the silent comedians from the early days of cinema. Well, today’s episode of Batman shows us that one of Gotham’s ultimate criminals also has an interest in silent movies. The Riddler, played by Frank Gorshin, makes his fourth and final appearance of season one in today’s episode, Death in Slow Motion.

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We begin at a silent film festival where the films collected by the wealthy Van Jones are being exhibited. As the audience files out into the lobby, they are surprised by a man dressed as Charlie Chaplin. He flirts a bit with a lovely woman and then is chased by a band of Keystone Kops. While the audience is distracted, the Little Tramp sneaks into the ticket office and makes off with the dough. The Chaplin impersonator is, of course, the Riddler. But why would he go for such a small score? A mere $200 was stolen. Of course, a riddle is found on the scene which leads Batman and Robin to deduce that Riddler will next strike and Mother Gotham’s Bakery to attempt to steal the payroll.

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Sure enough, Riddler and his gang, including the lovely Pauline (Sherry Jackson) are at the bakery. Pauline pretends to be a poverty stricken maiden looking for scraps of bread for her starving mother to gain entrance. Riddler then uses pies made with sleeping cream to knock out the employees with a pie to the face. All the while, Riddler’s men are filming the caper. When the Caped Crusades show up, the crooks are hiding in their truck…but they still film the heroes. Why is Riddler doing this? Well it seems that Van Jones has commissioned him to make the ultimate silent film. It goes without saying that another riddle is left behind… “Batman! As one baker to another – How do you make a dishonest shortcake?” Robin figures out the answer – a Lie-Berry…as in Library. And there just happens to be a branch on Baker Street.

The heroes head to the library and use the Bat Key to enter. As they walk in they are clunked on the head with a giant book. This is the second episode in a row to feature a giant book! This one is called “A Pictorial History of Silent Films.” Inside, there are more riddles, so they take the book back to the Batcave to research. Of course, the Riddler is filming all of this.

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Back at the Batcave our heroes examine the riddles. One reads, “When is a new car considered to be seedy?” Robin gets the answer quickly – when it’s a lemon. It’s almost too obvious. Mr. Van Jones is hosting a party where only lemonade will be served. So, the heroes head for the party. Little do they know that Riddler has spiked the lemonade with a concoction that causes all the guests to fight with each other. Of course, Riddler films the mayhem. While Batman tries to break things up, Robin waits in the Batmobile. The Boy Wonder then encounters Pauline dressed as Little Bo Beep (!?!?!)…but the sweet innocent thing uses knockout gas on him. The next thing we know, Riddler has Robin unconscious on a conveyor belt headed towards a whirring saw blade. Cue the cliffhanger narration…

Cliffhanger Narration:
After many gassers…
Here’s a real buzzer!!
Is Robin going to wind up as his own double??
Incredible but true…Batman will not arrive in time!
Will we see the Boy Wonder sawed in two?
Tune in tomorrow!
Same Bat-time!
Same Bat-channel…!

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Frank Gorshin’s Riddler was the first villain featured on the show, way back 30 episodes ago, and he also had the most appearances in season one with four stories (8 episodes). This episode gives little doubt as to why as Gorshin is once again at his lunatic best. It’s fun to see him start the episode doing a Charlie Chaplin routine. Gorshin made a name for himself as an impressionist and was quite popular in Las Vegas. He was known for his take on stars like Kirk Douglas and Burt Lancaster, but he shows off his skills in a different way here – impersonating Chaplin’s style of movement. He’s quite good at playing the Little Tramp.

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The whole silent film theme to this story is a real treat, especially if you’re a film fan like me. There are numerous nods to the sort of gags that were common in classic comedy shorts. As soon as the action started to head toward the setting of a bakery, I knew someone was going to get hit in the face with a pie. In old comedy shorts pies aren’t for eating, after all, they’re for throwing at people. One thing I never saw in those old comedy films, though, was an explosive device baked into an eclaire. That’s what Riddler uses to blow the vault at the Bakery.

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If you’ve been following our episode by episode look at the this series then you know by now that the villains often have a lovely lady among their gang. This episode gives us one of the loveliest and most interesting in the form of Sherry Jackson as Pauline. In 1966, audiences would’ve been very familiar with Jackson. Beginning in 1953, when she was 11 years old, she appeared as Terry on The Danny Thomas Show (aka Make Room for Daddy). After that she made guest appearances on almost every major 60’s TV series. You name it – The Twilight Zone, Perry Mason, Gunsmoke, Lost in Space…she was on them all. She even appeared on a famous episode of Star Trek just a few months after appearing on Batman. She makes quite an impression in this episode. I don’t know that the makers of Batman played off the sexuality of any of the other bad guys’ girls as much as they do here with Jackson. In the bakery sequence she’s dressed in a raggedy short skirted outfit, a la Daisy Mae from the Li’l Abner comic strips. One shot of her sitting in the Riddler’s truck has her prominently showing off her legs. Later she acts strangely suggestive toward the oblivious Robin while dressed as Little Bo Beep. Considering that she was a former child star, it’s interesting that the producers chose to make her character one of the sexiest of the show’s first season. Can’t really blame them, though – Jackson is very attractive.

