Beware the Batman: Allies, Review
Beware the Batman looks like it's gaining momentum with two high quality episodes in a row! Not only that, but it's feeling more and more like a proper Batman show, with some familiar elements starting to creep in from the sidelines.
“Allies” is, for the most part, a thinly plotted episode that’s saved by a stack of terrific character moments, particularly those involving the Jim and/or Barbara Gordon. Jim Gordon’s interactions with Tobias Whale (who spends virtually the entire episode handcuffed or in a prison cell) ring true. In fact, if you took away the fact that you know you’re watching an iconic comic book character interacting with a villain with a rather on-the-nose name, this could fit on any network cop show. It’s great, and Kurtwood Smith’s Gordon is an immensely likeable presence. But that’s not all…Get ready for plenty of Barbara Gordon, who isn’t quite ready to be Batgirl yet, but it’s clear where her head is at. Jim’s discovery of Babs’ more than casual interest in the Dark Knight is what leads him to think that maybe Bats is someone he can trust, and we finally get a proper Batman/Gordon rooftop chat in front of the bat-signal. May there be many more! Barbara Gordon is someone we’ll be seeing more of, although I wouldn’t expect her to be putting on a cape any time soon. Then again…who knows?Katana is now officially on the scene as Batman’s partner (although he won’t admit it), and after making us wait eight episodes, it was worth it. This had to feel earned, and while I still feel that they could have gotten to this a little quicker, it was probably wise to not try and shove a new partner for Batman down the audience’s throats. There’s a genuinely funny reveal right before she gets herself together for her first mission, too. Some of Batman’s quippy “lessons” for her were a little forced, and the show will do well to just show them as equals rather than master and student in future episodes.Oh yeah, and “Doctor” Phosphorous, ummmm…I mean, Phosphorous Rex, Esquire, is a pretty cool visual, but after an episode full of great character moments and hardboiled dialogue, he seemed a little out of place. He was defeated a little too conveniently for my tastes, which didn’t help the rather shoehorned feel of his big reveal at the end. All in all, though, this was a solid episode, and one that finally feels like they aren’t shying away from some familiar Batman elements. The measured approach is working, though, and here’s hoping that they can pull off the hat trick with a third quality episode in a row next week!Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter for all news updates related to the world of geek. And Google+, if that’s your thing!
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Mike Cecchini is a man with a deep and abiding love of comics published before he was born, low-budget sci-fi, lo-fi garage rock, giant monster movies,…