Batman: TAS: episode #39: Heart of Steel, part I

One of the hallmarks of the series was, as noted, the animation style that not only preserved the image of roughly 1920s Gotham, but was also elaborate enough to fully demonstrate modern storytelling. It's that "modern storytelling" angle that is key in Heart of Steel, part I, as the plot is centered around the concepts of artificial intelligence and robotic minions; scions of science fiction for decades, but enjoying a new lease on life in the early 90s as computers became ever faster and more powerful. In fact, this story borrowed heavily from the film that explored a new angle on the robots concept, which was Blade Runner. Initially rejected for what many saw as its complex story when first released in 1982, by the time this episode aired, a decade later, it had gained a significant following precisely because of its complexity and the questions it dared to ask; much like Batman: The Animated Series in its approach to its central figure. This borrowing from the film was further emphasized by one of this episode's lead characters, Karl Rossum, being not only based on J. F,. Sebastian, the introverted designer from Blade Runner, but voiced by the same William Sanderson, who played the role in the film.

Indeed, there's all kinds of technology, new and old, present in the first few minutes of this episode, with the briefcase robot conducting a planned heist, only to be pursued by our hero with the conveniently stashed Bat-glider on the top of Wayne Enterprises. We haven't come across many of the Bat-devices in the episodes we've covered so far. Many of them are associated with the goofier, adventurer version of the character from the 50s, but this one was a decent addition to the story. Speaking of early 80s films, the briefcase itself, with its tentacled feet, was an easy reminder of one of the more famous scenes from John Carpenter's The Thing. Bruce also refers to the project that is being stolen as not just AI, but also "wetware", which was normally only applied to biological entities with enhancements and not the silicon chips mentioned here, which makes me wonder if the writer (Brynne Stephens) either got her buzzwords mixed up or was encouraged to use them, regardless of plot, by the producers. It was around this same time that one of the more famous comic companies of the era, Image, emerged with two announced titles that slotted right into the SF of the era and this story in Wetworks and Cyber Force (akin to Rossum's company, Cybertron Industries) so, it was going around.

In terms of pure storytelling, it was amusing to see the cyber-briefcase react in the same way regular human criminals did to the appearance of The Batman, by immediately fleeing. It may have been artificial, but it was genuinely intelligent. Also, some more of the human elements to the cast and background of The Batman were present, with an appearance by Barbara Gordon, home from college, and her dad, Jim Gordon, and his attachment to Wubbie, her teddy bear. That's the most emotion that Jim Gordon has shown in the series that wasn't either anger or fear. Similarly, Alfred became more than just background humor, as he was directly involved in the action against the intruder in Wayne Manor. At this stage, the character was still the genteel and rather prim and proper person that most people associate with the comics and a far cry from the more exciting version that would appear in later years in productions like Gotham. That said, it was still encouraging to see him directly participate in the crises that follow his employer around.

But despite the human angle, the episode also stuck pretty closely to the artificial, as it were. The mastermind AI ends up fashioning "duplicants", just like Blade Runner's "replicants." Again, this was an obvious homage, given the presence of Sanderson, but it's a pretty fine line between referencing and following themes to just outright swiping and copying material. Sincerest form of flattery and all that, but there's a limit. That follows with the extremely elaborate and automated clawed rack for the Bat-glider which is foreshadowed to be the threat the episode's cliffhanger ends on when the AI takes over the Batcave's computer. There's enough meat here to comprise the two-episode storyline, but not without some rather glaring missteps, such as the laser security barrier that the briefcase simply slides under and which any human could have simply stepped over to get to the lab where the chips are held. Similarly, on a technical level, it was kind of jarring to see that the first few seconds of animation weren't the standard for the series which the episode reverts to after that point. The opening moments in the lobby are choppy and grainy and everyone in said lobby is moving in sync, as if there were simply fewer frames in it when originally produced. Studio accident or perhaps a hurried reshoot? Hard to tell. Regardless, part II will be next.