But not only was she attractive, she was also deadly. We mustn’t forget that because she gassed Robin, the Boy Wonder is now doomed to be sliced in half Snidely Whiplash style. How on earth will Batman save him? You’ll have to wait until next time to find out in Batman Makes the Scenes. Next week…same bat-time, same bat-channel (superhero).

Bat Gadgets Used:
Bat Key

Holys:
Holy Triple Feature
Holy Headache
Holy Kindergarten

Batman S:01 E:32

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Episode Title: The Riddler’s False Notion
Original Airdate: April 28, 1966

When we last left Gotham City, Robin had been captured by the Riddler and is now strapped to a conveyor belt, moving slowly toward a rotating saw blade in the style of a silent melodrama. How will Batman be able to locate and save the Boy Wonder? Let’s find out in today’s episode, The Riddler’s False Notion.

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As we begin, Batman rushes from the site of the party gone wrong. As he gets to the Batmobile, two riddles shoot out of the exhaust pipe and float to the ground on parachutes. “Why is a bear like a fallen tree?” Because both “lumber.” Second, “Why is silk like grass?” Because both are measured by the “yard.” Robin must be at the Gotham Lumber Yard! Batman quickly arrives and finds Riddler dressed in a cape and top hat and sporting a curled moustache. He gives another riddle: “When is a man like a stupid relative?” But Batman doesn’t have time for that, he has to save Robin. But when he reaches the Boy Wonder he finds it is just a dummy. The answer to the previous riddle…when is a man like a stupid relative – when he’s a Manic Kin (mannequin). Robin is still nowhere to be found, but Riddler caught all the action on his film camera. Batman does end up capturing Pauline, however.

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Later, at city hall, interrogating Pauline isn’t working, but Batman determines to take her back to the Batcave to “work on her” further. He uses Bat Gas to knock her out, and does the same to Commissioner Gordon so he can come with and supervise. Batman then uses a special truth detecting mask on Pauline. He asks her where Robin is, but she does not know. She does, however, know two new riddles. The answers to these riddles lead Batman to believe that Riddler plans to stage a Harold Lloyd style scene on Gotham’s Chessman Building.

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Sure enough, Riddler has Robin with his hands bound and dangling on the edge of the building…and the cameras are rolling again. Riddler drops Robin off the edge, but Batman shows up just in time. From the roof, he throws down the Batrope…and, miraculously, Robin catches the Batarang at the end of the rope in his teeth! Meanwhile, Riddler and his goons escape in a chopper…leaving riddles in skywriting behind. This sends our heroes heading for Gotham Central Station, but the clues were misleading…Riddler is really headed for the home of silent film collector Van Jones. Mr. Jones is going to pay Riddler $100,000 for his film…but the crook really plans on stealing the contents of Jones’ safe. Of course, Batman figured this out and shows up just in time. A fight breaks out, with Riddler and his men all dressed as cowboys. Our story ends with all back to normal and Aunt Harriet getting to meet Batman and Robin on her birthday.

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This episode is a treat for classic movie fans. After the regular cliffhanger sequence that opens the episode, we also get a cliffhanger, of sorts, later in the episode. The fun part is that it is inspired by the classic Harold Lloyd film Safety Last. How Robin gets saved, though, is one of the most bonkers moments we’ve seen in the series. I mean you just can’t beat catching a Batarang in your teeth and being pulled several stories up to safety. The best part, though, is when our heroes discuss how Robin was saved by good dental hygiene. Batman then starts to ponder, “If only more people would…” but he is interrupted when he notices the Riddler zooming off in his copter. Dentists the world over have long wondered what great dental advice Batman was about to dish out.

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Frank Gorshin, once again, gets to give us some great Riddler moments in this episode. Just like in the previous installment, he dons a couple of different costumes this time. He dresses up as a moustache-twirling villain early in the episode and is in a cowboy getup toward the end. We also get some good moments with Sherry Jackson as Pauline, once again. Though, I did find it a bit frustrating that we completely abandon her character midway through the story. After she has her scene in the Batcave, we don’t hear from her again. I can only assume Chief O’Hara hauled her off to the clink, but it’s a shame that she doesn’t get one last moment at the end of the episode.

This is another really fun episode, perhaps not as madcap as part one was, but still very entertaining. So now we’re into the final stretch! We have just one more story (two episodes) to go in season one of this classic show. So don’t miss next time when Burgess Meredith returns as the Penguin in Fine Finny Fiends. Same bat-time, same bat-channel (superhero).

