The DC Animated Universe Weekly Review - Batman: The Animated Series

 Batman: The Animated Series

Episode 64

Read My Lips

 

This episode gets a lot of love from fans and the initial shock value of the episode is exciting.  Overall it really doesn’t hold-up in rewatches.  The creator’s take on Scarface is a great deviation from the comic book but his personality is so annoying.  Scarface in the comic is the product of the The Ventriloquist who’s actually really bad at throwing his voice.  It’s a silly gag in the comic.  

 

The show took a more serious approach.  Scarface has a great mind for crime.  He exists in the mind of the timid Ventriloquist who suffers from multiple personality disorder.  He’s an old-time 1940s mobster villain.  These are all awesome nuances that make the concept work.

 

What doesn’t work is the character’s personality is that of a huge jerk.  Yes, it’s deliberate, he’s a bad guy but there’s nothing entertaining about how cruel he is.  The Joker is a psychopathically evil criminal but he’s entertaining when he does it.  His lunacy is exhilarating.  Scarface is actually grounded and almost sane except for the multiple personalities.  Scarface just talks down to everyone all the time, he’s arrogant, he knows there’s a connection between him and The Ventriloquist but is willing to kill Ventriloquist and thus himself in the process.  It’s a nice plot twist for the episode but hard to really like the character after the gimmick plays out. 

 

Written by
Joseph Ammendolea
Owner/President
“I Like To Play With Toys” Productions®
ILikeToPlayWithToysProductions@Yahoo.com

Maxine Vandate - Creep

 Cuculi presents Live Beats music of the 90s & 00s.

 

The DC Animated Universe Weekly Review - Batman: The Animated Series

 Batman: The Animated Series

Episode 63 

Fire from Olympus

 

An absolutely amazing episode!  Maximillian Zeus is a shipping mogul who becomes delusional and starts thinking he’s the real Zeus.  He steals a high tech ray gun and causes problems.  Batman is hot on his trail.  Zeus thinks Batman is Hades trying to take over Mount Olympus.  

 

Batman enlist the help of Zeus’ assistant Clio to try and stop him.  She’s reluctant but realizes Zeus has totally flipped out and helps sneak Batman into the building.  Zeus catches her, holds her captive, tries to kill her, attacks a police blimp with the ray gun.  A bunch of stuff happens and Batman stops him.  What makes the episode so epic is the end when Zeus is hauled off to Olympus and describes many of Batman’s classic rogues as deities from the Greek Mythology and believes he’s truly in Olympus.  It’s a comedic twist and brilliant one.  

 

What sells the episode so well is Zeus’ henchmen aren’t blind followers.  It is a small layers to the story but they try to challenge and question his reality.  One of his henchmen doesn’t want to kill Clio and gets zapped with lightning.  The other reluctantly ties up Clio because he doesn’t want to get electrocuted too.  The henchmen try to talk Zeus out of attacking the police blimp because of the trouble it would bring down on them.  That was a layer of character development never given to other henchmen in the show.  In 22 minutes the show didn’t have time to give a backstory or personality to each bad guy.  It’s nice to know when they had the time, they added it.  A nice change from the “hired thug” trope.  

 

Written by
Joseph Ammendolea
Owner/President
“I Like To Play With Toys” Productions®
ILikeToPlayWithToysProductions@Yahoo.com

Maxine Vandate - Happier Than Ever

Cuculi presents Live Beats music of the 90s & 00s.

 

The DC Animated Universe Weekly Review - Batman: The Animated Series

Batman: The Animated Series

Episode 62

His Silicon Soul

The HARDAC follow-up episode where we get to find out what happens to the Batman/Bruce Wayne robot duplicate.  It’s a million times better than the very excellent HARDAC episode and has layers of action and drama you’d never expect from a children’s animated program.   

 

The Batman robot thinks he’s a real person.  When he discovers the truth, HARDAC tries to rebuild himself.  Robot Batman struggles with conflicting thoughts which could be construed as feelings based on the different actions he’s taking.  

 

When real Batman tries to stop Robot Batman from destroying the world and bring HARDAC back to life, it doesn’t go according the plan.  Robot Batman thinks he killed real Batman and has a complete mental breakdown.  He stops the destruction of the world by sacrificing his life.  And as we’ve stated in prior posts, the DCAU creators loved killing robots in horrible gruesome ways.  They didn’t disappoint.  

