Static Shock "Hard As Nails" Talkback (Spoilers) [Archive]

BlackoutCreature

01-25-2003, 05:30 PM

Well i enjoyed the episode but it had its holes. First it was kinda weird (not necessarily bad, but just weird) to see Batman with a rap-like score in the background. Who thinks Joel Shoemaker wouldve loved this idea if he made a fifth Batman movie?

Also i think the opening seven or so minutes (until the first commercial) couldve been stripped down to 5 minutes without losing any of the info. Also i didnt see the need for Jim Gordon and Harvey Bullock's parts (yes it was cool to see them again, but still). They couldve devoted all that extra time to having Batman and Static stretch there detective muscles a little. Maybe they couldve also found something more for Batman to do in the final battle then just saving Poison Ivy.

Also, from the opening theme, im still not sold on this "Richie as Gears" idea.

But it was still a really fun episode, and that line Bullock gave, "what did Robin do to his hair?", had me laughing non-stop for like 10 minutes. 3 1/2 *'s.

stwasm

01-25-2003, 05:38 PM

I really enjoyed the episode. Yes, it was like a Batman episode with Static as the special guest star, but I enjoyed it. My only complaint was that it went to quickly. I wanted more by the time ending hit. I especially loved it when Static asked where Robin was and Batman not only said with the Titans, but added, "You'll meet them someday." Hint, hint, hint! :harley:

The Detective

01-25-2003, 05:45 PM

I think it was a lot better than "The Big Leagues". It had problems and wasn't perfect but it was still okay. But I had problems with Bruce revealing his identity. It just wasn't right. I agree that the rap music in the background just wasn't right just wasn't right. And was excatcly was Nails? If this was Marvel you could say Mutant but it isn't. I'll type up so more of my thoughts on the episode later.

Anarky

01-25-2003, 05:48 PM

my only complaint is Batman's theme music: sounded like cheap 8-bit Nintendo music. They gotta fire the organ grinder!!!

Actually, I never cared for the music in Static. All that singing, scratching, etc can be disruptive to the story/action. The purpose of the score is to be in the background. I felt it was forced to the forefront.

some funny things to comment on:

Bullock: "Where does he get these wacked out toys?"
a comic ode to J. Nicholson.

Static: "Who are you?"
Alfred: "Batman."
Static: "I don't think so."
Alfred: "Just once, I'd like someone to believe that."
classic Alf. :D

why would Bullock mistake Static for Robin? :rolleyes:

overall, I enjoyed this ep and will watch it repeatedly.
I'm not against another ep, as long as they kill that organ. Perhaps The Scarecrow and/or the Mad Hatter next time.

superfreak

01-25-2003, 05:56 PM

Not as good as I had expected. The background music was a big turn off for me. Rap music doesn't work with Batman. The reference of Robin in the Titans is quite interesting. Overall, this is an average episode.

Chibi Kageboshi

01-25-2003, 06:06 PM

The music was a big mistake. What the hell were they thinking? ok, they want a hip-hop type style but maybe good rap not rap for 10 year olds, and never never put rap with batman, harley, or ivy thats just a no-no. Maybe it was my tv or station but the audio wasnt all that great eater.

Parallax

01-25-2003, 06:16 PM

I couldn't dtand the music fpr this whole episode, I liked the Opening but the I like the music for the first Opening better. Plus I have to say that Batman and Rap don't mix! They even messed up with his theme! The nerve! :p

The plot wasn't really much, just an excuse for Batman to "guest star". I'd give the episode an 1 0r 2 *'s but they did mention Robin being in the Titans so I give it...

*** (3) Stars

keds1017

01-25-2003, 06:16 PM

Now as a Static fan I'm was little disappoint with this episode. Mainly because Static came off being so weak from previous seasons . He could'nt even break out of the tree trap, I really hate this wood weakness thing :mad: before that he gets eletrocute by a lamp post!!! Ivy and Harley were just boring they should've went with Croc or the Riddler as the villians.

But i did like the interaction between Batman and Static. Also the like the new designs especially Daisy :D :D . I didn't like the theme song :rolleyes: it was just bad!!{I hate little romeo} I thought the Hip hop music in the ep was pretty good though. Overall i give it 3.5 stars The Big League was better IMO. That's all for now maybe I'll watch it again later. :)

Dr. J

01-25-2003, 06:56 PM

Meh. Pretty average. Hated the opening and all the crapy rap, and Batman's redone theme sounded like it was coming from an SNES game. I did like that little tidbit about the Titans, though, but isn't that show supposed to be set in the future?

I give it 3 out of 5

Storm

01-25-2003, 07:02 PM

The Good:

- The funny one liners like Bullock mistaking Static for Robin and Harley Quinn saying "C'mon and join us girlfriend" LOL. Very funny.

- Paul Dini has done it again with a very witty and action packed story.

- Static's new costume :D

- Cameos of Alfred, Commissioner Gordon, and Harvey Bullock.

- Mention of Robin and the Teen Tiatns :D

- I really didn't mind the music in the background. Alot of people suspect cause Batman is on the show that it's suppose to be just like the Batman cartoon. I like the Static chasing Nails theme song and I was quite fond of the "Me and my Homegirls" theme for Ivy, Quinn, and Nails.

The Not so Good:

- The theme song by Lil' Romeo :mad:

- Batman revealing his true alter ego. I'm not a big Batman expert or fan but I still thought it was un-Batman like. Batman and Static make great allies as superheroes and it was okay for Batman to know Static true alter ego (cause Batman basically knows every hero out of hero form) but I with Static knowing Batman's idenity was just wrong. That's why Batman is so mysterious cause nobody knows who is behind the mask except for the Bat-family.

Anyway I really think this crossover was better than the first. Awesome story and hopefully this will be a great season. Just hope that next season they won't flood Static with too many guest heroes. Anyway I rate this episode 4 stars and 1/2 :)

Nik Jam

01-25-2003, 07:14 PM

And once again, I finally get into another D.C. show after not seeing it for a long while.

I liked it. It's a bit lame. But Batman and Poison Ivy are always cool.
3/5

Achika

01-25-2003, 07:16 PM

Other then the awful vocal music and the very last segment I have to say this was a good episode. I'd become a Static fan if WB would ever air the first two seasons again. :rolleyes:

Metallo

01-25-2003, 07:43 PM

Well, as others have said, the theme and background musical scores were lame. Other than that, I enjoyed this episode. The best part for me was when Batman called Static by his real name, Virgil was all impressed only to have Batman hand him his school ID which fell out of his pocket. And the advice to perhaps leave that elsewhere when in costume was a riot!

