Plot summary: There’s a new bat-themed vigilante in Gotham, and Batman wants to know who’s behind the mask.
Each Saturday and Sunday Matt Waters recaps an episode of the legendary Batman: The Animated Series, building an overall ranking along the way. Plus best performances, the ever-popular Villain Watch and more!
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Notes
Movie Title: ‘Batman: Mystery of the Batwoman’
Original Release Date: October 21st, 2003
Directed: Curt Geda (8)
Written: Alan Burnett (9) & Michael Reaves (16)
Set after The New Batman Adventures but before the various flashbacks of Batman Beyond, this straight-to-video feature sports TNBA character models, but a much brighter animation style, likely due to being picked back up so many years later. Thus Batman’s costume was shifted closer to his Justice League look.
Kathy Duquesne was intended to be Kathy Kane, the alter ego of the comic book version of Batwoman, but DC refused to sign off on it because they didn’t like her being portrayed as a quasi-villain. Not sure I agree with that, but I am glad, because she and Bruce are typically depicted as cousins…
Moreover there’s no similarity between the Batwoman of this film and the comic book character except the name, with her costume looking more like Terry McGinnis’ in Batman Beyond, and the backstory being radically adjusted.
These were the final voice performances by Bob Hastings and John Vernon as Jim Gordon and Rupert Thorne respectively before their deaths.
There is an excellent little silent film called ‘Chase Me’ included as an extra, featuring Batman pursuing Catwoman across Gotham. Well worth a look!
Recap
The titular Batwoman attacks a criminal convoy transporting all manner of firearms, scattering several of them onto the highway in the process. The chaos attracts Batman & Robin, who save the life of the truck driver.
Bruce stares Batwoman down and we head to some beautifully animated opening credits featuring random action scenes. Not quite the iconic BTAS opening, but I’ll take them.
Rupert Thorne and Carlton Duquesne meet with Penguin to report on the hit in his secret weapons factory below a legitimate business. Oswald is none too happy, insisting Duquesne eliminate the Batwoman.
We run through our list of possible candidates, from Carlton’s spend-happy daughter, Kathy, to a slightly older Barbara Gordon (who immediately takes herself out of the running), to clutsy tech genius Roxanne ‘Rocky’ Ballantine, to Harvey Bullock’s new partner, Detective Sonia Alcana.
Noting a logo on the truck driver’s keys, Batman hits Penguin’s aforementioned legitimate business, but Batwoman is already on the scene, setting off explosives in the weapons facility below. Bruce scolds her for destroying any evidence of the criminal enterprise so she flies off on her glider.
Following her, Batman finds himself at Carlton Duquesne’s penthouse. Naturally, he assumes Kathy is Batwoman, so tails her the next day, helping her escape her unwanted security. They flirt and bond over her dead mother before she reluctantly heads home.
Batwoman sneaks into Penguin’s office while he’s meeting with Thorne to photograph some of his files, but the flash gives away her position so she has to fight her way out. Furious, Cobblepot opts to replace Carlton Duquesne with some “real muscle.”
Bruce takes Kathy out on a date to the Iceberg Lounge while Bullock and Alcana follow. When Batwoman attacks Penguin with Kathy still in eyesight, Batman rules her out as a suspect.
Batman pays Rocky a visit after determining some of her tech was used by Batwoman. She displays some fancy fighting moves and confirms she’s working against Penguin to get her fiancé out of prison, but denies being Batwoman. CCTV footage confirms she was nowhere near the club.
Penguin meets with Bane, who demands total control of their operation. Oswald brushes off this wild demand and shares details on their next shipment as Batwoman listens in.
The plot thickens as Batwoman returns to her hideout, where both Rocky and Kathy are waiting. The vigilante unmasks to reveal herself as Detective Alcana. More accurately, the three trade-off in the role in order to avoid suspicion…
Except Batman is totally onto them, linking the seemingly unconnected Kathy and Rocky via Alcana, who took art classes alongside the former, and was college roommates with the latter. She confirms her own grudge against Thorne for destroying her parents’ business to tie a neat bow on their shared motivations.
