[8.1/10] This makes for a good introduction to Batgirl proper (outside of our previous, short introduction to Barbara Gordon several episodes back). Sometimes it’s subtle, some it isn’t, but the episode does a good job at giving us the “why” for Barbara fighting crime.
She’s capable of doing it because of her gymnastics abilities, which we see on display. Her initial reason for donning the cape and cowl is just to make Gotham think that The Batman is supporting her dad (which, ironically enough, he is). She’s driven to fight because she wants to clear her dad’s name and feels like even Batman himself won’t help her, so she has to take matters into her own hands. Hell, even the “hair out the back of the mask” setup gets a semi-convincing account here thanks to Robin trying to grab a hold of her. (Though his shocked, “a girl?!?!” reaction feels pretty silly twenty-five years later.)
Suffice it to say, it feels like the major goal of this episode is establishing Barbara Gordon as Batgirl, and in that, it passes with flying colors.
There’s also a good conflict to involve her in. I’ll admit, as soon as the episode introduced a new, never-before-seen Deputy Commissioner, and Eagle Scout Jim Gordon was arrested for corruption, I figured then and there that Mason was the guy who was actually corrupt, and trading intel with a gangster to move up in the chain of command while the gangster could move up in the crime world. (Granted, I thought that gangster was Rupert Thorne rather than Two-Face, but still!)
That said, I still like the conflict. It’s a nice twisty crime plot for Barbara and Jim to be involved with. It’s not especially plausible that good ol’ Jim Gordon would be on the take (which the episode only lightly suggests), but it still plays well as a “how are they going to get to the bottom of this one?” situation. Batgirl discovering not only that she knows who one of the goons is, but seeing him consort with Mason is a nice beat to play, and the “playing both sides” angle for Mason is a good one.
I also like how the episode manages to plausibly sideline Batman on this one. It’s been a while since we’ve seen him pull off the Matches Malone disguise. (Or wait, was he just pretending to be a random hobo?) It’s fun seeing him tailing the same goon, tracking down Harvey, and getting into a tight spot with his former pal in the process. Seeing “Matches” at Two-Face’s mercy makes for an interesting dynamic and Harv being so menacing plays like gangbusters.
It’s also a good episode visually. Per the episode title, the use of shadow and light when Batman is stalking Rupert Thorne is outstanding. The slanted neighborhood where Two-Face takes up residence is visually striking and helps maintain the divided motif in an eye-catching way. Granted, a lot of the characters look off-model in places -- Barbara in particular has a face a mile wide in certain frames -- but overall there’s some nice touches here.
On the whole, this episode sets up a cool conflict and does a nice job of establishing Batgirl. Hopefully it can maintain that momentum into part two.
Review by Andrew BloomVIP 9BlockedParentSpoilers2019-12-31T23:13:30Z
[8.1/10] This makes for a good introduction to Batgirl proper (outside of our previous, short introduction to Barbara Gordon several episodes back). Sometimes it’s subtle, some it isn’t, but the episode does a good job at giving us the “why” for Barbara fighting crime.
She’s capable of doing it because of her gymnastics abilities, which we see on display. Her initial reason for donning the cape and cowl is just to make Gotham think that The Batman is supporting her dad (which, ironically enough, he is). She’s driven to fight because she wants to clear her dad’s name and feels like even Batman himself won’t help her, so she has to take matters into her own hands. Hell, even the “hair out the back of the mask” setup gets a semi-convincing account here thanks to Robin trying to grab a hold of her. (Though his shocked, “a girl?!?!” reaction feels pretty silly twenty-five years later.)
Suffice it to say, it feels like the major goal of this episode is establishing Barbara Gordon as Batgirl, and in that, it passes with flying colors.
There’s also a good conflict to involve her in. I’ll admit, as soon as the episode introduced a new, never-before-seen Deputy Commissioner, and Eagle Scout Jim Gordon was arrested for corruption, I figured then and there that Mason was the guy who was actually corrupt, and trading intel with a gangster to move up in the chain of command while the gangster could move up in the crime world. (Granted, I thought that gangster was Rupert Thorne rather than Two-Face, but still!)
That said, I still like the conflict. It’s a nice twisty crime plot for Barbara and Jim to be involved with. It’s not especially plausible that good ol’ Jim Gordon would be on the take (which the episode only lightly suggests), but it still plays well as a “how are they going to get to the bottom of this one?” situation. Batgirl discovering not only that she knows who one of the goons is, but seeing him consort with Mason is a nice beat to play, and the “playing both sides” angle for Mason is a good one.
I also like how the episode manages to plausibly sideline Batman on this one. It’s been a while since we’ve seen him pull off the Matches Malone disguise. (Or wait, was he just pretending to be a random hobo?) It’s fun seeing him tailing the same goon, tracking down Harvey, and getting into a tight spot with his former pal in the process. Seeing “Matches” at Two-Face’s mercy makes for an interesting dynamic and Harv being so menacing plays like gangbusters.
It’s also a good episode visually. Per the episode title, the use of shadow and light when Batman is stalking Rupert Thorne is outstanding. The slanted neighborhood where Two-Face takes up residence is visually striking and helps maintain the divided motif in an eye-catching way. Granted, a lot of the characters look off-model in places -- Barbara in particular has a face a mile wide in certain frames -- but overall there’s some nice touches here.
On the whole, this episode sets up a cool conflict and does a nice job of establishing Batgirl. Hopefully it can maintain that momentum into part two.