Bat Gadgets Used:
Universal Drug Antidote
Bat Gas
Bat Wake
Bat Mask
Bat Rope

Holys:
Holy Molars
Holy Smoke

Batman S:01 E:33

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Episode Title: Fine Finny Fiends
Original Airdate: May 4, 1966

Well, we’ve made it to our final adventure of season one of this classic series. It sees the return of one of Batman’s top villains up to his old tricks once again. Burgess Meredith is back as that waddling master criminal, the Penguin, in today’s episode, Fine Finny Fiends.

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We open at a Gotham City fish market which is advertising “cut-rate caviar.” Bruce Wayne’s loyal butler, Alfred, just so happens to be in the market for twenty pounds of caviar for an upcoming party. As Alfred inspects the product an umbrella that is part of the display collapses down and traps the dutiful butler. Bruce and Dick are surprised when they hear from Commissioner Gordon that there has been a kidnapping…and that the victim is their own butler. Immediately, the Caped Crusaders spring into action.

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Given the umbrellas involved in the crime, it’s no doubt that the Penguin is involved. The monacled fiend must be after Alfred to learn the location of the upcoming Millionaires Award Dinner, where millions of dollars will be donated to a lucky charity. Alfred is in charge of the food for the event…but not even he knows the location of the secret dinner. Our heroes decide to rush off to the fish store to investigate. But Penguin is well aware that Alfred does not know the location of the gathering. Penguin’s real purpose is to brainwash Alfred using his “Penguin Box” so that once he does know the location, he will divulge it to the crook.

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At the fish store there are few clues to be found…other than that proprieter of the now vacant business was one “Knott A. Fish.” In the middle of the investigation, Gordon calls to inform our heroes that Alfred is safe and sound back at Wayne Manor. Strangely, Alfred has no memory of the kidnapping, as well as a strange twitch in his right eye. The poor guy can’t even ID a photo of the Penguin when Batman shows him a mug shot. Later, during a gathering of the millionaire’s club at Wayne Manor, a fish hook is found in one of the h’orderves Alfred serves. Batman begins to investigate businesses on the pier and finds a warehouse also owned by Knott A. Fish.

There, Penguin and his men await the arrival of the Dynamic Duo. When they enter, Penguin springs the trap which involves umbrellas that spring open around the room, making the fight with the henchmen more difficult. The bad guys have the upper hand and end up trapping our heroes. Penguin then places them in a vacuum tank filled with balloons. The air in the room is gradually being sucked out, causing the balloons to pop. When the last balloon pops…it’s the end of Batman and Robin. Cue the cliffhanger narration…

Cliffhanger Narration:
Can this be happening to the Dynamic Duo?…
How can they live?
Will the be vanquished by a vacuum!?
Revive, Robin!
Breathe, Batman!
We’ll hold our breath for you both —
Until tomorrow night –
Same time, same channel!

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This episode is a little bit odd in that it seems to put more emphasis on the villain’s gang than on the villain himself. Penguin has three henchmen this time: The tall and bald Octopus, the short and rodent-like Shark, and Sword-Fish…who seems to come and go at random. The abduction of Alfred is pulled off by these guys. Penguin doesn’t even show up till almost a third of the episode has passed. Of course, Penguin also has a lovely lady in tow. This time her name is Finella and she’s completely obsessed with one day appearing in a bathing beauty contest. This pays off in the second part…which is the same for many aspects of this episode. Finella is played by Julie Gregg who would appear in many TV series’ and films. Most notably, she played Sandra Corleone (Sonny’s wife) in both The Godfather and The Godfather Part II.

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Perhaps one of the best elements of this episode is that it gives Alan Napier a bit more for Alfred to do than usual. Alfred is a major element of the first half of the story, giving Napier some meaty scenes to work with. His scenes with Burgess Meredith in the Penguin’s lair are a treat. It’s fun watching him try to keep his proper British composure as the Penguin sweats him into submission in the Penguin Box. I also love the way Napier does the little eye twitch which clues Batman in that something may wrong with his loyal butler.

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Our heroes don’t get as many spectacular moments in this episode, though Batman does dish out an important piece of advice. As the duo run out to answer the Bat Phone in the Batmobile, another car zips in front of them. Batman stops Robin and says, “Remember, Robin, always look both ways.” Truer words have never been spoken. But that advice won’t help our heroes out of a vacuum chamber. How will they ever survive? Find out next time in Batman Makes the Scenes. Same bat-time, same bat-channel (superhero).

Bat Gadgets Used:
Bat Phone
Memory Batbank

Holys:
Holy Wayne Manor
Holy Puzzlers
Holy Fog
Holy Clockwork

Batman S:01 E:34

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Episode Title: Batman Makes the Scenes
Original Airdate: May 5, 1966

When we last left Gotham City, Batman and Robin had been captured by the Penguin and placed inside a vacuum chamber full of balloons. The air is slowly being sucked out of the room. Once the last balloon pops…well…so will the Dynamic Duo. How will they possibly survive? Let’s find out in the final episode of season one, Batman Makes the Scenes.

