B:TAS "On Leather Wings" Talkback (Spoilers) [Archive]

James Harvey

02-23-2002, 02:02 PM

Discuss the Batman: The Animated Series episode that started it all!

http://www.worldsfinestonline.com/WF/batman/btas/episodes/onleatherwings/00.jpg
Episode #001 - On Leather Wings
Original Airdate - September 6th, 1992

When a horrifying bat creature terrorizes Gotham City, the authorities conclude it must be Batman and put out an all-points bulletin on the Dark Knight. Batman's investigation leads him to the laboratory of Kirk Langstrom, who has been experimenting with a formula that turns him into the ManBat creature. Not only does Batman have to capture Man-Bat in order to save Langstrom, but also to set the police straight and clear his name.

Comments?

The Penguin

02-23-2002, 08:54 PM

Even with the DVDs coming out I've bought my video tapes and I'm pumped and ready to go! The only sad thing it is will be 109 weeks before all the episodes have aired on Saturday night/Sunday morning. :(

It's been too long since I've seen "On Leather Wings" so I'm looking forward to seeing it again. Even if it is on late :yawn:

Jedigreedo

02-23-2002, 09:55 PM

So is it only one episode being shown? I want a marathon! Like Nick at Nite has when they get another series added or like TVLand used to have not too long ago on weekends, they'd show episodes from one series for 48 hours straight. :)

The Penguin

02-23-2002, 11:49 PM

Originally posted by Jedigreedo
So is it only one episode being shown?

Well it's on every Saturday Night starting now and random episodes air on Sundays, but right now that's all we're getting.

CadaverousEyes

02-24-2002, 12:51 AM

Finally, my Saturday early mornings are meaningful again! At least for an hour.

JTurner954

02-24-2002, 03:32 AM

Penguin, why would you record them if you are buying the DVD??

Anyway, it was so cool to watch this episode again. I remember when this was a sneak peak on Fox. Nice to see Harvey as Harvey. The old animation style is superb as usual.

James Harvey

02-24-2002, 12:13 PM

I really like the sense of forboding we got there, with Harvey flipping his coin. When I began watching this show, I still didn't know the Batman mythos 100% yet, and I never caught wind of the little reference until later on in the season. It was a chilling scene, to see Dent in the dark conrner flipping that coin.

The Penguin

02-24-2002, 02:51 PM

"If you catch 'em Harvey, I'll put him in jail for ya." -Harvey Dent, On Leather Wings

This was a really good episode. It makes sense for it to be the first one. It really establishes a lot as far characters go. You meet all of Gotham's (non-uniformed) public servants in this episode. Mayor Hill, Commissioner Gordon, Detective Bullock and District Attorney Harvey Dent. Dent flipping his coin is a great sign of foreshadowing. It also immediately shows Bullock's dislike for The Bat and Gordon's dislike for Bullock.

The "other" Alfred voice was just horrible :eek: and I'm glad he's only in a few of them. Plus, if you pay close attention, Richard Moll voices Harvey Dent, the security guard and the BatComputer. And of course Kevin Conroy is also the police blimp pilot. I don't let this kind of thing bother me, but it is fairly noticeable.

I did use a tape, partly because the DVD is about three months away, and I've watched it twice already. :D

The Dark Knight

02-24-2002, 04:39 PM

Remember the first Batman episode poll? Is it too late to change my vote to "On Leather Wings"? :yakko:

Calico

02-25-2002, 01:06 PM

Alfred: "So it wasn't you who threw the security guard out the window, sir?"
Batman: "No. I only throw butlers out of windows, Alfred."

What a great episode. I'm really looking forward to the next 108 weeks :D

Mattashell

02-25-2002, 01:44 PM

I set my tape to start early and I still missed the beginning. Is CN startin shows 5 minutes early?

