Paula Hammond - Features EditorSometimes you just have to let those old affiliations go. Marvel? DC? Star Wars? Star Trek? We geeks can be passionate about our preferences. But occasionally, just occasionally, something comes along that forces you to love it, regardless of which team your usually cheer for.
Batman Vs Two-Face is the hugely anticipated sequel to the 2016 hit Batman: Return Of The Caped Crusaders, which saw Adam West (Batman), Burt Ward (Robin) and Julie Newmar’s Catwoman reunited for a sensational, 1 hour 20 minutes of animated ‘60s fun.
The all-new Batman Vs. Two-Face puts the gang back together in classic style – protecting Gotham City from some of the most nefarious villains in comics history. But when the mutilated master of multiplicity, Two-Face, stages daring series of crimes, the Caped Crusaders must work double-time to discover his secret identity – all the while combating the likes of Catwoman, Joker, Riddler, Penguin, Bookworm, Hugo Strange, King Tut and a certain Dr Harleen Quinzel.
Adam West, once again, leads the star-studded cast with warmth, charm, and more than the odd knowing smile to camera. However – hold your hats – because Batman Vs. Two-Face features not one but two pop culture icons, with Captain Kirk himself (William Shatner) delivering a knock out turn as the criminally conflicted Harvey Dent/Two-Face. The way that Shatner switches between Dent and Two-Face is particularly memorable. Here’s hoping that he gets the chance to do more voice-work in future, because this is an A-star performance.
As with Return Of The Caped Crusaders, there are plenty in-jokes here for fans to enjoy, including a nod to the popular Batman slapping Robin meme, which should leave you smirking. But Batman Vs. Two-Face is more than a nostalgia trip. It’s a fully realised Bat-feature, that engages, entertains, and leaves you wanting more.
And we have to hope that – despite Adam West’s untimely death – there will be more. Kitschness aside, Warner Brothers and DC have played an absolute binder here. In the worlds of Cesar Romero’s Joker: “Oh how delicious it is!”
