Plot summary: Batman engages in a frantic race against time to save a dear friend on the 30th anniversary of his parents’ death.
(Originally published on The Reel World October 4th, 2020)
Notes
Original Air Date: September 17th, 1992
Directed: Boyd Kirkland (7)
Written: Gerry Conway (1)
Animated: Dong Yang Animation Co., LTD. (6)
Music: Stuart Balcomb (2)
This episode is similar to Dennis O’Neil’s story ‘There Is No Hope in Crime Alley’, which makes sense as O’Neil’s Batman run is one of the show’s largest influences.
One of Bruce’s chain gang buddies from ‘The Forgotten’ appears as a Park Row resident. This kind of thing frequently happens to save time, but I actually think it makes canonical sense given his circumstances.
Bill Finger is referenced via a street name. You may have seen Bob Kane’s name in the credits of Batman media because for decades he was credited as the sole creator of Batman. Not to rant, but Bill Finger’s contributions were FAR greater, and Kane and his estate infamously denied him any credit until after his passing, going so far as to have Kane’s tombstone specifically call him the sole creator. Fuck Bob Kane forever.
Recap
Keeping with the theme of our last episode, we open with Roland Daggett watching a clock ahead of a massive explosion in Gotham…
Except it was neither massive, nor was it Gotham but rather a replica. Why? To demonstrate the expertise of Mr. Nitro, who has been hired to set off an explosion and make it look like a ruptured gas pipe. They agree the plan will go down at 9pm while Daggett is giving a speech.
Summer Gleeson (remember her?) gives a TV report about Daggett’s failed proposal to demolish some apartment buildings on Park Row. Once a glamorous neighbourhood, it is now better known as Crime Alley.
Bruce Wayne furiously works out while watching the report. More so than usual, I mean. Daggett tells the press about how the development work is necessary to eliminate the criminal element in the area. Yep, we’re doing a gentrification story, baby!
Batman races off to an ominous “appointment” but gets distracted along the way saving a woman from thugs who have been trying to forcibly evict the building’s residents. Gee, I wonder who they work for…
Dr. Leslie Tompkins grows worried when “he” is late for a meeting at the Park Row Community Center and heads off to look for “him”. She instead stumbles on Mr. Nitro and goons rigging a condemned building to explode. Panicking, they tie her up in the basement and depart for their next location.
Batman is of course revealed as “him”, racing off to try and find Leslie. Unfortunately he gets distracted yet again, this time resolving a hostage situation.
Letting himself into Leslie’s apartment, Batman starts looking through her scrapbook in order to convey the exposition that she comforted Bruce in the aftermath of his parents’ murder 30 years ago.
Thankfully Batman isn’t the only creepy man lurking around Tompkins’ house though, as a rando who saw her get kidnapped is peering through the window.
Batman gets him to talk and then heads off to save Leslie, only you guessed it: he’s distracted yet again! This time by a runaway tram.
One Batmobile chase later and Bats is able to get in front of the tram and then slam on the breaks and bring it to a gentle stop, disintegrating two of his tires in the process, but saving everybody on board. He locks the Batmobile down as he’s forced to abandon it.
Descending on Nitro, Batman grills him about his activities and learns Leslie’s location. He rescues her, diffusing the bomb in the process, and then on her insistance heads off to do the same for others in the area.
Daggett concludes his speech at 9pm and while several explosions go off, levelling much of Park Row, Batman was able to save an inhabited hotel. He tries to pull a “gotcha” on Daggett, tossing his captured cronies at his feet, but Daggett is able to deny all involvement and leaves with a smirk on his face.
Batman and Leslie take a stroll together, discussing Daggett and the residents of the area. Bruce stops to lay a rose down on the pavement, telling her that good people still live here as she embraces him. Aww.
Best Performance
This one is a real toss-up, but Kevin Conroy is on top form, exhibiting rage, emotional pain, swagger, and general heroism. His voice changes depending on who he’s talking to, and without that this all falls apart, given the problematic aspects of the character.
Ed Asner gets more time to talk, and I always enjoy hearing him. Daggett is in the same wheelhouse as Rupert Thorne, but more of a crooked businessman than out and out mobster, and I think Asner delivers on that brief.