And the comment about Robin being with the Titans, and how Static will meet them someday...can you say, "Foreshadow"? :)

Mister Intensity

01-25-2003, 07:44 PM

The hip-hop Batman theme was kind of lame (makes me wonder what they are going to do with the Justice League's and Superman's themes) but I must admit I liked Nails' theme.

I loved the interaction between Batman and Static. Batman revealing his identity at the end is interesting. I wonder if the Justice League learns his identity some time in the second season.

Harley and Ivy are fun as usual and it was nice to hear the Static Joker theme again. Why not resort to blackmail, science is expensive, among other things.

I do have some questions about the nature of the Big Bang. Why did it take two years for Nails' powers to fully emerge? I have a feeling that the Big Bang affects more than the physical nature of the person but also the mental nature in sort of a wish-fulfillment way. This possibly explains why most Bang Babies are supervillains, while Virgil being a comic book fan became a superhero, and the Bang Babies' abilities matches their desires. This is just a theory but it makes sense within the context of the show.

Enjoyable episode that could have used some more time. Nice joke by Bullock about Static (after going through two Robins and a Batgirl, another teenaged sidekick).

Isn't it time for Gordon to retire?

Mister Intensity

susan123

01-25-2003, 07:47 PM

I liked Static's new outfit but this episode seemed very rushed. I would also liked to have seen more detective work on the part of Batman and Static. It seemed too easy. I did like how Static stood up to Batman about cutting Allie some slack. I'm not a regular viewer of Static Shock but the music seemed in line with the series. If this was a Justice League episode with Static guest starring I'm sure there would have been an orchestra.

My favorite line--Alfred: "You're welcome, dude."

It was really great to see Alfred, Commissioner Gordon, Bullock & Bruce Wayne again. With upcoming appearances by Superman and the Justice League, at least we have something to look forward until the new season of JL begins whenever that is.

Beyond Batman

01-25-2003, 07:53 PM

"What did Robin do to his hair???" -HB

Entertaining... and that's where my opinion ends.

BlackoutCreature

01-25-2003, 08:00 PM

Originally posted by Mister Intensity

I do have some questions about the nature of the Big Bang. Why did it take two years for Nails' powers to fully emerge? I have a feeling that the Big Bang affects more than the physical nature of the person but also the mental nature in sort of a wish-fulfillment way. This possibly explains why most Bang Babies are supervillains, while Virgil being a comic book fan became a superhero, and the Bang Babies' abilities matches their desires. This is just a theory but it makes sense within the context of the show.

I get the feeling that The Big Bang affected more then the people who were present at it. I think all those present got an immediate "mutation" (for lack of a better term), and over the past three years its started to spread out slowly and affect the rest of the city. Over the last three seasons we've seen several kids with Bang Baby powers who i seriously doubt were at the Big Bang. Remember the Asian genius kid who transformed into the Hulk-like monster in season one? I kinda doubt he was hanging with gang bangers at a toxic waste dump waiting for the big "rumble". This would also explain how Richie becomes "Gear" later in the season, when we know for a fact he wasnt at the Big Bang. I also think the "mutations" seem to especially affect those going through puberty, thus the large number of teenage meta-humans. Now why have more Bang Babies become villains then heroes? Well the original purpose of the meeting that caused the Big Bang was a giant showdown of local gangs. Gangsters do what they do for power and control, not for justice and liberty. Granted there r many extenuating circumstances, but in the end thats the truth. They now had the ability to get even more power and control, why should they change there goals just because they can fly? Of course this is just my theory.

All-Star 1.5

01-25-2003, 08:19 PM

This was a pretty good episode Mr.Dini did a fantastic job with the script and the crew just delivered. I love the new opening, but I don't really like the new theme song, but maybe it will grow on me or something.

I really liked this episode it came in and just blew away Big Leagues away in my opinion. I mean I really liked Harley and Ivy as the villians and they were perfect, could I dare say better then the Joker last year :eek: I liked the way they kept in their past lives without going to a flash back. I think that Bullock stole the show . I mean he was just funny who else could mistake Static for Robin. :D

As for the music I think it was okay though I good have gone without most of the vocals, because most of them were okay. I really hoped that wouldn't use that techno organ(or whatever) bat theme and they did, but after hearing it so many times I really didn't mind it.

I liked the happy ending and I liked seeing Batman in his mild-mannered get up I don't think he revealed his secret idenity he just hinted about it, but I also think Virgil is going to start putting 2 and 2 together(he's not a dumb kid) and with the line about the Teen Titans I think this leaves the door open for about a few more crossovers.

All in all a pretty good episode I give it 4 1/2 stars.

P.S I really liked Harley getting zapped by Static it reminds me of when the Joker got zapped last season.

Cyber E.

01-25-2003, 08:28 PM

This episode was......well it was.....It was horrid. Where to start, let's go with the music. The constant use of Rap in the series is starting to bug me, I mean it is like they are making Static a stereotype. Having some Cultural music is fine by me, I love it but for the love of mike they had bits and pieces of it every five minutes. Can't they just have Lyric-less beats like the other TAS shows? And what was with the re-done Batman Theme? I thought I was watching a Adaams Family show for a second there. F-

Dialogue, this was pitiful. There were so many bad jokes I couldn't count and hardly fit the plot out all, so much of it didn't even need to be in there. The saddest thing is that Alfred VA is starting to age greatly and it is showing in his voice. "Kid Killawatt"? "Off with the Titans"? F-

Artwork, for Static seemed to be the same. B

To end my angry rant, the only good thing about this episode was the Theme....without the Lil' voice.

LazyReaper

01-25-2003, 08:38 PM

I liked this episode, there were a lot of laugh out loud moments, and there was plenty of action too. I'm probably asking for it, but I actually liked Batman's techno theme in there. And is it just me or did they improve the quality in it a bit more from the "Big Leagues"? Anyway, for a Static crossover, it worked. If it had been the original theme, it would have been a Batman episode. IMO, getting a mix of both the original theme and hip hop worked very well for the fighting scenes; for both Static and Batman.

Did I mention that love Static's new costume? It's very, very cool. I'm definitely glad that they made this change. The art and animation itself as whole has greatly increased this season. Everything looked top notch. Batman looked much more improved as well. Same goes for Poison Ivy, and Harley; they all fit in the "Static World", there were no clashs and everything seemed to blend in very nicely. And on a side note: I'm glad alot of the fights are done at night now; it just adds something a bit more extra to the series.

I think the only thing I was really dissapointed about in the entire episode was the new theme song. The video clips were great, but the song itself was "eh". I wouldn't have minded if they sticked with the old theme song; I'd prefer it much more. Besides the new theme song though; all the other songs that were played out in the episode were great. Especially the song they played for Nails; it worked very well for her.

Overall, the episode was great and quite enjoyable. And I especially loved the cameo by Alfred.

"Who are you?"
"I'm Batman"
"I don't think so."
"Just once, I'd someone to believe me."

