Gotham S:01 E:16

Posted on by Bubbawheat

Episode Title: The Blind Fortune Teller
Original Airdate: 2-16-15

It was bound to happen, I had started getting my hopes up about how Gotham had turned a corner and was churning out more episodes than I enjoyed with only minor things that irritated me. But from the very notion that they were going to be introducing the Joker in this episode I had my doubts, and as I watched the episode I knew I was completely right. It wasn’t entirely a hate watch for me, but there was very little throughout the episode that I truly got invested in, and most of that was Dr. Leslie Thompkins who has become my third favorite character on the show next to Alfred and Harvey Bullock. I always thought it was going to be a mistake to introduce so many well known characters in the Gotham universe so soon into the genesis of the show, and I preferred the episodes where they steered away from that. But this episode introduced Robin’s parents as well as a very young and already disturbed Joker in a way that was not very satisfying at all, and honestly felt like the entire episode was all one big joke, which would be fitting considering.
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Batman: The Brave and the Bold S:01 E:03

Posted on by laundryroombruce

Episode title: Evil Under the Sea!

Original air date: December 5, 2008

Every great series has a lasting impact for years after its initial run is completed. Batman B ’n B has a few, not the least of which is the resurgence of Aquaman’s popularity amongst casual fans. That feat wasn’t accomplished in a single episode, but this is the episode that got the ball rolling.

The teaser drops us into a scenario with Felix Faust attempting to open Pandora’s box with Batman looking on. Batman engages Faust in a battle of “sorcery” which shows Bats to possess magical abilities greater than that of Faust. After Felix is defeated, and Pandora’s box is secure, it is revealed that the source of Batman’s “magic” is the diminutive hero the Atom.

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Batman: The Brave and The Bold S:01 E:02

Posted on by laundryroombruce

Episode title: Terror on Dinosaur Island!

Original air date: November 21, 2008

This is the second episode, and as such it has the daunting task of convincing the viewer to be compelled to return on a weekly basis rather than simply tuning in due to mild curiosity or lack of something better to watch. I always feel like the third episode is the make or break point for a new series, and episode 2 to is a great opportunity to swing for the fences with little risk. Perhaps in this instance we have a home run.
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Gotham S:01 E:14

Posted on by Bubbawheat

Episode Title: The Fearsome Dr. Crane
Original Airdate: 2-2-15

One of the biggest complaints against Gotham seems to be how it has been taking too many of Batman’s villains lately and having them come into play long before Bruce Wayne even develops an irrational fear of bats. There’s a couple thought processes that go into this criticism. The biggest one against is the theory that it was the appearance of Batman himself that created the more eccentric supervillains of Gotham. If he hadn’t come around with his theatricality then the crime would still be there, but it would continue to be the stereotypical mob and street crime. The other theory is that the most interesting thing about the world of Batman, Gotham City, and Arkham Asylum are the villains and to have this show focusing on the city that beget Batman without using any of the rogues gallery would be a waste and be uninteresting. I find that the show is the best when it walks the fine line between those two sides, but it is a fine line and different for everyone.
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Batman: The Brave and the Bold S:01 E:01

Posted on by laundryroombruce

Episode title: The Rise of the Blue beetle 

Original air date: November 14, 2008 

This is the first episode of the series, and as such it is tasked with establishing a relationship with the viewer. Too often series try to throw an excessive number of elements into a pilot, and I am impressed with the restraint of the creators in avoiding that trap with this one. I am, however, a bit puzzled by the direction this episode went. The teaser consists of Green Arrow and Batman in an elaborate trap constructed by the Clock King. Of course the good guys escape, but the significant moment of the sequence occurs when Batman says via voice over that even though the heroes bicker with one another, the truth is that they make each other better (paraphrased). This statement does establish the central theme of all the adventures that will follow over the three season’s of the series.
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Batman Beyond – Introduction

Posted on by Elwood Jones

Released in 1999 during the golden age of comic book adaptions when Warner Bros. Animation was given full access to the complete back catalogue of their sister company DC comics. They created this series which formed the DC Animated Universe including “Batman Beyond” or “Batman of the Future” as it strangely renamed here in the UK, with the series forming a book end for the universe they’d established with the series which came before it. The show would equally create another timeline for DC Animated Universe which would continue to be revisited by several other franchises even after the series ended, teasingly hinting that perhaps the studio wasn’t quite as done with the series as it would have seemed by its abrupt cancellation.