Once upon a time I also greatly enjoyed hearing Jeffrey Tambor talk, but that’s not really true anymore. I’m not disqualifying him just because of that though, I sincerely don’t think his dual role as Crocker and a SWAT dude is best in show.
David Lander’s Nitro is fun, and Diana Muldaur manages to be a sufficiently sweet old lady without robbing the final scene of its gravitas.
Ranking
I really like following up an episode about a villain obsessed with time with one about Batman racing against the clock. We learn in the first minute that bad stuff is going down at 9pm and are then are frequently updated on the current time as new obstacles pop up, each wasting valuable minutes even if we remain sure Batman will save the day in the end.
But that’s the thing: He only partially saves the day in the end. Sure, he prevents loss of life, but Daggett’s plan mostly succeeds and he gets away with it while Batman can only scowl. It’s more win than loss, but any loss whatsoever is kind of a wild outcome for this show. Props.
That’s before we even get into what this episode does in terms of simultaneously humanising and mythologizing Batman, as he tirelessly runs a gauntlet of random crimes on the way towards rescuing somebody who we learn has been one of his only friends for thirty years. From memory the show never gets into the specifics of his past – and lord knows we’ve seen that scene enough over the years – so this is a nice little half-measure.
Beyond that, they deployed three of their most effective little tactics;
Use of Shadow: It may be brief, but the tussle in the apartment building is gorgeous, with the vigilante overcoming the numbers disadvantage by blending into the shadows.
Reacting to Batman: First there’s a neat little character moment as a SWAT officer gawps at Bats walking past him, unaware of who he was talking to so brazenly a moment ago. Then there’s the crowds gathering open-mouthed after Batman stops the tram.
Batman Knows All: During the final confrontation Batman puts all his focus on Crocker, who he knows works for Daggett. But he then pivots towards Nitro as he tries to slink away, fully aware of his history of arson. It’s such a small touch, but it always goes down a storm when Bats is a step ahead of everyone.
This episode also proves you can tell compelling Batman stories without leaning on The Rogues Gallery; the villain in this episode was time, and it turns out Batman can beat that too (again, for the most part).
Honestly, I don’t really have any complaints, to the point I’m willing to make it our new number 7. It’s incredibly strong on a conceptual level, and the only thing missing would be the strong villain presence I just said they proved they didn’t make. Whatever, we contain multitudes.
- Heart of Ice
- Two-Face Part 1
- Joker’s Favor
- Feat of Clay Part 2
- Beware the Gray Ghost
- Vendetta
- Appointment In Crime Alley (NEW ENTRY)
- Feat of Clay Part 1
- On Leather Wings
- Pretty Poison
- Two-Face Part 2
- It’s Never Too Late
- See No Evil
- The Clock King
- The Cat and the Claw Part 1
- P.O.V.
- Christmas with the Joker
- Fear of Victory
- Be a Clown
- The Cat and the Claw Part 2
- Nothing to Fear
- Prophecy of Doom
- The Last Laugh
- The Under-Dwellers
- The Forgotten
- I’ve Got Batman in My Basement
Rogues Roundup
Roland Daggett (Edward Asner) (third appearance)
Unfortunately Germs & Bell are nowhere to be seen, but that’s offset by Asner getting more lines and thus more opportunities for Acting. He doesn’t set the world on fire, because again, the actual villain of this episode is time itself, but it’s enough to ensure he doesn’t drop down the rankings now he isn’t flanked by his quirky, charismatic henchmen. Letting him kind of get one over on Batman and walk away is a nice touch.
Nitro and Crocker don’t really talk enough to fill the void. They’re fine enough, but don’t merit discussion.
- Joker
- Mr. Freeze
- Two-Face
- Clayface
- Poison Ivy
- Catwoman
- Clock King
- Killer Croc
- Rupert Thorne
- Lloyd Ventrix
- Scarecrow
- Roland Daggett (and Germs & Bell!)
- Red Claw
- Arnold Stromwell
- Mad Bomber
- Man-Bat
- Nostromos (and Lucas!)
- Harley Quinn
- Penguin
- Sewer King
- Boss Biggis
The Matt Signal 
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