Maxie Zeus

02-25-2002, 02:20 PM

In case you're wondering, I moved the separate "On Leather Wings" into this thread. I screwed up the merge, so there's a little improvisation going on. :rolleyes:

CadaverousEyes

02-25-2002, 03:39 PM

Whoever picked turkey: that's not funny. Okay, maybe it is. But it's very cheap humor.

Ed Liu

02-25-2002, 04:31 PM

Howdy all,

This is easily one of my favorite eps of BTAS, being the first one I actually saw. What I was most impressed with at the time (other than the completely cool character design and animation) was the incredible use of light and shadow throughout the episode. This episode is very, very dark (as in absence of light dark), in ways that the show didn't really follow up on as much as I would have liked.

One other aspect of this show I liked was how Batman is decidedly NOT part of the law, and the law itself is rather ambivalent about how to treat him. I think this relationship got simplified or ignored as time went on, but it gave this episode (and the series as a whole) a LOT of texture.

In hindsight, the use of the alternate Alfred voice actor (Clive Revill?) instead of the astounding Efreem Zimbalist, Jr is rather glaring, but I thought he was cool at the time.

Anybody else notice that this is the one and only episode where Batman bleeds? At the end of the episode, when Batman has finally subdued Man-Bat, he's caught in the beams of the blimp and you can see a trickle coming out of the side of his mouth. I heard that BS&P promptly ensured that no blood was ever seen again in BTAS after that. A pity, really. Not that I'm saying buckets of blood pouring out people's heads would have been a GOOD thing for the series, but I thought the trickle here communicated the struggle Batman went through and his determination to land his Man(-Bat) in a quick, visual shorthand way. This is also why I was as impressed as I was that Superman and Draaga were both bleeding by the end of "War World," but that's a story for another thread =8^).

-- Ed/Ace

James Harvey

02-25-2002, 04:33 PM

This is the only time Batman bleeds during the initial 85 episode Fox run. He bleeds quite a bit during the 24 episode WB extension, and Phantasm.

The Penguin

06-23-2002, 01:30 PM

Tonight at 7:30 p.m. EDT Cartoon Network airs the Batman: The Animated Series episode, On Leather Wings. It is # 1 on Bruce Timm's Top 10. Some of his thoughts will be offered during the show's airing. This episode wraps up the Top Ten and Batman's run on Sunday nights (It will continue to air with STAS on Saturdays).

http://www.worldsfinestonline.com/WF/batman/btas/episodes/onleatherwings/00r.jpg

Episode #01 On Leather Wings
Written by Mitch Brian - Directed by Kevin Altieri

When a horrifying bat creature terrorizes Gotham City, the authorities conclude it must be Batman and put out an all-points bulletin on the Dark Knight. Batman's investigation leads him to the laboratory of Kirk Langstrom, who has been experimenting with a formula that turns him into the ManBat creature. Not only does Batman have to capture Man-Bat in order to save Langstrom, but also to set the police straight and clear his name.

Comments?

The Top 10...

10. Over The Edge
09. Legends of The Dark Knight
08. Beware the Gray Ghost
07. Two-Face, Part 1
06. It's Never Too Late
05. The Laughing Fish
04. House and Garden
03. Read My Lips
02. Heart of Ice
01. On Leather Wings

MILatino

06-23-2002, 04:54 PM

I gave it *** only because I'm not big on mutating creature stories like this one or the werewolf one or catwoman's mutation story, etc. But otherwise the dark, mysterious writing was true to form and the characters were believeable. The situation was not.

Calico

06-23-2002, 08:18 PM

Grrrr....We got a thunder storm and the satellite signal went out four minutes into the show. :(

Can someone post the commentary, pretty please.

Batkitty

06-24-2002, 12:24 AM

I personally gave this episode 5 stars. For the pilot episode of a series, I thought it was remarkably similar in tone (dark, yet occasionally wry) to the episodes following it.

Also, the dichotomy between the Batman/Bruce Wayne personas is established early on. When Alfred receives a call for Bruce while in the Batcave, Batman's voice and expression alters from the usual (dark and grimly sarcastic) to Bruce's more easygoing, smooth style. If you haven't seen this episode before, I'll tell you right now it's a little bit eery to see Batman acting like Bruce Wayne.

