I think this series still has at least a few more good Batman-related stories left to tell. I won't deny that after seeing the preview teasers for this episode, I was crazy pumped for this episode. With the return of Anarky, Lady Shiva, and the League of Assassins, there's nothing that could go wrong with this episode, or could it?
Episode Synopsis: (Some Spoilers)
Anarky is back once again to challenge Batman. This time, his plan is far more deadly. Stealing a valuable object from the League of Assassins, Anarky pins the blame on Batman. At the same time, Anarky informs Batman that he knows where he can find the League of Assassins. Although he knows it’s a trap, Batman goes with Katana anyway.
As it turns out, Anarky has led both Batman, Katana, Lady Shiva, and her ninja assassins to the Gotham Contagion Research Center (a building that handles rare and deadly viruses). Once inside, Anarky releases one of the airborne viruses called Calibosix (a cell mutation virus) in the building. Now Batman and the others have to find a way to escape before being dead or if the building's breach protocol is initiated the Gotham Contagion Research Center's Executive Director Jocelyn Kilroy (whose breach protocol approval was allowed by the Mayor and the Governor). To make matters worse, Gotham City will be doomed if the virus gets out. At the end, Anarky gives Lady Shiva the box which has Ra's al Ghul's body in it.
The Verdict:
First of all, holy hotcakes, Ra's al Ghul's first appearance in this series. Sure, we haven't seen him in action yet but to see that Anarky uncovered him first before the League of Assassins was very interesting. I know I said it before back in "Tests" but Anarky definitely pulls the strings in this series much like The Joker in Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight. Anarky isn't a terrifying individual like The Joker, but his means end in similar results. Anarky merely serves as this series' "agent of chaos." For our still amateur Dark Knight, Anarky serves as a great kickstarter to force Batman to push himself beyond his limitations and start thinking farther out of the box.
If viewers of this show haven't noticed by now, but the title of every episode in this season is the theme for the current episode. It's an intelligent means of storytelling, much like the theme of episode titles in Spectacular Spider-Man - The first three episodes are named after notions in biology, the next three are named after ones in economics, the following three are terms in chemistry, while the final four are notions in psychology. In other words, with an episode titled "Sacrifice", you know people are going to immediately jump to the assumption that someone is going to sacrifice themselves for the greater good.
Katana's "sacrifice" wasn't as bold as I would have desired as Batman still had to go back to save her in the end - not only from Lady Shiva's mutated henchmen but from the virus itself. It made it seem like Batman's initial plan to just escape the facility with Lady Shiva in tow before the virus could spread was pointless in the first place if Gordon and the rest of the GCPD were going to heed Batman's word (despite him being labelled as a vigilante in this series) and cancel their plans to simply blow the place. It just made Anarky's catch-22 rather pointless and stale. I know this is supposed to be a kids' show, but the ending just proved that Batman took Katana and Lady Shiva's advice to simply go back into the main room and get the cure in the first place they wouldn't have had to go through all of that drama to begin with. This is one of the only episodes where I must admit that Batman didn't seem too smart in the way he handled this situation, which proves clear as day that this Batman isn't as well-tuned nor as cunning as the Batman that many fans have come accustomed to over the years.
There is one minor thing that's been bothering me since Katana has joined Batman as his impromptu sidekick. Why the FUCK is she running around Gotham without wearing any gloves? Apparently, she doesn't care if her identity gets exposed to the masses. Lady Shiva didn't seem to care in the least at her costume as she still addressed her by name. All that I'm asking is a little attempt at giving her a proper crime-fighting attire, rather than a mere Robin-esque mask to go with the same clothes that she's been wearing since the first episode of this series.
Was anyone else surprised as I was when Batman hit Lady Shiva in the face without even holding back? Sure, Lady Shiva shrugs it off like it was nothing, but that took me back a bit. Wow, I thought Batman had issues hitting girls, but apparently not this iteration of the Caped Crusader. Regardless, that still shocked me from the message that they are sending with this show. Cartoon Network went the extra mile to edit out transitional firearms in this show with ones taken directly from a science fiction movie, while hitting a woman goes unchallenged in this show? It seems a bit odd there.
