After the pleasantries of episode one, Batman: Caped Crusader’s second episode delves into its lore with an authentic detective mystery. The suspects are plentiful as a silver screen starlet, Yvonne Francis, goes missing. Bruce Wayne was the last to see her and is questioned by GCPD’s detective on the case, Renee Montoya (Michelle C. Bonilla). Rather than only tracing Batman’s steps to solve the mystery, the writers center Montoya as our gumshoe; a unique storytelling device to introduce the character and expand the world.
Montoya questions several of Francis’ colleagues, from makeup artists to production designers. The most forthcoming is her frequent costar, Basil Karlo. The thespian alleges he hadn’t seen Yvonne lately as she began running with a different crowd. However, Montoya discovers this is a lie. Before she can question him again, Karlo is murdered by a masked assailant. Soon, the body count accumulates around the movie studio, all at the hands of the same suspect.
Montoya discovers that despite Basil’s fame, he was never a leading man. Basil also held a secret love for his costar, Ms. Francis. Desperate, Basil found counsel from makeup artist, Jack Ellman, who promised facial treatments to change his appearance. Basil is overjoyed with hopes of landing a starring role and the woman of his dreams. But Francis rejects his advances and the treatments fail. After an explosive outburst on set, Basil gets Ellman fired.
Montoya and Batman discover the masked culprit holds Yvonne Francis hostage as their next victim. As Montoya rescues Yvonne, Batman takes on our villain known as Clayface. In the end, the suspect is defeated, but Batman escapes unscathed. While he played the role of ally in this case, Montoya is determined to bring the vigilante down.
This episode shines as a grade-A, noir mystery. The strong story easily surpasses the cookie-cutter narrative of episode one, fully embracing the more mature tone without being grotesque. The tragedy of Clayface has always been an interesting mythos to explore with its commentary on beauty standards. The animation is superb, especially the work depicting Clayface’s abilities. Apart from the great story, the voice work is excellent. Bonilla delivers as Montoya, a character who is a beacon of morality in the abyss of police corruption. Establishing her code of ethics is crucial moving forward, as her character has been a true ally to Batman in the past. Using her as the protagonist helps ground the universe, making us aware of life outside the Batcave.
Rating: 10/10