Welcome to the fifty-second edition of Adventure(s) Time, looking back on animated heroes of the past. This week, we’re examining two of the times Batman: The Animated Series introduced new antagonists into the canon. One has become a fixture in modern popular culture. The other…hasn’t.

We’ll open with what’s arguably the most significant episode of Batman, although no one at the time could’ve known this. “Joker’s Favor” (which debuted on September 11, 1992) is written by Paul Dini and directed by Boyd Kirkland. The plot has the villain singling out an average Joe for a years-long prank…or unbearable mental torment, however you’d choose to put it.

Average accountant Charlie Collins, on a particularly bad day, cusses out the Joker while in traffic. (“Cusses out” in a censor-approved fashion, naturally.) After calmly terrifying Charlie, he offers to spare Charlie’s life in exchange for a favor. One he doesn’t call upon until two years later, after Charlie has relocated his family and changed his name. The joke is that Charlie only has to open a door, during a ceremony honoring Commissioner Gordon at the stuffy Peregrinators Club.

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Not surprisingly, Charlie doesn’t get off that easy. His hand is glued to the handle, trapping him inside with the bomb Joker’s set to detonate. Luckily, Charlie’s quick thinking enables him to contact Batman. In the final scene, a somewhat unhinged Charlie comes across one of the Joker’s bombs. He terrorizes the villain, and even makes Batman laugh, with the bomb he (somehow) knows is only a confetti prop.

This was the first Joker episode to air, but the fourth produced. “Joker’s Favor” is a noticeable improvement over the preceding episodes, dropping much of the gimmickry and presenting the villain as a true menace. Reportedly, Dini’s original premise had the Joker not speaking at all. That fits the portrayal of Joker as an unknowable force of chaos, or from Charlie’s point of view, a silent specter of death. An episode with a mute villain also conforms to the earliest plans for the series as an experimental take on afternoon action shows.

It’s possible “The Laughing Fish” comics storyline (which Dini later adapts) inspired the thought of Joker singling out average Joes for undeserved torment. Charlie is Joker's "hobby." A schlub with a bad comb over who should exist beneath his notice. Stalking him for years, pretending there’s a grand role for Charlie in his scheme…that’s all a part of the joke. It’s a much nastier take on the Joker than we’ve seen on the series. And while it’s nothing the censors could object to, there’s a darker, more adult subtext here. Everyday lives -- the lives of your parents, kids, the ones you’re destined for -- are laughably pathetic in the Joker’s eyes.

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So, “Joker’s Favor” is the first instance of the producers crafting a scarier, more intimidating Joker. It’s also an early episode directed by Boyd Kirkland, one of Batman’s best directors. Its significance, however, rests in the debut of the Joker’s henchgirl.

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Technically, Harley Quinn has no bearing on the episode’s plot. The same story could’ve easily been told without her. What the episode does provide are just a few moments for her personality to come through. This is why Arleen Sorkin is so important. The character in her voice conveys both Harley’s playfulness and sense of danger. It’s all fun and games to Harley, regardless of who gets hurt.

She dons her villainous bodysuit, a chauffeur’s jacket, or a tight policewoman’s outfit, whatever’s necessary for the joke. When captured by Batman, she makes a possibly sincere crack about returning to beauty school. (Her origin hadn’t been developed yet, so who knows.)

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Harley's affection for the Joker is conveyed only through the haircut she’s giving him in her debut scene. The audience has no way of knowing what’s next for the character. Chiefly, she’s there to break the monotony of large, beefy henchmen. Maybe there’s depth here, maybe she’s just a cool design. A humble entrance for a new character in a fledgling series.

And, following her modest debut, anyone with only a fleeting knowledge of popular culture knows what comes next. Harley Quinn is entrenched in the Batman mythos, ranking after only a few characters in public recognition. Now, what happened when Warner Brothers used this canon to introduce another new foe?

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The answer is found in 2003’s Rise of Sin Tzu, a videogame produced by Ubisoft. Previous attempts had been made at producing a Batman videogame, most of them earning harsh reviews. Ubisoft was aware of this, consciously attempting to win over fans. With screenwriter Flint Dille, Ubisoft promised a game that worked as a genuine Batman story. And, there to provide the game’s major threat, was Jim Lee.

batman-rise-of-sin-tzu

Sin Tzu is obviously intended as a play on The Art of War author Sun Tzu. The story plays coy, as if the villain truly is the historical figure. We are told that Sin Tzu, “the master of yin-yang alchemy,” channels the spiritual power of “Mehta-Sua,” also known as Yanjin. Really, he’s a telepath and an energy-blaster.

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Tzu’s master plan has him releasing Arkham Asylum and Stonegate Prison inmates into the Gotham streets. Conveniently, this provides plenty of beat’em up action for multiple players. Experience the debut of a destined-for-greatness Batman villain and play as Batman, Robin, Batgirl, or Nightwing!

Recently, I looked back on the game’s novelization by Devin Grayson. You can also check out the animated cutscenes on Youtube. The novel is at its best when sidestepping the plot of the game and just indulging the author’s love of the Bat-mythos, really. However, the new villain does receive an honest attempt at being molded into a real character. If Sin Tzu had a shot at becoming a recurring foe, Devin Grayson’s intense character focus was likely his best bet.

