Year of the Bat - Number 18
Welcome to Year of the Bat! In honor of Kevin Conroy, Arleen Sorkin, and Richard Moll, I’m counting down my Top 31 Favorite Episodes of “Batman: The Animated Series” throughout this January.
TODAY’S EPISODE QUOTE: “Some thought I had gone mad. Others thought I always had been, until they put me where I belonged.”
Number 18 is…Dreams in Darkness.
This is the first episode on the list to feature one of Batman’s most revered enemies, the Scarecrow, as the main antagonist. The character had a lot of really fun appearances the show, but in my opinion, this was probably his grandest story of the whole bunch, in terms of sheer scope and scale.
The story begins with Batman investigating a break-in at a spa resort, where he finds a high-tech crook tampering with the drinking water supply. In the scuffle, a device the crook was carrying bursts open, and a mysterious gas floods the room. Batman escapes, but as time goes on, he begins to experience horrifying hallucinations, as his greatest fears and paranoias all start to come to life right before his eyes. It doesn’t take long for Batman to realize Scarecrow is behind all this, and he soon realizes time is of the essence, as Scarecrow plans to poison the water supply for the entire city with a special new brand of his patented Fear Toxin.
In some ways, this episode is similar to the Scarecrow’s first appearance, “Nothing to Fear.” In that one, he sprays Batman with the Fear Toxin early in the story, and for much of the rest of the episode, the Dark Knight must confront and deal with his greatest fears coming to life. “Dreams in Darkness,” however, goes way further with the idea of Batman battling his worst fears, taking the same basic idea and upping the stakes in a big way. Not only do the visions grow more intense the longer Batman goes untreated – the antidote for this specific blend of the Toxin will render him unconscious for two whole days, and he can’t waste any time – but after one particularly shocking vision causes Bruce to crash the Batmobile, he’s actually locked up in Arkham Asylum. He must now find a way to escape the Asylum and stop Scarecrow’s mad scheme, all while still under the effects of Crane’s newest formula.
I love the way this episode builds, and the way it’s structured. The story actually begins with Batman already locked up in the Asylum, and for much of the story, he acts as a Narrator, telling us all about what’s really going on and why. It kind of feels like something out of an old-fashioned radio drama, or – fittingly enough – the way a comic is written, with thought balloons and text boxes indicating the character’s thoughts and motives. I also love the emphasis on the “ticking clock” element in the story, as Batman has to do so much with so little time on his hands. It helps to keep things in suspense, especially as the nightmares Scarecrow’s new toxin creates become more and more wild, imaginative, and downright freaky as the story goes on. The idea of Scarecrow poisoning the whole city, rather than just a select group of people, per the norm, was also a gripping concept; I kind of wonder if “Batman Begins” took a few hints from this story in particular, since the Scarecrow in that film and this episode do bear some similarities, in terms of how they affect Batman and their evil schemes.
My only major gripe with this episode is Batman remaining unmasked while in the Asylum. I understand why they did it, of course; for one thing, it’s just a visually captivating concept. For another, it would have been…awkward if Bruce’s identity was revealed to so many people at once, especially in such an unceremonious fashion, and in a place where most of his worst enemies are all incarcerated. They do try to explain away the reason the doctors let him wear the cowl, but…ehhhh, I don’t personally buy it. I guess they had to figure out SOMETHING, though…and hey, if the doctors at Arkham were…you know…WAY better at what they do, Bruce would probably have a MUCH easier night life. :P Despite this nitpick, “Dreams in Darkness” is still a great (and magnificently animated) episode of the series, and easily one of Scarecrow’s personal best as a villain. I highly recommend it.
Tomorrow we move on to Number 17!
Hint: “Man or woman, a sick mind is capable of anything.”
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🙀💖Fanart and Fangif and Fanpost Recs💖🙀
Here is a list of GORGEOUS fanarts and fangifs and fanposts I wanted to make, because I'm ALWAYS scrolling down desperately in my blog to find one post or another. I figure I'd make it available for anyone to see.
Be sure to give their authors MUCH LOVE!!!!!! (💖💖REBLOGS! 💖💖)
The way I choose to describe each post is personal, it may or may not be how their authors see it. Don't be offended or anything, it's for organisational purposes. (Though if there is a problem, message me! 💖)
It's also possible I made some typos with the names and/or links. If so, I'll fix it up at some point! :)
This is very much ONGOING! I have lots and lots and lots of posts to find!
Targeted fandoms so far: Top Gun & Top Gun : Maverick; Teen Wolf; Pacific Rim.