LOL :p. The cameo with the Commisioner and Bullock were brief but great. And they too, also seemed to look much better than they did in that "Big Leagues". I would say that this was a very successful crossover; I wouldn't having some more next season... that's for sure. 4 out of 5 stars. :)

-Aximlli-

Digu Volz

01-25-2003, 08:39 PM

That sounds like a sound theory. I liked this team-up a whole lot better than last seasons and, speaking of which, I look forward to the rest of the season, as well. I don't quite understand how Static can be electrocuted given what happened in the last team-up (ah, irony) and the wood weakness was new, but, then again, Hot Streak tried a similar stunt with leading him into a park "No metal", though I've seen trees taken down before by lightning but if a Green Lantern can have wood as a weakness...

Anywho, am I the only one tired of L'il Romeo ? Seems like I hear him everywhere. Wonder if he kidnapped L'il Bow-Wow, haven't seen him in a while. The theme wasn't bad, but it wasn't great, I still liked it, though.

Nails' theme, while nice, was a tad overdone. But since it was nice, I could tolerate it.

As far as the ending goes... I think Despero must have replaced Batman and the real one will have to be rescued by Static and the rest of the Justice League... What ? Curiously, I wonder if Richie would be inolved in the JL team-up ?

3.5 since the episode told its story and told it well.

JohnStewart-GL

01-25-2003, 09:00 PM

Very cool to me. I just re watched it. I think Dini did a great job with this one. It wasnt real serious or anything just an interesting team up. I thought Nails was a cool character and id love to see her in another ep. There were some nice Jokes in this one and i loved the nod to the upcoming Titans. I think the other crossovers will be better.
4 starz

DarkHawk

01-25-2003, 09:17 PM

I enjoyed this episode very much. With this one being only my second episode I've ever watched, I was impressed. Static seemed to fit right in with the Gotham characters and Batman gave him a huge rub. As for all the peeps complaining about Batman being in SS, this episode will give SS so much credibility. Already, I will watch every episode and won't rest untill I find them on ebay :) Btw, the music fit well for Static Shock, I mean they couldn't have rock or jazz could they, lol. Lets face it folks, SS is black ya know. And a damn good black superhero at that :harley:

Storm

01-25-2003, 09:21 PM

Originally posted by DarkHawk
Btw, the music fit well for Static Shock, I mean they couldn't have rock or jazz could they, lol. Lets face it folks, SS is black ya know. And a damn good black superhero at that :harley:

Thank you. Atleast somebody had the nerve to say it :)

BeastBoyWonder

01-25-2003, 09:26 PM

Originally posted by DarkHawk
I enjoyed this episode very much. With this one being only my second episode I've ever watched, I was impressed. Static seemed to fit right in with the Gotham characters and Batman gave him a huge rub. As for all the peeps complaining about Batman being in SS, this episode will give SS so much credibility. Already, I will watch every episode and won't rest untill I find them on ebay :) Btw, the music fit well for Static Shock, I mean they couldn't have rock or jazz could they, lol. Lets face it folks, SS is black ya know. And a damn good black superhero at that :harley:

Uh, both rock and jazz are derived from African-American music. And yeah, Static's awesome.

Storm

01-25-2003, 09:32 PM

I don't want this to get into a music debate but Jazz is a very popular genre in black culture and rock was originally founded by Black musicians like Lil' Richard. Nowadays Rock is more of a white genre but yeah blacks, asains, and latins can decide which music they can listen to. It's a free country. I thought the hip-hop and R&B music was perfect for Static cause Dakota City is kinda the street/urban/city background.

BeastBoyWonder

01-25-2003, 09:41 PM

Originally posted by Storm
I don't want this to get into a music debate but Jazz is a very popular genre in black culture and rock was originally founded by Black musicians like Lil' Richard. Nowadays Rock is more of a white genre but yeah blacks, asains, and latins can decide which music they can listen to. It's a free country. I thought the hip-hop and R&B music was perfect for Static cause Dakota City is kinda the street/urban/city background.

I completely agree... hip-hop and R&B are great "urban" music and help add to the unique feel of the "Static" show... Static is not Batman. Get over it. From the orchestration to content of the writing, Batman: The Animated Series had much more of a dramatic feel to it. Static is a very different kind of show... it is clearly targeted towards a different demographic, and should be treated as such instead of being incessantly compared to BTAS. From the music to the setting in which most of the action takes place, Static has a much more upbeat mood to it. Static does have a certain element of tragedy in his life, but I don't think it is what shapes and defines his character... you can't compare every show to the standards of Batman... it just doesn't work. Static Shock is an entertaining show, and I'm proud to watch it.

DarkHawk

01-25-2003, 09:48 PM

Originally posted by ragingdrummerboy
Uh, both rock and jazz are derived from African-American music. And yeah, Static's awesome.

Thats very true and I'm not saying thats its not. I'm just saying that rock and jazz would sound weird, being that the main character is a teenage black boy. One example I can use is the videogame Marvel vs Capcom 2. An awesome game, but the jazz soundtrack almost kills it because it doesn't fit in at all. Say if Nightwing gets his own series one day, a korn or disturbed type soundtrack will rule all, because of his type of character. A shows music to me frames the character's idenity and personality. SS has that kind of hip/urban personality that I haven't seen in a cartoon since the Prowler. Remember him.....he was in a Spiderman episode :)

Frank White

01-25-2003, 09:58 PM

Did they use the JL Batman design?

Bird Boy

01-25-2003, 10:14 PM

Just a note for the curious--I added the screenshot to the main post. I'll be adding approxmitely 37 screens plus a couple pan shots later on--probably Tuesday or Wednesday. The one in Jim's post is just a teaser.. ;)

My main problem, and it seems everyone else's problem, is Batman's theme. I cringed a bit when I heard the song they played for Harley and Ivy (I'm not a rap fan), and when they did it with Batman, I cringed more..still, past that, the episode was nothing more than entertainment.

The more humorous lines, particularly the Harley Quinn ones, really made the episode. The plot itself was flat, especially having been written by Paul Dini. I can't help but wonder WHY he had Batman smile at the end--it was OK in the first Static crossover..but this is Paul Dini. HE and Bruce Timm MADE Batman's animated world what it is..and he..smiled. I'm just at a loss for words...I really am.

My only other problem with the episode was the flashback right in the beginning. It sorta confused me as to why they put that there right away, and didn't open with that.

Besides that, the episode was enjoyable, and I'm looking forward to seeing the rest of Static's season, not just the crossovers either--Static Shock has proven to me it's got what it takes to be a great show and I plan on recording it/getting up for it every Saturday.

-BB

All-Star 1.5

01-25-2003, 10:22 PM

Originally posted by Frank White
Did they use the JL Batman design?

