I thought I would review a classic, something many of today's kids and even GA's readers will not know about.

Here is a link to the show, but there are commercials (Still worth it for the wonderful episode and story)

http://www.thewb.com/shows/batman-the-animated-series/appointment-in-crime-alley/f3d24d04-d421-4790-bb86-eb6e72336ae2

General Plot (Spoilers):

Daggett, a corrupt real estate developer, is hatching a plan to blow up a slum called Crime Alley, which is home to thugs, drug dealers, and an assortment of rough characters. Daggett hires an arsonist to blow the entire neighborhood up and make it look like a gas line break.

Bruce/Batman is preparing for his yearly appointment at Crime Alley with Dr. Leslie Thompkins. Batman is delayed due to a bunch of thugs trying to evict an African American Woman and her child from their apartment in the slum. (You don't see this type of social commentary in cartoons, it was the first time I remembered as a kid that cartoon hero defended an minority person over a reasonable issue) Due to this delay, Dr. Thompkins searches for Batman and discover the fieindish plot. The arsonists tie her up and intend to blow her up along with a bunch of poor people living in a subsidize hotel building. (Again more real world issues)

Batman gets further delayed by another man, who had lost his home due to the same evil Real Estate developer. The "homeless" man has a gun and takes one of the Real Estate Developer's office clerk hostage over a rooftop demanding retribution and his old life back. After a short fight, Batman rescues the hostage and subdues the guy. (more social Commentary about destitution and poverty)

He goes to Dr. Thompkin's home and we realize why he knows her and why he always goes to Crime Alley, it is the place that his parents were shot and murdered at. As Batman frantically searches for his friend, he gets delayed again as a trolley is ripping through Gotham due to the driver having a heart attack. Batman is exacerbated, but he rescues the passengers and driver.

Batman finds Dr. Thompkins and disables most of the bombs, except a few that destroyed some abandonned buildings. At the same time, Daggett is giving a speech on urban renewal.

Daggett stages a Press conference, but Batman one ups him and reveals the thugs that he captured and interrogated. Daggett denies any knowledge of his thugs actions. It is strongly implied that he will get away with it despite Batman's best efforts or the testimony of his thugs, because he was wealthy and powerful.

Batman was ready to knock him out, but Dr. Thompkins calms him down.

At the end of the episode, they go to the spot where Bruce's parents were murdered, both of them lamenting that "Good people live in Crime Alley" despite the tragic past and present. At the end, we see a picture of Dr. Thompkins comforting a young Bruce Wayne after his parents were murdered.

Review:

Seriously, the episode had everything right that most Cartoons cannot seem to reach. It was action packed, but it held deeper meaning and gives kids, especially impressionable 7 years olds like me, a good example to look up to. It held dramatic undertones and tension, because the events depicted in the episode could be real and reflect Batman not as a "Superhero", who saves the world from destruction, but a real "hero" with flaws and humanity who does the right thing.

Guess what, Batman doesn't always win against real world villains. He sometimes has to settle for what he can get, the safety of the innocent and the guilty walking free of "justice". An imperfect world with a perfect hero, this story is a decade before the Dark Knight.

In addition to that, I have not seen many Kids cartoons that tackle real world issues so brilliantly that even as an Adult, I can still re-watch this episode and enjoy it, maybe even more now than before.

After so many years of comic books, movies, and TV shows, I understand why Batman does his crime fighting, it is not the Joker or Penguin or Mr. Freeze, which propels him. The reason why Batman fights crime is right there in the middle of a slum where two red roses are laid down in remembrance of what he lost.

The art "noir" of Batman TAS is famous, it is dark filled with shadow and allusion. On an artistic level, this episode captures that interesting aesthetic feel as well. You get a gritty cartoon with shadowy characters and a shadowy Batman. Animation in the US has been on the lagging end of the spectrum in recent years, I prefer Japanese Anime's more nowadays personally. However, I feel the uniqueness of Batman TAS' artisti animation is probably still worth noting and comparing to the best Japanese Anime of today. It proves that emotions do need full color or graphics to be animated. Contrast with shades of colors can do the same and perhaps show a richer emotional portrait of characters if the script is written well.

For me, Christian Bale will always be a second Tier Batman compared to Kevin Conroy's voice acted Batman Batman TAS.

This episode brings a tear to my eye as it touches the heart on many levels.

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A perfect 5/5 episode for me.

Anyone want me to review something else