- Title: Batman: The Animated Series – The Demon’s Quest
- wiki: link
Our Throwback Tuesday post takes us back to Gotham City. When pitting the Dark Knight Detective against Ra’s al Ghul (the perfectly cast David Warner), Batman: The Animated Series looked no further than the man who created the character for inspiration. Based primarily on Dennis O’Neil‘s Batman #232, “Part One” features Batman (Kevin Conroy) working with the mysterious Ra’s and his henchmen Ubu (Manu Tupou) to find the kidnapped Robin (Loren Lester) and Talia (Helen Slater). The episode features quite a bit of globe-trotting as the group follows clues to Calcutta and Malaysia before ending up in a secret stronghold in the Himalayas where the truth behind the kidnapping comes to light and Ra’s true motivations are revealed.
Ra’s is a great Bat-villain and the series would further explore the complexities of Talia straddling her loyalties to both men in further episodes. While I enjoy the first episode a little more than the second, “Part Two” does have its moments as Batman sneaks into Ra’s desert compound and fights the environmental madman bare-chested (even if the hairless chest does look a tad odd to those familiar with how Neal Adams drew shirtless Bruce Wayne). We also see the Lazarus Pit in action and get a great shot of Batman and Talia together against the setting sun. Despite his apparent demise, the episode’s epilogue doesn’t keep us in suspense and foreshadows the villain’s eventual return.
