Beware the Batman: Toxic

“Toxic” Beware the Batman, Cartoon Network 17 Aug. 2013

Back again and we see the debut of a classic Bob Haney character.

-Recap of previous episodes with a focus on Simon Stagg

-Couple making out in the dark, which to my knowledge has almost never worked out well for anyone in most forms of popular culture. The couple is Sapphire Stagg (Simon’s daughter) and security guard Rex Mason. More on him later

-She only loves the man inside and she’s sure her father will love him like she does. So they’ll make out in a darkened hallway?

-Also, it seems their make-out point was inside a Stagg Industries lab. Couldn’t they have rented a hotel room? An intruder breaks up the scene.

-Going on a merry chase, Mason is lead into a chamber. Huh, almost as if the burglar knows the layout of the lab.

-The burglar works the controls and floods the chamber with gas. So, the burglar knows the layout of the place and knows how to work the equipment.

-Clearly a case of random corporate espionage of course. Batman has more important matters though, like experimenting on himself with bovine hormone glands.

-Brief recap to explain Katana’s absence, although Bruce just now notices Alfred’s driving his car?

-Return of Dr. Ravencroft. Seems since Bruce isn’t a patient anymore they can date.

-Speaking of dating, Mason is in the hospital. Simon and Sapphire are there too and huh, Simon happens to be wearing the same color suit as a burglar. Simon swears he is happy and comfortable with his daughter’s choice.

-First appearance of Metamorpho (Mason’s alter ego). Decent transformation scene, although transformed love one fleeing from misunderstanding authorities is a bit cliché by this point.

-Metamorpho, for those not in the know, can change any part of himself into any element, be it solid, liquid, or gas. The fight scene is rather nice and good use of Metamorpho’s powers. Somehow Batman also knows the monster is Mason.

-Odd that the security cameras would have so many different angles. Also, the only employee who could access the lab was Simon Stagg.

-So Simon Stagg was the burglar. “Didn’t want your daughter messing with the help”? You know you could have just fired him. Or had him shot, or hired literally anyone else to get rid of Mason.

-Batman’s people skills need work. Also, grabbing someone who is being tased is just a bad idea.

-Not a bad fight scene

-And here is where things get sticky. In the comics, and I know it is unfair to constantly compare the medias, but there Mason and Sapphire love each other. Even with Mason being Metamorpho, Sapphire still loves the big lug. Here? It looks like Mason got a little too ugly.

-It is also somehow unfair to remind Sapphire that she said she loved the man inside and not what he appeared to be

-Although at least Bats manages to expose Stagg’s crimes, but we’ll have to wait and see if this point plot takes.

-Date night with Ravencroft. Everything seems fine, although her texting ‘awaiting instructions’ can’t be good.

-Adam Baldwin was acceptable as Mason, although bland. I didn’t recognize his voice, although his dialogue was mostly to blame.

-Next episode sees the debut of Lady Shiva.