"I Am the Night" Rewatch: "Night of the Ninja" and "Cat Scratch Fever"

Batman: The Animated Series

One thing that B: TAS struggled with was trying to introduce antagonists outside of the comic book source material. They didn't always fail, but for ever Rupert Thorne there was a Sewer King. Sometimes it doesn't matter, because the villain is just a means to an end. Sometimes it matters very much. In this post, we will be dealing with one of the most memorable original villains that B: TAS ever introduced.

"Of course you would remember the man you ruined. Thanks to you, I was thrown out of the dojo like a common thief!"

A ninja is robbing Wayne Enterprises companies. When Batman confronts him, a torn costume reveals a back tattoo that Batman recognizes. The thief was a student under Bruce's sensei when he trained in Japan: Kyodai Ken. Ken resented Wayne and was the only student who could best him. He was thrown out of the dojo when Bruce caught him trying to steal an ancient sword. Now, Ken has returned for his revenge. Can Batman stop Ken while protecting his secret identity from intrepid reporter Summer Gleeson?

Everybody was kung fu fighting.

I really liked this as a kid. What's not for a ten-year-old boy to like? Ninjas are cool. Batman fighting ninjas is cool. Case closed. I suppose I could leave it at that, but my feelings have changed a little bit as an adult. Don't get me wrong. Ninjas are still cool. Batman fighting ninjas are still cool, but there's more to this than that.

I had totally forgotten that Robin was in this episode. He saves Batman's bacon a couple of times. First in his rooftop encounter with Kyodai Ken and then in their final confrontation. He also provides some of the episodes only comedic moments. His "conversation" with Batman after he saves him is the highlight of the episode.

Summer Gleeson features prominently in the episode. She's made small appearances here and there but she really gets her Vicki Vale on in this one. I never really understood why they didn't just use Vicki Vale, especially since so much of the series was filtered through the lens of Burton's Batman films. 

The main issue with the episode is the central conflict between Batman and Kyodai Ken. It's difficult to be on Batman's side. The flashbacks are problematic. The "oriental" music that plays in the background is unnecessary and tone deaf. The writers bend over backwards to turn Kyodai Ken into a bad guy. Bruce Wayne is an interloper in the dojo. He is only there because of the privilege that his skin color grants him. Ken has a right to be resentful. He has worked hard his whole life and now there is this rich Westerner who comes in when he hasn't really earned his place. The episode tells us over and over again that Bruce is second only to Kyodai Ken, and we can't have that. Turning Ken into a thief, doesn't really track. Honor means a lot to him. The reason why he would do that is never really clearly explained.

The final confrontation between Bruce and Kyodai Ken is ultimately disappointing. When Ken and Bruce square off with Summer watching, Ken seems to have the upper hand, still the superior fighter. He even blackens Bruce's eye! It's exciting to watch, but as soon as Robin unlatches the carpet and Summer can't see the action, Bruce immediately gets the upper hand. He easily bests Kyodai Ken and any tension the episode had pretty much evaporates. Ken knows he's beaten, retreats and that is that. It's a pretty big let down.

This is the first episode that didn't really live up to my memory of it, which was a bummer. Kyodai Ken makes a return appearance in a future episode, so maybe that episode will be better.

Grade: C+

Batman: checking Catwoman for a fever "You're hot.

Catwoman: "Now you notice."

Selina Kyle is released from prison and sentenced to probation. The judge gives her a warning. If she suits up as Catwoman to commit crime, then she'll be headed to prison. Selina's assistant, Maven, lets Selina know that her precious cat Isis has gone missing. While she's out searching, she runs into people stealing strays off the street. It turns out the thugs work for Roland Daggett. Catwoman launches an investigation and finds that Daggett is manufacturing a plague he plans to release. He's testing it on strays that he will use to spread it. Daggett Labs will be the only ones with the antidote. When Catwoman is infected, it raises the already impossibly high stakes.

Cat's in the... road.

This is the first episode to feature Catwoman since "The Cat and the Claw." It was nice to see Selina back in action. The courtroom scene is very interesting. It's obvious that the show is turning Selina away from villainy. The audience in the courtroom's rapturous reaction to Selina's probation sentence just drives that point home. 

The episode kind of takes its time getting to the point. It's not necessarily super compelling watching Selina search for her cat, beating up on Daggett's bumpkin thugs aside. It's not great that Selina is sidelined so early in the episode, basically turning her into another damsel that Batman needs to save, even though it does give her the opportunity to deliver the episodes best line I quoted above. 

Daggett's plot is more convoluted that it really needs to be. And the episode overall is just kind of boring. The problem with infecting Selina with the virus is that you know that she's going to get out of it just fine, which sort of saps any sort of dramatic tension, so it's mainly just watching Batman go through the motions. 

Remember how earlier we were talking about kind of lame B: TAS created villains? Well, this episode features perhaps the lamest, Professor Milo. He's basically a bland non-entity and I'm pretty sure he show's up in Catwoman's next featured episode. 

Grade: C-

Well, this kind of bummed me out. Looking forward, Batman's secret identity is in danger and then Barbara Gordon helps Batman get his robot on.

Did anyone else really love "Night of the Ninja" as a kid and maybe enjoy it less as an adult? Am I crazy? Maybe don't answer that last one. Do you think I'm way off base in feeling like some of these original villains are kind of the worst? Let me know in the comments.