 

While the standard and practices don’t have an issue with robots dying, the episode implies this robot might have had a soul. So kids got to see a fairly gruesome death of a living being.  The death of Optimus Prime in Transformers traumatized thousands of children in the 80s.  It makes one think that TV standards and practices might want to redefine their policies about living robots. 

 

The concept of machines having a soul is still in the science fiction realm but the depth at which it explains what a soul is to children is well defined in the episode.  The emotions, actions/reactions, feelings of Robot Batman cement the idea of how precious life is in a brilliant way that doesn’t preach and gets the points across. A somewhat underrated episode in BtAS.

Written by
Joseph Ammendolea
Owner/President
“I Like To Play With Toys” Productions®
ILikeToPlayWithToysProductions@Yahoo.com

Broken Hearted on Prime Video

Broken Hearted on Prime Video

The DC Animated Universe Weekly Review - Batman: The Animated Series

 Batman: The Animated Series

Episode 60 & 61

The Demon’s Quest: Part 1 & 2

 

Robin is kidnapped along with Talhia al Ghul and Ra’s al Ghul shows up in the Batcave revealing he knows Batman’s identity and they go on a little quest all over the world to save their respective children.  Plot twist, Ra’s set the entire thing up to test Batman.  Batman figures it out and Ra’s offers his kingdom and marriage of his daughter to the Dark Knight.  He turns Ra’s down and Ra’s vows they are enemies.  

 

Batman learns that Ra’s is going to destroy most of world and then rule the remaining inhabitants.  He vows to stop him with the help of Talhia, Batman infiltrates Ra’s stronghold.  An epic battle ensues, Batman stops him.  He is presumed dead after the encounter.  As Batman leaves the stronghold he gives Talhia an epic kiss, something Catwoman never even got, and they part ways.  Plot twist, it is revealed Ra’s lives and will get his revenge. 

 

This is the payoff two-parter to the episode Off Balance where we first encounter Talhia and Ra’s al Ghul.  One could argue it’s a mini-story arc.  BtAS was never so bold as to do story arcs like its competitors Gargoyles and X-Men but it didn’t ignore it’s prior stories either.  The BtAS story telling was consistent but the show was crafted for each episode to stand-alone.  Thus a viewer could come in anywhere and know what was happening.  

 

The Ra’s episodes were always designed to be these epic showdowns, very worldly.  The show wanted to paint Ra’s as Batman’s greatest rival.  That mantle really goes to The Joker but Ra’s certainly upped Batman’s game outside Gotham and the stories did not disappoint. 

 

Written by
Joseph Ammendolea
Owner/President
“I Like To Play With Toys” Productions®
ILikeToPlayWithToysProductions@Yahoo.com

Maxine Vandate - Dreams

Cuculi presents Live Beats music of the 90s & 00s.

  

The DC Animated Universe Weekly Review - Batman: The Animated Series

 Batman: The Animated Series

Episode 59

Blind as a Bat

 

Bruce Wayne gets blinded while saving an employee when the Penguin steals a military helicopter that Wayne Enterprises is developing.  Instead of resting, he uses some weird tech to get his vision back so he can stop Penguin, who’s keeping the city hostage, and get the helicopter back.  His tech goes wonky and he has to rely on his other senses to save the day.  

 

As stated in other reviews, Penguin episodes were never too exciting on the show.  This is right there with the rest.  Bruce’s apprehension to making military weapons is nicely solidified in the episode and recycled in the Superman/Batman crossover with Lex Luthor which we’ll get to later.  Bruce learns how dangerous military weapons can be and therefore opts for his company to never get into that business.  

 

Written by
Joseph Ammendolea
Owner/President
“I Like To Play With Toys” Productions®
ILikeToPlayWithToysProductions@Yahoo.com

Maxine Vandate - Do You Believe in Life After Love

 Cuculi presents Live Beats music of the 90s & 00s.

 

The DC Animated Universe Weekly Review - Batman: The Animated Series

 Batman: The Animated Series

Episode 57 & 58

Shadow of the Bat: Part 1 & 2

 

After countless episodes we finally get Batgirl and her origin story is amazing.  The two-part episode plays out like film and it’s a great follow-up to Mask of the Phantasm.  Barbara Gordon’s father Commissioner James Gordon is framed for crimes he didn’t commit.  During a rally of public support for him she dresses up as Batman to excite the crowd.  Antics ensue and she’s forced stop a crime and it’s revealed she’s a female bat-fake who the media calls Batgirl. 