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As detailed in the novel, both Batman and Tzu are orphans, the tragedy forcing both to grow obsessed with discipline. Never hesitating on his path, consumed by the mission he’s adopted, Tzu has potential as a “twisted reflection” villain. But unlike Bruce, Tzu never developed a family. Starting with Alfred, Bruce has had people in his life to steer him away from darkness…even as he became darkness to fight crime. Sin Tzu, meanwhile, channels “light” (his vaguely defined mystical powers) while in pursuit of his selfish goals.

Clearly, the creators were trying. Sin Tzu's initial inspiration is the ancient Asian mystic archetype. (Probably not something you'd see pitched in 2018.) Yet, defining him specifically as a Batman antagonist was obviously a goal of the creators. And for all of their effort…well, there isn’t a wealth of Sin Tzu follow-up appearances, are there?

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The Wrap-Up

Design-y

One reason Harley has maintained her popularity rests in her classic look. It’s a fantastic design from Bruce Timm that’s unique to the character without being overly busy. Timm jokingly called Paul Dini’s original design blackmail material. That sketch is now its own figurine, however.

Continuity Notes

The Peregrinators Club debuts in “Joker’s Favor.” The club for Gotham’s elite makes a few appearances in this canon. Dini also used the Peregrinators Club when writing Detective Comics and Gotham City Sirens.

There are several continuity points in the game’s novelization, some of them a little odd. The obscure character Mayor Dickinson is Gotham's mayor, for example. (There was a Mayor Dickerson in the concurrent comics, which is likely what Grayson meant.) In the animated continuity, we only see Hamilton Hill as Gotham’s mayor…until Penguin takes over in the tie-in comics, of course.

The ongoing talk of the characters’ past indicates both Bruce and Dick were eight when their parents died. (“Robin’s Reckoning” had Dick as either nine or ten, based on which credit you believe.) Tim Drake is described as thirteen, with Barbara Gordon graduating college the year prior. The narrative has her working for the GCPD computerizing records, as a recent member of Batman’s “family.” (Grayson seems to be leaning towards Barbara’s Oracle days, although previous DCAU canon implies she went to school to pursue law enforcement.) James Gordon claims he’s been in Gotham for twelve years since transferring from Chicago, a nod to Frank Miller’s Year One.

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Barbara also says she had “exactly two dates” with Dick, which doesn’t seem right. In the Sub-Zero movie, they were spending a weekend together. Later, Barbara claims she literally has a photographic memory. That’s another bit from the early 2000s comics canon.

Hey, I Know that Voice

Veteran actor Ed Begley, Jr. voices Charlie Collins. And Rise of Sin Tzu, to its credit, uses most of the established Batman cast. Robin's casting threw some continuity-minded fans for a loop. Scott Menville, voice of the Teen Titans Robin, also voices the teen hero in the game. Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa, who’s appeared in almost everything, voices Sin Tzu.

Approved By Broadcast Standards & Practices

Okay, not a BS&P issue, but there’s a more adult tone in the Rise of Sin Tzu novelization. Aside from “hell” appearing maybe twice in the Adventures tie-in, and the nebulous status of Timm’s Two-Face story in Black and White, this marks the first use of profanity within the DCAU canon. We also have specific descriptions of Stonegate inmates as rapists and pedophiles. Nightwing even details one inmate murdering a child and plucking his eyes out.

“Joker’s Favor,” meanwhile, had a surprise for the producers when it returned from overseas. The animators gave Harley a Basic Instinct moment when crossing her legs while in the policewoman’s uniform.

I Love the Early Aughts

Sin Tzu is hiding a “Weapon of Mass Destruction,” a term that was appearing everywhere thanks to the build-up to the 2003 war in Iraq. The novel also features a noticeably flattering portrayal of police officers, another hallmark of the days following 9/11.

Battle of the Sensational Character Finds

Can you truly conceive a major villain? Has this ever happened? Did Bob Kane, Jerry Robinson, and Bill Finger know what they were on to when imagining the Joker? (Okay, Bob Kane was probably out on a smoke break while this happened, but you get the point.) Creators can’t anticipate how the public reacts to their work. Hours of thought might’ve been spent crafting a villain with the intent of developing a major threat, but the audience isn’t obligated to care.

Maybe Harley was able to flourish because there was no pressure. The producers thought she was cute, the voice actress was friends with one of the writers…okay, we’ll put her in another episode. Harley begins with the humblest of beginnings, strikes a chord, and is allowed to grow organically. By the end of Batman’s run, Harley has made enough of an impression to live on after the series. She's still the bubbly moll introduced in “Joker’s Favor”…except that she isn’t.

Harley Quinn from Batman: The Animated Series

One of the greatest feats of Batman was maintaining Harley’s unique traits while expanding her character. She could remain goofy and impulsive, even as the audience gained a better understanding of why she behaves this way. All of her backstory is a retcon.

Sin Tzu, conversely, was conceived as a big deal. And the thinking behind his motivations is actually sound. Yet, few have ever cared. (It took years for his official DC debut to happen, in the pages of 2016's Suicide Squad Most Wanted #3.) Perhaps he would’ve had a shot, introduced in a more modest way. Regardless, he exists now as a strange footnote in the DC canon.

That’s all for now. If you have suggestions for future entries, just leave a comment or find me on Twitter.