Another feature that makes this episode worthy is the banter between Batman and Alfred. Batman reads that the Gotham police are at war with him, and his butler drolly responds, "I gather you've been reading, 'How to Make Friends and Influcence People.'" Alfred then teases his master about Batman tossing people out of windows, to which Batman replies, "I only toss butlers." Typical Batman. Another great line from Alfred comes when he asks whether he should cancel Bruce's "rendezvous with, uh...Bambi, was it, sir?", implying through his tone just how little he thinks of Bruce's social life. This also emphasizes how little Batman's two personas have to do with each other, and how his "Bruce" persona is not the "real" him. So far, a lot to introduce in the pilot episode, and not even four minutes in.

I liked other aspects of "On Leather Wings," but the last I'll mention is the use of blood, which is the one and only time it appears on B: TAS (not including TNBA). It's not excessive or anything, and comes near the end, but it makes it more realistic for Batman to take a little damage considering the pummeling he gets. I always find it amusing that in most cartoons (and throughout B: TAS) the main character can get his behind thoroughly whipped, suit all torn up, etc, yet never bleed or show much damage. Isn't Superman the one who's supposed to be invulnerable? It makes more of an impact when Batman shows a little wear and tear yet still manages to trounce the bad guy. Just MHO.

Ed Liu

06-24-2002, 09:41 AM

Howdy,

I'll double what Batkitty just said regarding the Batman/Bruce dichotomy. IMO, Kevin Conroy is the only one who's ever played Batman that managed to get that dichotomy right.

The other thing I really love about this episode is how well it uses lighting and its absence. Watch it again and keep an eye out for how much information is communicated via shadows and weird light distortions. It's a classic trademark of noir films, and the influence shows really, really well with Batman. I don't think any of the episodes they did after this one worked with light and shadow as well.

Last point I think is worth mentioning is the open antagonism between Bullock and Gordon. While they both have Gotham's best interests in mind, they have radically different approaches on how to maintain law and order. I don't think they really did anything more with this other than maybe suspending Bullock in "P.O.V.", and I think that's a shame.

Got 4.5 stars from me. This was the first BTAS episode I saw, since I missed the splashy "Cat and the Claw Pt. I" premiere, and I was seriously blown away by it. The second one was "Heart of Ice," and I've been hooked since then.

-- Ed/Ace

murmur

06-24-2002, 11:34 AM

For the fun of it, ways to tell that this episode is a pilot:

Batman's blood (already mentioned)
Bullok's cigar
Harvey Dent's early cameo/introduction/foreshadowing (afaik, the only other "Harvey only" appearence he had was in Pretty Poison, where he starred)
Gordon's not having an association with Batman yet
Dramatization of things common to the series (like the Batmobile starting, use of the grappling hook)

These elements, and mostly solid writing make for a beautiful opening to the saga. However, the revelation of Langstrom's nature comes accross as too much of a horror cliche to earn the episode 5 stars. I know it's a cheesy story to begin with, but the writers have been known to overcome that in other episodes.

I actually missed last night's airing...anyone have the producers' comments?

The Penguin

06-24-2002, 01:33 PM

"If you catch 'em Harvey, I'll put him in jail for ya." - Harvey Dent, On Leather Wings

This was a really good episode. It makes sense for it to be the first one that was made. It really establishes a lot as far characters go. You meet all of Gotham's (non-uniformed) public servants in this episode. Mayor Hill, Commissioner Gordon, Detective Bullock and District Attorney Harvey Dent. Dent flipping his coin is a great sign of foreshadowing of what's to come for him. The scene also immediately shows Bullock's dislike for The Bat and Gordon's dislike for Bullock, both of which develop nicely throught the half hour.

It also does a great job showing the entertaining side of the relationship between Alfred and Bruce. Alfred is the wittiest butler I know.