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Gradually, the level of air in the chamber is dropping until finally it hits the level of “No Air at All.” At this point, both of our heroes appear to lose consciousness and the Penguin and his gang prance off in celebratory fashion. Though a few seconds later, Batman opens his eyes…perfectly fine. We then fast forward to city hall where Batman explains to Commissioner Gordon and Chief O’Hara that he was able to cut his bonds and use the emergency tank of bat-oxygen in his utility belt. Of course, we saw none of this. Let me just jump in here to day that this is possibly the lamest cliffhanger escape we’ve seen in season one. A pretty poor way to close out the season.

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Anyhow, back to stopping the Penguin…who still seeks to nab a couple of million dollars at the Millionaire’s Award Dinner. With the help of Bruce Wayne, our heroes plan to fool Penguin. They leak word into the criminal underground that the dinner will be held at Wayne Manor, when, in fact, it will actually be held on a ship, the Gotham Neptune. Only Batman, Robin and Alfred know the truth. But remember, in our last episode Alfred was hypnotized by Penguin. So, when Penguin calls he is able to get Alfred to give up the real location.

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Now, Penguin hatches his ultimate scheme. First he kidnaps Miss Natural Resources (the girl representing the winning charity) and replaces her with Finella. When she jumps out of the cake at the dinner, she gasses the millionaires with a trick umbrella and Penguin and his goons grab all the money. Even Batman and Robin succumb to the gas. But later, back at the hideout, when Penguin goes to put the money in his safe, he is surprised to find the Caped Crusaders hiding inside. They had taken some anti penguin gas pills. Howe they got into the safe, though, is a mystery. The climactic fight breaks out and Penguin ends up behind bars once again.

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I admit that this isn’t the greatest episode, but it’s not bad either. I do like that we see the payoff of Alfred being hypnotized by Penguin in the previous episode. It actually reminded me a bit of the film The Manchurian Candidate, which would’ve come out just a few years before this. Penguin uses a sound to trigger Alfred and send him back into his slave-like trance. It’s a fun little gimmick.

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One other element of this episode that is fun is final fight. Call me simple minded, but I got a kick out of some of the exclamations that flash on the screen in this one. Perhaps the most unique is “FLRBBBBB!” which I’m not even sure how to pronounce. The flight also features Robin swinging on a lamp, a harpoon being tossed, and one of the baddies getting locked up in a shark cage.

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This episode, though, does get a bit convoluted as it winds its way around to get to the final showdown. I really don’t see why Bruce Wayne needed to be involved switching around the location of the Millionaire’s Dinner. It seems like just a way of stretching out the story a bit. I also don’t like the end of this episode, with Finella being an honored guest at the Millionaire’s Club gathering as part of a one-day release from prison. She didn’t really do anything to earn favor with the law…so I’m a bit baffled.

In the end, this is a decent enough episode, if not the great finale that the first season really deserves. And that brings us to the end of Batman season 1. Next time we’re going to do a brief recap of the first season and preview a bit of what we’ll see in season two. Don’t miss it…same bat-time, same bat-channel (superhero).

Bat Gadgets Used:
Emergency Tank of Bat Oxygen
Bat Knife
Gotham City Plans and Views
Anti Penguin Gas Pills

Holys:
Holy Oxygen
Holy Rudder
Holy Jitterbugs


Batman Season 1 Recap & Season 2 Preview

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Well we made it to the end of the first season of the classic 1960’s series Batman. Thirty-four episodes, which actually translates to only a seventeen week run (two episodes a week, remember). So before we move on to season two of the series let’s look back at some of the highlights and then we’ll give a brief preview of season two.

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As I said when we started this adventure, I used to watch this series in reruns when I was a kid…and back then I thought it was serious. Now, as an adult, I realize that the show was a comedy. Watching these episodes week after week really has enlightened me as to the great comedic dynamic between the show’s two leads, Adam West and Burt Ward. The over-the-top seriousness with which they approach the most bizarre situations is comic gold. The rest of the regular cast, Alan Napier, Neil Hamilton, and Stafford Repp, were also a lot of fun. I still don’t really see the need for the character of Aunt Harriet (Madge Blake)…but whatever. Her role would gradually be reduced as we move through the next two seasons.

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Of course, as is often the case with Batman, the villains tend to take center stage. We saw ten different villains during this first season…including such iconic characters as Joker, Penguin, Riddler, Catwoman, and Mr. Freeze. Of the all the more famous “guest villains” my favorite has to be Frank Gorshin as the Riddler. He was the first to appear on the series and he also appeared the most (4 stories, 8 episodes). However, two of the villains that were created for this series, King Tut (Victor Buono) and Bookworm (Roddy McDowall) were two of my favorites. Sadly, Bookworm won’t be seen again on the series, but Tut will be back.