Nope, they used the TNBA design, but it looks like Batman will in his JL design from some of the promos.

The Detective

01-25-2003, 10:23 PM

One other thing that iked me was, at the end Static was trying to get Harley and Ivy was getting away and Batman does nothing but swing in and save Ivy? Come on. I guess he was just sitting in the Bat plane waiting for Static to figure things out.

John6777

01-25-2003, 10:26 PM

Am i the only one who remembers the teen titans wasn't suppose to be related to the other shows. Wasn't it suppose to take place in a Futuristic Atmosphere. I mean if it is nothing like The others why would this be mentioned. I mean i can already say the Teen Titan show is gonna suck so why bother.

The Drizzle

01-25-2003, 10:28 PM

I did not like this episode, not because of the music, just because it flat out bored me. If this was supposed to get me into Static Shock, it failed. I can't wait for X-Men Evolution to come back.

On another note, did Poison Ivy seem taller than in B:TAS?

Storm

01-25-2003, 10:29 PM

All-Star 1.5

01-25-2003, 10:31 PM

Originally posted by The DarkKnight
One other thing that iked me was, at the end Static was trying to get Harley and Ivy was getting away and Batman does nothing but swing in and save Ivy? Come on. I guess he was just sitting in the Bat plane waiting for Static to figure things out.

If you remember correctly Batman had to secure Nails while Static went in to deal with Harley and Ivy. Then in case you remember again Static sent a charge throught the whole ship. I am pretty sure that Batman that dosen't want to get shocked so what else could he do but save Ivy.

creeper

01-25-2003, 10:32 PM

I completely agree... hip-hop and R&B are great "urban" music and help add to the unique feel of the "Static" show... Static is not Batman. Get over it. From the orchestration to content of the writing, Batman: The Animated Series had much more of a dramatic feel to it. Static is a very different kind of show... it is clearly targeted towards a different demographic, and should be treated as such instead of being incessantly compared to BTAS. From the music to the setting in which most of the action takes place, Static has a much more upbeat mood to it. Static does have a certain element of tragedy in his life, but I don't think it is what shapes and defines his character... you can't compare every show to the standards of Batman... it just doesn't work. Static Shock is an entertaining show, and I'm proud to watch it.

I like static too. But i really think it should have stood on it's own. How can you not notice the differences of batman TAS and static, when they put them on the same show or static's show. I can appreciate static for what it is, and i get that everyone thinks the "crossovers" are cool. But you can really tell when things are out of place. For example; if batman makes a appearance on superman or vice versa, it's like, these two are big name superheroes in the same universe. That i can accept. But Static being in batman's world and batman being in his doesn't really doing anything but make me think that their just exploiting batman's popularity to make static bigger.

I liked static the way he was. I liked his world, and the big bang and so forth. But now he's teaming up w/ my favorite superhero(who should still have a series if he's still popular). I don't know....as a fan i personally feel exploited also. The only fix of Batman i can get is on "static shock" or the justice league, where i have to hope he'll make an appearance for more than to just tell the rest of the team how to turn the lights of in the watchtower.

Static was fine by itself. If they have so much faith in the show then let static live in his own world.

JusticeLeagueLegion

01-25-2003, 10:40 PM

The only complaints I really have is the new theme song, plus the fact that Batman didn't have much to do with it, which didn't bother me too much since he was after all, just a guest star, but on the Superman episodes that guest starred Batman he had bigger parts...in fact he usually had a bigger part than Superman, except for on "Knight Time." But it seemed like every other episode that guest starred Batman had him in the front seat and Superman in the background. I kind of expected this to be kind of like that, but in a way I'm glad it wasn't, because it's not a series about Batman, it's about Static. However, I thought everyone was played well to there character, I loved the new costume and the animation seems like it might be a little better, but definitly the back grounds are better. And I liked Poison Ivy's design...not as good as the first few seasons of BTAS that were on Fox, but better than the "Kids WB" design. I'm sure there were probably changes, but I couldn't tell the difference of Harley's design on this show than on Batman and Superman. It looked like the lesson on this episode is don't ever meet someone you chatted with on the internet...so, are there any young people out there that want to meet me? Just kidding. Anyway, I can't wait to see more character development of the main characters...course I'm still looking forward to the Superman and Justice League crossovers, but I'm still eager for more character development of the main character. Oh, and I'm glad Batman mentioned the Titans...now we know there probably won't be any origin of them on the series premeire of Teen Titans because it looks like they've sort of already been established. They just haven't gotten popular yet, because I think Static mentioned that he hadn't heard of them. Weather this was better then "The Big Leagues" or not, I don't know, that's hard to say, but I'll sure stick around for more Static Shock action this season, by the way, what were the ratings on this episode like? All in all, the episode deserves five stars.

All-Star 1.5

01-25-2003, 10:43 PM

Originally posted by creeper
I like static too. But i really think it should have stood on it's own. How can you not notice the differences of batman TAS and static, when they put them on the same show or static's show. I can appreciate static for what it is, and i get that everyone thinks the "crossovers" are cool. But you can really tell when things are out of place. For example; if batman makes a appearance on superman or vice versa, it's like, these two are big name superheroes in the same universe. That i can accept. But Static being in batman's world and batman being in his doesn't really doing anything but make me think that their just exploiting batman's popularity to make static bigger.

I liked static the way he was. I liked his world, and the big bang and so forth. But now he's teaming up w/ my favorite superhero(who should still have a series if he's still popular). I don't know....as a fan i personally feel exploited also. The only fix of Batman i can get is on "static shock" or the justice league, where i have to hope he'll make an appearance for more than to just tell the rest of the team how to turn the lights of in the watchtower.

Static was fine by itself. If they have so much faith in the show then let static live in his own world.

Static, would be in his own world if not for WB animation you see as long as Static is still owned by the WB and DC and JL is still owned by WB then crossovers are bound to happen sooner or later. I mean there really is no use fighting them just get used to them. I mean they really are enjoyable if you just see them as regular episodes.

M'ral

01-25-2003, 11:07 PM

Okay, I have to admit up front that I'm not really a Static fan...I'm a Bat-fan starving for new material.

I must say, I wasn't disappointed by this episode...but only because I wasn't expecting much. I made that mistake with THE BIG LEAGUES, so even the news that Paul Dini was doing the writing didn't get me too excited.

Good thing it didn't. The episode was fluff...an excuse to get Batman and Static together again, and little more. Paul Dini's considerable writing talent was wasted on bad puns and a weak plot. Even Harley Quinn, Dini's own creation, lacked personality in this episode. The story was rushed and shallow, and gave none of the characters a chance to show what they're capable of, or even do much of anything.

