Yo, I don't know where Sung Il-Cho is now but, dude, you absolutely killed it on the cinematography here.
Great episode, Great epilogue, Great writing. This episode almost perfectly shows how batman can deal with people imbued with powers. The first encounter with the invincible man was a nice action sequence but it was really the battle with the telekinesis man that really proved it, showing the strength of batmans (Terry Mginnis) mind and how focused he can be and how effective he can be against someone with that kind of power. After that battle it made me think about how if even Bruce Wayne was in his prime and so Mginnis i still think Mginnis would be a better/better suited batman in/for the Future, and that Bruce Wayne would be better suited for the past/his era. Right now i see much potential in Terry.
Review by Andrew BloomVIP 9BlockedParentSpoilers2020-05-21T20:05:29Z
[7.5/10] This one coasts by on the coolness of its idea a bit. There’s something rightly creepy and unnerving about an unseen little girl, psychically pleading for help, while she’s essentially being trafficked. That one idea powers a lot of the stakes and story here, as Terry’s drive to save Tamara, and the unique risks involved, make for a somewhat more macabre and supernaturally-driven episode of Batman Beyond than usual.
Frankly, it feels a little off-brand. Batman: The Animated Series would veer into horror every now and again and had the etragon episode, but this show seems to lean more into science fiction or at least monster stories rather than psychic powered goons. The whole “mind over matter” idea isn’t a great fit with the show’s vibe, and the hints that Terry may be low key psychic (or at least has a strong force of will or something?) seems a little out of nowhere.
Still, if you can forgive the sense of this feeling like an episode from a different show with Terry dropped in, there’s a lot of cool stuff here. I like the idea of an unseen “Brain Trust” of psychic baddies who try to find more of their kind from around the world. Terry’s fight with “the fat one” is particularly cool, as he seems to put Terry on his heels in a way that few villains do, and the animation feels a little more fluid and expressive in these sequences.
The show also gets creative with Tamara imploring Terry to come to her rescue, with her methods of “calling” to him and showing him bits of what she sees, letting the animators stretch their legs a bit. (I especially liked her warning him by assuming the head of one of her dolls.) \
The final fight is a little dull, if only because it’s not clear what the rules or limits of the baddies’ powers are, so the whole skirmish feels arbitrary. (Also, why did Terry stay and fight rather than just grabbing Tamara and jetting off?) Still, the climax, with Tamara turning her teddy bear into a giant monster and blinding her adversary are pretty cool, and show the sense that the would be Professor X didn’t know who he was trying to take to his “school.” Glad she’s on Terry’s side.
Overall, this one doesn’t make much sense if you think about it for too long, but tonal issues aside, the central conflict and characters are compelling, and the animation and design work is strong, which goes a long way.
(As an aside, is the show teasing Terry and Max? That’d be an interesting direction to take things.)