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When it comes to Batman’s gadgets, we saw a whole bunch of strange and ingenious inventions. The highlight for me, though, is only marginally a gadget. I just loved the Parachute Pickup Service that Batman has standing by to retrieve the Batmobile’s parachute. We can’t leave that stuff lying around Gotham, after all. We also have to mention the lovely ladies of Gotham. We saw many greats…and it’s hard to pick a favorite. I think I can narrow it down to three, though: Donna Loren as Susie the cheerleader, Sherry Jackson who teamed up with the Riddler late in the season, and Jill St John who paid the ultimate price for her alliance with the Riddler in the first story of the season.

Now…before we look ahead to season two, let’s talk a bit about what happened in the months leading up to the season two debut. Season one, a midseason replacement, was a big hit and there were several attempts to capitalize on the success. Most notable was a feature film, simply called Batman, which was filmed immediately following the completion of season one. The film featured the Caped Crusaders going against four of their biggest enemies who have decided to join forces. Returning from the series were Cesar Romero as Joker, Burgess Meredith as Penguin, and Frank Gorshin as Riddler. However, scheduling problems with Julie Newmar led to a recasting of the role of Catwoman. For the film she is played for the first and only time by Lee Meriwether. The film sees the debut of a Batboat, Batcopter, and best of all…Bat Shark Repellant. The film was not really a big box office success, but has become a cult favorite over the years.

Batmania continued throughout the US with many other products being released. Among them were several tie-in records. Surf rock act Jan and Dean released an entire Batman themed album called Jan and Dean meet Batman. You can actually stream the album online through the Spotify music service. But that wasn’t all, for the series’ two stars each released their own singles, as well. Adam West sang a tune called “Miranda” in character as Bruce Wayne/Batman. Even more bizarre is Burt Ward’s single, “Boy Wonder I Love You.” It’s about Robin answering his fan mail and it was written by none other than Frank Zappa.

Now then, season two of Batman would begin on September 7, 1966. A whopping 60 episodes make up the season. The show still aired twice a week at this point, continuing the two-part story format. There are two occasions this season where the show changed the format slightly with a three-part adventure. We do see the return of several of the first season’s iconic villains…including: Joker, Penguin, Catwoman, Mad Hatter, and King Tut. We actually get two different Mr. Freeze’s this season (played by Otto Preminger and Eli Wallach). One notable absence, though, is Frank Gorshin’s Riddler. Gorshin’s commitment to his very popular Vegas show caused scheduling difficulties. As a result, the Riddler only makes one appearance late in season two…and this time he is played by John Astin, fresh off his time playing Gomez Addams on The Addams Family. Even with all the returning villains, though, season two is notable for putting more emphasis on villains original to the show. We see such new baddies as Egghead, Shame, Marsha Queen of Diamonds, and Chandell Harry.

So, next time we’ll jump right in with a villain created for the series. No longer working New York’s sewer system on The Honeymooners, it’s Art Carney as The Archer in Shoot a Crooked Arrow. Next week…same bat-time, same bat-channel (superhero).

Batman: The Brave and the Bold S02 E16

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Episode Title: “Requiem for a Scarlet Speedster!”

Original Air Date: October 1, 2010

If you like Flashes, not just the Flash but Flashes, then this is the episode for you. Its got Old Flash, Reverse Flash, Kid Flash and, of course, the Flash so it should move quickly, right? It’s also got some rogues and a dash of Outsiders.

The teaser has a confrontation between Batman and snake themed villain Kobra. Kobra is planning to sacrifice a lady to a giant snake statue in order to unleash chaos all over the globe. I’m not real sure how that is supposed to work, but it doesn’t matter because Batman is intent on stopping him. Batman is outnumbered by Kobra and his minions, but luckily he has the Outsiders on hand to back him up. In contrast to previous appearances by the Outsiders, this time the lineup consists of 5 teens instead of three. Since we last saw the team of teen trainees they have added Geo-Force and Halo to their ranks. Halo is a character that I can take or leave, but Geo-Force has always been my favorite Outsider, so I’m glad to see him finally show up. The group saves the lady from being sacrificed, and Geo-Force saves the day by using his Earth manipulation powers to stop the snake statue (that has now come alive) from killing Batman.

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Our story proper starts with Batman stopping 3 of the famous Rogues of Central City (Heatwave, Captain Cold and Weather Wizard) from robbing a bank. The longtime Flash villains lament the recent death of Barry Allen, admitting that they miss their departed nemesis. As the battle sallies forth, Jay Garrick (the Golden Age Flash a.k.a. “Geezer Flash”) and Kid Flash show up to even the odds against the Villains. After the bad guys are defeated, Batman notices that Kid Flash treats Jay rather coolly.

