Binker
Superhero
- Joined
- Mar 7, 2005
- Messages
- 7,118
- Reaction score
- 184
- Points
- 73
Seconds
PLOT:
After a seemingly ordinary criminal continues to get the better of Batman and his partners it is discovered that he has the ability to travel back in time by several seconds. Batman is now faced with the seemingly impossible task of stopping a foe that knows his every move before even Batman himself does.
REVIEW:
For The Batman, the objective for the entire show, as said by Duane Capizzi in an interview, was to present the show's Batman and the stories in a way that it would be like Detective Comics. However like Detective Comics, and Batman: The Animated Series I'd might add, the stories can add a bit or alot of fantasy and beyond to "spice things up". Villians like Mr. Freeze and Clayface are examples of that. And BTAS had one episode where it was about stopping or speeding time. But if presented right, people will buy it. Seconds is a big example.
The story of Seconds is like this. Christmas is over and New Year's is fast approaching. Bruce, Dick, Barbara & Alfred are at the manor just like a family. An alarm goes off and Batman goes to investigate at Gotham Chemical. There, he meets Francis Grey, our villian. While he does get hit, he is able to play with time in order to anticipate moves. He does this alot at the same battle. Later, Batman feels that he had fough him before. After knowning our villian's origin in flashback, it is revealed Francis will use chemicals in his plan. On that note, I'll stop.
First thing's first: this episode was dark. Dark like TNBA yet it felt darker than TB has ever been. Its prolly the main reason why this episode, while it was set on christmas, wasn't aired IN the christmas season. Just like TNBA episode "Over the Edge", this episode is through a nightmare scenario that can be undone by the end. But unlike "Over the Edge", it happens in the real world. A big difference that makes the episode not a rip off of another one. How is this dark? Well for starters: Batman, Batgirl, Robin, and indeed all of Gotham City perish at the hands of either the chief antagonist or nerve gas. While it may seem like, for example, Robin doesn't die at first. You really have to think about electricity and the look of Robin after being hit.
This episode offers one sci fi element: time travel. At first I thought this guy was actually The Clock King, but he is and isn't. He isn't any of The Clock King's from the comics. But he still is, kinda like a modern version. A cross between someone created for the show and someone who actually exists in the comics. This guy is Francis Grey. He is still referred to as The Clock King though. This guy got to where he is by proving he can make one mistake that in turn causes a series of accidents. And because of that, he went to prison for 17 years. All this was because of bills and his son. And I know bills can make anyone go nuts and since this is a Batman show, he has to become a villian. Him controlling time isn't a machine like The Clock King used in BTAS, but a superpower. How he got it reminds me of the characters from Heroes in which it just happens. I wonder if this is the first for the metahumans of the DCU (which would explain it since we know what will happen in season 4's finaly and season 5).
Overall, this episode was dark and in turn this season gives and delivers what makes Batman great: good stories. The sci fi element of him controlling time was a nice touch. The action scenes were done well and the Batman Family worked well, with teamwork here, jokes there, all good. Speaking of family, they were that like in the beginning when Barbara is watching Dick play a game which she got him for christmas while Bruce is reading the paper. You get the sense that this is an actual family. And in no way is that a problem. As for our villian, we won't see him again. The way it ended had another deja vu, or the character of Francis anyway. What was it.......I'l go with "Its a Wonderful Life".
Rating: 8/10
PLOT:
After a seemingly ordinary criminal continues to get the better of Batman and his partners it is discovered that he has the ability to travel back in time by several seconds. Batman is now faced with the seemingly impossible task of stopping a foe that knows his every move before even Batman himself does.
REVIEW:
For The Batman, the objective for the entire show, as said by Duane Capizzi in an interview, was to present the show's Batman and the stories in a way that it would be like Detective Comics. However like Detective Comics, and Batman: The Animated Series I'd might add, the stories can add a bit or alot of fantasy and beyond to "spice things up". Villians like Mr. Freeze and Clayface are examples of that. And BTAS had one episode where it was about stopping or speeding time. But if presented right, people will buy it. Seconds is a big example.
The story of Seconds is like this. Christmas is over and New Year's is fast approaching. Bruce, Dick, Barbara & Alfred are at the manor just like a family. An alarm goes off and Batman goes to investigate at Gotham Chemical. There, he meets Francis Grey, our villian. While he does get hit, he is able to play with time in order to anticipate moves. He does this alot at the same battle. Later, Batman feels that he had fough him before. After knowning our villian's origin in flashback, it is revealed Francis will use chemicals in his plan. On that note, I'll stop.
First thing's first: this episode was dark. Dark like TNBA yet it felt darker than TB has ever been. Its prolly the main reason why this episode, while it was set on christmas, wasn't aired IN the christmas season. Just like TNBA episode "Over the Edge", this episode is through a nightmare scenario that can be undone by the end. But unlike "Over the Edge", it happens in the real world. A big difference that makes the episode not a rip off of another one. How is this dark? Well for starters: Batman, Batgirl, Robin, and indeed all of Gotham City perish at the hands of either the chief antagonist or nerve gas. While it may seem like, for example, Robin doesn't die at first. You really have to think about electricity and the look of Robin after being hit.
This episode offers one sci fi element: time travel. At first I thought this guy was actually The Clock King, but he is and isn't. He isn't any of The Clock King's from the comics. But he still is, kinda like a modern version. A cross between someone created for the show and someone who actually exists in the comics. This guy is Francis Grey. He is still referred to as The Clock King though. This guy got to where he is by proving he can make one mistake that in turn causes a series of accidents. And because of that, he went to prison for 17 years. All this was because of bills and his son. And I know bills can make anyone go nuts and since this is a Batman show, he has to become a villian. Him controlling time isn't a machine like The Clock King used in BTAS, but a superpower. How he got it reminds me of the characters from Heroes in which it just happens. I wonder if this is the first for the metahumans of the DCU (which would explain it since we know what will happen in season 4's finaly and season 5).
Overall, this episode was dark and in turn this season gives and delivers what makes Batman great: good stories. The sci fi element of him controlling time was a nice touch. The action scenes were done well and the Batman Family worked well, with teamwork here, jokes there, all good. Speaking of family, they were that like in the beginning when Barbara is watching Dick play a game which she got him for christmas while Bruce is reading the paper. You get the sense that this is an actual family. And in no way is that a problem. As for our villian, we won't see him again. The way it ended had another deja vu, or the character of Francis anyway. What was it.......I'l go with "Its a Wonderful Life".
Rating: 8/10
And yes