Thus all parties descend on the cruise ship full of weapons, as Bane immediately captured Kathy and called in the three mobsters, while Batman, Rocky and Alcana arrive to rescue her with all hell breaking loose.
Carlton saves Kathy, Rocky sinks Penguin & Thorne’s escape boat, and Batman and Bane brawl all over the burning ship, with the mercenary seemingly perishing in the flames.
Alcana rescues Bruce before he falls to his death and has no choice but to reveal herself to her GCPD colleagues, which naturally leads to her immediate termination. Bruce expresses his regret and hands her evidence to get Rocky’s fiancé out of prison.
Kathy is a sad panda watching the lovers reunite while she’s all alone… but oh hey, Bruce is waiting for her and they drive off into the sunset together.
Best Performance
Given there were FOUR voice actors contributing to the titular role, it’s only natural one of them would take home the gold. I lean towards Kimberly Brooks as Kathy, who got more lines than her two accomplices. She was feisty and fun, managing to make a spoiled rich girl remain likeable through charisma and rising to the challenge of the character’s occasional emotional moments, while also working hard to get the ‘twa-la’ catchphrase over. Kevin Conroy repeating it back to her at the end only worked because of her memorable reads of it earlier in the film.
Kelly Ripa was the second best of the trio, nailing the slightly awkward scientist brief without making her a comical loser. She too excelled when asked to explain her backstory. Elisa Gabrielli was much weaker as Alcana, failing to make her material work as well.
Casting Kyra freaking Sedgwick as the voice all three put on while in costume was a very strange decision, as the most famous of the guest stars got the least to say, not to mention it’s highly implausible that three women with very different accents could convincingly adopt the same voice.
Hector Elizondo replaced Henry Silva (who had retired from acting) as Bane and just wasn’t quite as menacing. Likewise Burnett & Geda re-cast Penguin, preferring the more gruff tone provided by David Ogden Stiers. Bruce Timm disagreed with the move and I think I’m with him, as while Stiers was solid in the role, the material wasn’t anything Williams couldn’t have handled.
Ranking
I actually really like the film’s central premise, presenting multiple suspects to be Batwoman, methodically ruling each one out… only to reveal it’s all three of them working together and switching out to provide alibis. It allowed them to be extremely on the nose twice without giving the game away, with Bruce following Batwoman back to Kathy’s house, and Rocky’s tech being used in the attack on Penguin. All three demonstrated the required physicality, and their combined money, intelligence and connections made them a highly effective unit, each with a strong motivation against one of the three main villains. Very tidy stuff.
I also really liked the look, maintaining some of The New Batman Adventures’ art style but throwing more money and polish at it and ditching the permanently red skies I hate so much. If they ever bring the show back in some form I’d like them to follow this style but with 15+ years of animation advances, rather than the generally bleh look of the last decade of DC animated films.
So you’d think a nice strong ranking, right? Well, while I think this may not get enough love, perhaps because it came so long after the end of the show, it is lacking in a few ways that make it the worst of the BTAS films.
Firstly, their choice of villain ensemble is lacking compared to Joker, Phantasm and Mr. Freeze in previous features. I’ll get into that more below, but they needed some sexier names IMO. Secondly, Batwoman is clearly playing in the same wheelhouse as The Phantasm, what with the mystery identity and romantic ties to Bruce, but is nowhere near as good in execution. Three decent characters sharing focus cannot compete with one fantastic one not competing for time. The Phantasm costume was also iconic, while this Batwoman outfit is generally reviled.
Finally, Batman and his allies get precious little attention, with the majority of the screen time going to the three Batwomen and the collection of rogues. Alfred is quippy, Tim is somewhat charming and Barbara makes no bones about her intention to bang Bruce when she returns to Gotham (have never been happy about that romantic pairing, by the by), but these are all tiny moments. Bruce himself gets an inferior version of his romance sub-plot from Mask of the Phantasm, with Kathy Duquesne substituting for Andrea Beaumont, and while I like seeing him play detective, even that aspect was sub-par compared to past efforts.