The animation was jerky, flat, and all-around horrible (a problem held over from THE BIG LEAGUES)...even normally overly expressive characters like Harley Quinn had wooden expressions, and I seriously doubt Poison Ivy's face changed expression even once in the entire episode.

And the music?! Absolutely terrible. I have nothing against rap or Hip-Hop...in fact, if it's well done, I actually enjoy it...but it was just wrong for this episode. It's not only Batman that doesn't go well with such music, either. Gotham City itself has taken on the personality of its protector, just as Dakota has for Static (either that, or Batman and Static have taken on the personalities of their respective cities), so rap and Hip-Hop just don't fit there. The job of background music is to create the atmosphere of a scene, to give mood and tone to the setting and the action. The music in this episode did neither...in fact, it hindered the action and destroyed the dark, moody atmosphere of Gotham and her hero. Yes, Static required a totally different theme from Batman, but that should have been confined to moments when he was the main character in the action (and there were plenty of them). Batman doesn't Hip-Hop.

I probably should have commented on the reworked Batman theme with the rest of the music, but it was just so horrible I had to do it separately. The first thing I thought when I heard it was, "What video game did they steal that from?" I've never heard a Batman theme butchered so badly. I happen to own one of the old 1990's handheld video games (remember those?), a Batman one with a very high, tinny, and extremely cheesy musical theme. The Batman theme from HARD AS NAILS sounded almost exactly like it. That's really pathetic.

The climax was a yawn. I mean, come on! Static handles both bad girls and the good-mutant-gone-bad single-handedly, and all Batman gets to do is save Poison Ivy from the drink? And when Static is really in trouble, the good-mutant-gone-bad saves him? Puh-leese! Again, I admit that I'm prejudiced by Bat-love, but still!

Despite all that, HARD AS NAILS did have its good points. Alfred's "Batman" line, Static's student ID, Bullock's "Robin" crack...all of those had me in stitches. But even those great lines couldn't save this less-than-stellar episode.

2 stars.

EroSennin

01-25-2003, 11:11 PM

I liked this episode alot. It was nice to see the Batman cast once again, and for everyone complaining rap doesnt belong with Batman this was a SS episode not a Batman:TAS. I think it fit nicely with the shows atmosphere. I also loved the lines by Alfred wanting someone to think he was Batman and Bullock asking what Robin did with his hair. Looks like Teen Titans will guest star or Static will guest star w/ them in the future. Cant wait to see next weeks episode.

Digu Volz

01-25-2003, 11:13 PM

I agree about the multiple guest stars and not just Bats, Supes, or the League, but also celebes like Shaq and L'il Romeo (...), so it doesn't have much to do with continuity. I just feel that the series would be better served by focusing on the Staticverse, however I do feel like he is 'worthy' of being in TAS continuity along with Superman and Batman, so don't mind an occasional crossover. But we've got like five crossovers/guest stars this season out of eleven episodes listed so far. That's far too much.

Storm

01-25-2003, 11:16 PM

Originally posted by M'ral
Okay, I have to admit up front that I'm not really a Static fan...I'm a Bat-fan starving for new material.

I think when some Batman fans watch this crossovers they expect a fullblow Batman episode. I miss B:TAS as the next guy and sorry to be negative but there won't be a new Batman toon for a while. So you better just enjoy Batman on JL or guest-starring on Static or just watching re-runs. Anyway we'll get to see some fresh Batman...

Can anyone say "Mystery of the Batwoman".

DerekPowers

01-25-2003, 11:20 PM

well, i found this episode to be very weak and not as entertaining as i expected. i liked "the big leagues" better. and i really expected more from paul dini.

first, the story was weak. did harley and ivy really need nails to help them rob that gold?? i mean, all she did was carry the gold and slash the boxes, which they could have done themselves or w/ the help of ivy's plants or something.

second, the batman theme was so cheap sounding it isnt funny. whatever, i dont mind trying to do a hip-hop remix of the bat theme, but do it with some amount of effort. it sounded like a cheap midi.

the animation wasnt that good. did anyone notice the buildings in gotham during the park scene looked like bb buildings?? and i dont buy batman revealing his identity to virgil. theyve worked together twice. the JL doesnt even know his identity. geez.

my favorite part was actually the flashback. it atleast had some nice character interaction in it. maybe i just like the ss characters more for the kind of show ss is, i dont like seeing the batman characters trying to be written for that show. the whole thing was really shallow. and it really wasnt that entertaining. the funniest part was bullocks comment 'what did robin do to his hair" , but thats about it.

i give it 2 stars. peace.

Kenobi

01-25-2003, 11:26 PM

I managed to catch the last five minutes of this episode this morning. All I caught was when Batman and Static saved Nails at the very end.

The one thing that stood out in my mind was the music...and it made me very hostile. To hear Danny Elfman's sacred music defiled by whatever hack composer or rap "artist" made me want to kill puppies...rrr...

Mike Spartz

01-25-2003, 11:28 PM

All in all this was a good episode. I liked it, however; there are a few things I want to point out that I found distrubing.

Firstly though, lets talk about what was good. I thought that the look of Gotham was certainly right. I love the red skies and the Gothams buildings and towers. The characters, I thought, were also animated well. I love the Poison Ivy and Harley Quinn designs, plus Static Shock look real cool. The Batcave seqence was superb and I'm glad that Batman saved Static this time rather than Static saving bats like in the "Big Leagues." Finally, as usual Kevin Conroy and Phil LaMarr did an excellent job with voicing their characters. I simply can't get enough of one the one-liners Conroy pulled in this episode. For example, at the end, when Harley and Ivy are captured, Static does this disappearing trick on Nails and Bat says "The Kid's got style," that was great! :D By the way, now, after watching this episode, who thinks LaMarr is not talented?

Now onto all the bad stuff. The music was terrible in my opinion. I dislike Static's theme and I hoped that the producers would change it for this season, guess not. Also, I would have loved to see Batgirl or Nightwing in the episode rather than just Batman himself. Furthermore, Alfreds voice in this episode seem a little odd to me. When he first meets with Static, his voice seems a little different, it took a few more lines for me to reconize that it was indeed him. Moreover, Ivy and Harleys club for distressed Bang babies shown have been shown more. The artists should have drawn a few of the "cured" bang babies for us to see. But more importantly, this episdoe felt a little slow and meanless to me, not once was I tempted to jump out of my seat and watch intently. Sorry Paul, not one of your greatest works.

Overall this was an OK ep, it had it's moments and the look was fantiastic.Conory and LaMarr bring is great preformances and Harley and Ivy were both cute too. However the plot was boring and slow, plus the music sucked.
I give it :) :) :) 1/2 out of 5

DisneyBoy

01-25-2003, 11:36 PM

ARGGG! I missed it completely! :mad: :mad: :mad:

When will it reair?

