NOTE: This article obviously contains SPOILERS. Proceed at your own risk!
Official Summary
When Mayor Jessop assembles a task force to catch Batman, Detective Montoya is put in charge. Detectives Flass and Bullock take matters into their own hands in an attempt to trap Batman, putting Gotham in a fiery jeopardy.
My Summary
In response to Batman’s attack against Detective Flass and Bullock at the Gotham Museum, Mayor Jessop tasks Commissioner Gordon with assembling a task force for the sole purpose of taking down the Dark Knight. Unfortunately for them, Batman easily sees through the subterfuge and evades capture, leading to Flass—who wants revenge against the vigilante—hatching his own a plan to lure him out … one that involves putting innocent lives in danger.
Voice Cast
Hamish Linklater as Batman / Bruce Wayne
Diedrich Bader as Harvey Dent
Michelle C. Bonilla as Detective Renee Montoya
Krystal Joy Brown as Barbara Gordon
John DiMaggio as Detective Harvey Bullock, Morrison
Eric Morgan Stuart as Commissioner James Gordon
Jason Watkins as Alfred Pennyworth
Gary Anthony Williams as Detective Arnold Flass, Hendryx, Redding
Kimberly Brooks as Romy Chandler
Corey Burton as Jack Ryder, Police Radio
Jamie Chung as Dr. Harleen Quinzel
Tom Kenny as Eel O‘Brian, Firebug, Joplin
Yuri Lowenthal as Detective Cohen
William Salyers as Mayor Jessop
Roger Craig Smith as Detective Jim Corrigan, Jones
James Arnold Taylor as Marcus Driver
Commentary
Coming on the heels of a pair of supervillain-centric episodes, “The Night of the Hunters” focuses its attention on the complicated relationship between Batman and the Gotham City Police Department, a rapport that had not been fully explored in the original DCAU. Due to the demands of children’s programming, the “Batman vs. the cops” storylines were simplified, minimized, and confined to the first few episodes, and the police were portrayed as nothing less than upstanding vanguards of justice. However, on Prime Video, the series is now permitted to delve into the murky gray areas of the GCPD, thus allowing a more mature look at the Dark Knight’s crossings with the Thin Blue Line.
In the original BTAS, the relationship between Batman and the police was tense, but low stakes. Early episodes featured cops who would run into and attempt to apprehend the Caped Crusader, but they were few and far between. And Commissioner James Gordon was already on the Bat-bandwagon starting with the pilot, which unfortunately negated a need for a story allowing Batman to earn Gordon’s trust. And, as for the mayor’s office, Hamilton Hill did do some initial saber-rattling, but that dried up after Batman saved both his son (“Be a Clown”) and Hill himself (“The Clock King,” “Harlequinade,” “Time Out of Joint,” “Lock-Up,” etc.). In the end, the only real show of resistance against the Dark Knight’s presence in police affairs was from Detective Harvey Bullock, and most of that was largely superficial posturing.
(Speaking of Bullock, he was in charge of both instances where a task force attempted to bring Batman in—“On Leather Wings” and Batman: Mask of the Phantasm—but these were instances where he was wrongly accused of criminal acts perpetrated by doppelgängers. And Gordon was not only uninvolved, but he spoke out against the operations.)
In contrast, in the Gotham City of Batman: Caped Crusader, the very presence of Batman is, at best, complicated. Only recently made aware that he isn’t an urban legend (via the eyewitness accounts from his daughter, Barbara, and his right hand, Renee Montoya), Commissioner Gordon likely sees Batman as a nuisance, eating up his time and attention when he’d rather be combating Boss Thorn or rooting out corruption in his police department. However, the reality is that the presence of a vigilante taking the law into their own hands would be their top priority. Best case scenario, they would not want someone outside of the law interfering with due process and civil liberties but, worst case, they simply wouldn’t want the competition … especially if it makes the department look weak in the eyes of the public and the mayor. Creating a task force was a necessary evil.
