The Batman
Bat in the Belfry
Original Airdate: 09/11/04
Kids WB
The show opens with group of random thugs being taken out by Batman. The crime boss that Batman is after then goes out the window, only for Batman to catch him easily.
We get the opening credits, which, are rather lame.
Batman flees from the scene, and safely gets the Batmobile back to the Batcave, where Alfred is waiting for him. Alfred gives him an anniversary cake, as tonight is the 3rd anniversary that he became The Batman.
Bruce Wayne is watching TV, where the Police Chief Rojas denies any proof that The Batman exists, and calls him an Urban Legend. Alfred isn’t too happy, but Bruce says that it is better that Batman is better below the radar. Alfred then reminds Bruce of the nights Gotham Gators basketball game, which Bruce must go to, in order to stay above the radar.
The Police Chief questions one of his officers, Detective Ethan Bennett, if he has anything new on The Batman. Bennett has nothing, but Chief Rojas introduces his new partner, Detective Ellen Yin. The Chief orders them to find The Batman.
As Bruce gets ready for his game, Alfred assures him that he won’t be far from any trouble, with the Batwave device that Bruce invented.
Meanwhile, at Arkham Asylum, a worker is checking in all the patients, but comes along a room that has a mysterious man. He enters to find The Joker. Joker then gasses the worker with his laughing gas, then proceeds to let the patients of Arkham out of their cells.
Detectives Bennett and Yin catch wind, and figure that Batman will be there, so they head out to Arkham.
Bruce, who is at the Gators game, gets the Batwave information, and heads out, calling the Batmobile. One Batman gets to Arkham, he finds the worker that Joker gassed, who know has a permanent smile. Joker sneaks up behind him, and Batman grabs him, and questions who he is. He tries to pull Joke’s mask off, only to reveal that it isn’t a make. Batman chases Joker out, after Joker leads on to where his hideout is, before escaping. As Batman leaves Arkham, he is spotted by Detective Bennett.
The next morning, Bruce is watching the news, and Chief Rojas has nothing to say about last nights Arkham escape. Bruce is pondering where to find Joker, but he has a visit from Detective Bennett. It turns out that Bennett is an old friend of Bruce. Bennett tells Bruce that he saw Batman last night, and that, even though he feels that Batman is doing the right thing, he has to take him down.
That night, Batman finds Joke’s hideout, but before Batman can get to him, Joker gets out of there, in a hot air balloon, which is filled with Joke’s laughing gas, and Joker has it on course to pop it over Gotham. Batman makes his way up in the balloon, as the detectives follow, and Batman is able to steer the balloon off course, and heads it towards the bay. Batman calls in his Batboat, and it takes down the balloon with a tow cord. Batman lets the gas go in the water, and is finally able to capture Joker.
Joker is then brought back to Arkham, where he now belongs.
I wasn’t really looking forward to this series to begin with, and I now know why. The characters are weak, the voices are uninspiring, and the story was old. You would think that there would be an origins episode first.
I will not be watching this again.
~PK