Marika Segal

01-25-2003, 11:39 PM

I love the part when Bullack misakes Robin for Static! I found that funny & so stupid at the same time cause I also thought " Is Bullack that blind or that stupid to think that is Tim??!"And did James Gordan think that was Tim too???!!Very dumb & funny at the same time. I thought the episode was OK but a bit stupid & I thought it was also dumb for Static to find out Batmans
idenity :mad: !! I personally dont like the type of animation used in that episode at all cause its not the same type of beautiful animation used in TNBA. But I do have to midmit that I the Gotham backround was well done & the episode nearly looks like a new TNBA episode but not 100% totally. And I liked it when they mentioned about Tim being with Titans & I so hope that Titans is brillant series not a horrible series!

Marika Segal

01-25-2003, 11:54 PM

You know what, I thought the plot wasn't very eventful & so boring I thought too Batman Lover! And one more thing that nearly everyone esle has been saying, the music sucked to hell in a crapbox on this one!

Joe Wagner

01-26-2003, 12:41 AM

Originally posted by John6777
Am i the only one who remembers the teen titans wasn't suppose to be related to the other shows. Wasn't it suppose to take place in a Futuristic Atmosphere. I mean if it is nothing like The others why would this be mentioned. I mean i can already say the Teen Titan show is gonna suck so why bother.

Firstly - the Teen Titans will be in continuity with the rest of the BTAS, STAS, JL, Static Shock universe. The original press release was later to be found as something to hype up the series and not necessarily what the show was going to be based in. Also, the Teen Titans were originally slated to star in an episode of Static Shock but this idea was scratched in favor of a JL crossover.

As for "Hard As Nails" - another great Static episode from the Static crew. While I understand some of the complaints that have come about over the music (sorry but I can't stand the newest Static opening with Lil' Romeo - I wish they would have just stuck with the first seasons opening). The highlights would definitely have to be Static's interaction with Alfred ("Just once I wish someone would believe that") and the revelation of Bruce Wayne as Batman to Static. While some may question this it wasn't the first time Bats left someone with an idea of who he was and it was also a way of telling Static that Bats trusted him, something few heroes have earned from the Bat.

Overall I thought this was another great episode for the Static franchise and I'm looking forward to the rest of Season 3.

-Joe!

scarface_74

01-26-2003, 03:41 AM

People have been mentioning that not even the JL knows Batman's identity. Well we know that Superman knows it and we could assume that MM knows it if he can read people's mind and contact Batman telepathically.

John6777

01-26-2003, 11:42 AM

I didn't like this episode cause Batman didn't do anything. It was a really pathetic try to raise Static's Ratings. I mean if they need to raise Ratings they might as well cancel the show. I would rather have Superman,Batman, and Justice League the only thing in this universe's Continuity. Static Shock and Teen Titans are probably the only 2 i am not crazy about. I am sure if the Teen Titans go up against big named Villains i will get into it. But if its like Static with this lame villains count me out. Teen Titans need to face The Joker and Harley. But ofcourse if they did they would loose.

warmachine04

01-26-2003, 01:46 PM

Not as entertaining as "The Big Leagues" but it still a good opener for season three. I liked Static's new look but the opening theme just wasn't as good as the earlier versions. I also felt that Batman's involvement wasn't strong enough but his interaction with Static was great. The animation was quite good and the background of Gotham City worked great. The ending was good but could have been much better.

Chris Sanders MSX

01-26-2003, 01:54 PM

I loved the episode but the music... I never liked it when they started playing bargan basement rap during some of the scenes. It's like the DBZ Trunks special where some genius thought a Master P song would be perfect during a fight scene and it just sounded really really out of place.

I also disliked the redone Batman music. But thankfully the show's not about music, and about story telling and that's where the episode excels.

Supremus

01-26-2003, 05:31 PM

I have only ever watched Static once before, and that was when Batman was on the show the last time. Both episodes were garbage. Justice league suddenly looks pretty good by comparison.

This episode showed that it takes more than Paul Dini to bring quality to a show that sucks. Actually, has Dini done anything good since Batman TAS?

And what was going on with the music!?!?!?! Not only was it mind-numbingly bad, but at times it was downright distracting, as they had vocals over the actual dialogue. Terrible!

The only good thing about this episode was to see the REAL Batman again. He looked so much better than the JL design. JL Batman looks like an anorexic who doesn't fit into his costume properly.

I give this episode a VERY generous 2 stars.

Terminatah

01-26-2003, 05:47 PM

I didn't know this was airing until I saw the title of this thread just now. Does anyone know when it will rerun? I also still have to see "The Big Leagues". I'm not a Static fan, but I do like Batman. And it looks like this eppy had some good cameos.

-Terminatah

Brainiac

01-26-2003, 06:45 PM

Well, I was excited to see this only because Batman was on again...and it has been way too long...the episode, IMHO, was better than the previous Bat/Static team-up, but still annoyed me. The techno music, and especially the fact that Bruce would reveal his identity bothered me. Seeing Poison Ivy and Harley Quinn was nice, but otherwise, the episode was lacking...Hopefully the JL team-up will be better. Plus, I'm looking forward to the Superman team-up just for the return of the Toyman...I wonder if they'll get the same guy to do that creepy voice?

2 Stars

murmur

01-27-2003, 02:33 AM

I kinda liked Batman's role. I got the sense he could have handled the whole problem himself, but let Static have his try. Obviously he has taken a liking to the new hero, which is nice. I certainly thought that the revelation of his identity was going waaay too far though. How long did he know Dick and Babs before revealing the secret? And did he volunteer it to anyone else?

James Harvey

01-27-2003, 12:00 PM

I don't like the idea of Bruce just revealing himself so easily, either. It just seemed a tad...wrong. I mean, Superman only found out because Supes used his X-Ray vision. I just think that Batman would easily tell a sixteen year old hero (a bit of a rookie, too) his identity, even if it wasn't directly. It's pretty easy to figure out that Alfred is Bruce Wayne's butler.

Toooonfan

01-27-2003, 12:02 PM

I agree with most people that this was an improvment over Big Leagues but just not good enough. Unlike mostof you, I'm not against continuing Batman/Static crossovers. As for Batman revealing his identity, I don't like it but maybe it was because he now knew Static's identity and this is his way of returning that. It was nice to see costumeless bruce, bullock, comish, and :harley: and Ivy again. But H and I just wern't as funny as they usually are. Did anybody notice that they played Joker's theme from Big Leagues whenever Harley came along?

jm5150bc

01-27-2003, 12:04 PM

Better than "The Big Leagues", but still nothing to write home about... My complaints are basically the same as anybody & everybody else's- Batman theme was terrible (as it was before), Bullock mistaking Static for Robin (sure ...), and Batman revealing his identity at the end (never should have happened !!!!!)