Speaking of evil, the adult-themed streaming series is now able to take on the topic of police corruption in mature and provocative ways, something unthinkable on Fox Kids or Kids’ WB! In the DCAU, there were hints of corruption in the form of false accusations in the BTAS episodes “P.O.V.” and “Vendetta,” as well as Terry McGinnis’ accusations of the cops being “cozy” with Derek Powers in Batman Beyond, but no red meat. On Caped Crusader, however, we get regular appearances by Detectives Arnold Flass and Harvey Bullock, two officers who are not only in bed with Thorn, but they also endanger colleagues (“…And Be a Villain”) and attempt to kill unarmed suspects (“Kiss of the Catwoman”). Of course, this is a police department described as having at least half of them on the mob’s payroll, so they’re actually in good company. Here, it’s the honest cops like Gordon and Montoya who are in the minority.
Which brings us to the events of this episode. Forced to acquiesce to the mayor’s demands, Gordon and Montoya hatch a plan to entrap Batman, but the Dark Knight easily sees through their clumsy attempts, just as he easily accesses police headquarters to look at their files on him. Growing desperate, they bring in psychiatrist Dr. Harleen Quinzel to create a surprisingly good psychological profile and to figure out a vulnerability to exploit, and it is through the latter than Flass develops his own plan. Literally taking Quinzel’s statement that “they need a weirdo” to heart, the detective recruits one in the form of the costumed villain Firebug.
A minor figure in Batman’s Rogues’ Gallery, the unnamed Firebug is here more as a plot device than a fully developed character. A known arsonist and pyromaniac, Firebug appears to see the fire as a form of liberation, and he seeks to “free” others by allowing them to live and play among the burning buildings as living effigies (if his fantasy sequence is any indication). Removing him and his gear from police headquarters under the pretense of bringing him to Arkham Asylum for a psychological exam, Flass and Bullock arrange for him to “escape,” thus allowing him to begin starting fires again and drawing out Batman to try and stop him. And the oblivious patsy did exactly what was expected of him.
Unfortunately for everyone else involved, Flass’ plan had two major flaws: 1) he had no concerns for the citizens threatened by the fire and 2) seeking payback for his beating in “Catwoman,” he had no illusions about arresting Batman. There are few things more chilling than the image of Flass and Bullock scanning the rooftops for Batman while, less than a block away, a populated building burns … unless, of course, it’s the image of the detectives, along with a pre-1960s S.W.A.T. team, entering the burning building not to save victims of the fire, but to kill Batman. As a result, the Dark Knight must help citizens evacuate the building while attempting to apprehend Firebug and either evade or take out officers who have no problem shooting at innocent people if it means they can take out their target.
(It’s worth noting that, upon arriving at the scene, Commissioner Gordon says that he “won’t have good cops dying” because of Flass and Bullock. Considering their actions inside, it’s debatable how good they actually are.)
Upon entering, Gordon quickly encounters Batman, but he catches him in the act of saving children from the burning building. Recognizing the character of the man under the mask, Gordon and Batman work together to get the children to safety. This is the genesis of their working relationship, as the Dark Knight’s selfless act enables Gordon to put his trust in the vigilante.
As for Flass and Bullock, they are unsuccessful in “apprehending” Batman, but they do encounter Firebug, who has run out of fuel and is passively watching the chaos occurring outside. Recognizing that the costumed arsonist could reveal their complicity, Flass encourages his partner to kill the unarmed assailant, even though he has already surrendered, in a fashion similar to Flass’ attempt to kill Catwoman in the previous episode. Unfortunately for Firebug, there is no Batman to save him this time.
In the end, Batman escapes, and Gordon easily deduces what Flass and Bullock have done. Unfortunately for the commissioner, both the mayor and the press have lauded Bullock for taking out the arsonist and, in recognition for their “heroism,” Mayor Jessop puts Flass and Bullock in charge of the anti-Batman task force, replacing Montoya, who was competent, but slow in getting results. And while Gordon gets to keep his job for rescuing those kids, he must now step aside and hand over the henhouse keys to the hungriest wolves in the pack, which is sure to cause more trouble down the line. But, hey, that’s Gotham.