There is a lot of interesting voice notes in this episode. I think the "other" Alfred voice is just horrible :eek: and I'm glad he's only in a few of them. Plus, if you pay close attention, Richard Moll voices Harvey Dent, the security guard and the BatComputer. And of course Kevin Conroy is also the police blimp pilot. I don't let this kind of thing bother me, but it is fairly noticeable.

Theking

06-24-2002, 03:05 PM

Originally posted by The Penguin

There is a lot of interesting voice notes in this episode. I think the "other" Alfred voice is just horrible :eek: and I'm glad he's only in a few of them. Plus, if you pay close attention, Richard Moll voices Harvey Dent, the security guard and the BatComputer. And of course Kevin Conroy is also the police blimp pilot. I don't let this kind of thing bother me, but it is fairly noticeable.

Yes, I did notice these when I saw it for the first time too.

I don't think that there is that small of a group of voice actors that you have to use one guy (no matter how good I think his voice is) for 3 different characters.

But that was the only thing I didn't like and it was minor. I was hooked with this ep for the whole series.

TheKing

mosszonedotcom

06-24-2002, 03:21 PM

One of the very best episodes ever. It's full of great lines, music, darkness, etc. I also liked the way the characters were animated, and they included some blood. The transformation to Man-Bat is amazing too. I remember seeing that for the first time, very powerful.

Perhaps this should be looked at as the beginning instead of Mask of the Phantasm. However, remember that this was not the first episode ever aired. Cat and the Claw Part One was aired first.

Justice League 2000

06-24-2002, 04:01 PM

hello friends

it was the best episode of all times I love this episode :bosko:

Caped Crusader

06-24-2002, 08:25 PM

Originally posted by Calico
Grrrr....We got a thunder storm and the satellite signal went out four minutes into the show. :(

Can someone post the commentary, pretty please.

No problem, Calico. :) I was able to tape the commentary last night.

Title: ON LEATHER WINGS

Rank: Number 1

This is the first episode produced for the series -- the first true test of the creative team's vision. Would the film noir atmosphere, mature storylines and dramatic intesity of such a stylized animated production work? Apparently so.

Series Producers: Paul Dini, Alan Burnett, Bruce Timm

Cere

06-26-2002, 04:25 PM

I enjoyed it a lot. The Alfred voice was bad (sounded way too butlery), but that was the only problem. The humor was great (the blimp pilots, the SWAT guy fainting after Batman carried him out), and balanced everything else perfectly. "Bruce"'s cheery attitude was a little...weird (I'm not used to a cheery, care-free Bruce), but it was great to see his change from "Batman" to "Bruce". While the idea of a bat-creature was kinda silly, it was very appropriate.

Overall, a very good episode to start off with.

Bleu Unicorn

09-26-2002, 07:36 AM

<slightly confused as to where this is supposed to be posted> I think this thread is where... so forgive me if I'm in the wrong place.

Anyhoo, continuing on my quest to revive my memory on episodes -- I rewatched this one on DVD last night and was reminded how very much I absolutely love this episode. I missed the lovely commentary for it during the Top Ten earlier this year, but regardless, it's still one of my very favorite episodes.

First of all the foreshadowing for Harvey's inevitable transformation into Two-Face was pretty cool. I definitely don't recall noticing that the first time I watched it. (Not that it would have mattered, back then my Batman knowledge was quite limited.) Another thing I've picked up from having this on DVD is the Batcomputer talks! When did that stop? I noticed it in some of the other earlier episodes, too. Interesting idea -- that apparently was halted at some point.

It's been no secret on these boards that I have a visual impairment (in other words, I'm legally blind) and this episode brings me but one minor gripe. It's very hard for me to make out a lot of the episode -- there was so much black and so little other color that much of the episode I'm forced to listen because it's too straining to make out. There are other episodes down the line where I notice I'm having trouble making out the fights, but generally the blanace of shading over the black works well enough that it's not an issue. As this is such an early episode though, we'll say that part of it is that and part of it was I hadn't gotten used to watching this type of animation style.

