Zatanna

"Zatanna" was the 54th-produced episode of Batman: The Animated Series and the 50th-aired on Feb. 2, 1993. Although it was written by the legendary Paul Dini and had tons of potential to be an all-time great episode, it suffered from having two directors. Dick Sebast started it, but then for whatever reason left halfway through, leaving Dan Riba to try to finish it. And this episode certainly feels like two separate stories crammed together.

I'll start by adding a point for the fantastic flashback of a young Bruce training to become a master escape artist. It truly is a rare treat to see a pre-Batman Bruce Wayne traveling the world to learn various skills. I'm really surprised we still haven't gotten a show or comic book series about a globetrotting Bruce. Anyway, what really makes this episode so awesome is that Bruce is training with Zatara, who is actually a very old comic book character, appearing in a side story in 1938's Action Comics #1. And for almost 20 years, this was the only appearance of Zatara on TV until he showed up on Young Justice.

But there's more to this great flashback. We get to see young Zatanna flirt with Bruce, which is really fun. Those two have a great chemistry together, and it's a shame she doesn't return until Justice League Unlimited. She plays a little card game with him to predict his future, and Bruce naturally pulls the Joker card. A little cliche, I know, but it's still fun. We're up to a 7 now.

The next point I'll add will not be for something they did in the episode, but for something they did not do. I really like that Zatanna does not have actual magic powers. Batman and magic just does not work. Ever, really. Especially in this ultra-realistic show, it fits so much better to have Zatanna simply be an ordinary magician. But that doesn't mean she won't go on adventures and fight criminals. In fact, the more I think about it, the more I'm saddened by the fact that we didn't get any more episodes of a crime-fighting Zatanna using nothing more than practical effects and her quick wits. It could have been great!

Continuing the flirting from the flashback, Batman and Zatanna have wonderful banter in the Batmobile. It's one of the rare times that Batman lets his guard down, awkwardly asking, "Isn't there someone you need to call? Friends, family ... a husband, perhaps?" I bet he was really glad he was wearing a mask right then to cover his blushing face. Moments later, Zatanna realizes Batman is very familiar, and he quickly says, "I just have one of those faces ..." Sure, Batman. We're at an almost perfect score of a 9 right now.

Unfortunately, this is where the second half of the episode starts, and it, well — how can I say this nicely? — it sucks. Everything just falls apart. It doesn't help that the main villain is rather weird and boring, and has a weird habit of always sitting down — even when he needs to awkwardly stand up and turn his chair around to sit and face Batman. But that doesn't bother me near as much as plot holes and leaps in logic. Montague first sets an elaborate trap for Batman and Zatanna, involving closing walls of spikes. A classic comic book cliche, and Montague even mentions that, while he drops a casual line/clue about him going to a more comfortable climate. When our heroes escape, Batman notices a picture of a very large and extravagant airplane. Suddenly, Batman and Zatanna are on the plane, confronting Montague. How'd they get there so quickly? Minus one point.

The action naturally spills out to the outside of the plane while it's flying high above the ocean, and things start to get really, really weird. Montague tries to shake Batman off by tilting the plane up and down, but Batman counters that by grabbing one of the wing's rudders and moving it himself. No. No! There is no way Batman should be able to do that. I don't care how strong he is, that is a physically impossible feat. We're back down to a 7.

And then we get one very lame and poorly choreographed fight on the plane's wing to end the episode. Overlooking the complete ridiculousness of two guys with an axe chasing Batman around on an airplane that's flying high above the ocean, this is a really lame fight. Batman doesn't really do much, mostly just dodge until one of them charges at Batman, misses, and runs into the other henchman, and they both fall off the plane. Ugh. What a completely disappointing end to what could have been a spectacular episode.

Final score: 6