 

As the story progresses we learn Two Face is behind the frame with the help of Gil Mason, Barbara’s love interest (who we just met in this episode) is the working for Two Face (making his betrayal a surprise of no one).  Batman is a side character in his own adventure. The climax has Batgirl, on a boat, having a very personal standoff against Gil Mason.  He discovers she’s Barbara during the fight, she defeats him, turns him over for justice.  

 

It’s not a plot hole but certainly a wasted plot device that he never turns her in or rats out her identity as the years go on.  It’s laid on thick in the episodes that he’s in love with her.  But if he loved her so much, why would he frame her dad? Mason’s motivations didn’t make sense.  He wanted to be commissioner or mayor but if he married the boss’s daughter that would be the better route to go.  

 

Otherwise her introduction to the series is great.  Anyone who watched the prior episodes were just waiting for this moment.  The show had to make it epic and they didn’t disappoint. 

 

Written by
Joseph Ammendolea
Owner/President
“I Like To Play With Toys” Productions®
ILikeToPlayWithToysProductions@Yahoo.com

Maxine Vandate - Here's Where the Story Ends

 Cuculi presents Live Beats music of the 90s & 00s.

 

The DCAU Weekly Review - Batman: Mask of the Phantasm

Batman: Mask of the Phantasm

Feature Film

 

It’s the crown jewel of the Batman the Animated Series run, the feature film Batman: Mask of the Phantasm.  It’s one of the best Batman features ever made and at the time of its release in 1993, was the best Batman film to exist.  It was made on a budget of $6 million and was intended as a direct to video movie.  There are many theories why it was changed to a theatrical release but the main reason would have to be how well the film came out.  The studio saw dollar signs after how great the story and animation of the final product came out.   

 

The film had a rushed marketing and ultimately failed at the box office, only earning $5.6 million.  Since it was the 1990s that doesn’t translate to failure for a feature film though.  The theatrical release served as a tremendous advertisement for the film and it skyrocketed in video and rental sales.  The film turned a profit in the home video market but initial research has failed to generate information on the sales totals. 

 

The film explores Batman’s first year as a crime fighter and how he almost gives it all up for love.  It has a powerhouse of voice talent that you can look up on your own.  Just know the voice acting is beyond superb and takes animated films to another stratosphere.  Shirley Walker’s film score is mesmerizing.  The film stands on its own without the show but fits the series like a glove.  The bitter ending is probably the bleakest of all the Batman films.  While other DCAU Batman movies play out like extended episodes, this is a true film.  An absolute can’t miss. 

 

Written by
Joseph Ammendolea
Owner/President
“I Like To Play With Toys” Productions®
ILikeToPlayWithToysProductions@Yahoo.com

Maxine Vandate - Zombie

 Cuculi presents Live Beats music of the 90s & 00s.

 

The DC Animated Universe Weekly Review - Batman: The Animated Series

 Batman: The Animated Series

Episode 56

Harley and Ivy

 

A fan favorite and truly worthy of the accolades.  Harley Quinn leaves the joker and teams up with Poison Ivy.  Together they go on a huge crime spree.  Batman and The Joker separately track them to their hideout on a toxic waste dump.  Fights ensue Batman captures the Joker but the girls escape.  In the process they proclaim no man can catch them and no man does.  Officer Renee Montoya captures them.  A fitting payoff after getting to know her in the episode Point of View.  A random female officer wouldn’t have had the same sting that the known Montoya brought at the end.

 

Written by
Joseph Ammendolea
Owner/President
“I Like To Play With Toys” Productions®
ILikeToPlayWithToysProductions@Yahoo.com

Maxine Vandate - Use Somebody

 Cuculi presents Live Beats music of the 90s & 00s.

The DC Animated Universe Weekly Review - Batman: The Animated Series

 Batman: The Animated Series

Episode 55

The Mechanic

 

Not a terrible episode but not too exciting.  The Penguin figures out who Batman’s mechanic is, holds him hostage until he sabotages the Batmobile.  The mechanic makes a trap door to save batman.  This episode wouldn’t be as bad as it is, except the same gimmick was done in Batman Forever.  Penguin episodes weren’t the best in BtAS.  