So, I've rambled on and on -- I'll end with saying five stars and it's a magnificent start to a grand series!

Harlequinade

09-18-2004, 01:36 PM

This was an amazing episode to be the first they made. I can see why it was Number One. I really liked all the action, animation, the plot, the character's introduction and how Batman bled, the foreshadowing of Two-face, no Batman/Gordon relationship, and all the close ups and emphasis on the Batmobile and his grappling and the cave. I also liked how the police were after him and the way he used his detective skills to solve the crime instead of finding a flower and saying oh Poison Ivy must be behind this:D

For their first episode they did an awesome job:) even though mutating creatures are kinda of bizarre for Batman and I'm not the biggest fan of Man-Bat this episode was still good! 5stars, good job guys;)

Phantasm

09-18-2004, 04:24 PM

WHAT?!
IS IT REALLY AIRING ON CN???????TONIGHT???????????!
Someone please fill me in!
When?!where?and WHY?!!!

Shadow

09-18-2004, 04:25 PM

WHAT?!
IS IT REALLY AIRING ON CN???????TONIGHT???????????!
Someone please fill me in!
When?!where?and WHY?!!!

It's just an old thread. Check the date: 02/23/02

Phantasm

09-18-2004, 04:27 PM

It's just an old thread. Check the date: 02/23/02
ooooohhhhhh....(slams head onto the table)
And here I was all excited for a sec...oh well it was good while it lasted.:sad:

TimTwoFace

09-18-2004, 06:22 PM

This episode is on the BTAS Vol. 1 DVD set, so it shouldn't be too difficult to see it now, Phantasm. :)

Again, it's one of the best from not only the BTAS run, but all of the DCAU. Man-Bat still doesn't strike me as the coolest villain out there - never has, never will - but to launch a show with a unique monster-movie villain was a great idea. Everything else with this episode was spot on, from characterization to the great animation (love that TMS) to acting to the visuals to the music to the foreshadowing of all the characters most viewers hadn't seen prior to the series. Great stuff, all around.

-Tim

Fone Bone

09-18-2004, 06:30 PM

The best first episode EVER in the DCAU.

Wow. The animation just astonished me (this was the first Batman episode I had seen.) So did Batman bleeding and the two doctors making out. I had NEVER seen a cartoon like this before. It was great.

Harvey Dent was awesome foreshadowing.

Langstrom turning into the Man-Bat was TERRIFYING especially his laugh. His flight around the city was breathtaking with Batman hooked on to him. When Batman Cracked the blimp's window I was like "Whoa!" Too bad cracking glass was off-limits for Fox Kids censors after that.

Clive Reville kinda wasn't a very good Alfred.

All in all an awesome episode. Kinda makes me feel bad I'll be reviewing The Batman next. *****.

CtrlAltDel

09-18-2004, 08:26 PM

A good start to the greatest 'Batman' series EVER!!!
Although this episode contained fairly weak plot, it did provide us with the action and setting that gave the show its dark and mysterious and feel. The man-bat didn't exactly thrill me, and seemed to have a highly unlikely origin, but overall, I was impressed with the setting that tis episode provided.

EJill34

09-18-2004, 10:52 PM

Alpha Man

07-16-2005, 07:21 PM

This is also the start of the Cadmus Conspiracy. Langstrom was conducting experiments that would lead other dudes to fear what would be the outcome.;)

And, it had great action, really scary moments (the Langstrom bat-chuckle then morph creeped me out!). It was also cool how the cops were not so trusting of Batman - he was a vigilante and had to earn his reputation.:)

Yojimbo

09-05-2005, 09:24 PM

Today, it's been 13 years since the series premiere of BTAS, if I recall my airdates correctly.

