Splicers
Episode #16 - Splicers
Original Airdate - September 17th, 1999 - Second Season Premiere
Terry goes undercover to expose a scientist who is using advanced gene
manipulation - splicing - to give animal traits to humans in order to
create the perfect gang of teenage henchmen.
Media by Bird Boy
Review by Tim "Two-Face" Leighton |
Credits:
Written by Evan Dorkin and Sara Dyer
Directed by Curt Geda
Music by Michael McCuistion
Animation by Koko Enterprise Co., LTD., Dong Yang Animation Co.,
LTD.
Voices:
Will Friedle as Terry McGinnis / Batman
Kevin Conroy as Bruce Wayne
Ian Buchanan as Dr. Cuvier
Cree Summer as Max Gibson / Tigress
Ice T as Ramrod
Tim Dang as King Cobra
Stockard Channing as Barbara Gordon
Paul Winfield as Sam Young
Yvette Lowenthal as Chelsea
Lauren Tom as Dana
Teri Garr as Mary McGinnis
Ryan O'Donohue as Matt McGinnis
Mark Jonathan Davis as Virtual Newsman
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Review
A new fad is sweeping the nation: splicing. What is it? It's a process
that alters your DNA and gives you the attributes of the animal of your
choice. Just like drug use in today's society, the public sees this fad
as crazy and dangerous, and what to put a stop to it. This is where our
good Bat-lovin' pal comes into play.
That's one thing I can respect about this show, no matter how bad it can
be. Many of the episodes of Batman Beyond try to relate to contemporary
problems in society - particularly during the teen years. We had the
jock/nerd tales in "Golem", the complications of love in "Dead Man's
Hand", and the tale of drug use in "The Winning Edge". In fact, this
episode was somewhat similar to the plot of "The Winning Edge" - but
with a different form of drugs.
Sadly, this episode let me down. Maybe it was because it was the Second
Season's premiere episode, so I was expecting a lot. Again we see the
new D.A. Sam Young (husband of Comm. Barbara Gordon) as the target of an
attack - why? Who knows. I wish I did. The villain himself - a man named
Cuvier who created the splicing process - is relatively un-interesting.
So are his "henchmen" - a bull, snake, and jaguar. Hmm. All action, no
plot. Just a gimmick - an interesting gimmick that could've been
expanded upon.
There were some nice touches, though. At one point, Terry was captured
and the splicing serum was injected into his system; he later has a
Man-Bat transformation which is rather impressive. Ace the Bat-Hound
also wonders into the spotlight here, aiding Terry in his hunt for
Cuvier before the finale. Cuvier's intial spliced look isn't very
impressive, but after Terry finds his weakness and pumps him full of the
serum, the ghastly creature he evolves into is very...disgustingly
decadent.
In the end, it's a pretty average episode, but a nice start to Season
Two.
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