The Batman - 4.12 - The Joining, Part One
- Thread starter Warhammer
- Start date
MaskedManJRK
Superhero
- Joined
- Nov 14, 2005
- Messages
- 9,193
- Reaction score
- 0
- Points
- 31
Pretty damn good episode. Loved that they added Lucius in the 'Verse, and I loved the friendly rivalry between Bats and MM. The bits with Robin and Batgirl were funny too, espicially when they consider Alfred to be one of the evil robots. 
t:
Altogether great episode, and the next one looks even better.
t:Altogether great episode, and the next one looks even better.
Prison Mike
Don't drop the soap!
- Joined
- Feb 18, 2007
- Messages
- 45,093
- Reaction score
- 7,129
- Points
- 103
I loved the Batman and MM fight. That match would be awesome on film!
Dread
TMNT 1984-2009
- Joined
- Oct 11, 2001
- Messages
- 21,788
- Reaction score
- 0
- Points
- 31
After weeks of reruns, THE BATMAN returns to kick off it's 2-part 4th season finale. Without question, and coming from a harsh critic of THE BATMAN's 1st and 3rd seasons, the 4th has been the best the show has ever seen. No episode, not one, has bombed. Not even Joker or Penguin could pull episodes down into drivel, like they could in every season prior. However, as this finale comes, we also have the notion that THE BATMAN is now going to become part of the DCU, which means that now, and next season (likely his last, as few cartoons, even successful WB shows, last beyond a SEASON 5) will see him "team up" with other superheroes. The finale has promised the Martian Manhunter, and leaked promo images also promise Superman and The Flash next season. Now, in a way this could be a problem as a parade of guest-stars may pull Batman away from his roots as a dark knight detective, and merely become something like the end of STATIC SHOCK, which relied heavilly on guest shots from everyone from Superman, Batman (present & future) the JL, Shaq, and Green Lantern. But, in defense to this move, THE BATMAN is NOT like the B:TAS and is more of a straight-forward superhero adventure show than a dark, moody, atmospheric noir show. Sure, it's had dark episodes, and mysteries, and Batman brooding. But it definately is not as dark in tone as past shows. Batman has consistantly battled in daylight, for instance. He's loosened up considerably in the presence of Robin & Batgirl even. And he has very quickly not only battled his usual collection of rogues, but some off-the-wall enemies, like the supernatural vampire lord Dracula, and the mystic Spellbinder. His enemies have also been plenty extreme.
So, in a way, J'onn and some aliens manage to not be too glaring.
The episode starts by introducing Lucius Fox, and it is no surprise that he is very much like his BATMAN BEGINS counterpart, with a voice that sounds like an imitation of Morgan Freeman and the fact that he is aware of Bruce Wayne's alter ego (in the film, Freeman's Fox doesn't outright say he knows, but heavilly, HEAVILLY implies it) and in fact enjoys creating some weapons for Batman's arsenal. Grayson, for his part, is dismayed that Wayne didn't let him know about this fact in advance, feeling it a breach of trust. Wayne still needs to learn that he needs to be honest with his partners. However, almost immediately after meeting Fox, he's dropped and impersonated, so it feels slightly plot convient. Much like we barely met Gordon before Poison Ivy kidnapped him. But, not a huge quibble.
What I liked is that some two-parters are well paced so that each episode accomplishes something, and others merely have the first part sort of meander until the good stuff happens in part 2. While I've seen better "part 1 of 2" episodes, this one definately had a lot of stuff happen in it's 22 minutes, so I felt satisfied.
Robin & Batgirl are staking out the theft of some Wayne Tech shipments by normal goons, and while Robin wants to follow Batman's orders and wait, Batgirl talks him into jumping the gun, which leads to them getting in trouble, Batman having to bail them out, and some of the thugs escaping. Good lord, is Batgirl incompetant sometimes. I suppose it makes for a nice dynamic here, Robin is the obediant partner and Batgirl the more rebellious one (being older, it makes sense), but since it usually backfires it just adds to Batgirl's already large annoyance factor. They discover that the tech being stolen is some out-of-this-world hover-tech, and Robin, as a lark, all but lays out the plot that it is part of an alien invasion.
