"I Am the Night" Re-Watch: "You Scratch My Back" & "Never Fear"

 The New Batman Adventures

New year, same "The New Batman Adventures." We've got a broodier Batman, a brattier Robin, questionable character redesigns and now we have Nightwing. Keep reading for Dick Grayson's first appearance as not Robin.

Batman: "Not bad."

Nightwing: "Yeah, for a guy 'your' age."

Nightwing enters the costumed vigilante Gotham City game. He's attempting to put a halt to the smuggling operation of a goon that goes by The Hook. Batman isn't convinced the former Robin can handle this on his own. Luckily for Nightwing, Nightwing has a supporter and partner in Catwoman. Or does he?

Ick.

If anything, this episode is notable for being the first animated series appearance of Dick Grayson as Nightwing. Nightwing is one of my favorite Bat characters and he is portrayed well in TNBA even if he does have that ponytail. So, while I appreciate him, this is a Catwoman story and a lackluster Catwoman story, at that. 

It's not that it is bad, per se. It hits the right beats. There is friction between Nightwing and his former mentor. Friction between Batgirl and Nightwing as well as their civilian identities. Dick still has a framed picture of he and Babs, but there is no solid answer if they are still dating. There is flirty Catwoman banter between she and Nightwing, rather than she and Batman. Scandalous!! The action sequences are solid and exciting. But....

This is the same Catwoman story we've seen so many times before on B: TAS. Catwoman makes uneasy alliance with Batman or member of his family. She ingratiates herself with them and just when you think she's actually trustworthy, she betray them. And we are all supposed to be surprised when the double cross happens. And wouldn't ya know it, Catwoman teams up with Nightwing. They work well together. Until it turns out that Catwoman was just using him to locate the smuggled shipment she'd stashed the Cat's Eye Emerald she stole. 

So, cool. Plus, there is the TNBA redesign of Catowman which in comparison to her B: TAS look is pretty atrocious. A simple black costume with that weird bluish white bottom half of her face. Is she painting the bottom half of her face white in costume? But why? Though, I will say I like her Selina Kyle look taking her to a more comics accurate slick black short 'do rather than the long blonde locks she rocked in B: TAS. The flirting between Catwoman and Nightwing made me feel squeamish. 

This episode checked all the boxes for a Catwoman caper and that is the problem.

Grade: C+

Robin: "This gas that takes away your fear, by any chance, did you breathe it?"

Batman: "Yes, but I can handle it."

Robin: [thrown around as the Batplane banks] "Oh, yeah?"

People in Gotham are becoming daredevils, leaving fear behind. This is of course a plan of The Scarecrow. Using Guru, he is administering a new gas, a gas that removes fear. When Batman is dosed, Robin quickly learns that a Batman without fear is not a Batman you want to be partnered with.

A successful redesign.

I wasn't sure about this episode when I first started watching it. It starts out fine. People swinging through the air and crashing into neon signs with abandon. Cool. Then, the Wayne Enterprises employee confronts Bruce, tells him off, quits and forcibly kisses Bruce's assistant. That last thing really made me squirm. Like, why is that a thing? Why is it pushed that if you're bold, a woman will automatically find you attractive, even if you kiss her without her consent? To the shows benefit, they don't play it as a joke and everyone in the room, Tim included is mortified. 

The thing that really made me roll my eyes was the "disguise" that Bruce wears to the Never Fear seminar . He's basically drawn on a pencil mustache and that's it. He's wearing the same suit he was wearing at Wayne Enterprises and... a pencil mustache. What? This is Batman. He created the Matches Malone identity and this is the "disguise" he comes up with. Oh and a really thick Noo Yawk accent. Lordt. These criminals are real dumb.

Then, Bruce gets doused with the Anti-Fear Toxin and the episode turns itself around. Batman with no fear is legitimately terrifying. The episode takes things that we have seen a million times on the show and makes them menacing. Take for instance Batman flying the Batplane. We are used to that, except now he's giving no fucks. Throwing the new Robin around, barely avoiding buildings and actual airplanes. When Batman captures Guru, he does the whole hang him off the side of a building interrogation move. OK. A Bats go-to. But this time, once he has the information, he walks away, his fraying Batrope ready to snap and allow Guru to plummet to his death. Thanks to some quick thinking from Robin, that doesn't happen. Or how about Batman trying to emotionally manipulate Robin when the new Boy Wonder has Bats tied up? It all just works so well.

The episode posits something that hasn't really been broached in the animated series up to this point. Is what hold back Batman from killing being afraid of the consequences of those actions? We want to believe that Batman doesn't kill his various rogues because of his moral compass. It is the right thing to do and he knows it is what separates them. But what if it was more simple than that? What if it isn't some high horse morality? It's something to think about it and I really enjoyed the episode bringing that question out.

This episode helps solidify the new Batman/Robin partnership. They lean on each other. Robin takes charge. Batman compliments him once the job is done. Good stuff. Also, this episode has one of the few successful character redesigns. I really enjoy the new Scarecrow look. The hangman's noose. The more exaggerated smile. It works.

Grade: B+

Next up, Joker becomes a millionaire and Clayface has a kid? 

What did you all think of these episodes? Does Catwoman deserve more? Were you a fan of a Batman that knows no fear? Let me know in the comments.