After the first ten issues, it was safe to say that The Batman Adventures had got off to a strong start. With Batman facing some of his major and most dangerous foes, where next for this title? Well, after a year’s worth of success and one-off stories, we’re treated to more of the same. Unlike some runs, The Batman Adventures doesn’t enjoy an overarching story. That’s most probably because the title is simply a spin-off rather than a launchpad for revolutionary stories. That being said, one of the benefits of the title is that every issue offers something different. When it comes to change, The Batman Adventures 12 is perhaps one of the best remembered comics not just from the title, but from the medium during the 1990s. Why’s that? Enter Harley Quinn…
Looking at a second batch of Batman Adventures stories, I’ll be covering issues 11-20, published from August 1993 to May 1994. All the stories here were written by Kelley Puckett, with pencils by Mike Parobeck and inks by Rick Burchett. These stories can be read in the Batman Adventures Volume 2 trade paperback. Without further ado, let’s get on with the stories.
The Beast Within
It’s strange when you realise it, but the first villain that Batman ever faced in Batman: The Animated Series wasn’t the Joker nor the Penguin, nor Catwoman, but Man-Bat. Kirk Langstrom has always been one of the most fascinating villains as his transformation from desperate professor to wild hybrid creature is stark and threatening. Here, Puckett provides a different take. Instead of Langstrom falling prey to his temptations once again, the tortured professor is seemingly forced to take his transformation serum and attack an award ceremony attended by Bruce Wayne for Langstrom’s scientific work. Langstrom wakes up in prison to discover that Man-Bat has been forced upon him again. This time, the true villain is Doctor Stefan Parry. In short, this professor is using the Man-Bat serum forcefully on Langstrom to try and ruin his reputation. It turns out that the two had a falling out many years prior over a scholarship. This motive is pretty standard and dull, but the idea of a forced Man-Bat is strongly compelling. It’s a shame that Man-Bat is lacking the anger that he should feel towards Parry. That said, there is a fight at the end between Langstrom and Parry, with the latter actually using the Man-Bat serum instead. Although Parry is defeated in this form by Batman, the fight just feels naff and too odd. It only feels right that Kirk Langstrom should be the one and only Man-Bat…
Batgirl: Day One
So, we’ve seen Robin in previous issues. This time, the focus is on Batgirl, a character who didn’t appear in BTAS for quite some episodes. She was always an outsider of the Bat-Family; The Batman Adventures 12 explores her origin in this universe, but it is remembered supremely for featuring the first comic book appearance of Harley Quinn. Originally intended as a henchwoman for the Joker, Harley Quinn obviously received a huge cult following before receiving her first mainstream comics debut in 1999. But here, Harley Quinn is included in an all-girls story. Attending a fancy dress party, Barbara Gordon needs a costume. She decides to buy herself a costume that would soon be famous as the Batgirl suit. Attending the party, Barbara blends right in. But suddenly, the doo is ruined as Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy attack the building. Saving hostages and fighting the villains, Barbara does remarkably well – although some of that may be down to the amateur performance from her foes. But then, Puckett adds a new dimension to the story when Batgirl and both the villains are captured by Catwoman, who has her eyes on a diamond in the building. Convincing Poison Ivy and Harley Quinn to help, Batgirl wins her first victory as she aborts Catwoman’s plan, even though the feline foe escapes holding a grudge. With the potential for a follow-up story, Harley Quinn is just one piece of why Puckett’s writing here is excellent. Not only is Barbara an interesting and new perspective, but her playful character is also enjoyable while the villains range from entertaining to cunning. With many twists and turns, shock and surprises, The Batman Adventures 12 is a classic for many reasons.
Last Tango in Paris
With its bizarrely funny title, the Batman Adventures 13 is your standard ‘romance with the villainess’ Dark Knight tale. On a quest for her father, Talia Al Ghul heads to Gotham in search of a stolen statue. Batman, sensing trouble, tags along with Talia as they go on a tour of Paris. As Puckett is a writer of few words, Last Tango in Paris is a pretty quick read but still full of varying emotions. The romance between Talia and Batman is obviously present here as it absorbs much of the story’s middle. While there isn’t anything wrong with that, it’s pretty clear from the start that Talia is up to no good behind the scenes and – like the chump he is – Batman will fall for it, blinded by love. While that predictable conclusion is depicted here, it least it feels genuine. At the end, Talia and Batman recover the statue from an anti-Al Ghul mob, but the Dark Knight works out that Talia lied to him because the statue contains information within about the dodgy dealers of her family. Why did she lie? Because, in her words, “We wouldn’t have had Paris.” Leaving Batman in the rain, Talia drops the statue for the hero to collect – Puckett doesn’t force much dialogue in this scene. Since the emotional end feels sincere and the relationship between the two characters is somewhat believable (still feels a bit forced and convenient for the story), it makes the story a short if memorable read.
