SUMMARY: RUNNING TIME: 272 Min.
Released by Warner Bros. Home Video in 2008, this final run of “The Batman” consists of thirteen 22-minute episodes (including a pair of two-parters as book-ends) on two discs. This time, Batman and his allies (Batgirl, Robin, & Alfred) host a familiar array of super-friends: Superman; Hawkman; Martian Manhunter; Green Arrow; Flash; and Green Lantern (Hal Jordan).
Beyond threats from the Joker, Bane, and the Penguin, Batman also faces off against Count Vertigo; Firefly; the Shadow Thief; Mirror Master; and Lex Luthor, among others. Ultimately, Batman and his fellow heroes must decide if there is truly strength in numbers by unifying as a Justice League.
Televised in 2007-2008, the episodes are:
# 1&2. Batman / Superman Story, Parts I & II.
Guest Appearances: Superman / Clark Kent; Lois Lane; Lex Luthor; Metallo; Clayface; Bane; Poison Ivy; Mr. Freeze; Black Mask; Mercy Graces; & Jimmy Olsen.
Plot: Superman, Lois, & Jimmy visit Gotham, as Lex Luthor unleashes his latest scheme. Beyond evading a mind-controlled Superman, Batman & Robin must thwart Luthor’s rocket-powered robotic army. Superman has second thoughts about turning down the newly-formed Justice League.
# 3. Vertigo.
Guest Appearances: Green Arrow & Count Vertigo.
Plot: Batman & Robin aid Green Arrow’s efforts to stop Count Vertigo’s takeover of Gotham City by using sound-amplifying mind control.
# 4. White Heat.
Guest Appearances: Firefly / Phosphorus & Blaze.
Plot: Firefly’s experimental upgrade leads to a showdown where Batman & Robin face a far more dangerous menace now calling himself Phosphorus.
# 5. A Mirror Darkly.
Guest Appearances: Flash & Mirror Master.
Plot: Flash, Batman, & Robin confront their evil mirror counterparts.
# 6. Joker Express.
Guest Appearances: None.
Plot: Batgirl aids the Dynamic Duo thwarting the Joker’s new train-themed plot.
# 7. Ring Toss.
Guest Appearances: Green Lantern (Hal Jordan) & Sinestro.
Plot: The Penguin seizes an opportunity to swipe Green Lantern’s power ring, and Hal Jordan must get it back with the Dynamic Duo’s help. Meanwhile, Sinestro seeks to destroy a temporarily powerless Jordan.
# 8. The Metal Face of Comedy.
Guest Appearance: Harley Quinn.
Plot: An on-line video game leads Batman & Robin into a showdown with Joker, Harley Quinn, and a giant-sized Joker robot. Nightwing makes an in-joke cameo.
# 9. Attack of the Terrible Trio.
Guest Appearances: None.
Plot: Batgirl summons Batman for help after three malicious college kids have acquired the ability to mutate into animals (a shark, fox, and vulture) similar to Man-Bat. Batman & Batgirl have their hands full in corralling these fiends. Note: The episode ends with an ominous inference re: prison life.
# 10. The End of the Batman.
Guest Appearances: Wrath & Scorn.
Plot: The Dynamic Duo’s evil counterparts are on the loose. Several Bat-villains make brief cameos.
# 11. What Goes Up.
Guest Appearances: Hawkman & Shadow Thief.
Plot: Shadow Thief’s theft of a gravity-defying weapon necessitates the Dynamic Duo’s team-up with Hawkman.
# 12&13. Lost Heroes, Parts I & II.
Guest Appearances: Superman; Green Lantern (Hal Jordan); Hawkman; Green Arrow; Martian Manhunter; Flash; Toyman; Mirror Master; the Joining; & Hugo Strange.
Plot: One by one, the Justice League’s most powerful members are abducted by a mysterious adversary. It’s up to Batman, Batgirl, Robin, & Green Arrow to save their kidnapped friends. Trying to reclaim their stolen super-powers from evil robots, the League desperately improvises to save Earth. Robin & Batgirl angle to become the League’s newest members.
BONUS FEATURES:
Included are two terrific featurettes: “Joining Forces – The Batman’s Legendary Team-Ups,” and a set of Justice League profiles for the season’s guest heroes. There are also some obligatory trailers.
REVIEW:
Despite its underwhelming animation, this final season is solid. A cool sense of continuity is an asset, too, as voice actors Dana Delany (Lois Lane), Clancy Brown (Lex Luthor), and George Newbern (Superman/Clark Kent) return with reliable efforts.
Not surprisingly, Batman’s all-star team-ups are the best episodes, including a top-notch season opening two-parter. Yet, why this guys-only Justice League excludes Wonder Woman, Zatanna Zatara, Black Canary, Vixen, and/or Hawkgirl is never explained. For that matter, there isn’t even a Catwoman caper this season.
Ironically, the adventures showcasing Batman & Robin are merely watchable. The lame “Joker Express” is the season’s big loser. It reminds viewers how the Joker’s woefully lame presence in this series is such a letdown. Yet, anchored by Batgirl’s well-written appearances, the surprisingly scary Terrible Trio episode, for instance, is close in spirit to the Bat-comics. While all these episodes are obviously toy commercials, “The Batman – The Complete Fifth Season” delivers surprisingly good entertainment.
QUALITY CONTROL:
It’s in standard-screen with excellent picture quality. The remote control access is easily accessible and comes with each episode’s scene selection.
PACKAGING:
Well-protected, the two discs each have sturdy storage pages. The back cover effectively conveys all of the pertinent information for Season Five.
BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING: 7 Stars
