Batman: TAS, episode #1: The Cat and the Claw

The HBO listing begins where the series did, with Catwoman being a Robin-Hood-of-the-animals, as she steals to raise money for the environmental/wildlife causes that she's dedicated her life to. In the process, she runs across the operations of a terrorist group, led by the mysterious Red Claw who, in a nod to The Batman's rather overt sexism ("So, this new cat burglar is a woman-!") is, uh, also a woman. So, there's more than a bit to examine here.

First off, let's start with the positive: Adrienne Barbeau ("Just call me Billie! Everyone does!") plays the role of Catwoman and delivers the appropriate amount of both sultry and belligerent dialogue that has frequently defined the character. The producers pulled no punches with the immediate ignition of sexual tension between her and our title character. This is a longstanding tenet to their interaction. Adam West commented ruefully on the relationship he had with Julie Newmar on the set of the Batman TV series, where the latter played up that sexual tension off-camera so that the frisson of their scenes was often a real thing. He said she would leave him suggestive notes on the steps of his trailer so that she was never far from his mind. In this story, given that they play into that relationship in their alter egos (leaning a bit hard on the "if only this were Batman outside this door" routine, IMO), it's fair to say that the producers wanted there to be no mistaking what was really happening between the two characters, even for the kids for whom the show was ostensibly intended. Given that sex is always the most untouchable of taboos when it comes to American media supposedly aimed at children, I think it was interesting that they declared their intent right out of the gate. Yes, it's a cartoon and, yes, it's a character that's been acclimated for children by cultural perception, but it was clear that their approach wasn't going to abandon elements of the character that had been maintained for decades, to whatever degree.

By contrast, this was a presentation of Catwoman that producer Bruce Timm has said that he was never quite comfortable with. The switch from self-interested thief to fervent environmentalist is a significant one. It certainly makes her a more sympathetic character to much of the audience and introduces the trend that Timm and Co. felt was important to highlight throughout the series; in that the "bad guys" aren't necessarily just the people in the weird outfits, but often the far wealthier and societally-acceptable types. That plays right into the zeitgeist of the time, dominated as it was by the Reagan religion ("Greed is good!"), where outsiders to society, including a few wealthy types like Bruce Wayne, were starting to drift from the perspective that money solves everything.

Similarly, Red Claw is kind of a mishmash of socio-cultural realities of the time. When this was released, the USSR and its satellites were in free-fall. Without the ominous presence of the Soviets, the world's attention had already turned to the imminent threat of international terrorism as the bogeyman of the day. But it seems like the writers couldn't entirely abandon the old tropes, since she's still "red" and still speaks in some contortion of an Eastern European accent by Kate Mulgrew, of Star Trek Voyager fame, who would go on to revive that accent as Galina "Red" Reznikov in Orange is the New Black. So, in this episode, Red Claw is kind of the generic "enemy" that The Batman and Catwoman will have to face together, one for the law and one for the environment (Natural law?), but she doesn't bring a lot of character or memorable impact to either episode or series, in general.

Again, in contrast, it's interesting to note that Selina's cat, Isis, is a fully-fledged character of this episode. Time is taken to show her reactions (initial hostility to the Batman and then terror at his reappearance; a need to be comforted after Catwoman's dive off the skyscraper) and also her actions (struggling to get out of the window with the jewels in a cute touch; we wait to see her successful leap in the chase across the rooftops) until finally she's rescued from an oncoming truck by The Batman and Catwoman retrieves her. There's a common approach in visual media where someone granted a first-person perspective is highlighted as someone especially important to the story (see: Game of Thrones as a good example.) Isis is given that perspective when we see the laser defenses of the jewels through her eyes before the successful robbery. In that way, we know as an audience member that she is important and concern for her well-being amidst the action is played up as an element of the story.

We also get our first moment with Commissioner Jim Gordon, who makes sure to warn his people cleaning up the attempted theft of US Army weapons that: "These guys are crazy!" and then proceeds to hold a conversation with a guy dressed as a bat... Said weapons are also Thompson submachine guns, carrying the mixed timeline theme forward as one of "generally 20th century, but probably earlier than you'd think", which accompanies the general Dick Tracy look of the assembled mobsters whom The Batman shakes down for info on Red Claw. The closeup on Gordon and subsequent ones with Selina also demonstrate the animation decision to not give anyone pupils. Like the blank, white slits of the main character, no one's eyes will get more detail than a single-colored dot, with emotion displayed by the contortion of the face around them. This decision is highlighted multiple times in this episode, where reactions are shown clearly both without dialogue and leading into confirming dialogue (Bruce obviously agreeing to postpone their date before mouthing that agreement, for example.) While the pupil absence could be seen as simply a style choice, I think it's part of the decision to overtly demonstrate subtle emotions on the face of these characters that was often lacking in animation of the day.

The episode doesn't shy away from the little touches of the comics, either, such as when Catwoman uses her famous cat-trops in the ventilation shaft to deter pursuit or when the unreality of the situation is pointedly emphasized as she commits the attempted homicide (throwing The Batman off the roof) of the man she's infatuated with, simply assuming that he'll be able to save himself. On that note, it's essential to point out the role that Timm and Co. have assigned Bruce Wayne in this version of the stories. In many cases, he's portrayed as a dilettante playboy who can't possibly help himself. But in BTAS (and Steve Engelhart's work; we'll come back to this a lot), Bruce is assertive and confident in his actions; showing far more of his Batman side than is normally employed. Indeed, at one point, you could argue that he goes past assertive to mildly creepy when he grabs Selina's arm at the fundraiser to insist upon the date that she's won. It's certainly a more natural portrayal of the type of person one would except Bruce to be, given his background and especially in this series, when he's shown to be far more interested in throwing his weight around to the benefit of his interests, rather than simply riding the tide of his bank balance. Plus, one interesting little touch of HBO's was presenting this as the first episode in the series, just as Fox did in the original broadcast, but saving part 2 for the eighth episode presented, rather than immediately following part 1. It gives The Batman's final line "And there will be a next time." a bit more weight and gives the impression of the "living world", where many things are happening and stories are not uninterrupted or linear, that has made Marvel's productions even more effective. The simple choice of timing can be disastrous (see: Firefly), but can also be a subtly positive touch, as it is in this case.

Next time, we encounter a guy who really dresses up as a bat, with On Leather Wings.