 

One of the nicer moments was the flashback to how Batman found Earl the mechanic.  We also like the concept he doesn’t do this alone and has an entire staff on secret payroll helping him with his gizmos.  Worth a watch.

 

Written by
Joseph Ammendolea
Owner/President
“I Like To Play With Toys” Productions®
ILikeToPlayWithToysProductions@Yahoo.com

Maxine Vandate - Torn

Cuculi presents Live Beats music of the 90s & 00s.

The DC Animated Universe Weekly Review - Batman: The Animated Series

 Batman: The Animated Series

Episode 54

Zatanna

 

An unlikely comic crossover, we’re introduced to Zatanna, an illusionist at this point in the DCAU.  She becomes a full blown magic girl in Justice League Unlimited but without any explanation.  While under the alias John Smith, Batman trained with Zatanna’s father Zatara to learn the secrets of being an escape artist.  This occurs before he travels to Japan to train in martial arts.  During that time he has a tryst with Zatanna.  She’s now an adult and doing a show in Gotham.

 

During the show she makes a bunch of money disappear but can’t make it reappear.  She’s been framed by Montague Kane though.  Batman helps her figure it out and clear her name.  

 

A great episode that gives more insight into Batman’s backstory and how he became such a versatile crime fighter.  Also a brilliant build up to what would be the film Batman: Mask of the Phantasm which explores the early days of Batman. 

 

Written by
Joseph Ammendolea
Owner/President
“I Like To Play With Toys” Productions®
ILikeToPlayWithToysProductions@Yahoo.com

 

Maxine Vandate - I'm the Only One

Cuculi presents Live Beats music of the 90s & 00s.

The DC Animated Universe Weekly Review - Batman: The Animated Series

 Batman: The Animated Series

Episode 53

Paging the Crime Doctor

 

Matthew Thorne is a doctor and Rupert Thorne’s brother.  He’s a disgraced doctor who lost his license years ago and now works as a mob doctor for Thorne’s gang.  Rupert needs a serious surgery but Matthew isn’t qualified to do it.  So he kidnaps Dr Leslie Thompkins which puts Batman on the case.  

 

While investigating the missing Doctor, Batman learns Matthew Thorne was friends with Bruce Wayne’s parents. Meanwhile Rupert Thorne orders Leslie Thompkins killed after the surgery is completed.  Matthew Thorne finds out and will have none of it.  He helps her escape.  Batman shows up and saves the day.

 

The most touching part of the episode is when Bruce Wayne offers to help Matthew Thorne with his legal troubles on one condition.  At which point Matthew Thorne decides he’s not for sale anymore and refuses.  Then Wayne explains it’s nothing illegal, he just wants to know about his father.  A touching ending to a man who we sometimes forget dresses like a bat and beats up criminals because he lost his parents as a child.  

 

Written by
Joseph Ammendolea
Owner/President
“I Like To Play With Toys” Productions®
ILikeToPlayWithToysProductions@Yahoo.com

Maxine Vandate - Linger

Cuculi presents Live Beats music of the 90s & 00s.

The DC Animated Universe Weekly Review - Batman: The Animated Series

 Batman: The Animated Series

Episode 52

Mudslide

 

Clayface is back and he’s trying to cure himself by robbing tech from various companies.  Clayface is falling apart and will eventually die.  He teams up with a former scientist from a film they worked on together.  She hopes to find a cure for him.  Batman is trying to stop Clayface and offers to help find a cure for his condition.  He refuses because if he takes Batman’s offer he’d still have to go to jail.  If he cures himself he can blend into the world and be free by pretending to be anyone he wants.  

 

Batman tracks down Clayface’s location, a fight ensue, Clayface destroy himself. He dissipates into the ocean.  A tragic ending of sorts.  Clayface eventually returns but he’s actually dead at this point.  Chemical pollution brings him back to life in a later episode. 

 

Written by
Joseph Ammendolea
Owner/President
“I Like To Play With Toys” Productions®
ILikeToPlayWithToysProductions@Yahoo.com

Fashion Critics

We're breaking down some of the 2025 grammy fashion choices and being as cruel as possible.  

Taylor Swift is sporting what we first think is a nice dress.  But a closer look reveals just what a huge disaster we're witnessing.  Her lopsided thighs, horrible bangs, ugly shoes, also uncomfortable shoes. The corset design screams desperate to look like a slut without actually looking like a slut.  The frills are ridiculous, the the dress runs too short.  The color is nice and the dress had potential if it was longer.  It might have made a nice prom dress with longer bottom.  Her bands are terrible.  She needs to grow those out.  Bangs are always a terrible idea.