Public Enemy
Like the Batman Adventures 12, issue 14 does not feature Batman. Instead, we’re treated to a Robin-solo story. These breaks from the Dark Knight are much welcome as it adds variety to the title. Aside from the two-part Scarecrow story we were treated to in issues 4 and 5, this is the first solo Robin story of the run. In terms of plotting, it’s as simple as you could get. While patrolling the streets of Gotham, Robin is unaware of Arnold Wesker’s breakout from Arkham. Known as the Ventriloquist, with his dominant personality personified by his puppet Scarface, Wesker begins a raid of Gotham banks. Very simply but dramatically, Robin defeats the duo, and all is well. But along the way, there are two very interesting aspects to the story. Firstly, Alfred is featured quite a bit here and we learn more of his background story. Alfred reminisces about his days as an actor, reflecting on the choices he had to make in his twenties that put him on the path to helping the Wayne family. Dick Grayson, soon to be a graduate, is facing a similar crossroads at his future and Puckett’s coverage of that stands out compared to the usual 24/7 brooding of Batman. Secondly, there’s some decent conflict between Wesker and his puppet personality. While the battle between the Ventriloquist and Scarface has been present from their creation, BTAS always seemed to explore that battle the best. For instance, Double Talk was an episode which focused solely on Wesker’s fight against his villainous side. There is some of that here, especially at the end when Wesker struggles to detach himself from Scarface’s influence. Overall, Puckett may write a simple plot, but the details along the way can appeal and resonate with all readers.
Badge of Honour
After a few stories with simple plots, Puckett offers a grittier and more complex tale for The Batman Adventures 15. It begins with disappointment and threat. When mobsters from Rupert Thorne’s gang come to GCPD headquarters, Commissioner Gordon discovers that an undercover police officer spying on the mob boss has been captured. Instantly, there is a change in mood and plotting compared to previous stories. Although Gordon takes a hard-line stance against Thorne and his network, Batman is enlisted to help. Miller, the officer-held-hostage, isn’t actually shown in the flesh until the final pages of the story, but Puckett succeeds in painting a sympathetic and very human picture. Gordon stresses over losing not just another cop, but a man who is a husband and father. Gordon and Batman have to shadow the steps of Miller to find his whereabouts, roaming through places not at all kind to the law. After much searching, Gordon locates Miller, but somewhat predictably the Commissioner too is captured. With Rupert Thorne at his zenith, it’s all downhill from here; Batman arrives and saves the day. A brief scene at the end with Miller is strongly emotional and full of police comradeship. While this story lacks any gore or the violence that you’d usually find in tales like this for the mainstream titles, Puckett pushes the boundaries for what can be explored in a comic essentially aimed at children. This sense of variety not only makes the title more enjoyable and engaging for readers, but it treats younger readers with respect. This may be more complex than previous stories, but there is enough emotion and strong writing present for a kid to understand and ultimately enjoy Badge of Honour.
The Killing Book
After the failure of his masterplan in the first three issues of the title, The Batman Adventures 16 features the Joker at his most angry and bizarre. With many defeats at the hands of the Dark Knight, the Joker becomes enraged when he discovers that a group of creators have created a comic titled Gotham Adventures, usually featuring Batman defeating the Joker every month (ironically, the title of this in-universe comic would be used by the Batman editors for a comic series – which ran for sixty issues from 1998 to 2003 – that continues the adventures of the Dark Knight in the animated universe).
Instead of brushing it off as satire, the Joker decides to take over the comic book with kidnappings. In order to lure Batman to a place where he can kill him with ease, the Joker leaves a riddle in an issue of the comic. I remember watching a documentary several years back with Bruce Timm discussing Batman’s other quizzical villain, the Riddler, and how difficult it was to show any huge differences between he and the Joker. This story is proof of that in spades. Often, the Joker does leave clues and here his gimmick feels more Riddler-esque than Joker-like. Nevertheless, where is this suitable location the Joker has lured Batman to? A dark alley? An abandoned factory? No, it’s a miniature golf course. Naturally! The fun throughout the story continues until the end as the Joker is beaten and humiliated, with Batman himself even showing a smile. With the Joker’s schizophrenic personality, the way in which the moods of his stories change can be dramatic. One moment, he is at his most fun. Another, he could be the devil himself. This time, we were treated to the Joker in one of his good moods and the humour throughout the story never feels dull or forced.