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We get a montage of reminiscence about Batman and Flash working together at the beginning of the episode, and that works really well to set up a feeling of emotional loss about the character being absent. The montage also treats us to scenes of classic villains like Mirror Master and Captain Boomerang. Jay and Batman discuss the circumstances surrounding the “death” of the Flash and how those circumstances have lead to the animosity Kid Flash feels towards Jay.  The death, and subsequent rebirth, of Barry Allen were significant events that heavily impacted a twenty year era in DC comics, so I think it’s great that this is being tackled for the series. This also explains why Barry Allen has been conspicuously absent for the first season and a half. The series has already established that it is not afraid to deal with the mortality of heroes, having previously covered the life and death of Ted Kord and more recently the death of B’Wanna Beast. This episode is the first time we get to dive into the comic book trope of resurrecting a character (after all, in comics no one stays dead).

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Jay has been seeing Barry’s ghost, Batman later sees it, later still Kid Flash admits that he too has seen the “Ghost Flash”. The trio of heroes use the Flash’s old cosmic treadmill to trace the “Ghosts” vibration signature, and find that he’s not dead – just merely transported to the future where he is imprisioned by the Reverse Flash. While our gang of heroes are happy Flash is alive, they are not sure how to face the challenge of rescuing him. Their initial rescue attempt fails so badly that the other two Flashes are captured, and Batman alone is left to pull off the rescue. Batman does manage to gain his own speed powers, but is still no match for the sinister Reverse Flash. The trio of speedsters entrapped cleverly find a way to free Barry while the eldest and youngest Flash remain imprisoned. Thankfully, once the man of the hour, Barry Allen, is free Reverse Flash’s reign is doomed. Barry defeats the big bad, and our heroes return to present day with all seeming right in the world.

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A good episode, solid action, a nice cache of characters, and a touch of sentimentality. This is one of this episodes that really seems to embrace the legacy of the comic book characters, while still firmly creating a new story. Flash fans like to debate about which Flash is the best, but no matter which is your favorite, he is in this episode (unless you’re one of those Bart Allen weirdos).

Batman Season 1 Recap & Season 2 Preview

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Well we made it to the end of the first season of the classic 1960’s series Batman. Thirty-four episodes, which actually translates to only a seventeen week run (two episodes a week, remember). So before we move on to season two of the series let’s look back at some of the highlights and then we’ll give a brief preview of season two.

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As I said when we started this adventure, I used to watch this series in reruns when I was a kid…and back then I thought it was serious. Now, as an adult, I realize that the show was a comedy. Watching these episodes week after week really has enlightened me as to the great comedic dynamic between the show’s two leads, Adam West and Burt Ward. The over-the-top seriousness with which they approach the most bizarre situations is comic gold. The rest of the regular cast, Alan Napier, Neil Hamilton, and Stafford Repp, were also a lot of fun. I still don’t really see the need for the character of Aunt Harriet (Madge Blake)…but whatever. Her role would gradually be reduced as we move through the next two seasons.

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Of course, as is often the case with Batman, the villains tend to take center stage. We saw ten different villains during this first season…including such iconic characters as Joker, Penguin, Riddler, Catwoman, and Mr. Freeze. Of the all the more famous “guest villains” my favorite has to be Frank Gorshin as the Riddler. He was the first to appear on the series and he also appeared the most (4 stories, 8 episodes). However, two of the villains that were created for this series, King Tut (Victor Buono) and Bookworm (Roddy McDowall) were two of my favorites. Sadly, Bookworm won’t be seen again on the series, but Tut will be back.

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When it comes to Batman’s gadgets, we saw a whole bunch of strange and ingenious inventions. The highlight for me, though, is only marginally a gadget. I just loved the Parachute Pickup Service that Batman has standing by to retrieve the Batmobile’s parachute. We can’t leave that stuff lying around Gotham, after all. We also have to mention the lovely ladies of Gotham. We saw many greats…and it’s hard to pick a favorite. I think I can narrow it down to three, though: Donna Loren as Susie the cheerleader, Sherry Jackson who teamed up with the Riddler late in the season, and Jill St John who paid the ultimate price for her alliance with the Riddler in the first story of the season.

Now…before we look ahead to season two, let’s talk a bit about what happened in the months leading up to the season two debut. Season one, a midseason replacement, was a big hit and there were several attempts to capitalize on the success. Most notable was a feature film, simply called Batman, which was filmed immediately following the completion of season one. The film featured the Caped Crusaders going against four of their biggest enemies who have decided to join forces. Returning from the series were Cesar Romero as Joker, Burgess Meredith as Penguin, and Frank Gorshin as Riddler. However, scheduling problems with Julie Newmar led to a recasting of the role of Catwoman. For the film she is played for the first and only time by Lee Meriwether. The film sees the debut of a Batboat, Batcopter, and best of all…Bat Shark Repellant. The film was not really a big box office success, but has become a cult favorite over the years.

