B:TAS Baby-Doll

[BridgeConsoleMasher]

Joker's the most entertaining.

[Thebestoftherest]

I just got to wonder how Baby-Doll well exists. I completely grant that this is comic book science so maybe it's just that. Though, didn't Chuck say she had "hypoglasia?" or was it hypoplasia? Which implies this is a real condition, and considering Doll's main cause of madness seems to be mostly associated with social reactions to her condition, it implies she's otherwise heathy right. So is there no other complications? Would she have the same life expectancy as a "normal" person? If so how would middle to old age treat her? Would she not have wrinkles or bad eyesight like anyone else? So many questions that I'm too lazy to google for answers.

Ditto man, ha.

[Beastro]

That actually brings to mind a problem with Batman and by extension BTAS, the fact that nothing is done for the characters to get better. The Baby Doll/Killer Croc episode is an example, another would be what happened with Mr. Freeze, he reached the ending point of his journey in the movie Sub-Zero but they brought him back just to pile on more emotional trauma and angst.

But that could be said for comic books and superheroes in general. No one is ever left with a conclusion, people are always brought back to have the same old Cowboys and Indians fun again and again.

IMO, it's one of the fundamental flaws of superheroes and undermines its ability to grow mythologically as things are too cyclical. And it can't help but be that way, sadly. Even if people tried to make it more like actual mythology it wouldn't be allowed, because superheroes are in the grip of money makers who won't allow things to end unless they stop turning a profit.

Most of his rogues aren't just nuts looking to take over the world (although, they may argue otherwise for posterity.). They're damaged people living in a world where hope is basically a dying ember and whose heroes are basically them except fortune gave them a single good day.

What's ignored is how often this is a real life motivator for murderers. The Columbine shooters did what they did becoming solidly nihilistic in sentiment and embodied their belief in their actions.

Joker's the most entertaining.

He's antipodal to Batman. This is why Nolan's movie struck such a chord with people even if it focused on just one aspect of what Joker represents, which was him being an embodiment of chaos in a way even who champion chaos (change makers) fail to understand.

[BridgeConsoleMasher]

He's antipodal to Batman. This is why Nolan's movie struck such a chord with people even if it focused on just one aspect of what Joker represents, which was him being an embodiment of chaos in a way even who champion chaos (change makers) fail to understand.

He's more Ian Malcom than Ian Malcom.

[Independent George]

This review shows what I've long believed, Chuck is at his best not when he's angirly reviewing things he hates, but rather when he lovingly pays tribute to the things he loves.

Agree - and the same goes for almost every other critic I've read or watched. While there is always a vocal minority that seems to exist solely for the purpose of ripping people they chose to invent a rivalry with, fandom to me has always been about sharing a beloved experience with other people.

[Kinky Vorlon]

I just got to wonder how Baby-Doll well exists. I completely grant that this is comic book science so maybe it's just that. Though, didn't Chuck say she had "hypoglasia?" or was it hypoplasia? Which implies this is a real condition, and considering Doll's main cause of madness seems to be mostly associated with social reactions to her condition, it implies she's otherwise heathy right. So is there no other complications? Would she have the same life expectancy as a "normal" person? If so how would middle to old age treat her? Would she not have wrinkles or bad eyesight like anyone else? So many questions that I'm too lazy to google for answers.

Ditto man, ha.

So I googled, Hypoglasia doesn't exist. What I do get is Hypoplasia which is an underdeveloped tissue or organ. It happens to a specific organ, but I can't find any sign of it happening to an entire body. I know precocious puberty is a thing. Maybe it's something that's theoretically possible but has no concrete cases.

[Beelzquill]

So I googled, Hypoglasia doesn't exist. What I do get is Hypoplasia which is an underdeveloped tissue or organ. It happens to a specific organ, but I can't find any sign of it happening to an entire body. I know precocious puberty is a thing. Maybe it's something that's theoretically possible but has no concrete cases.

Interesting, maybe she just didn't develop breasts and have stunted growth and that's the extent of it?

I'd like to see a later iteration of Baby-Doll as an older person and how that would affect her. Maybe it would alleviate her sanity because she would start actually looking like an older person rather than a child like she has been perceived as all her life. Perhaps it would shrivel it even further upon realizing that it doesn't magically solve her problems and in fact heightens it by having her deal with expensive medical care that she possibly can't afford to keep her relatively healthy. Real shame she's in a batman universe where time is relatively static. Maybe a Batman Beyond story focusing on her would work, she would only be what in her seventies or eighties by then?

Oh god, I just realized another problem she would have, Pedofiles would find her attractive. How the hell would you even think about that? *Shudders*

[Kinky Vorlon]

I'd like to see a later iteration of Baby-Doll as an older person and how that would affect her. Maybe it would alleviate her sanity because she would start actually looking like an older person rather than a child like she has been perceived as all her life. Perhaps it would shrivel it even further upon realizing that it doesn't magically solve her problems and in fact heightens it by having her deal with expensive medical care that she possibly can't afford to keep her relatively healthy. Real shame she's in a batman universe where time is relatively static. Maybe a Batman Beyond story focusing on her would work, she would only be what in her seventies or eighties by then?

Oh god, I just realized another problem she would have, Pedofiles would find her attractive. How the hell would you even think about that? *Shudders*

I imagine something like she has the body of a child but she shows other signs of aging; wrinkles, greying hair, decreased mental capacity, etc. Imagine her with dementia, people would just think she's a weird kid.

And yeah, that second point is pretty horrifying. Especially considering she's an actress. But she has the mind of an adult so I think she'd be better equipped to defend herself.

[BBally81]

Maybe you should do a review of The Shadow 1994, the character that Bob Kane plagiarise to create Batman, also take all the credit even that his co-creator did all the dirty job.

Eh, no Batman is a combination of Shadow and Doc Savage both.

Besides, Bill Finger is the real creator of Batman.

And Superman is a combination of Doc Savage (who's a combination of Tarzan and Sherlock Holmes), John Carter of Mars, Zorro (the dual identity aspect) and even Popeye (Jerry Siegel confirmed this in an interview he did). There's a reason why the pulps are considered the precursor to superhero comics and Popeye was basically comic strips first action hero. Though Siegel and Shuster did confirm that what made them decide to change their Superman concept from an evil scientist trying to control the world to the hero who fights for Truth, Justice and the American Way was the character of Dan Dunn, a once popular hero of a detective comic strip series and the first fictional character to make a debut in an American comic magazine.

As for the topic at hand, Baby-Doll is one of my favorite BTAS episodes. This is one of those episodes that is proof that Batman isn't some rich guy with "mummy and daddy" issues going around beating up the mentally disabled for the fun of it like some people think, he has actual compassion, he just tends to not let it show especially when you compare him to Superman.

On a DCAU related note, since Chuck already reviewed the 3 part premier of Superman TAS, I was love to see a review of The Late Mr. Kent, a detective noir story featuring Superman, which felt like a callback to the less fantastical Golden Age Superman comics.

[Beastro]

I'm not a comic book guy, but TAS Batman seems to be the most normal, well adjusted rendition of him.

I mean, Bruce Wayne is an actual persona in it and not the hallow fig leaf he hides behind (People like to say only Superman is a superhero with his normal alter-ego being the fake, but Bruce Wayne almost always is). The dude actively takes part in running his company and spends some time at least living and doing things without needing to maintain the playboy act.