A detail like Batman saving Alcana’s life years ago, inspiring her to become a cop, only for her to return the favour at the end should really sing and make the universe feel lived-in, but just falls a bit flat. And that’s pretty emblematic of the entire movie, lots of ambition but it just doesn’t quite get there.
- The Laughing Fish
- Mask of the Phantasm
- Mad Love
- Over the Edge
- Almost Got ‘im
- Heart of Ice
- Harlequinade
- The Trial
- Riddler’s Reform
- Double Talk
- Judgment Day
- Legends of the Dark Knight
- Shadow of the Bat Part I
- I Am the Night
- Robin’s Reckoning Part I
- Baby-Doll
- Sins of the Father
- Batman & Mr. Freeze: Sub-Zero
- The Man Who Killed Batman
- Perchance to Dream
- Two-Face Part I
- Girls’ Night Out
- Torch Song
- You Scratch My Back
- Bane
- Batgirl Returns
- A Bullet For Bullock
- Joker’s Favor
- Read My Lips
- Feat of Clay Part II
- The Ultimate Thrill
- Catwalk
- The Demon’s Quest Part II
- Harley and Ivy
- Robin’s Reckoning Part II
- House & Garden
- Beware the Gray Ghost
- Mean Seasons
- Old Wounds
- Growing Pains
- Holiday Knights
- Mystery of the Batwoman (NEW ENTRY)
- Second Chance
- Mad as a Hatter
- Heart of Steel Part II
- Appointment In Crime Alley
- Two-Face Part II
- Pretty Poison
- Deep Freeze
- Chemistry
- Harley’s Holiday
- Lock-Up
- Shadow of the Bat Part II
- Feat of Clay Part I
- Cold Comfort
- His Silicon Soul
- Off Balance
- Vendetta
- Birds of a Feather
- Joker’s Millions
- Heart of Steel Part I
- Never Fear
- On Leather Wings
- Love is a Croc
- See No Evil
- The Clock King
- It’s Never Too Late
- Make ‘Em Laugh
- Joker’s Wild
- Eternal Youth
- The Cape and Cowl Conspiracy
- The Cat and the Claw Part I
- Zatanna
- Day of the Samurai
- Avatar
- The Demon’s Quest Part I
- The Mechanic
- The Strange Secret of Bruce Wayne
- Terror in the Sky
- P.O.V.
- Christmas with the Joker
- Fear of Victory
- Be a Clown
- The Worry Men
- What is Reality?
- The Demon Within
- Animal Act
- Night of the Ninja
- Fire From Olympus
- Mudslide
- The Cat and the Claw Part II
- Nothing to Fear
- The Lion and the Unicorn
- Prophecy of Doom
- Cult of the Cat
- Tyger, Tyger
- Blind as a Bat
- If You’re So Smart, Why Aren’t You Rich?
- Dreams In Darkness
- The Last Laugh
- Cat Scratch Fever
- Moon of the Wolf
- Paging the Crime Doctor
- Time Out of Joint
- Sideshow
- Beware the Creeper
- The Under-Dwellers
- The Forgotten
- Showdown
- Critters
- The Terrible Trio
- I’ve Got Batman in My Basement
Villain Watch
The Penguin (David Ogden Stiers) (twelfth appearance)
Moving past the change of voice actors, I simply don’t think they did a good enough job with Penguin throughout the show to warrant him propping up a movie as the main threat. He has general name value, so I get why they did it, but his feature episodes were generally much worse than the other heavy hitters. Perhaps that’s why they gave him three accomplices.
I do like the continued use of the Iceberg Lounge and him running a weapons factory underneath one of his legitimate businesses to try and make it look like he’d gone straight, a plot line they teased a little here and there in TNBA. But really other than bossing the other villains around, he doesn’t do an enormous amount. I’ll give him a little boost to just below Mad Hatter, but even that feels generous.