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Batman: The Brave and the Bold: Introduction

Posted on by laundryroombruce

Batman: The Brave and the Bold is an animated anthology series inspired by The Brave and the Bold comic book series.  It aired three seasons on Cartoon Network from November 2008 until November 2011 with a final tally of 65 episodes.  Much like it’s inspiration, the television series builds each episode around a “team up” of Batman and a (usually) lesser known hero to take down a bad guy.  To a guy like me that is absolutely devoted to being exposed to as many incarnations of as many different comic book characters as possible, a show such as this is Nirvana.  Further adding to the robust roster of characters is the convention of starting each episode with an unrelated teaser adventure before the story proper begins, always featuring characters that are not part of the primary story.  Simply put, if a character has any degree of significance in the DCU he or she is bound to show up in this series eventually.  I’m particularly found of episodes including forgotten characters from the early silver age (Catman) or prematurely abandoned recent creations (Geo-Force).  Another characteristic of the series is that it often provides a straight forward superhero adventure while also demonstrating a meta awareness of the perceived ridiculousness of many of the characters involved.  With art that is simultaneously classic and distinctive in appearance as well as writing that is both aware of cannon yet unafraid to alter it when needed, this show rarely disappoints.  It is an understatement to say that I am excited to be reviewing each episode of this series, and I invite you to join me in this journey if you fancy yourself as brave and/ or bold.

Gotham S:01 E:12

Posted on by Bubbawheat

Episode Title: What the Little Bird Told Him
Original Airdate: 1-19-15

After a week off last week, Gotham comes back with the first villain that really feels like it could have been one of Batman’s villains, and after doing a quick Google search turns out that he actually is a Batman villain when he goes by the name he is given in this episode: The Electrocutioner. But even though that aspect of the episode was the one that was played up the most in the previews, it didn’t actually take up a great deal of the actual episode. A large chunk of it dealt with wrapping up a good chunk of the grand conspiracy between Fish, Falcone, and Penguin. Overall, I thought it was another good episode with a few nice touches and once again a few real eyerolling moments that didn’t feel like it furthered the plot or the characters in a good way.
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Gotham S:01 E:11

Posted on by Bubbawheat

Episode: Rogue’s Gallery
Original Airdate: 1-5-14

I’m not going to call this episode a “midseason premier”, but Gotham does return from its brief hiatus with a bang. I wasn’t entirely sure what was going to happen with Gordon being knocked down a peg working security in the newly re-opened Arkham Asylum where his boss knows that he’s doing doggy duty and lets Gordon know it every step of the way. It’s not quite One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest but it does have its share of crazies for the sake of being crazy as well as a few more interesting and psychotic characters. What this episode does do well is the mystery aspect of the crime at hand where someone in Arkham is performing electro shock experiments on the inmates and it’s up to Gordon to figure out who it is. There were several twists and turns as well as several red herrings and couple nice bits of comic relief to round it out. What the episode did not do well, which it often doesn’t do well with is the rest of the characters.
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Gotham S:01 E:10

Posted on by Bubbawheat

Episode: Lovecraft
Original Airdate: 11-24-14

I’ve gone on quite a bit about how I go back and forth on episodes of Gotham, often even within a single episode. But more than any other show this season, Gotham is the one that keeps me coming back week after week and is the one show that I tend to watch same day rather than waiting a day or two to go back to it. And it felt like this episode really paid off and was the show firing on all cylinders. Nearly every character that I have been iffy on came back in a strong way here, and the characters that I have always enjoyed really got a chance to show their stuff. Alfred was a real powerhouse, and I really enjoyed the chemistry he had with Donal Logue’s Bullock. Baby Bruce has been a bit of a weak spot in my eyes, but I thought that this episode finally gave him something interesting to do in a way that didn’t feel overly forced. There’s also a great chemistry between little Bruce and little Cat that hits the right notes of a childhood romance combined with the elements of who they will become in future Gotham City. In a show not known for its subtlety, it felt like it finally started to get the right balance of foreshadowing without hitting people over the head, like with Ivy’s brief moment in the show. And to wrap up the episode, Richard Kind gave a great performance as the Mayor. There were a few moments within the episode that I had issues with, like Harvey Dent still rubs me the wrong way, and I was not fond of the female assassin who only cared about her target, but made some odd decisions. As for the ending, I’m curious about shifting the focus more onto the newly reopened Arkham Asylum, but if they can give me more episodes like this one, I’ll be happy.