The Tangled Web
The Batman Adventures 17 is a story that can only work as a comic book. I suppose that, at some moments, it would work as animation or even a film, but that would require the story to have little or even no dialogue. Because of this, The Tangled Web is one which deserves reading to fully understand it’s effectiveness. To put it briefly however, Batman breaks into Ra’s Al Ghul’s secret base, guarded by his League of Assassins. It’s a very fast-moving story with few words; there’s not much action but far more stealth. The reasoning why this story can only work as a comic book is revealed at the end when Batman is caught by Al Ghul, only for the unmasked hero to be revealed as Robin! Dick Grayson didn’t appear at all in the story up until that point, and it’s a gamechanger because the real Batman gets to Ra’s with ease. This only works in this format because naturally for most of the story, you think that the person Alfred is communicating with technologically is Batman, who is seemingly crawling in the shadows. When that is proved not to be the case and Puckett delivers an excellent revelation, it makes The Tangled Web a satisfying story.
Decision Day
For another non-Batman story, The Batman Adventures 18 features a duo of Robin and Batgirl. After her brief exploits as Batgirl in issue 12, Barbara Gordon gave up crimefighting. However, she is thrown back into it when she manages to dispose of a bomb in a matter of seconds when a criminal silently leaves the package in the GCPD building. With Barbara involved as a witness in the case, she becomes Batgirl again to find the criminal. She ends up working with Robin, which creates an interesting and often romantic connection between the heroes, but the plotting becomes a bit more complex as a Gotham Mayoralty race is thrown into the mix, with one candidate so deeply enveloped in the underworld that he might as well dress in a wacky super villain costume. The main point is that the candidate is working with criminals in order to create chaos in Gotham so they can trash the police and win the election on the back of that. Batgirl films a villainous exchange in the act and she and Robin emerge victorious. I like how the relationship between Robin and Batgirl, while friendly, is still a bit distant here. Unlike Robin, Batiglrl does not have the approval of Batman as a hero on his turf. Therefore, her rogue exploits make her an unusual but enjoyable partner for Robin.
Troubled Dreams
After such a memorable and strong story presented by Martin Pasko in issues 4 and 5 of the title, how could another Scarecrow story top that? With Troubled Dreams, Puckett explores a new take with the Scarecrow which shockingly no or few writers have ever used before. The Scarecrow has always been famous for scaring people by abusing their fears and phobias. This is classic. But when has Jonathan Crane ever made people so afraid of his Scarecrow personality that they lose all grip on sanity? That is what the Batman Adventures 19 explores. We see not only the whole of Gotham terrified of the Scarecrow, but also the Dark Knight himself. He experiences nightmares about Crane’s devilish personality and strays from the dark in fear of encountering the foe. Seeing Batman frightened is so surreal that it adds deep impact to the story. In short, the Scarecrow is using computer technology to brainwash Gothamites into a state of fear, but this all comes to a shattering and flawless halt as Batman unmasks the Scarecrow in public as the wimpy and laughably thin-looking Jonathan Crane. With such a fantastic premise and great ending, Puckett explores a brilliant idea in Troubled Dreams, and it stands out as a classic.
Smells Like Black Sunday
The Batman Adventures 20, featuring one of the best covers from the run, features the return of that jokey trio who invaded the Riddler’s turf ten issues prior. The Perfesser, Mastermind, and Mr Nice work together once again to rob a bank. All seems to go well for them: their escape goes flawlessly; they flee from ravenous guard dogs; they make it to the bank. Although Batman captures Perfesser and Mastermind, he is too late as Mr Nice has torn his way through the vaults and is near reaching the riches. So, what stops him? It’s his constant compulsion to be nice. While that failed to stop him shooting his way through security guards, a small adorable dog blocking the way to the vault prevented him from unleashing hot lead into the creature and securing financial fame. This jovial end to the enjoyable story embarrasses the trio, but really that’s the point of them. Puckett writes them as enough of a threat to make them intimidating to some degree, but when Mr Nice’s emotions get the better of him, it’s curtains.
These ten issues solidify Mike Parobeck’s reputation as the perfect artist to recreate the style of BTAS. This was obviously present before, but here it is shown in full force. With a sense of exaggerated drama, smooth textures, and a sense of Gotham-esque darkness aided terrifically by inker Rick Burchett, Parobeck not only captures the style and creates some memorable moments, but he pioneers the visuals too. It’s rarely a straight copy from the work of Bruce Timm. Parobeck adds his own details – most notably character appearences – and they work because they are both subtle and respectful to the original art style. Overall, the visuals may borrow almost entirely on Timm’s work, but Parobeck refreshes it with interesting detail and drama.
VERDICT
Overall, issues 11-20 of The Batman Adventures offer new content delivered just as greatly as the stories before. What’s apparent with these stories is that the change of moods and kind of plots add great variety. For instance, while Smells Like Black Saturday and The Killing Book add humour and laughs to the run, other tales like Badge of Honour and The Beast Within are darker and more dramatic. While the plotting may dip and rise in plausibility, the quality is always masterful. The Batman Adventures 12 may always now be remembered for Harley Quinn, but there are others here which deserve the same treatment.
Next Week: Flex Mentallo: Man of Muscle Mystery (Flex Mentallo 1-4). Written by Grant Morrison with art by Frank Quitely.
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