B:TAS "Lock-Up" Talkback (Spoilers)

[The Penguin]

In an effort to get talkbacks for every Batman: The Animated Series episode, Jim Harvey and I will be putting up B:TAS talkbacks throughout the summer. This will help fill the gaps and present a complete collection and archive of all animated Batman episode discussions. Talkbacks for scheduled episodes will stay remain intact. Batman and Robin tangle with a misguided vigilante...


http://www.worldsfinestonline.com/WF/batman/btas/episodes/lockup/00r.jpg
Episode #082 - Lock-Up
Original Airdate - November 19th, 1994.

Several Arkham inmates lodge complaints against Lyle Bolton, the Asylum's sadistic new chief of security. When Bolton is fired, he vows revenge on societies' true lunatics, the officials whose policies have turned Gotham City into a haven for crime. Taking on the new identity of master jailer Lock-Up, Bolton kidnaps several prominent Gothamites and locks them away on an abandoned prison ship. It's up to Batman and Robin to confront Lock-Up and battle him for the lives of those he's wrongfully imprisoned.

Comments?

[Batman]

Lock-Up was a villian I really enjoyed. Granted, he's not the most original, but I love the spin that the creators took on him. I even more surprised to see that he was translated over to the mainstream comics in Detective Comics #697! I was really surprised! I thought the inmates reactions to Bolton at the beginning, even Scarecrow cowering in fear, were well done. A great villian and a chilling vision of what Batman could become if he couldn't control himself any longer.

[Jedigreedo]

I wish they would expand on him some, I actually saw this episode for the first time a little bit ago. It was pretty nice and the animation was prettying pleasing. Got me to wondering though, could Mad Stan be related to Bolton? They both are pretty miliary obsessed and like to rant about the 'system' and whatnot.. Could be a connection in there, would be pretty interesting.

[TimTwoFace]

This episode isn't a classic or anything in my eyes, but I really enjoyed the character of Lock-Up. He DOES deserve more appearances than just one - his translation in the mainstream was awesome (the afformentioned 'TEC arc, his supporting role in NML). He was in a few of the B&RA issues a few years ago, but they were only Arkham cameos.

Maybe Dan and Ty and company can do a story with him in the current incarnation of BATMAN ADVENTURES, after their planned arcs are over and done with. :)

-Tim

[Simpler Simon]

It's always interesting when the villain doesnt have the typical MO of commiting crimes or trying to kill people, and maybe we can even sympathize with Lock-Up - which one of us wouldn't go after the WB execs if we had all of Lock-Up's gadgets? :D

And my friend lent me the Nightwing arc of NML where he goes to Arkham, only to find Lock-Up and the Trigger Twins have taken over the place. I guess Harley isn't the only success story from BTAS!

[TimTwoFace]

Harley will always be the most recognizable character to originate on BTAS, but there were plenty that made the crossover before her, like Lock-Up, Rene Montoya, and Nora Fries. What makes Lock-Up cool was that, on some level, you CAN sympathize with him. He's not out to just cause havoc - when he's doing his business, it's always his own personal jihad against something or other. He's a passionate guy, and characters with passion make lasting impressions.

-Tim

[Good Ol' Batmanuel!]

Got me to wondering though, could Mad Stan be related to Bolton? They both are pretty miliary obsessed and like to rant about the 'system' and whatnot.
Nah, I'd say Mad Stan was mostly based on the guy who voiced him, Henry Rollins. :p

Anyway, I've always really enjoyed this episode. The scene where the villains are all afraid to speak out is classic. The Batman's simile is a good one: Lock-Up is what one might picture if Batman lost control. Batman is already obsessed, but his actions are tempered with good judgment. Lock-Up's, however, are not. I too wish that they would expand on him. He deserves some more time in the spotlight.

[Anarky]

Too bad Lock-Up didn't make an appearance in TNBA
he probably would've if the series wasn't MURDERED after 24 eps.

[The Penguin]

"Before I came here, Arkham was a revolving door of every maniac in Gotham. I kept them in. Me! Now I realize I was wrong to punish THOSE PATHETIC MISCREANTS! THEY'RE ONLY SYMPTOMS! YOU'RE THE CAUSE! THE GUTLESS POLICE, MINDLESS BUREAUCRATS, AND CODLING DOCTORS! YOU SHOULD ALL BE LOCKED UP IN A CAGE WITHOUT A KEY!"

