Time to take a look at Batman the
Animated Series Episode 21 Feat of Clay Part II. This is the second part of the
origin of Clayface. This episode of Batman the Animated Series first aired on
September 9th 1992 on the FOX Network. If you missed my review of
the first episode, then please click right here to check it out.
Batman
the Animated Series Episode 21 Feat of Clay Part II
I thought that this episode did a
good job at filling in the backstory of Matt Hagen/Clayface and his desperation
which caused him to make a deal with Daggett for the Renuyu. The Renuyu that
turned him into a monster but it appears that the shape shifting properties
have in fact been amplified. At least for a few minutes but it’s like flexing a
muscle pose in the sense that he can’t hold it long. The only thing that he can
do is gain some unholy revenge on Roland Daggett in the form of his grisly
murder.
Batman is released, stopping
another attempt on the life of Lucius Fox by Daggett’s henchmen Germs, who is
deathly afraid of germs interestingly enough and much to his horror, gets
trapped in a closet with potentially deadly diseases, which Batman uses to his
advantage, and learns some information, but just before Germs spills, Clayface,
disguised as a police officer jumps in and tries to take Germs away. Batman,
being Batman, detects this ruse right away.
Then we have a fight between
Batman and Clayface and Clayface is such a fun villain to use for fight scenes
due to the nature of his powers. Then we get a good fight, but Clayface slips
away.
Then Clayface goes for Daggett,
disguised as a woman. Talking about the harmful side effects, the horrible
pain, the addictive properties, “WHY DON’T YOU TELL THEM ABOUT ME!” as he
shifts into his Clayface form, really kind of disturbing scene. Batman saves
Daggett, even though he quite frankly doesn’t deserve it all that much but
Batman’s the hero and that’s how he rolls.
Batman tricks Hagen into turning
into all of his movie roles, turning him into a muddled mess, that he can’t
control. The police officers see him turn briefly into Bruce Wayne, thus
concluding that Bruce Wayne didn’t commit the crime that he was committed form.
Then Clayface dies. The rapid shapeshifting was kind of grisly and it freaked
me out a little when I was a child. It’s still a powerful and kind of
disturbing scene no matter what your age is.
Or does he? As it turns out, he’s
an actor foremost, thus his death was merely a scene. As it turns out there is
a hint that Hagen/Clayface is still out there.
A rather dark episode in many
ways. The first part from an animation standpoint is rather weak but the second
part more than makes up with it. I’ll give this two part episode a 6.5/10. You can watch Batman the
Animated Series Episode 22 Clayface Part 2 on Batman the Animated Series Volume
1 DVD or the Complete Batman the Animated Series DVD set.