And the scary part is that these kind of mishandlings came from Paul Dini !!! (Huh ?? :eek: )

The look of all the Gotham characters was good, but the characterizations just seemed too watered down, just to fit the tone of a "Static" show, which I will say seems a bit darker than before per the creators' intentions for this season...

I say ditch the guest appearances (Batman, Superman, JL). Doing it just to do it, and making the characters sort of parody versions of themselves, just doesn't do it for me... If you want to do Batman, then DO BATMAN !!!!! (...or Superman, etc.).

katfairy

01-27-2003, 12:46 PM

I gave it a solid 4 stars. I'd have given it 4 1/2, but the music just annoyed me too much. (NOT a rap fan- most of the music I like was written before my grandparents were born, and that's saying something since Queen Victoria was still on the throne when my father's parents were born. For the exceptions, well, I suppose it would be asking a bit too much to find the Grateful Dead on Saturday morning tv)

I'll admit that I found Bullock's comment to be a bit much. Okay, it was funny, but I think even he should have noticed that Static and Robin are greatly different in height, build, and (duh) skin tone. The height and build could change greatly in a short period of time, especially considering the age group we're considering here (anyone remember what happened between seasons one and two of Deep Space 9? They had to rethink a few things when the actor playing Jake Sisko shot up 6 inches over the break). The fact that Robin is white and Static is black, however, isn't quite as easily explained. Nobody's that dense, except for maybe tv executives. (Check out some of the recasts through tv history- the original Face in the A-Team was about 6'4"- a good 6 inches taller than his replacement. Diagnosis Murder had a beaut, too: Amanda Bentley. Original tv movies- Cynthia Gibb; series- Victoria Rowell.)

(Yes, I am a trivia geek. Why do you ask? :p )

On the other hand, Alfred and the Commissioner were well handled, though I wouldn't have minded seeing more of them. Gordon's reaction to Bullock's Robin crack was perfect. And I got the feeling, watching the final fight scene, that Batman was just sitting back and seeing how Static handled himself. After all, this really was Static's case; it just took him to Batman's territory. He stepped in earlier when Static was over his head, and he made it very clear that he wasn't going to let the situation get out of hand, but he obviously didn't feel the need to step in if he wasn't really necessary. Though I don't think he liked Static's crack about Nails going through the rest of her life with "guys like him " after her. ;)

The bit in the Batcave was well done, too. Virgil's reaction wasn't overplayed as it was in "Big Leagues", and I loved the bit with the ID.

The final scene... well, I could come up with a number of plausible explanations. My own private theory is that Bruce checked Virgil out and decided he could be trusted.

Ms. Kitty

01-27-2003, 01:02 PM

Hey Jim Harvey, will YTV start playing Static eps anythime soon? :confused: I hope so I liked that show. :( :)

The Old Maid

01-27-2003, 02:06 PM

Fair enough : the music could have reflected the Gotham location and characters. However my chief quibble is that it's incessant. Birds of Prey had this problem too. Sometimes silence can be more effective.

Harley Quinn's animation was better than in much of TNBA. She still has problems around the mouth (sometimes it was waaaaaaaay too large). I never liked Ivy's new designs, though ; the B:TAS design was more subtle and more elegant. Ivy should be beautiful, if only on the outside.

Batman's design was the barrel-chested TNBA look. He didn't hunch (a big improvement over "The Big Leagues"). I still prefer the B:TAS design, but I can't draw so there's nothing I can do about that. :D

As for the swapping identities scene, I'm still chewing on that. I may have to rant about it later.

Static's new look is great. I've always liked the coat and was worried he'd lose it. But why was Gear more buff than Static? Isn't Richie a computer geek? He and Creeper must have been drinking from the same bottle.

Speaking of Creeper ... if it's so easy to treat and/or cure Bang Babies, why did it take the Wayne Foundation two years to get involved? Okay, maybe they were involved and we never knew it, but it seems convenient that the treatment is ready just in time to treat this particular victim. I'd also have enjoyed a comment from Static to Nails to the effect that, if there was a legitimate clinic, doesn't Nails think that Static would be the first one to know about it? That's another sign of too-good-to-be-true lures on the Internet -- offering you and only you privileged information.

This episode also implied that Bang Babies can learn to control their conditions through willpower. Granted, Static does this all the time, but again the Creeper needed medicine. This episode seemed to imply the Bang Babies can be weaned off medicine. Still, if they have the condition, then whether they control it through willpower or medicine, that's not the same as being cured.

It was fitting to remind the audience that Ivy is intelligent. Some of her more recent appearances didn't portray her as a woman with multiple university degrees. Also, a nice nod to the Contagion storyarc in Batman's comic continuity. She conned desperate sick people there too.

I do have a problem with the "wood weakness." Dead wood has little or no moisture, but living wood is full of it. Water conducts electricity. I'm not saying Static should have broken out of the tree effortlessly, but he should have been able to blow out one little airhole. Basically the wood would have to be dead as it formed over him. Which leads to --

The fact that I find Ivy's powers less realistic than Static's condition. People who've been struck by lightning have experienced changes in their bioelectric constants, sometimes to the point their own dogs are afraid of them. But can Ivy command plants to absorb mass in a few seconds, convert that water/soil/air into plant proteins, and then move intelligently toward an object? Even kudzu only grows about a foot (30 cm) per day. And creatures with semi-sentient abilities are usually classified as animals, not plants. I found Ivy more realistic when she concocted poisons (from which she herself was immune) rather than the sci-fi Merlin-of-the-Plants version. Oh well.

You're kidding, right? C'mon, Bullock knew it wasn't Robin. I took his comment to mean, "just how many S.o.B.s (sons of the Batman, another comic reference) are there?!" Given how many Robins, Batgirls, Spoilers, Creepers, and Catwomen there are running loose in Gotham, you can hardly blame him.

murmur

01-27-2003, 02:26 PM

Originally posted by Jim Harvey
I don't like the idea of Bruce just revealing himself so easily, either. It just seemed a tad...wrong. I mean, Superman only found out because Supes used his X-Ray vision. I just think that Batman would easily tell a sixteen year old hero (a bit of a rookie, too) his identity, even if it wasn't directly. It's pretty easy to figure out that Alfred is Bruce Wayne's butler. Superman isn't the only fellow hero who found out without Batman revealing it intentionally. Tim Drake and Terry Mcguiness both found out because Bruce was in deserate physical shape and they lucked out on the location of the Batcave...Oh darn. I just realized the other exception...The Grey Ghost. He worked with Batman only once but Batman gave him a very strong hint at his identity by quoting himself to Trent as Bruce Wayne at the end of the episode. And there really wasn't a good tactical reason to expose himself like that; it was emotional.So it wouldn't be the first time. Is there an emotional reason for his revelation this time too? Now that Tim is out with the Titans, is he suffering from Empty Robin Nest syndrome (pardon the pun)?

