Over the past two months, I’ve been giving you a series of Batman cartoons that date back to 1968. They are from the Batman CBS series that ran for one season. They first were part of the Batman-Superman hour, then were spun off into their own series. Unlike the Batman series that starred Adam West and Burt Ward, these were not campy and were more faithful to the DC comic series. I happen to like this series the best.
If you want to see the others that were posted, you can find the first one posted in September here and the one I posted in October here. As with the previous posts, the cartoons and descriptions come courtesy of YouTube member alanr4447a. I thank him for posting the cartoons.
The Great Scarecrow Scare
In this shorter episode, the Scarecrow steals a valuable painting being auctioned for charity, and takes Batgirl hostage. Batman & Robin track down where he has taken her (with her help). The Scarecrow captures Robin, and, thanks to Batgirl’s blunder, her and Batman as well. Then the Scarecrow prepares to give Robin a sound thrashing — or rather, threshing!
1001 Faces of the Riddler
…or to be more precise, FOUR faces. In this shorter episode, the Riddler uses face masks and trick riddles to try to throw off the Dynamic Duo. When they track him down, he captures them, and ties them up in a condemned building, which he proceeds to knock down with a wrecking ball!
For the record, his four faces are: himself, Bruce Wayne, Commissioner Gordon, and an athlete.
The Nine Lives of Batman
Catwoman ensnares the Dynamic Duo in a room set with 9 lethal traps; and later, gasses them with radioactive gas to make them glow, preventing Bruce Wayne from appearing in public to vote on election day. Then she captures Robin, and puts him in a tank filling with water and wired to explode if broken; and also unleashes a ring of fire. The story also copies devices from the live-action TV series: Catwoman plants a bomb in the Batmobile, set to explode when it hits 60 mph, like “Ma Parker”; and traps the Dynamic Duo in quicksand, which they escape the same way as from a like trap set by John Astin’s Riddler.
The Joke’s on Robin
In this shorter episode, Robin suddenly becomes clumsy with the devices in his utility belt — thanks to the Joker! When, thinking he must be overworked, Robin decides to take a rest, Batgirl steps in to help Batman, and the two of them are promptly captured by the Joker. He ties them both up in the giant gears of a clock mechanism, set to mesh…and MASH…at midnight!
The Cool, Cruel Mr. Freeze
Mr. Freeze freezes all sources of water in Gotham City. Later, he causes the Batmobile to slip off a high bridge he iced over. Then, he threatens to freeze all of Gotham City unless paid $1 billion (like in the live-action TV series with Otto Preminger). Lastly, he freezes the Dynamic Duo in a block of ice, and feeds them into an ice cube maker!
Robin seems to take most of the abuse again. He’s lucky to have Batman otherwise the Boy Wonder might have been dead early in this series. LOL. That’s it. Enjoy.
