Heart of Ice

Right after what was possibly the worst Batman episode comes what is possibly the greatest Batman episode ever, "Heart of Ice." This was the 14th episode produced, but the third aired on Sept. 7, 1992. It was also the first episode written by Paul Dini and directed by Bruce Timm, who both became legends in the DC Animated Universe.

One of the unique things about this episode is that it is, as far as I know, the first time they decided to do a major rewrite of a classic Batman villain. All the other villains were tweaked and adapted a little bit, but none were changed as drastically as Mr. Freeze. At the time, Freeze was a goofy, stupid villain on the Adam West show and even in the comics. But here, Timm and Dini decided to take a risk by trying to make Freeze cool. Well, he was always cool, but now they made him fascinating. The changes they made turned Freeze into a classic Batman villain, and even convinced the comics to adjust Freeze's background to match the cartoon's. If that doesn't tell you how good this episode this, then nothing will. Of course, I can't just stop there. I will go through several more points on this episode, which you can take as the icing on the cake.

The first step to fixing up Mr. Freeze was to give him a good design, which they did quite well. Right from the start, we hear his cold, robotic voice, see the frost on the inside of his helmet, and then are introduced to his terrifying red eyes. Now this is a villain we can take seriously! The score is now 6.

I'll add another point for Mr. Freeze's attitude and emotion, or rather, lack of emotion. This is best exemplified by him leaving behind one of his henchmen after he froze him. And yet, we do see a little bit of tenderness underneath his heartless exterior.

The score will rise to an 8 for the great animation in this episode. Not only did Mr. Freeze and his ice effects look great, but so did Batman and the Batcave. I really love it when Batman's cape is long enough to drape over his arms while he works at his computer. It's a little thing, I know, but it's the little things that I love about this show.

I'll add another point for Mr. Freeze's origin story. As I said earlier, this was a completely original story that was incredibly emotional and slightly haunting. The scene of Freeze's hand sliding down his wife's case should send chills down anyone's spine. And with a story like that, it's real easy to let Mr. Freeze steal the show, but the producers never forgot that this was Batman's show, and they made sure to let him have some pretty awesome moments himself, like doing detective work as Bruce Wayne and in disguise, and punching a bad guy behind him without looking. Those moments and the great balance between the hero and villain raise the score to a perfect 10.

Not only did this episode breathe new life into a failed villain, but it also set the standard for Batman: The Animated Series. "Heart of Ice" gained critical acclaim, and without it, I don't think the show would have lasted as long as it did, let alone inspire Superman and Justice League shows. This masterpiece will forever remain frozen in my memories.

Final score: 10