Death58

09-05-2005, 10:02 PM

Yeah, I have to say that the animation did look really awesome in this eppy for some reason. . .Anyway, I liked this episode because it just seemed to get everything right. The animation, story, voice acting, everything. I didn't write much of a review, did I? Oh well, consider it an opinion then:anime:.

JSmith

09-05-2005, 10:06 PM

Absolutely one of the best episodes of BTAS! The animation is gorgeous and the music fits the tone of the story perfectly. We got to see Bruce Wayne hitting on a pretty woman, joking with the docs at the zoo, using his out of costume persona to help with the detective work. We got to see Batman versus the police and the beginnings of the feud between him and Bullock. This is just such a great episode and over the past 13 years I've seen it over 150 times. This and Heart of Ice were my 2 favorites back then and they still are today. Fantastic!!!!

Batman Fan

09-06-2005, 05:42 PM

Absolutely one of my favorite episodes. It really gives you hope for a series when it starts out strong, and this is probably one of the best episodes in the whole series, so they definetly started on a high note.

First off, I want to start with the animation. It looks so unique here, unlike anything we ever saw again, it's so crisp, clear, and fluid, it's an absolute masterpiece to look at. From explosions, to Batman and Man-Bat's aerial fight around the police blimp and through buildings, to little simple movements, the animation is flawless. I liked how they focused a bit more on Batman's gadgets, being the first episode, that great scene where he's outside the pharmecutical factory and he shoots his grapple, the batmobile leaving the cave, and following his gas pellets roll on the floor were all added touches that I really liked.

While the VA's still hadn't gotten the hang of their characters yet, the dialogue in this episode was surprisingly intelligent and well done for the first episode, Kevin Conroy did a great job differentiating voices between Batman and Bruce. The sound effects in this episode were good too, from explosions, to Man-Bat's screech, and the music just added to the eerie horror feel this episode tried and did achieve.

It was great to have conflict between Batman and the police in this episode, it just added yet another conflict Batman had to worry about and made for some great scenes with him running from the police. While the overall plot was a bit weird for Batman, it was still very well pulled off, for a sci-fi episode. Man-Bat was an unusual villan, but was fun to see him do all of these skills. Batman had a lot of great scenes, and did a lot of detective work. From examining the crime scene, to confronting experts on bats, it was a lot of extra stuff that wasn't seen in many more episodes which made this one even more classic. Added to the great conflicts and plot, it did some foreshadowing on Harvey Dent, and Bullock's relation with Batman, and started that little tiny arc in JLU called Cadmus.:D

This was the kickoff point for the great DCAU and it nailed what we come to expect from these great shows. I think it's safe to say this is a flawless episode, except for Alfred's VA which was later replaced.

*****

The Penguin

09-29-2005, 10:21 PM

Tonight at 12 midnight ET, Boomerang airs the Batman: The Animated Series episode, On Leather Wings. If you do not have Boomerang, you are encouraged to follow along on disc 1 of your Batman: The Animated Series, Vol. 1 (http://forums.toonzone.net/showthread.php?t=115616) DVD set.

http://www.worldsfinestonline.com/WF/batman/btas/episodes/onleatherwings/00r.jpg

Episode #01 On Leather Wings
Written by Mitch Brian - Directed by Kevin Altieri

When a horrifying bat creature terrorizes Gotham City, the authorities conclude it must be Batman and put out an all-points bulletin on the Dark Knight. Batman's investigation leads him to the laboratory of Kirk Langstrom, who has been experimenting with a formula that turns him into the ManBat creature. Not only does Batman have to capture Man-Bat in order to save Langstrom, but also to set the police straight and clear his name.

Comments?

I know you're shocked to see us going back to B:TAS, TNBA episode, You Scratch My Back airs Saturday night. And I'm headed to the Thursday night campus movie so here ya be! ;)

ROBOTRON

09-30-2005, 09:09 AM

Very good episode 4 stars.

The era of the BEST cartoons ever made in the history of cartooning...BEGINS.

