Batman the Animated Series Episode 18 Beware of the Grey Ghost

It is now time to look at Batman the Animated Series Episode 18 Beware the Gray Ghost. This episode was the 18^th to be produced for Batman the Animated Series, but the 32^nd to air on FOX on November 4^th 1992. This featured Batman looking down an old hero named the Gray Ghost(voiced by Adam West, television’s original Batman), to get his insight on a series of crimes based off of an old episode of his series, featuring a criminal named the Mad Bomber.

Batman the Animated Series Episode 18 Beware the Gray Ghost.

A lot of Batman fans who want their Batman to be dark and brooding all of the time tend to stick their nose up in the air at the campy Adam West version of Batman of the 1960s. However, it was the interest from that series that saved Batman from nearly getting cancelled. There would be no Batman movies, no Arkham Asylum or Arkham City video games, and most certainly no Batman the Animated Series if it wasn’t for that live action television series.

In many ways, the actor in this episode that West plays, Simon Trent, is eerily similar to his own career. Trent as the Gray Ghost was not really seen as anything but the Gray Ghost after the series got cancelled and Adam West had a tough time shedding the Batman image after the Batman live action series concluded. It is a fitting tribute to the man and his contributions to the continued life of Batman to this day.

I thought this was a very heartwarming episode in many ways as well. Everyone had to be inspired in some way and Batman had his inspiration in the Gray Ghost, even patterning the Bat Cave after the Ghost’s lair. It also gives the Ghost inspiration in a strange way that he would have inspired someone to do his good. It wasn’t all for nothing. Really, the same thing could be true for Adam West. Without him, Batman would be more than a distant memory so his role on the show was not all for nothing.

The indemnity of the villain of this episode, well you could have seen a mile away but that most certainly did not take all that much away from the episode. Batman revealing his identity to the Gray Ghost in a rather subtle way was always a nice touch towards the end.

This was a very fitting tribute to the man who made the Bat a pop culture sensation and saved him from getting discontinued. 8/10 for this episode. You can watch Batman the Animated Series Episode 18 Beware The Gray Ghost on Batman the Animated Series Volume 1 DVD or the Complete Batman the Animated Series Collection.