"I Am the Night" Rewatch: "Trial" & "Avatar"

Batman The Animated Series

It's been a minute. I feel like we've had this conversation before. I'm a slacker. But it's a new year. And, the good thing about this delay is that these two episodes were the first that I was able to watch on blu-ray and hoo boy. They look real good. So let's jump back into season 2.

Scarface: [as the Joker aims a gun] "No, you'll hit Croc."
The Joker: "What's your point?"

Gotham City has a new DA, Janet Van Dorn, and she isn't just after the city's criminals. She believes that Batman is the cause of Gotham's crazies problem and she wants to bring him down. When the inmates of Arkham hear this, they really think Van Dorn has hit on something. They take over Arkham, kidnap Batman and put him on trial with Van Dorn as his attorney. Can the DA convince a jury consisting of the Bats greatest foes and Judge Joker that he's innocent, when even she's not convinced?

Serious Hair

I've said it before and I'll say it again, it's a treat to watch an episode of B: TAS that is written by Paul Dini. Dini delivers another solid, entertaining episode with an assist from Bruce Timm. There's always been this debate whether Gotham is full of crazy psychos because of Batman or if Batman is the solution. Would Gotham just be your run of the mill cess pool if Batman didn't show up? Is he just as bad as the criminals that he puts into Arkham? B: TAS hasn't really touched on this too much in the past, so it's nice to see them take it on and I'm grateful that it was Dini with some help from Timm that decided it was time.

Creating a new character to explore this was a great idea and Janet Van Dorn is a great character. It's clear she loves Gotham and wants to make it a better place, she just wants to do it within the confines of the law. Not a huge shock. It's kind of refreshing to see a law enforcement figure in Gotham sort of bristle and rebel against the idea of vigilante justice. What makes Van Dorn awesome is that you get where she's coming from. Clearly, we are all Batman stans, but you get where she's coming from. She's also a hell of an attorney and she makes short work in Joker's kangaroo court. She realizes that these people would have become criminals with or without Batman. When things go south and Batman saves the day and her, it makes her realize that he is a necessary evil.

It's this last part where the episode sort of falters a bit. Van Dorn takes down each of the witnesses using their files. If she had access to these all along (and as a competent DA, I'm assuming she did and read them) she already knew the answer to the basic question this episode posed. It's sort of a clumsy wrap up for an otherwise deftly plotted episode.

I'm willing to forgive it because as always the characterization is so good. You're hard pressed to find a writer that really gets Batman's Rogues, but Dini nails it. Each of them have a moment to shine and Joker reaches new heights of hilarity as the judge.

All-in-all, a stellar episode and while I don't think we ever see Janet Van Dorn again, she makes a great impression.

Grade: B+

Bruce Wayne: "You surprise me, Ra's. The world's oldest chauvinist chasing after a woman?"

When Bruce Wayne donates a priceless Egyptian scroll to the Gotham museum it is promptly stolen. Some quick detective work shows that the culprit is none other than Ra's al Ghul. Batman teams up with Ra's' daughter, Talia, to track him down. Their search takes them to an ancient temple in Egypt. The scroll contains the location of the secret tomb of an ancient Egyptian ruler, Thoth Khepera. Ra's is going to use Thoth to harness the power of life and death, unless Bats and his daughter can stop him.

Daughters, man.

Just like the previous episodes featuring the al Ghul's, this one is a lot of fun. I like how these episodes take Batman out of Gotham and into other parts of the world. Sometimes Gotham can feel almost too insular, so it's nice to get Batman somewhere else. They also have this Indiana Jones feel to them which I really dig. 

My favorite part of the episode is probably the very beginning, which is a flashback to a young Ra's spelunking into the tomb. It's entirely wordless and it really showcases the stellar animation and the music. The score is wonderful and it's a really compelling sequence. I haven't touched much on the music in B: TAS, but it's really great and well thought. It lends this scene a nice sense of tension that is there with the visuals but the music helps to escalate it. 

I love that the theme of the episode is basically "Ra's the Chauvinist." He is not a fan of the ladies, which we know based on his relationship with Talia, so seeing him almost get his comeuppance at the hands of Thoth Khepera is really nice.

My main issue with this episode is that it follows a lot of the same beats as the past Ra's episode. Exotic locale? Check. Bruce and Talia team-up rife with sexual tension? Check. Ra's seeing immortality? Check. Talia stabbing Bruce in the back in the end? Check. It's not that it's not well done, because it is, but it's also a little bit boring. I'm not a huge fan of Talia's characterization. I'm so used to seeing her be this take charge, bad ass chick, it's a jolt to see her go back to this meek, daddy's girl. I'm still not totally invested in her relationship with Bruce, either.

All in all, a fun romp but I still wish there was a little more newness to the whole affair.

Grade: B

Next up, Poison Ivy gives up her life of crime to be the happy homemaker and the Terrible Trio makes its long awaited (?) debut.

What did you guys think about these episodes? Are you happy with Talia's characterization? Am I reading too much into Van Dorn's competency as DA? Let me know in the comments.