Top Gun & Top Gun: Maverick
{@aiko24601} Bobnix: 1, 2, 3, 4
{@aliceblakeart} Hangster: 1, 2
{@babyrooster} The Bradshaw flock: 1, 2| Daggers Squadron: 1, 2| Hangster: 1, 2| Mav tumblr : 1| TGM songs: 1, 2| TGM movie: 1, 2| TGM Screenplay : 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
{@barnes-brain} Bob: 1| Daggers Team: 1, 2, 3| Hangman: 1| Hangster: 1, 2, 3, 4| Phoenix: 1| Rooster: 1, 2
{@beeeeeta} Baby Goose and family: 1| Hangster: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22| Rooster: 1, 2
{@beezelarts} Bobnix: 1| Coyote, Hangman & Phoenix: 1| Hangman: 1, 2| Hangster: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7| Rooster: 1
{@betanoiz} Coyote: 1| Hangman: 1| Hangman, Phoenix, Rooster: 1| Phoenix: 1| Rooster: 1, 2
{@bodty} Goosemav: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7
{@djdangerlove} Dagger Squad: 1| Hangster: 1, 2, 3| Icemav: 1, 2, 3| Mavdad & Baby Goose: 1, 2| Rooster: 1
{@epiimetheux} Icemav: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6| Icemav and Jake: 1
{@fangirling-tussisque-noncaelatur} Hangster: 1
{@farannir} Seresin: 1
{@film-in-my-soul} Pacific Rim AU: 1
{@fluffinpuffin} Daggers family: 1, 2, 3| Rooster: 1, 2
{@forsty} Dagger family: 1| Force Ghost Goose: 1| Goose, Ice, Mav: 1| Goose & Rooster: 1, 2, 3| Hangman: 1| Hangster: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8| Hangster & Phoenix: 1| Macheresin: 1| Mav & Rooster: 1| Phoenix & Rooster: 1, 2| Rooster: 1| Western Outlawrancher: 1, 2, 3, 4
{@illisius} Dagger team: 1, 2, 3| Dagger team solo: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6| Mav & Rooster: 1, 2
{@k9effect} Bobnix: 1, 2, 3| Bobster: 1, 2, 3| Bradshaw-Mitchell Family: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7| Dagger Squad: 1, 2| Dogger Squad: 1, 2, 3| Hangman: 1, 2, 3| Hangster: 1| Icemav: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5| Macheresin: 1| Mav: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6| Rooster: 1| Top Gun Posters: 1
{@leatherluxe} Bob: 1| Floydsinshaw: 1| Hangman: 1| Hangster: 1, 2, 3| Rooster: 1
{@miichiyochin} Animal!Icemav: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8| Icemav: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15| Icemav & kids: 1, 2
{@miiinnnnn} Hangster: 1| Phoenix: 1| Rooster: 1, 2
{@mustasekittens} Bob: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5| Bob & Fritz: 1, 2| Goose & Rooster: 1| Fanback: 1, 2| Floydsinshaw: 1| Halix: 1| Halix & Hangster: 1| Halo & Yale: 1| Hangman: 1| Hangster: 1, 2, 3| Rooster: 1, 2| The Daggers family: 1, 2, 3, 4
{@nicedaybucky} Hangman: 1, 2| Hangster: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18| Hangster & Coyote: 1| Hangster & Phoenix: 1, 2| Icemav: 1, 2, 3, 4| Icemav & Goose: 1| Rooster: 1| The Bradshaw-Mitchell flock: 1, 2, 3
{@patbbangg} Bradshaw family: 1| Dagger family: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8| Hangster: 1, 2| Icemav: 1, 2| Icemav and Slider: 1, 2| Icemav and Goose and Slider: 1| Macheresin: 1, 2, 3, 4| Mitchegan: 1| NCIS au: 1, 2| Slicemav and Baby Goose: 1
{@oidingus} Hangster: 1, 2| Hangster & Daggers: 1| Hangster & Icemav: 1| Icemav: 1| Icemav and Goose: 1
{@qedart} Carole & Icemav: 1| Icemav: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9| Icemav & Baby Goose: 1| Icemav, Hangster & Phoenix: 1| Pilots & RIOs: 1| Time Warp AU: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6
{@qin-ling} Icemav: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5| Icemav and the Bradshaws: 1| Icemav, Mav & Baby Goose: 1| Icemav, pilots & RIOs: 1
{@raz-mo} Daggers: 1| Goosemav: 1| Hangman: 1| Hangster: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6| Mav: 1, 2| Rooster: 1, 2
{@reddbl} Goosemav: 1, 2, 3| Icemav: 1, 2| Mav & the Bradshaws: 1| TC playing dad: 1
{@rooster-soup} Bob: 1| Bradshaw boys: 1, 2| Goosemav bros: 1, 2| Hangster: 1, 2, 3| Iceman: 1| Icemav: 1, 2, 3, 4| Phoenix: 1| Rooster: 1
{@sandibullock} Daggers Posters : 1
{@selene-yoshi-chan} Rooster: 1, 2
{@sprinklersart} Iceman: 1| Icemav: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7| The Bradshaws, Ice, Mav, Sli: 1, 2
{@starryinspace} Dagger family: 1| Hangman : 1| Hangster: 1, 2| Hangster & Icemav: 1| Icemav and Charlie: 1| Icemav and Macheresin: 1| Top Gun Movies Trivia: 1, 2
{@wikla} Dagger Squad: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5| Hangster: 1, 2, 3 | Rooster: 1, 2, 3, 4
{@wzlp0} Hangster: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5| Hangster, Goose & Mav: 1| Hangster & Mav: 1
{@xivdl} Baby Goose: 1| Bobroo: 1| Floydsin: 1| Floydsinshaw: 1| Hangster: 1, 2, 3| Hangster & Daggers: 1, 2| Hangster and Fanboy: 1| Icemav: 1| Icemav & Goose & Slider: 1| Mavdad and Baby Goose: 1| Phoenix, Rooster, Hangman & Bob: 1
{@yoonsos22} Hangman: 1, 2, 3| Hangman, Rooster & Young Mav: 1| Hangster: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28| Hangster & Bob: 1| Rooster: 1, 2
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