Review: BATMAN: CAPED CRUSADER 1×03 – “Kiss of the Catwoman”
[Editor’s Note: This review may contain spoilers]
Directed by: Christopher Berkeley
Written by: [Story] Ed Brubaker & Bruce Timm, [Teleplay] Adamma Ebo & Adanne Ebo
Starring: Hamish Linklater, Diedrich Bader, Krystal Joy Brown, Jason Watkins, John DiMaggio, Gary Anthony Williams, Christina Ricci, Santino Barnard, Jeff Bennett, Jamie Chung, Grey Griffin, Jackie Hoffman, Tom Kenny, Yuri Lowenthal
Reviewed by: Joshua Raynor
Summary
Batman: Caped Crusader 1×03 – Selina Kyle turns to a life of crime as the daring Catwoman after her multi-millionaire father goes to prison, leaving her strapped for cash.
Positives
This episode served as a wonderful introduction to one of Batman’s most iconic villains (and future love interest) as we get to see Selina Kyle’s first outing as Catwoman. In this episode, she is shown as a spoiled rich girl whose father is locked up in prison. She doesn’t really know how to function without Daddy’s money, and by the end she loses everything.
One of the things I have loved so far about this series is the use of original comic book versions of characters, which is something we rarely see. I talked about Alfred in the first episode, and Clayface in the second, and the trend continues with Catwoman donning one of her original costumes from the 40’s. It’s a fantastic look and I was so thrilled to see it.
Christina Ricci comes in to voice Catwoman, and she does such an incredible job. She’s seductive, yet a little naive, which is perfect for this early version of the character. She hasn’t quite become the mental and physical foil for Batman that we see in their later years, and I am excited to see the character progress.
We also got a small introduction to another well-known character in the Batman universe — Dr. Harleen Quinzel aka Harley Quinn. Dr. Quinzel serves as Bruce’s therapist in this episode, giving us a look at her before she becomes the infamous villain loved by so many. Now, I know it had already been revealed prior to the show coming out that this version of Harley Quinn would be different, as we’ve seen images of her in a gold and black suit. We also know that this version of the character is Asian and has black hair and slightly darker skin, as opposed to the blonde hair and pale white skin of the original version.
What I love about this is that Harley Quinn was first introduced in Batman: The Animated Series as The Joker’s henchwoman/girlfriend of sorts, but here, in this spiritual successor to that show, we get the introduction to a whole new version of this character, who, at least from what we’ve seen so far, seems to be her own woman who is able to outsmart Bruce, and will hopefully be a force to reckon with.
We also get a peek at Bruce’s past, centered around the death of his parents. However, what I love is that we never actually see their death. That is something that has been shown so many times in various forms of media, so much so that people have complained about it, including myself, so I was happy that it was referenced but not shown. Instead, they show the aftermath and how it began to affect Bruce at that early stage in his life.
Something else I noticed in this episode that I wanted to bring up was how Hamish Linklater manages to shift Bruce’s voice depending on who he’s around and what situation he’s in. When he’s playing the part of billionaire playboy Bruce Wayne, his voice is lighter and smoother, but when he’s around Alfred, even when he’s not in the suit, the classic Batman voice comes out, showing us that the real mask he’s wearing is that of Bruce Wayne, and not the Batman.
Finally, I wanted to also mention that we get a bigger role out of Bullock’s partner, Flass. This is a long-running character from the world of Batman who has been in several different forms of media, but it’s nice to see him get a bit more to do here — and he may even be dirtier than Bullock is, which should make for some interesting interactions with the Dark Knight.
Negatives
My only negative is where the heck did Selina, who’s broke, get a black panther? Did she steal it from the zoo just for that job? And what happened to it afterward? I need to know!
Verdict
This was another great episode, and definitely lived up to my expectations. We got another major Batman villain locked up, and I can’t wait for the inevitable jailbreak that will cause all sorts of havoc for Bruce. Also, I am so looking forward to Dr. Quinzel’s first appearance in the suit.
Score: 5/5
