- Batman
For many reasons, DC Comics and their cooperating entertainment studios often like to place Batman in action-adventures during the Christmas time. The most obvious and popular reason is just to juxtapose a cheery, loving holiday with a man who has survived with many tragedies in his life. Even when they don't choose to re-tell yet again that Bruce Wayne's parents died for holiday irony, they find and create a new scenario such as with The Penguin in Batman Returns. Another reason is just to have the Dark Knight fight goofy Christmas-related villains. Today's entry sadly mixes these two elements together to make a fun yet exploitative episode.
Originally, I was planning on doing "Christmas With the Joker" from the legendary Batman: The Animated Series. However, despite having the first appearances of Robin and Mark Hamill's signature Joker, I'm not a very big fan of it due to its loose direction. Also, Leonard Pierce of The A.V. Club already did a comprehensive look at it before he was fired for being the second incarnation of Stephen Glass. Instead, I'm going to touch on a Batman animated show that is running right now. A show that brings Batman's absurdist humor from the Silver Age of comic books heavily in many episodes and his somber and depressing tone from the Dark Age, especially in its second season. I'm talking about Batman: The Brave and the Bold, and I will being discussing its fourth produced episode, "Invasion of the Secret Santas!"
For those unaware of the concept, The Brave and the Bold was a popular comic book series where two DC superheroes would embark on a special mission together fighting a random foe. Usually, one of them would be one of A-list heroes and his or her partner would be either B or C-level material. Since Batman fills the signature spot in the television show, for this episode he teams up with the Red Tornado, a robot superhero with the power to produce massive gales and, well, tornadoes. The main story starts with Tornado saving some blissfully unaware kids from an out-of-control toy truck. He sends them back to their dad, where they all cheer that he has brought a little Christmas spirit to them. Tornado further inquires about this holiday spirit that is supposed to be a "tingling" sensation only for the smug family to laugh at his inability to have it since he's a robot. With his small cold glare and a rising urge to just blow apart their house, the Red Tornado instead tries to obtain Christmas spirit by reading books by "Stuart Martha", overdecorating his house, and singing "Jingle Bells" in his Google Talk voice. However, his search is delayed when Batman comes into town and he is swept up into a fight with the toytastic Fun Haus.
Long-time DC animation writer Adam Beechen likes to put the focus on the humor for this episode, but it is easy to notice his stinging critique on American life when it comes to Christmas. Red Tornado's residence is in a small town environment, a place where everyone seems to be constantly happy. Even after an army of robo-Santas destroys their buildings and terrorizes their kids, the citizens just return back to safety by shopping for gifts while walking over the debris. The mannerisms of Red Tornado and his search for Christmas spirit also is a nice jab at the holiday life. Instead of speaking clearly as he does in the comic book pages, Tornado dead-pans constantly in the stereotypical robot talk and starts each question by stating "Observation". He wants to assimilate with the rest of the populace and become one of them. He decorates his house and wears one of those ugly Christmas sweaters not out of his own joy but to receive joy from the winter and holiday environment. He only receives the "Christmas spirit" when he over-does his powers and blows up after he saves his neighbors from a giant action figure.
Satire aside, what I really enjoy by this episode is the many in-jokes implemented into the proceedings. The character design of Fun Haus is modelled after the Toyman and his design from another DC adaptation, Challenge of the Superfriends. The only difference is that he's very beefed up and voiced by Gary Anthony Williams instead of Frank Welker. One of Fun Haus' deadly toys is a bomb-filled baby doll, who is a direct character model of the villain Baby Doll from Batman: The Animated Series. Two of Fun Haus's other extensive weaponry are allusions to popular campy Christmas films. The first wave of terror bestowed upon the town is an armada of Neptunian aliens who search for Santa Claus. Red Tornado deduces that they aren't real by finding out that their televised statement came from the film "Holiday For Neptunians", a nice little nod to Santa Claus Conquers the Martians. His final weapon is a fleet of the hottest new toy, the Presto Play Pal. Its character design seems to match up exactly with the Turbo-Man toy from Jingle All the Way.
Unfortunately, these humorous jokes and scenarios are partnered along with a plot line that I quite frankly hate. At sporadic points in the story, Batman has flashbacks to his own youth and his Christmas time with his parents. The young Bruce Wayne uses his developing detective skills to solve the riddle of his present. However, instead of a swashbuckler toy he wanted, it turns out to be a nutcracker that was passed down the Wayne family. Bruce turns heel and shouts back at his parents and breaks the nutcracker. Now, I have two very big problems with this inclusion by Beechen. First, I have a bias when it comes to nutcrackers. I hate eating nuts but I have always been a huge favorite of nutcrackers. I like their creepy and regal look and the fact they can work as giant action figures or tools to hurt your siblings. Hell, I even got several nutcrackers from family members and I loved them. Secondly and more importantly, I really hate re-examinations of Bruce's childhood. Yes, his attitude portrayed is similar to what a kid would act like but it negates the overall tragedy of Bruce's childhood. His family was murdered and his innocence was lost. By showing him to be a greedy spoiled brat, you instead make the viewer wish for him to receive a bad case of karma. Sadly, this is exactly what happens because Beechen has Bruce still pissed off at his parents despite them bringing him to a swashbuckler movie. Called "The Mark of Zorro". And they walk into a dark alleyway. Seriously, I loathe this horrible and lazy writing Beechen uses to bring crass emotion to this episode.
Even though it has a really sour element, I still recommend "Invasion of the Secret Santas". It is a great mix of superhero action and biting satire. After all, when are you ever going to see Batman riding a reindeer?
TOMORROW'S ENTRY: We reach the final six entries and my personal six favorites. Similar to today, we look at a superhero kind of Christmas done in alternate art form.
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