Tonight at 12 midnight ET, Boomerang aired The Adventures of Batman & Robin episode, Lock-Up. If you do not have Boomerang, you are encouraged to follow along on disc 4 of your Batman: The Animated Series, Vol. 3 (http://forums.toonzone.net/showthread.php?t=141827) DVD set.


http://www.worldsfinestonline.com/WF/batman/btas/episodes/lockup/00r.jpg
Episode #082 - Lock-Up
Original Airdate - November 19th, 1994.

Several Arkham inmates lodge complaints against Lyle Bolton, the Asylum's sadistic new chief of security. When Bolton is fired, he vows revenge on societies' true lunatics, the officials whose policies have turned Gotham City into a haven for crime. Taking on the new identity of master jailer Lock-Up, Bolton kidnaps several prominent Gothamites and locks them away on an abandoned prison ship. It's up to Batman and Robin to confront Lock-Up and battle him for the lives of those he's wrongfully imprisoned.

Comments?

[ROBOTRON]

Lol...I liked this episode. Prison guard goes spastic.:D


Whenever I see this episode I can't help but think of the "Armory" episode of Batman Beyond. I know the stories are different but for some reason I put these two together.

I gave it 2 1/2 stars.

[JSmith]

Episodes like this one really just don't do it for me. Batman is supposed to be the greatest hand to hand fighter in the DCU bar none. He trained for years to become such. But as the seasons of the show went on, Bats started to get his butt kicked by every no name who wandered in off the street. He got beat by Miriam in Baby Doll. He gets handed his head twice by LockUp. He even got taken down by a supermodel in Mean Seasons. And some dude with a hook for a hand nearly ko'ed him for good in You Scratch My Back. This is just too much. Totally ridiculous. What was the point of all those years of training if anyone who finishes a 6 month Tae Kwan Doe class at Tiger Schulman's can wipe the floor with the Bat? It's just ludicrous. The fight between Lock-up and Bats should have lasted a couple minutes at most. Maybe Bolton could have put up a good fight, gotten in a punch or two, but there is no way he should have been able to handle Brucie as easily as he did. Just a terrible episode all around. And by this point Scarecrow had become Dini's joke character, playing him purely for laughs. No wonder the major overhaul was needed for Gotham Knights. Lame stuff here indeed.

[Batman Fan]

Wasn't really one of my favorites, but it's grown on me.

First off, I have to agree with JSmith on Scarecrow being a whimsical character used in these later episodes, that first scene with him is really pathetic. I loved the scene where the villans testify against Bolton, at first they're to frightened to speak, but Bruce did a nice job of getting them to speak up. That scene was great, with Harley smashing Scarface's head in, and Scarface saying Bolton held him over a can of termites.:D

I have to say, Lock-up is pretty weird idea for a villan, but it totally works for a one time deal, I don't think if he appeared in another episode he would've worked like he did here, after all, he got what he wanted at the end. His knowledge of security systems and locks was a nice gimmick and something new for Batman to face, and his whole vendetta against the justice system and kidnapping what he considered to be the corrupt in Gotham was a nice idea for an episode, and as the episode progressed, we truly got to see how crazy Bolton was, and his belief in justice is nothing more than his own fixation. So, it was nice to get another villan like him, who had some psychological problems, and thought the justice system was a joke.

The dialogue in this episode was pretty good as well, from Lock-up ranting on about how he should be made in charge, and how his idea of justice is superior, to his plan on getting Batman to join him, and Batman's countering defense, the dialogue was very good indeed. Robin got in some nice one-liners, my favorite was "Another villan, made possible by a grant from the Wayne Foundation" The animation was also nice in this episode, the characters moved very fluidly and there were some nice shots of Batman and Lock-up, like Batman looking up to the sky with the Bat-signal in the background.

The finale on the ship was great. The storm just added to the grim, dark, and eerie feeling you got on that ship. I do think that Lock-up took Batman down way to easy though. And the ending just proved how truly insane Bolton was, but it was a nice ending.

All in all, a nice new idea for a villan, although I don't think he'd ever work again, good story, and some nice animation. Although, this episode is pretty bland and boring beyond the beginning and the finale, there isn't much build up on Bolton, and the middle is very slow, and was kinda tacked on just to get to a nice finale, that's how I see it.

***1/2 or ****... can't decide.