A new Batman cartoon? Hmmm...I'll check it out. Eyes bulge, jaw hits floor....what a great story, the artwork, the animation...could it be?

This episode was also the beginning of my slow gradual shift from Marvel to DC, something I never thought would be possible.

warmachine04

09-30-2005, 09:36 AM

It definitely got my attention to the animated series. Great storylines. Well developed characters. Cool action. Stylish animation. Very Impressive.:D :D

Caswin

01-13-2006, 07:43 PM

Alright, just started watching the DVD collection - let's see what we've got. This episode serves mainly to set everything up, thankfully not necessary to watch, but all the same what you might call 'major'. And that it does well. Am I the only one who thought this played like a movie? Trail of clues, police hunting the protagonist, multiple suspects, denouement, evil laugh... liked that evil laugh, there, though for some reason it didn't scare me that much. Good start to the series.

4/5

Sr.Infierno

01-13-2006, 09:51 PM

Hmm, so this is where it all started..

Sirkenz17

08-04-2006, 12:03 AM

Was anyone else kind of offset by Kirk Langstrom's (and thus, March Singer's) oddly Shatneristic performance.

Hey! We've got ourselves a connection!

William Shatner = Cpt. James T. Kirk

Marc Singer = Dr. Kirk Langstrom

Coincidence?

ShadowStar

10-21-2007, 11:25 AM

FightingDreamer

08-12-2008, 10:48 AM

The fight at the end is simply magical. This episode is iffy in certain spots, but for a first episode it really hits it out of the park. Has anyone ever watched it back to back with "Epilogue"? :eek:

Can't say that I have, but the tribute at the end of "Epilogue" was certainly a cool surprise, complete with "Did you see that?".

As for the episode, this is one heck of a debut. Man-Bat dragging Batman behind him as he flies up and over the police blimp is one of those images I may never forget. As Bruce Timm notes on the episode's DVD commentary, "This got a lot of people off our backs." I like pretty much everything about this episode; sure, Clive Revill's Alfred doesn't even come close to Efrem Zimbalist's Alfred, Batman is a little too chatty, and Marc Singer gives an oddly Captain Kirk-esque performance as Langstrom (at one point on the aforementioned commentary, Timm mentions that he once had the lines leading up to the Man-Bat transformation memorized down to the inflections and provides an imitation: "It... took over!"). But it's still one of the better episodes of TAS, and it fully realizes Timm and Eric Radomski's dark vision for the series.

CyclonatorZ

01-12-2011, 07:14 PM

Well, after all these years of rather limited exposure to such a great show (at least compared to a lot of the people on this board), I'm finally going to start going through the entire series. I'll confess that while this was one of the first cartoons I ever watched, I was more into modern DC shows like The Batman and Legion of Superheroes for quite a while. :sweat: In more recent times, I regret that I hadn't watched much of B:TAS until recently, but I'm thankful that I'd already seen enough to know that I'd have to eventually watch the whole thing from start to finish.

Anyway, this first episode was a great pilot, although I do have a few minor problems. In just 20 minutes or show, On Leather Wings manages to introduce a ton of elements that would become mainstays on the show. People have already listed most of them, so I'll not bother to do a repeat, but I have to mention that I really loved Harvey Dent's brief but perfect appearance.

On the flip side, I feel like something was missing from the actual Manbat character, at least in the way of motivation. His origin is no stranger than anything else in the batman mythos, but I'm still not quite sure why exactly Kirk Langstrom even wanted to become such a monster in the first place (if he did, that is - as I said, I don't know). Did I miss some line of dialogue or shot that explained this? Also, I have to admit that parts of the airborne scenes were a bit jarring, because it was rather obvious that the scenery was just flat moving paintings. It's totally excusable considering what decade this was made, but I wouldn't say the scenes as stunning as some people have made it out to be.

So, a great if slightly flawed start to a great series. It's too bad that a lot of the earliest episodes weren't of similiar quality, but what are you going to do? :sweat: