Batman: The Animated Series

Batman: The Animated Series – The Clock King

  • Title: Batman: The Animated Series – The Clock King
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Batman: The Animated Series - The Clock King television review

Throwback Tuesday takes us back to Gotham City for another episode of Batman: The Animated Series. The aptly named episode introduces the Clock King (Alan Rachins) as a disgruntled efficiency expert out for revenge. Opening with a flashback we see the unfortunate series of events that befalls Tempus Fugate when taking the advice of Hamilton Hill (Lloyd Bochner). Blaming Hill for the loss of his company, and wasting his time (an even greater offense), Fugate resurfaces seven years later attacking the now Mayor’s reputation at every opportunity. While far more toned-down and dapper than several other versions of the character over the years, Fugite’s eye to detail helps him plan the attacks down to the second and also allows him to come as close to any villain in the show’s history of taking out Batman (Kevin Conroy) for good. The episode is also memorable for Batman doing all of his crimefighting in the daytime for a change and the climax inside a clock tower where Batman is able to save the mayor, although the Clock King does manage to escape.

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Batman: The Animated Series – Harley & Ivy

  • Title: Batman: The Animated Series – Harley & Ivy
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Batman: The Animated Series - Harley & Ivy television review

Throwback Tuesday takes us back to Gotham City for another episode of Batman: The Animated Series. While current team-ups between Harley Quinn (Arleen Sorkin) and Poison Ivy (Diane Pershing) are common nowadays, such a pairing was anything but obvious prior to “Harley & Ivy.” After being fired by the Joker (Mark Hamill), a despondent Harley Quinn strikes out on her own deciding to rob a museum the same night as Poison Ivy decides to liberate some plant toxins from another exhibit. Together alluding the police, a friendship and partnership is born. While Harley is still mooning over the clown who treated her like dirt at the end of the episode, “Harley & Ivy” marks a step forward for the character to move beyond the Joker’s shadow (even if she doesn’t know it yet).

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Batman: The Animated Series – Perchance to Dream

  • Title: Batman: The Animated Series – Perchance to Dream
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Batman: The Animated Series - Perchance to Dream television review

Throwback Tuesday takes us back to Gotham City for Kevin Conroy‘s favorite episode of Batman: The Animated Series. After a night fighting crime, Bruce Wayne (Conroy) awakes to a world where his parents are alive, he is engaged to Selina Kyle (Adrienne Barbeau), and someone else is patrolling the streets as Batman. Initially distrustful of all he sees, Bruce eventually comes to accept his new reality. However, the discovery of his inability to make sense of the written word reawakens his suspicions that he is trapped with a dream world and he redoubles his efforts to discover the truth. For a series that enjoyed playing on noir themes, “Perchance to Dream” is full of them as the unseen villain gaslights our hero (albeit as a gift rather than a form of torture).

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Batman: The Animated Series – Dreams in Darkness

  • Title: Batman: The Animated Series – Dreams in Darkness
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Batman: The Animated Series - Dreams in Darkness TV review

Our Throwback Tuesday post takes us back to Gotham City. “Dreams in Darkness” is one of those episodes of Batman: The Animated Series I often forget about, which is surprising since it has such an unusual set-up. The episode opens with a ranting Batman (Kevin Conroy) incarcerated inside Arkham Asylum. Through an extended flashback we see the series of events which led Batman to be exposed to the Scarecrow‘s (Henry Polic II) fear toxin and the reason for his trip to Arkham to confront the villain the doctors mistakenly believe is still locked up in his cell. The set-up is clever as the doctors have every reason to question Batman’s ramblings, and the Dark Knight Detective’s hallucinatory state leads him to make the impulsive choice to head to Arkham without sharing his deductions with the GCPD.

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