Batmania continued throughout the US with many other products being released. Among them were several tie-in records. Surf rock act Jan and Dean released an entire Batman themed album called Jan and Dean meet Batman. You can actually stream the album online through the Spotify music service. But that wasn’t all, for the series’ two stars each released their own singles, as well. Adam West sang a tune called “Miranda” in character as Bruce Wayne/Batman. Even more bizarre is Burt Ward’s single, “Boy Wonder I Love You.” It’s about Robin answering his fan mail and it was written by none other than Frank Zappa.

Now then, season two of Batman would begin on September 7, 1966. A whopping 60 episodes make up the season. The show still aired twice a week at this point, continuing the two-part story format. There are two occasions this season where the show changed the format slightly with a three-part adventure. We do see the return of several of the first season’s iconic villains…including: Joker, Penguin, Catwoman, Mad Hatter, and King Tut. We actually get two different Mr. Freeze’s this season (played by Otto Preminger and Eli Wallach). One notable absence, though, is Frank Gorshin’s Riddler. Gorshin’s commitment to his very popular Vegas show caused scheduling difficulties. As a result, the Riddler only makes one appearance late in season two…and this time he is played by John Astin, fresh off his time playing Gomez Addams on The Addams Family. Even with all the returning villains, though, season two is notable for putting more emphasis on villains original to the show. We see such new baddies as Egghead, Shame, Marsha Queen of Diamonds, and Chandell Harry.

So, next time we’ll jump right in with a villain created for the series. No longer working New York’s sewer system on The Honeymooners, it’s Art Carney as The Archer in Shoot a Crooked Arrow. Next week…same bat-time, same bat-channel (superhero).

Batman S:02 E:02

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Episode Title: Walk the Straight and Narrow
Original Airdate: September 8, 1966

When we last left Batman and Robin they were tied to poles with the Archer and his men about to run them through with jousting lances. There seems to be no way out! What will they do? Let’s find out in today’s episode, Walk the Straight and Narrow.

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The escape ends up being quite simple, actually. Right at last moment Batman turns to Robin and says, “The Bat-springs, now!” Then they kick their heels and bounce straight up off the poles courtesy of springs in their shoes (and the hidden wires which are all too obvious when watching on new technology like DVD’s). Archer ends up escaping, though, with Batman reassuring Robin that they will catch the villain soon enough.

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Now the Archer’s plans continue to move forward. It seems that Alan Dale, the head of the Wayne Foundation, is working with the Archer so the crook can steal a large sum of money which is intended for distribution to Gotham’s needy citizens. The villains pull a heist on the armored car, but after the smoke clears all the money seems to be left alone. Plans move forward for the ceremony to present the money to the needy…but there is one problem. Both Bruce Wayne and Batman are expected to be in attendance. Luckily, Bruce has an idea which involves Alfred donning the cape and cowl to pose as Batman from a safe distance. The butler even uses the bat speech imitator to impersonate Batman’s voice. In the middle of the ceremony, though, it is discovered that the Archer did, in fact, steal the money and replace it all with counterfeit bills

Somehow, in a way I still don’t fully understand, Batman figures out that Archer is hiding out on a boat. So, the dynamic duo jump aboard the Batboat (which had made its debut in the Batman movie a few months earlier) and head out to sea. Once they hop on board Archer’s ship, a pirate-style sword battle breaks out with our heroes victorious in the end.

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This episode is coming off the heels of a disappointing part one of the story. This episode is a bit of an improvement. However, it has some big problems in the story department. As I said earlier, I’m completely lost on how Batman figures out Archer’s whereabouts. Plus, like in the last episode, Art Carney’s butchering of old English is still a bit of an annoyance in this episode. It does, however, mean that we still get the strange exclamations during the final battle…”Whack-eth” and “Clank-est” and so on.

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Where this episode does a bit better than its predecessor is in some fun laugh moments…starting with the cliffhanger escape. Springs in their shoes! Brilliant! I also absolutely loved Alfred dressing up as Batman! Not only is Alfred considerably taller and scrawnier than the Caped Crusader, he also has a moustache. At one point when Gordon needs to talk to Batman (really Alfred) he stands off at a distance and claims that he has a cold and doesn’t want to spread the infection. Gordon tells Robin to make sure Batman gets some relaxation and eats all his vegetables. Maybe the funniest moment of the episode, though, is when a female driver gets upset over the fact that Batman is always speeding around town in his Batmobile. A cop then informs her that Batman is the safest drive he has ever seen and that in his off hours Batman lectures on traffic safety for driving classes. “When pursuing criminals he endangers his life to protect yours and mine!” All I can say is God bless Batman!

