"Emperor Joker!" was pretty wild. The opening was cute -- they acted out that infamous '50s cover where Batman has to wear a different-colored Batsuit each night, and I think they pretty much adapted the actual story behind that cover, though they threw in some visual homages to the title sequence of the '60s TV series.
The main story was apparently rather loosely based on the storyline of the same title from the comics, although here Joker got the reality-altering powers from Bat-Mite rather than Mxyzptlk, and Superman wasn't involved. But though it was a goofy story, it went surprisingly dark, with Joker actually killing Batman and resurrecting him multiple times -- not graphically, of course, and with the first death featuring a Tom and Jerry-style Batman "angel" with wings and a harp, which I think was a bit too silly. Still, it shows how loose the censorship is on this show, particularly this latest half-season, where characters seem to be dying on a weekly basis.
Also, some of Bat-Mite's fourth-wall breaking got a little cumbersome, like having him actually mention "A Death in the Family" and the phone poll to determine the fate of Jason Todd -- a character who's never even been mentioned in this show. I think that went a little too far. Still, overall, Paul Reubens's performance as Bat-Mite was a little more effective here than in his debut, I felt.
And Jeff Bennett as the Joker was in fine form here, doing a good job with the Joker at his maddest. It's the most I've ever enjoyed his version of the Joker.
Also noteworthy is the introduction of Harley Quinn, though a very different-looking version than we've seen before. The Joker's gang here is modeled on silent-film comedy stars -- Oliver Hardy, Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton, Harold Lloyd -- and colored in black-and-white. Harley is also in black-and-white and dressed in period clothing, though I'm not sure if her look is based on any actress in particular. But her voice (provided by Meghan Strange) is a soundalike for Betty Boop (Mae Questal). And Harley's standard costume does make an appearance -- on Bat-Mite, when Joker makes the imp into his court jester.
The main story was apparently rather loosely based on the storyline of the same title from the comics, although here Joker got the reality-altering powers from Bat-Mite rather than Mxyzptlk, and Superman wasn't involved. But though it was a goofy story, it went surprisingly dark, with Joker actually killing Batman and resurrecting him multiple times -- not graphically, of course, and with the first death featuring a Tom and Jerry-style Batman "angel" with wings and a harp, which I think was a bit too silly. Still, it shows how loose the censorship is on this show, particularly this latest half-season, where characters seem to be dying on a weekly basis.
Also, some of Bat-Mite's fourth-wall breaking got a little cumbersome, like having him actually mention "A Death in the Family" and the phone poll to determine the fate of Jason Todd -- a character who's never even been mentioned in this show. I think that went a little too far. Still, overall, Paul Reubens's performance as Bat-Mite was a little more effective here than in his debut, I felt.
And Jeff Bennett as the Joker was in fine form here, doing a good job with the Joker at his maddest. It's the most I've ever enjoyed his version of the Joker.
Also noteworthy is the introduction of Harley Quinn, though a very different-looking version than we've seen before. The Joker's gang here is modeled on silent-film comedy stars -- Oliver Hardy, Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton, Harold Lloyd -- and colored in black-and-white. Harley is also in black-and-white and dressed in period clothing, though I'm not sure if her look is based on any actress in particular. But her voice (provided by Meghan Strange) is a soundalike for Betty Boop (Mae Questal). And Harley's standard costume does make an appearance -- on Bat-Mite, when Joker makes the imp into his court jester.