Joe Wagner

01-27-2003, 02:29 PM

I have to agree with the Old Maid about the Bullock comment - I don't think he was being serious but at the same time it played homage to the Bullock of old, just think about some of the stupid things he said and did during the course of the series - esp when he was talking with Montoya.

As for the cure - we have to remember that Bruce was working on a cure for Matt Hagan and had created one for the Man-Bat as well so I don't think it would be hard for Wayne Enterprises scientists to find a way to help Nails control her powers (esp with their resources at hand and the fact it wasn't such much as a cure as a way to control her powers).

As for Batman revealing his identity - I think that it was very much in character for him. During the course of the series he revealed his identity to Dick, Barbara, Tim Drake and the Grey Ghost. He also left Frog with Alfred - leaving the possibility open for exposure (in the episode the Underdwellers). Not only that but a little bit of history on Virgil would make Bruce relate far more easily to Virgil (losing a parent at the hands of a gunman). Bruce has traveled that path before and knows how difficult it must have been for Virgil and how difficult the decision to be a hero actually is. Perhaps revealing his secret was a way to let Virgil know that he has an ally he can trust, someone to support him if he ever needs it. While Bruce can't train Virgil like he did with Dick, Tim and Barbara he can offer him assistance and support if he ever needs it.

-Joe!

Toddman

01-27-2003, 06:51 PM

Originally posted by The Old Maid

You're kidding, right? C'mon, Bullock knew it wasn't Robin. I took his comment to mean, "just how many S.o.B.s (sons of the Batman, another comic reference) are there?!" Given how many Robins, Batgirls, Spoilers, Creepers, and Catwomen there are running loose in Gotham, you can hardly blame him.

Amen. I mean, wow. I'm really, really surprised that so many people are criticizing Bullock's joke. I mean, if if you guys thought it was a bad joke, fair enough, but to not recognize a little sarcasm, especially from the pen of Paul Dini is really a shame.

Personally, I enjoyed Harley's "Oakie-Dokie, Poison Oaky!" line. "Poison Oaky" is what Harley mistakenly called Poison Ivy in "Harley& Ivy" way back when.

And as far as Batman revealing his identity to Virgil after only working with him twice, y'know he revealed his secret I.D. to Batgirl after only working with her ONCE. (And for you sarcasm-challenged, take that comment with a grain of salt.

Toddman

Drachentöter

01-27-2003, 06:51 PM

Whoops, I somehow missed this talkback. I give the season premiere a solid four stars. It was pretty much fluff, but I liked the simplicity and it makes me eager to see this season.

I enjoyed this episode, it was fun to watch. I like Static's attitude this season and it DID seem darker than it has before. As usualy, they're fitting in lessons ("don't take advice from strangers on the internet, kids") but that's alright, it's the Static format. I just don't think it had the real impact a Batman/Static crossover should if you're trying to make Static Shock a valid piece of continuity in fans' eyes.

The music issue didn't bother me too much. Rap and hip-hop are some of Static's gimmicks. It's a popular music style and the creators are trying to reach the demographic that enjoys it. I liked the Nails theme, it gets stuck in your head. I was not too fond of the Lil' Romeo opening. That's just a bit too ridiculous. I was never fond of the wannabe twelver year old rappers. As for the bat-theme, I took it in stride. Sure, it wasn't the best re-mix they could have done but it was still a fun tidbit.

I like the animation in this ep. Gotham looked great as did Gordon, Bullock, Burce, Ivy ( :eek: ) and Harley. I don't know if Ivy's pale design is growing on me or if they animated her different but it didn't bother me at all. She DOES look a bit taller.

As for Bruce revealing his idenitity, it doesn't bother me RIGHT NOW. If I were unaware of all these future crossovers, I'd just be throwing it into the wind and not giving a second thought. But the effect that might have on Batman's future appearances on Static and Static's appearance on JL makes me uneasy. It's one thing when they make Bruce show his face to satisfy a single plot line. It's a whole other when it starts seeping into other episodes/shows. We'll see how this plays out.

I'll be watching Static like a hawk now. I have high hopes for this season as Virgil seems to be maturing and the tone seems to be more grounded. Here's to more Static!

Chris Sanders MSX

01-27-2003, 10:08 PM

Originally posted by Jim Harvey
I don't like the idea of Bruce just revealing himself so easily, either. It just seemed a tad...wrong. I mean, Superman only found out because Supes used his X-Ray vision. I just think that Batman would easily tell a sixteen year old hero (a bit of a rookie, too) his identity, even if it wasn't directly. It's pretty easy to figure out that Alfred is Bruce Wayne's butler.

This is batman we are talking about here. How many people know his identity again ? As for telling rookie 16 year olds his identity. Ae you forgetting The Robin's. True some of them just stumbled upon it but I'm sure Batman has some memory erasing formula some where in utility belt. Besides it was fair, he found out Static's identity and seeing as how they had worked together before I guess he just saw it as being okay.

Viper

01-29-2003, 01:34 PM

I may be a little late with this, but better late than never. :p

It wasn't really much but the scenes in the last 10 minutes of the show were pretty good. I liked Detective Bullock's remark when seeing Static for the first time, "What did Robin do to his hair?"
This ep mainly proves that you should never meet someone from the internet when you don't even know who they really are.

Also, Harley's jokes could've been better. Even Ivy thought they were lame.

3 stars.

Metallo

01-29-2003, 04:23 PM

I think that is a good point that was previously raised: The fact that Virgil lost a parent to gun-related violence. Bruce Wayne could have checked into his background, seen that, and looked at Virgil as a kindred sort. And revealing his ID is sort of telling him, "I am there for you" since the Dark Knight can certainly relate to how difficult it is to go on after such a tragic loss. And the fact that Virgil has risen up to use his powers as a a hero certainly adds to the kindred feelings.

scarface_74

02-02-2003, 12:10 AM

James Harvey

02-10-2003, 02:09 PM

I like how Static is sort of carrying on a tradition from Batman and providing characters with their own themes. I like how Nails had her own theme in the episode. It was just neat. I was dissapointed that the Batman theme was changed or tweaked some for this episode. It still comes off as bad Nintendo music and it's a bit distracting.

I did enjoy this episode more than 'The Big Leagues,' mainly becuase of the superior animation and design. Batman actually looked like Gotham. It had the blood red sky and the characters were surprisingly on model, as well. You could see the Static design in there, but you could also see hints of Batman's world. The Bat-Cave looked pretty good, and was nice to see.

I enjoyed the episoded - a solid effort.

And special thanks to Joe Wagner and Bleu Unicorn.