Upon meeting with the cops next day, Batman runs into a Det. John Jones, who seems to have a calm demeaner and knows his secret identity (the interplay between them is very good). I was also amazed at how little I missed Carl Lumby as J'onn here; his VA, probably Kevin M. Richardson (who voices Joker) was superb here, capturing that pulp detective feel. Batman researches John and there are heavy homages to the excellent Dwaryn Cooke tale, DC: THE NEW FRONTIER, which focused heavilly on J'onn. From the apartment to J'onn watching TV and shapeshifting to even their tense standoff (although the roles are reversed from the comic). J'onn very quickly defines himself as someone beyond Batman's normal range of freaks and weirdos. There is a bit of a fight & chase sequence that one could argue was a time-filler, since both were after the same goal and likely could have dealt with things without trading blows. But superheroes ALWAYS fight first. And I wonder if J'onn was simply testing Batman's mettle before allowing his aid.
Martian Manhunter looks as he should, although they traded his underoo's for shorts, which works out better. After the brawl, Wayne and Jones meet in a diner for a very memorable, and mature I might add, conversation about their lots in life. It turns out that Wayne is hardly thrown by these bizarre circumstances because he researches EVERY instance of some sort of "urban mythology" including so-called Martian sightings. After all, he is himself an urban myth, plus, again, has actually battled Dracula. J'onn even mentions, "This sort of stuff would usually throw a typical human being," and Wayne deadpans, "I'm not a typical human being." Very quickly Wayne accepts not only that J'onn is a Martian, but that Andriod alien shapeshifters are planning to assimulate all of Earth's data and technology and then destroy it, and WayneTech is reponsible for some of the most advanced technology on Earth. MM & Batman have a nice little team-up, and Batgirl & Robin have some nice interplay and reactions to yet another "newcomer" horning in on their Bat-club and on whether Alfred has himself been impersonated.
The episode ends with a rollicking team-up battle and then the omnious invasion fleet flying out. One could say that making the aliens robots is an obvious attempt to keep the censors off the show's back for the action, but hey, I don't mind. Superheroes have battled robots, alien or Terran, for ages. Hell, even B:TAS had robots (the HARDAC two-parter and then the sequal, HIS SILICON SOUL, where he battled a robot clone). The most important thing is that Batman, despite having no powers, came off as plenty worldly and experienced, and able to hold his own. Of course, this IS his show, and he rarely gets upstaged in his own show. The look of surprise at seeing J'onn's staggering strength in the warehouse was classic. I mean, obviously that was stronger than anything he'd ever seen, making even Bane look like a puss. This episode was full of those "little moments" that can be looked at and enjoyed, especially in that diner scene. This is the sort of writing that just wasn't there in some past episodes (just watch the rerun's afterward to check), and it is about time THE BATMAN hit it's prime. I already expect Part 2 to rock, and hopefully the next season can hit the ground running from this peak, and not take a skid like Season 3 did from Season 2.
So, in a way, J'onn and some aliens manage to not be too glaring.
The episode starts by introducing Lucius Fox, and it is no surprise that he is very much like his BATMAN BEGINS counterpart, with a voice that sounds like an imitation of Morgan Freeman and the fact that he is aware of Bruce Wayne's alter ego (in the film, Freeman's Fox doesn't outright say he knows, but heavilly, HEAVILLY implies it) and in fact enjoys creating some weapons for Batman's arsenal. Grayson, for his part, is dismayed that Wayne didn't let him know about this fact in advance, feeling it a breach of trust. Wayne still needs to learn that he needs to be honest with his partners. However, almost immediately after meeting Fox, he's dropped and impersonated, so it feels slightly plot convient. Much like we barely met Gordon before Poison Ivy kidnapped him. But, not a huge quibble.
What I liked is that some two-parters are well paced so that each episode accomplishes something, and others merely have the first part sort of meander until the good stuff happens in part 2. While I've seen better "part 1 of 2" episodes, this one definately had a lot of stuff happen in it's 22 minutes, so I felt satisfied.
Robin & Batgirl are staking out the theft of some Wayne Tech shipments by normal goons, and while Robin wants to follow Batman's orders and wait, Batgirl talks him into jumping the gun, which leads to them getting in trouble, Batman having to bail them out, and some of the thugs escaping. Good lord, is Batgirl incompetant sometimes. I suppose it makes for a nice dynamic here, Robin is the obediant partner and Batgirl the more rebellious one (being older, it makes sense), but since it usually backfires it just adds to Batgirl's already large annoyance factor. They discover that the tech being stolen is some out-of-this-world hover-tech, and Robin, as a lark, all but lays out the plot that it is part of an alien invasion.