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Another highlight of this episode is Robert Cornthwaite as Alan Dale, head of the Wayne Foundation. The guy has such an odd and unenthusiastic way of speaking that he comes across as a real weasel. He makes a bigger impression than the main villain does, which almost never happens on this show.

Next time, though, we get the return of a more iconic Batman villain. She made one appearance in season one, and after being played by a different actress in the movie, Catwoman is back…and played by Julie Newmar once again. Join us next time for Hot Off the Griddle. Same bat-time, same bat-channel (superhero).

Bat Gadgets Used:
Bat Springs
Bat Speech Imitator
Bat Crime-puter
Bat Boat
Bat Shield

Holys:
Holy Deviltry
Holy Blackbeard

Batman S:02 E:03

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Episode Title: Hot Off the Griddle
Original Airdate: September 14, 1966

In the first season of Batman, most of the iconic villains made several appearances. Joker, Riddler, and Penguin all got multiple storylines. Catwoman, however, only showed up in one story. She appeared in the feature film which was released between seasons one and two, though played by a different actress (Lee Meriwether). Our episode today, though, marks the official return of Julie Newmar’s version of the character to the series in Hot Off the Griddle.

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Commissioner Gordon and Chief O’Hara become aware that Catwoman is back in town after a series of bizarre robberies. There is the theft of a catalog from Lacy’s department store, a catamaran from the Gotham City Nautical Society, and three mittens from a local apartment. All are cat related. The Caped Crusaders decide that they need to try and lure Catwoman with something she will want to steal. They decide to plant a story that a rare canary is on display in a Gotham museum. The reporter they contact to plant the story is gossip columnist Jack O’Shea. The only problem is, he’s in league with Catwoman and alerts her to the trap. This allows Catwoman and her men to get the jump on the Dynamic Duo at the museum. After the obligatory fight, her goons toss our heroes out the window. Luckily, our heroes had already placed a large net outside (borrowed from Captain Ahab of the White Whaling Company) to catch the rare bird in case the bad guys tossed it out the window.  It ends up saving them instead.

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Catwoman and her gang end up getting away, but luckily our heroes have a lead. They spot Aunt Harriet doing the latest dance craze to hit Gotham…the Cat-toosie. She explains that it started at a club called The Pink Sandbox. Our heroes head there to investigate. While seated at a booth and looking over the menu, the table spins into the wall trapping Batman and Robin in sealed chamber. Catwoman has her men flip a switch which causes the floor to heat up and then uses knock-out gas on our heroes. Next thing we know, Batman and Robin are on the roof, strapped to giant barbecue grills and under giant magnifying glasses. The sunlight will burn them to a crisp. Cue the cliffhanger narration…

Cliffhanger Narration:
Is their goose really cooked?
Will Batman and Robin stew in their own juice??
Are all their plans and dreams to go up in smoke??
The answer to these and other burning questions tomorrow!
Same cat-time, same cat-channel!

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First of all, it’s nice to have Julie Newmar back as Catwoman. If there is any guest villain that went underused in the first season, it is her. Each of the actresses that played Catwoman in this incarnation of Batman brought something special to the character, but Newmar is just insanely sexy in the role. It’s fun to see her just lean against a giant stuffed elephant and watch her men attempt to fight Batman and Robin. After all, she knows Batman would never punch a woman, so she just waits for the right moment to pull out her dart guns and take care of our heroes without any effort at all.

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This episode is also a great example of how this series is getting crazier and crazier as it progresses. We get a strange moment where Alfred prepares a snack for our heroes which they must take as a sack lunch so they can scurry off to set the trap for Catwoman. Nutrition is important even for superheroes, after all. This episode also toys with our expectations, giving us two crazy incidents that seem like they are going to become the cliffhanger but don’t. The first is when the Dynamic Duo get tossed out a high window while unconscious. That they just so happened to have already put a large net in place is just so wonderfully loopy that I completely buy it. Then we have the scene where Catwoman starts to give our heroes the hot foot courtesy of a high-temperature floor. Our heroes start dancing around in the most ridiculous fashion. Catwoman even cracks and egg and drops it on the floor to prove how hot the floor is. Last season this would’ve been the cliffhanger…but this still isn’t enough. She straps them to grills, has them greased with margarine, and decides to fry them with massive magnifying glasses. She calls this “Bat on a Hot Tin Roof.” It’s completely nuts…and I love it!

But the question still remains, how will they get out of it? You’ll have to wait until next week to find out in part two of our story…The Cat and the Fiddle. Same cat-time, same cat-channel (superhero).

Bat Gadgets Used:
Bat Index

Holys:
Holy Cliche
Holy Weaponry
Holy D’Artagnan
Holy Epicure
Holy Lovebirds
Holy Bunyons
Holy Oleo

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