Written by Greg Rucka
Directed by Matt Peters
Clayface: "Do you see now, detective? I've been given a gift to match my talent. I can be anyone, fool anyone. Including you."
The way this show is going, I think it's going to strike that right blend of reinvention. If a gender swapped Penguin in the opening episode can work, then how about a merging of Clayface origins?
Enter Basil Karlo (Dan Donohue). Hes a skilled actor who's made a living off playing scoundrels but as an actor, he wanted to be a leading man. Sadly his looks somewhat detailed that ambitious and a team up with the dubious Jack Ellman (Jeff Bennett) would drastically change his appearance forever.
There's been a hope/rumour/wish for Clayface to be a lead villain in The Batman - Part II and with Matt Reeves involvement in this show, maybe this episode was testing the waters for the idea. If that's the case, then congrats, you've pulled the idea off beautifully. I now want Clayface for The Batman - Part II.
Playing on classic horror, the episode started with the abduction of movie starlet Yvonne Frances (Lacey Chabert) and Bruce Wayne was momentarily a suspect. Then Renee Montoya pretty much spent the episode interviewing everyone connecting to Monoscope Pictures. Then most of those people ended up being killed off as the episode progressed.
After having nothing to do in the opening episode, this was a great showcase for Renee Montoya. She worked brilliantly in trying to solve the case before Basil Karlo made his debut as Clayface. Can I just say that Dan Donohue certainly knows how to do a villain monologue and rather brilliantly? Basil certainly embraced the idea of being a villain.
In some ways, Batman almost something of a backseat compared to both Montoya and Clayface. However, he did help Montoya to take Clayface down and this episode did hint at a working relationship between Batman and Montoya by the end of it. Two episodes in and he's building on allies outside of Alfred.
- Lucius Fox (Bumper Robinson) has been reimagined as Bruce's lawyer and appeared in one scene early in the episode.
- Harvey Dent appeared to give a subtle threat to Renee if she didn't back him up. The show has focused on his negative traits so far.
- The handsome movie star Darryl Manning was implied to be gay or was that Basil just pretending he was when he posed as Darryl?
- Chronology: Not long from where the first episode left off.
I really liked this more than the premiere. ... And Be A Villain certainly added to the great explorations of Clayface we've had in animation and I absolutely loved the horror vibes off this one. This was a sublime episode.
Rating: 9 out of 10
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