Upon meeting with the cops next day, Batman runs into a Det. John Jones, who seems to have a calm demeaner and knows his secret identity (the interplay between them is very good). I was also amazed at how little I missed Carl Lumby as J'onn here; his VA, probably Kevin M. Richardson (who voices Joker) was superb here, capturing that pulp detective feel. Batman researches John and there are heavy homages to the excellent Dwaryn Cooke tale, DC: THE NEW FRONTIER, which focused heavilly on J'onn. From the apartment to J'onn watching TV and shapeshifting to even their tense standoff (although the roles are reversed from the comic). J'onn very quickly defines himself as someone beyond Batman's normal range of freaks and weirdos. There is a bit of a fight & chase sequence that one could argue was a time-filler, since both were after the same goal and likely could have dealt with things without trading blows. But superheroes ALWAYS fight first. And I wonder if J'onn was simply testing Batman's mettle before allowing his aid.
Martian Manhunter looks as he should, although they traded his underoo's for shorts, which works out better. After the brawl, Wayne and Jones meet in a diner for a very memorable, and mature I might add, conversation about their lots in life. It turns out that Wayne is hardly thrown by these bizarre circumstances because he researches EVERY instance of some sort of "urban mythology" including so-called Martian sightings. After all, he is himself an urban myth, plus, again, has actually battled Dracula. J'onn even mentions, "This sort of stuff would usually throw a typical human being," and Wayne deadpans, "I'm not a typical human being." Very quickly Wayne accepts not only that J'onn is a Martian, but that Andriod alien shapeshifters are planning to assimulate all of Earth's data and technology and then destroy it, and WayneTech is reponsible for some of the most advanced technology on Earth. MM & Batman have a nice little team-up, and Batgirl & Robin have some nice interplay and reactions to yet another "newcomer" horning in on their Bat-club and on whether Alfred has himself been impersonated.
The episode ends with a rollicking team-up battle and then the omnious invasion fleet flying out. One could say that making the aliens robots is an obvious attempt to keep the censors off the show's back for the action, but hey, I don't mind. Superheroes have battled robots, alien or Terran, for ages. Hell, even B:TAS had robots (the HARDAC two-parter and then the sequal, HIS SILICON SOUL, where he battled a robot clone). The most important thing is that Batman, despite having no powers, came off as plenty worldly and experienced, and able to hold his own. Of course, this IS his show, and he rarely gets upstaged in his own show. The look of surprise at seeing J'onn's staggering strength in the warehouse was classic. I mean, obviously that was stronger than anything he'd ever seen, making even Bane look like a puss. This episode was full of those "little moments" that can be looked at and enjoyed, especially in that diner scene. This is the sort of writing that just wasn't there in some past episodes (just watch the rerun's afterward to check), and it is about time THE BATMAN hit it's prime. I already expect Part 2 to rock, and hopefully the next season can hit the ground running from this peak, and not take a skid like Season 3 did from Season 2.
The Joining parts:
1.http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x1uhe5_tb412thejoiningpart11 - Chunk 1
2.http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x1uijh_tb412thejoiningpart12 - Chunk 2
1.http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x1uhe5_tb412thejoiningpart11 - Chunk 1
2.http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x1uijh_tb412thejoiningpart12 - Chunk 2
November Rain
Single Mother
- Joined
- Sep 27, 2005
- Messages
- 13,322
- Reaction score
- 0
- Points
- 31
oh my god, i have yet to finish bruce's conversation with mm in the cafe but i think it is already some of the best superhero dialogue ever produced,
I'm sorry but this version of bruce wayne completely pwns the original dcau's, he's way toooooo coool.
I'm sorry but this version of bruce wayne completely pwns the original dcau's, he's way toooooo coool.
Pimpjuice16
Man Of Steel
- Joined
- Feb 17, 2006
- Messages
- 576
- Reaction score
- 0
- Points
- 11
man wtf got damn fogot the episode aired. ***in night school and regular school got me tired and worked out. bout to d/l it now.
hammerhedd11
OHaiMark
- Joined
- Aug 29, 2004
- Messages
- 7,640
- Reaction score
- 1
- Points
- 31
Second best episode of the show (the first being seconds) IMO. I loved the writing of this one ecspecially the dialogue between Bats and MM. I thought it was so awesome when MM just out of nowhere kicks Lucius's head off.
Similar threads
Users who are viewing this thread
Staff online
-
SwordOfMorningSuper Moderator -
Lily Adler🖤 Infectiously Delicious 🤍
Latest posts
-
-
🌎 Discussion: The Economy, Fiscal Cliff, National Debt, And Other Financial Issues IV (1 Viewer)
- Latest: blueharvest
-
🌎 Discussion: Online Piracy, AI, Net Neutrality, Killswitch, and Other Internet Issues II (1 Viewer)
- Latest: blueharvest
-
-