While we are on the topic of women in this series, let's talk about the newcomer Jocelyn Kilroy. If Batman's decision-making was seen as questionable in this episode, then you can toss Kilroy into that hat as well. Despite looking for Gotham City's best interests, she was portrayed as the law enforcement officer who does everything by the book, reminiscent of Officer Renee Montoya in Batman: The Animated Series - with the difference being that Kilroy being a complete bitch in this situation. She completely undermines Gordon's authority at every turn. I have to wonder why she didn't go ahead and have the facility blown up after getting the governor's authority to do so. Gotham City would have been rid of it's vigilante problem, the virus would have gone up in smoke, and the League of Assassins would be out of commission with Lady Shiva out of the picture.
While the episode as a whole left a bit to be desired in storytelling department, it was great to see the League of Assassins and the Bat-Family at the center of Anarky's latest plot to plunge Gotham City into utter chaos. As viewers ponder what is to come from the pending awakening of the League of Assassins' true leader, Ra's al Ghul, I'm giving this episode a 2.75 out of 5 rating for the week.
If viewers of this show haven't noticed by now, but the title of every episode in this season is the theme for the current episode. It's an intelligent means of storytelling, much like the theme of episode titles in Spectacular Spider-Man - The first three episodes are named after notions in biology, the next three are named after ones in economics, the following three are terms in chemistry, while the final four are notions in psychology. In other words, with an episode titled "Sacrifice", you know people are going to immediately jump to the assumption that someone is going to sacrifice themselves for the greater good.
Katana's "sacrifice" wasn't as bold as I would have desired as Batman still had to go back to save her in the end - not only from Lady Shiva's mutated henchmen but from the virus itself. It made it seem like Batman's initial plan to just escape the facility with Lady Shiva in tow before the virus could spread was pointless in the first place if Gordon and the rest of the GCPD were going to heed Batman's word (despite him being labelled as a vigilante in this series) and cancel their plans to simply blow the place. It just made Anarky's catch-22 rather pointless and stale. I know this is supposed to be a kids' show, but the ending just proved that Batman took Katana and Lady Shiva's advice to simply go back into the main room and get the cure in the first place they wouldn't have had to go through all of that drama to begin with. This is one of the only episodes where I must admit that Batman didn't seem too smart in the way he handled this situation, which proves clear as day that this Batman isn't as well-tuned nor as cunning as the Batman that many fans have come accustomed to over the years.
There is one minor thing that's been bothering me since Katana has joined Batman as his impromptu sidekick. Why the FUCK is she running around Gotham without wearing any gloves? Apparently, she doesn't care if her identity gets exposed to the masses. Lady Shiva didn't seem to care in the least at her costume as she still addressed her by name. All that I'm asking is a little attempt at giving her a proper crime-fighting attire, rather than a mere Robin-esque mask to go with the same clothes that she's been wearing since the first episode of this series.
Was anyone else surprised as I was when Batman hit Lady Shiva in the face without even holding back? Sure, Lady Shiva shrugs it off like it was nothing, but that took me back a bit. Wow, I thought Batman had issues hitting girls, but apparently not this iteration of the Caped Crusader. Regardless, that still shocked me from the message that they are sending with this show. Cartoon Network went the extra mile to edit out transitional firearms in this show with ones taken directly from a science fiction movie, while hitting a woman goes unchallenged in this show? It seems a bit odd there.
While we are on the topic of women in this series, let's talk about the newcomer Jocelyn Kilroy. If Batman's decision-making was seen as questionable in this episode, then you can toss Kilroy into that hat as well. Despite looking for Gotham City's best interests, she was portrayed as the law enforcement officer who does everything by the book, reminiscent of Officer Renee Montoya in Batman: The Animated Series - with the difference being that Kilroy being a complete bitch in this situation. She completely undermines Gordon's authority at every turn. I have to wonder why she didn't go ahead and have the facility blown up after getting the governor's authority to do so. Gotham City would have been rid of it's vigilante problem, the virus would have gone up in smoke, and the League of Assassins would be out of commission with Lady Shiva out of the picture.
While the episode as a whole left a bit to be desired in storytelling department, it was great to see the League of Assassins and the Bat-Family at the center of Anarky's latest plot to plunge Gotham City into utter chaos. As viewers ponder what is to come from the pending awakening of the League of Assassins' true leader, Ra's al Ghul, I'm giving this episode a 2.75 out of 5 rating for the week.
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