Rupert Thorne (John Vernon) (tenth appearance)
Long time, no see, Rupes! In fact, as he skipped TNBA, they had to create an entirely new character model for him for the movie. There’s negligible difference, though he’s a little more… trim.
It’s a bit of a shame to see Thorne take a subservient role to Penguin given they were mobsters of equal standing in the series. He’s clearly more trusted than Duquesne, but it very much comes across as he works for Penguin, not with him. And he also doesn’t say or do an awful lot besides constantly shuffle cards and fire off some guns near the end.
His relative irrelevance probably contributes to Detective Alcana feeling the least important of the Batwomen, and maybe a flashback to Thorne destroying her family’s livelihood would have helped them both out.
Carlton Duquesne (Kevin Michael Richardson) (first appearance)
As happy as I am to have Kevin Michael Richardson around, this is the most generic of generic mobster roles that is only memorable because of the vocal performance. He’s angry all the time and is the clear odd man out in the criminal operation, with his role of muscle being handed over to Bane. But he gets to stick around because his daughter is functionally the secondary lead of the movie.
Bane (Héctor Elizondo) (third appearance)
Ehhhhh. Let’s just call this diminishing returns. I like that they keep calling his name when they need somebody to beat the snot out of Batman, with Bruce looking a complete wreck after their big confrontation at the end.
But in terms of the character behind the mask, this is by far the least interesting he’s been. He insists on taking over Penguin’s operation, but they mostly just ignore that and he goes along with them anyway. He captures Batwoman when the others could not, which is good, but then he immediately calls them up as if he works for them and waits for them to come and get her. Why? I thought you were running the show, dog?
I’ll nudge him down a little, but will keep him in the top ten on the strength of those first two appearances.
- The Joker
- Harley Quinn
- Mr. Freeze
- Poison Ivy
- The Ventriloquist
- Catwoman
- Two-Face
- The Phantasm
- The Riddler
- Bane
- Baby-Doll
- Mad Hatter
- The Penguin
- Clayface
- HARDAC (and Randa Duane)
- Ra’s al Ghul
- Livewire
- Calendar Girl
- Roxy Rocket
- Firefly
- Killer Croc
- Scarecrow
- Lock-Up
- Lloyd Ventrix
- Rupert Thorne
- Mutant Leader
- Count Vertigo
- Clock King
- Klarion (and Teekl!)
- Nivens
- Roland Daggett (and Germs & Bell!)
- Enrique el Gancho
- Josiah Wormwood
- Talia al Ghul
- Sid the Squid
- Queen Thoth Khepera
- Maxie Zeus
- Jimmy ‘Jazzman’ Peake
- Tony Zucco
- Man-Bat
- Rhino, Mugsy and Ratso
- Hugo Strange
- Red Claw
- Arnold Stromwell
- Mad Bomber
- Tygrus
- Kyodai Ken
- Condiment King/Pack Rat/Mighty Mom
- Farmer Brown (and Emmylou!)
- Grant Walker
- Gil Mason
- Nostromos (and Lucas!)
- Cameron Kaiser
- Dr. Dorian (and Garth)
- Carlton Duquesne (NEW ENTRY)
- Mad Dog
- Ubu
- Thomas Blake
- Professor Milo
- Romulus
- Arkady Duvall
- Sewer King
- Boss Biggis
- Montague Kane
- The Terrible Trio
Plugs
Eager for more long-form coverage of Batman? Why not check out my podcast with Mike Thomas, The Tape Crusaders, which reviewed every Batman movie and delved a tiny bit into the animated series.
My other recap column, Marvel Mondays, continues its coverage of What If…?
There Will Be Movies continues Ben & Matt’s look back at the 90s each Wednesday. This week it’s Groundhog Day. This week it’s Groundhog Day. This week it’s Groundhog Day. This week it’s Groundhog Day. This week it’s Groundhog Day. This week it’s Groundhog Day. This week it’s Groundhog Day. This week it’s Groundhog Day. This week it’s Groundhog Day. This week it’s Groundhog Day.
The Reel World 