Overall, “The Night of the Hunters” is a solid episode that not only allows viewers to see the beginnings of the Batman / Gordon partnership, but it also tells a story that the original BTAS was unable to do.
Stray Observations
Mayor Jessop’s press conference and the Batman Task Force (for lack of an official name) are the result of Batman’s actions in “Kiss of the Catwoman,” where Gotham Gazette photographer “Eel” O’Brian took photographs of the Dark Knight assaulting Detectives Flass and Bullock after their attempt to murder Catwoman.
The reporter administering “man on the street” interviews is Jack Ryder, known in the mainstream DC Comics as the alter ego of the Creeper. He appeared previously as both characters in The New Batman Adventures.
In addition to “Eel” O’Brian and what appears to be Jack Ryder, the crowd of reporters at Mayor Jessop’s press conference include cameos by a reporter and a photographer who resemble 1940s versions of Lois Lane and Jimmy Olsen, respectively. Lois Lane, in particular, resembles her appearance from the classic 1940s Superman short films created by Fleischer Studios. Though these two continue to appear in crowd scenes throughout Season One, Bruce Timm confirmed in an August 2nd post on Anime Superhero that they are merely Easter Eggs (b.t.).
At the beginning of the episode, Commissioner Gordon mentions how Rupert Thorn is “taking over the Narrows.” Originally a neighborhood in Blüdhaven, The Narrows became a location in Gotham City beginning with Christopher Nolan’s Batman Begins (2005). Also, while Arkham Asylum is located in this area in the film, it is unknown if that is the case in Caped Crusader.
As previously stated, in an August 3rd post on Anime Superhero, Bruce Timm expanded on how “sexism, racism, and homophobia” are still around in their alternate history Gotham City:
In “Night of the Hunters,” the mayor snidely suggests in the middle of his rant that Gordon was only appointed commissioner for PR purposes. And, earlier in the same episode, when Bullock complains to Gordon about Montoya being in charge of the task force, “Do you really think the men are gonna take orders from that—” We can only guess what the next word out of his mouth would have been if Gordon hadn’t cut him off, but I guarantee it would have been something very ugly. (b.t.)
A deep cut in the Batman mythos, Arnold Flass first appeared in Batman #404 (February 1987) during Frank Miller and Dave Mazzucchelli’s seminal Batman: Year One storyline. Originally a white man with blond hair, he was paired with an incoming Lt. James Gordon, who had recently relocated from Chicago to Gotham City. A corrupt officer operating with the approval of then-Commissioner Gillian Loeb, he jumped Gordon with three other officers when he feared that Gordon wouldn’t be a “team player.” Later exposed and taken down by Harvey Dent and Batman, he would later meet his end at the hands of the Hangman Killer in the Batman: Dark Victory miniseries (1999-2000).
Some fans question the use of Harvey Bullock as a villain for the series, but it is worth noting that, in his earliest incarnation, he was a bad guy. First appearing in Batman #361 (July 1983)—there was a Lieutenant Bullock who first appeared in Detective Comics #441 (June 1974), but he is largely considered to be a separate character—Bullock was initially portrayed as a crooked cop under instruction from Mayor Hill to sabotage Commissioner Gordon, but he was later retconned into the honest officer that he is today in the comics.
As much as I love to hate Flass, I cannot help but unapologetically love that teal suit he wears. He must go to the same tailor that all of Batman’s supervillains go to.
Introduced in this episode as Detective Montoya’s partner, Detective Jim Corrigan has, at various times, been the human host for the supernatural hero, the Spectre. In addition, he was also a corrupt officer in Ed Brubaker and Greg Rucka's Gotham Central comic book series (2002-2006).
According to Detective Montoya during their task force meeting, Batman has put six police officers into the hospital in the previous month, not counting Detectives Flass and Bullock. Considering the level of corruption established in previous episodes, this doesn’t surprise me.
