You grade every episode an 8. On occasion an 8.5. Regardless of the actual quality of the episode, you always put 8/10.
Not really. I have given The Batman, and Legion of Superheroes epsidoes (which I don't post them here since theres not a section of the show) lower ratings because I didn't like them.
Well anyway, and ou were right on this one, here's my review for Rumors:
PLOT:
A new vigilante, one playing for keeps, comes to Gotham, with his sights set on taking down the citys major villains permanently. Now Batman finds himself in the unusual position of having to protect some of his greatest enemies from this deadly threat.
REVIEW:
Before we begin our well known TB break, we are treated with one more episode. Rumors was an episode that I was questioning. Not questioning the episode as a whole, but its villian. At first I thought it was someoen like Azrael, since he did somethign similar when he was Batman himself. Then I more to the right direction by thinking of The Reaper. That was until I heard it was a new original villian for the show. For that, I dropped everything and waited for the episode.
The rundown: After a crime, Killer Croc and his men are attacked. At first he thinks its Batman, but it isn't. He is captured and awakens with a host of other villians also captured by new vigilante: Rumor. When Bruce and Dick watch the news on the villians disappearing, all by Rumor, citizens support him moreso than the Batman because of his style. An alarm goes off and Batman & Robin meet Catwoman, and in turn the Penguin. They want Batman to protect them from Rumor, and then Rumor shows up. After a fight, Catwoman and Penguin are captured. Now Batman & Robin must save their villians from the new vigilante.
Rumor is a guy who wants to clean up his city, but in his way. Unlike Batman, and where Gothamites like Rumor moreso than the Dark Knight, Rumor captures the villians himself and puts them in his own prison. That reminds me of a Batman book, an issue that was Elseworlds, where Batman & Robin send their villians in Arkham under their batcave where they can keep a watch on them. But Rumor doesn't see these people, these villians, as those who have a right to live, which is where Batman's way comes back. Even Robin says that what if Rumor's way is better off that Batman's, and Batman points it out that while their way isn't easy, its the right way. One of the suspects is Paul Karen. His reason for being Rumor is understandable as an incident invovling the Joker got him crippled. Which is why Joker is his last target for the third act.
Batman here, from our view, we see him having more connections to his villians. Of course one of them which is very universal to us is that Batman seems to create the villians. Like in Riddler's Revenge, it was the idea of the costume that interest Edward to wear somethign similar for the Riddler or Joker who saw something in Batman which made him say in the first episode "we're linked, you and I. Two sides, same coin". When Batman & Robin meet Paul Karen, Paul says it out loud to him that before Batman, there wasn't any of his villians. Now because of him, there are so many of them. Thats why Paul says he's better off without Batman. Which in turn, he's more better off with his creation of Rumor.
All the villians from this show do get a shine in this show. Both the ones who have appeared either more than often, once before, or just started. The list of villians are all of them: Killer Croc, Kabuki Twins, Spellbinder, Harley Quinn, Catwoman, Penguin, Mr. Freeze, Cluemaster, Hugo Strange, Gearhead, Crank, Maxie Zeus, Ragdoll, Temblur, Firefly, Black Mask, Black Mask's number one (didn't he die?), Joker's henchmen, Bane, Man-Bat, Poison Ivy, Wesker & Scarface, and the Joker. While it was cool to see them, even the new ones like Harley or the ones we haven't seen alot of like Bane, for someone like Cluemaster, I wouldn't even bothered having him back. Of course, while we do see them, not all of them get any speaking time. But thats still fine. Because thats still better than not having them at all. Just seeing them, makes us know that despite either one or two episodes of them, they're still around.
Overall, this was another great episode. Rumor is a successful villian, or anti-hero for Batman because he represents an alternate way to fighting crime. Which in turn, was actually how Batman fought back when he was created back in 1939. So it kinda gives you a connection between both of them because even though this Batman, and Batman since then, hasn't killed, he has had that feeling at times with his enemies. One was the best highlighted moments was the climax where Batman & Robin fought all of their villians. The music and the action together made me dance. So this episode was great not because it had very TB villian, but because we were treated to a great episode before our break and before our very special two parter featuring Martian Manhunter, and some of our other beloved superheroes.
RATING: 8.5/10
That story was soooo boring it's not even funny.