Will Smith channeling his inner Michal Jackson with a fo-military jacket.  Maybe music artist should stop emulating Michal Jackson. He's not a guy you want to emulate.

Cardi B lead the costume party trend by dressing as a peacock. The rockabilly hair style didn't help matters.

Miley Cyrus, again with bangs, bangs are horrible and people need to stop getting them. Ladies, stop getting bangs. The dress is nice and Miley has the stomach to pull it off.  Others couldn't rock this dress but she has the frame for it.  She pulls it off verywell.

Girl meets world Sabrina Carpenter almost stole the show with a dress that makes you think about Marlyn Monroe.  Unfortunately the carpet shah in the mid section is too much.

Charlie XCX looks like she just left the Old West saloon but let's all be grateful she wasn't sporting bangs.

Chappell Roan showed up in her best Tweety Bird costume.  Did she think she saw a puddy-cat?

Billie Ellish showed up dress like his favorite character from Big Trouble in Little China.  Should we be mad at her cultural appropriation?

Gracie Abrams actually has a nice dress but the veil makes her look absolutely foolish.  Is she dressing up a religious figure? She had something nice and then overdid it with her little costume stint.

Olivia Rodrigo pulls this dress off because she's smoking hot.  If your body type isn't as perfect has hers, this dress is an absolute disaster. It's actually a really ugly dress that is made to look good because of the person wearing it.  No dress with all those open slots should hug the hips that high on the waist with all those open slots. Turtle necks are hideous too. 

Doechi is horrible on every level.  The hairstyle is hideous. The dress is an ugly gray suit, a matching ugly tie, and a white button down.  She's half in the bag on whether she wanted to dress like a guy but had the suit turned into a dress.  Pick a lane next time.

Benson Boone should have left that outfit in the 1970s where he found it.

Troye Sivan, does Barry Manilow know that you raid his wardrobe?  The purple, the scarf, the shiny...all terrible. Tone it down attention seeker. Also, shaggy hair on boys is as bad as bangs on girls.

Kanyne West and Bianca Censori....Brave of Kanye to just show up in a back t-shirt.  That's truly a fashion statement that he's not playing the same game as everyone else.  Love the choice.  Biance and fur, if it's fake good for her. If its real fur, that's not cool.

When you get a face tattoo you've given up on blending in with society and are screaming for attention.  Therefore Teddy Swims circus costume is a fitting piece.  He looks terrible but it makes sense for him.

Kacey Musgraves looks amazing with her toned down look.  Simple shirt and long skirt, amazing choice. Love the long hair too. She did it right!

Sierra Ferrell looks like a complete disaster.  Everything about this outfit is horrible.  The makeup makes her look like a man.  I want to puke looking at her.  

Willow Smith looks like she rolled out of bed through her coat on to buy a coffee and newspaper down the block from her house and then someone grabbed her off the street and dragged her to the grammys. Horrible choice but sadly better than her dad's Micheal Jackson outfit.

Filling out the costume party Jaden Smith shows up dressed as a black castle. A bold costume choice for an event that isn't a costume party and also 8 months away from Halloween.

Noah Kahan would have had a nice outfit if he remembered to get it ironed. 

Kelsea Ballerini is another example of a dress that works because the the person wearing is incredibly hot. The dress is actually ugly but she looks so go in it that she makes it work.  That's why dress makers have pretty people wear their clothes.

Kehlani looks bad. It's another dress that's modeled after a suit.  Ladies don't wear dresses mimicking suits.  Just wear a suit if you want to wear a suit.  Her daughter Adeya Nomi had the best outfit of the entire night. She knew the assignment and kept it simple.

Clairo wore her best table cloth for the event and somehow though that was a good idea.  

And the award for best homeless person goes to Bob Weir.

Chase Stokes decided to dress like Tony Manero for his costume choice.  Let the 70s die with disco.

Greenday may be old but they still look cool.  They definitely came out looking sharp.  Love the choices, all nice and simple.  

Chrishell Stause looks amazing in a dumb looking outfit.  Don't let the pretty face and perfect body fool you from how silly her outfit really is.   

Steve Rogers,
Writer

“I Like To Play With Toys” Productions®

ILikeToPlayWithToysProductions@Yahoo.com