One of the best Batman episodes is a sequel to a sci-fi tragedy

by Drew Deitch
| published One second ago

Batman: The Animated Series He is the best iteration of the character in any medium, be it comics, movies, TV, radio, you name it. This series is an indelible and lasting value in the history of the Cross Paws. Over the course of his 85 episodes, he created a version of Batman and his world that stands the test of time. There are a lot of good and absolutely excellent episodes of Batman: The Animated SeriesBut one that stands out and above the pack has to be “His Silicon Soul,” a story that grew out of two previous installments that gave Batman: The Animated Series A science fiction story unlike anything else in the series.

heart of steel

The story of “His Silicon Soul” actually begins in the two-part episode “Heart of Steel”. An evil artificial intelligence called HARDAC (Holographic Interactive Digital Android Computer) begins creating androids called duplicates – a nod to the replicants from Blade Runner – in an effort to replace humans. of course, Batman Defeats HARDAC and her clone army to save the day.

However, you will notice that the HARDAC looks strangely like the silhouette of Batman’s cape. This was intentional as the original script for “Heart of Steel: Part II” ended with a duplicate of Batman appearing as HARDAC’s final tool. The original use of the Batman clone was basically just to create a fight scene. When the producers of Batman: The Animated Series Seeing it in the script, they immediately recognized that Robot Batman was an episode in itself. This is how his “Silicon Soul” was born.

His silicon soul

His Silicon Soul opens with thieves breaking into a warehouse as Batman breaks out of a crate. After fighting the thieves, he is injured and is revealed to have robotic intestines! Believing himself to be the real Bruce Wayne, Batman returns home and asks Alfred for help. It is here that Alfred reveals to the robot Batman the idea of ​​replicators and he begins to investigate its creation and purpose. Once the real Batman picks up on this, the chase continues as the robot Batman activates his real programming and resurrects the plan to replace humans with doppelgangers.

However, during a fight in the incubator between the two Batmans, the robot saves an innocent man when the incubator begins to collapse. Here we begin to realize that this Batman clone is more human than we can believe. During the final climactic showdown, the real Batman is believed to have died at the hands of the duplicate Batman. And this is where his “silicon soul” earns its reputation. Although he was actually programmed by HARDAC to destroy humanity, the AI ​​made too good a copy in Batman. This artificial creature believes in the sanctity of life so much that it destroys itself to save the people of Gotham City.

It’s a strong idea that science fiction Often grappling with: What is humanity? What makes us truly human? To see a show that is ostensibly aimed at children go into such a strong and difficult subject made an impression on me when I was still in the single digits. To this day, the clone Batman’s final moments are overcome with guilt for believing he took a life stick with me. “His Silicon Soul” is one of voice actor Kevin Conroy’s best moments in a career full of them.

The idea that Batman: The Animated Series Be prepared to make an episode like “His Silicon Soul” showcase the incredible depth and variety of stories the show has been able to tell within the Batman adventures. To get a legitimate sci-fi tragedy in the midst of classic crime stories is a real treat.