The police’s attempts to trap Batman by staging criminal activities is reminiscent of the aforementioned Batman: Year One (1987) storyline, as is their climactic confrontation in a burning building.
During Dr. Harleen Quinzel’s meeting with the task force, she mentions that her “old college professor” was Jonathan Crane. Dr. Crane is better known to longtime Batman fans as the real identity of the villain known as the Scarecrow.
Between attending Dr. Quinzel’s lecture and recruiting Firebug from the jail cells, Bullock ditched the neck brace. Did he really need it, or was he trying to score sympathy points with the others?
There have been two Firebugs to appear in the Batman titles. The first, Joe Rigger, was introduced in Batman #318 (December 1979) as a soldier and demolitions expert who sought to burn down the buildings where his family died; he would later retire after becoming a victim of one of his fires. The second Firebug was named Harlan Combs, who acquired the original villain’s costume and armor, who first appeared in Gotham Central #3 (March 2003), in a comic written by Ed Brubaker.
In regard to the inspirations for Firebug’s design, James Tucker revealed in an August 17th post on X (formerly Twitter) that he was “inspired by Peter Lorre’s character” in the German murder mystery film M (1931; @JTuckerAnimator). Once aware of the post, however, Bruce Timm added in an August 17th post on Anime Superhero that he drew inspiration from actor Dwight Frye, “specifically with the severe haircut and makeup he had as Dr. Pretorious’ henchman Karl in Bride of Frankenstein [1935]” (b.t.).
Personally speaking, I cannot look at the above pic of Firebug and not see noted nerdcore rapper mc chris.
During the episode, Flass repeatedly refers to “Firebug” as “Firefly,” a reference to the better known fire-based Batman villain. First appearing in Detective Comics #184 (June 1952), he has previously made appearances in both The New Batman Adventures and Justice League.
Firebug’s appearance was foreshadowed in “Kiss of the Catwoman,” via the headline “New Leads in Arson Investigation” in the newspaper Batman reads in the Batcave. According to Flass, he was arrested for “a couple of arsons,” implying that Batman had nothing to do with his apprehension.
The scenes featuring Firebug’s fire-related fantasies are disturbing, and it is made even more so with the accompanying musical track, “Fire in His Eyes.”
After this episode, Flass and Bullock’s task force doesn't really do much else, aside from fail to capture Batman in Fletcher Demming’s office in “The Stress of Her Regard.”
Works Cited
b.t. Comment on “’Batman: Caped Crusader’ Season One Talkback (Spoilers).” Anime Superhero. XenForo Ltd. 2 Aug. 2024. <https://animesuperhero.com/forums/threads/batman-caped-crusader-season-one-talkback-spoilers.5799833/post-87961007>. Accessed 29 Aug. 2024.
---. Comment on “’Batman: Caped Crusader’ Season One Talkback (Spoilers).” Anime Superhero. XenForo Ltd. 3 Aug. 2024. <https://animesuperhero.com/forums/threads/batman-caped-crusader-season-one-talkback-spoilers.5799833/post-87961162>. Accessed 16 Aug. 2024.
---. Comment on “’Batman: Caped Crusader’ Season One Talkback (Spoilers).” Anime Superhero. XenForo Ltd. 17 Aug. 2024. <https://animesuperhero.com/forums/threads/batman-caped-crusader-season-one-talkback-spoilers.5799833/post-87964519>. Accessed 30 Aug. 2024.
@JTuckerAnimator. “As I recall, BT did the rough design and Derek Charm did the final turn and clean on that one. It pretty much ended up as it was first conceived. He was inspired by Peter Lorre’s character in ’M.’” X. 17 Aug. 2024. 3:15 p.m. <https://x.com/JTuckerAnimator/status/1824887688996278277>. Accessed 29 Aug. 2024.
Images courtesy of Prime Video, Warner Bros. Discovery, Warner Bros. Home Entertainment, DC Comics, and mc chris.
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