Heart of Steel Part I - Bat-May

[@ChannelAwesome]

What did everyone think of Heart of Steel Part I? Follow Walter on Twitter - twitter.com/Awesome_Walter​​​​ Watch all the Bat-May here - bit.ly/3dhEQHT​​​​ Follow us on Twitch - www.twitch.tv/channelawesome

[@srstriker6420]

This HARDAC is kinda interesting because it’s a shame it never appeared in Batman Beyond

[@Hi-pg1we]

For dark toons do the amazing world of gumball the puppets The creators worked with don’t hug me I’m scared

[@VALonYouTube]

I always loved watching this episode back on Cartoon Network (followed by the DVDs and Blu-rays), but I could never ignore how "dirty" the cell animation looks, particularly throughout the first act. 🙄

[@1971chrismiller]

I disagree. I think it's more inspired by the 4th Doctor's serial The Android Invasion of Doctor Who than Invasion of the Body Snatchers.

[@DinobotTM2]

Not to mention that the name Carl Rossum is a reference to RUR, Rossum's Universal Robots, the book that created the word "robot" written by Karel Capek

[@Mongler37]

I was about to post that myself. Glad to know some people are still culturally literate

[@Laudanon]

Also, Randa's license plate says "RUR", that was the first reference I noticed in this episode and it made me soooo happy :D

[@LocalHeretic-ck1kd]

Thats right. Number of those references is really amazing.

[@sethcaplan859]

the car driven by thief in the beginning also has RUR on the license plate

[@lqcrow]

The way he transitions from Wayne to Batman in that, "Stay put? I don't think so," line is one of my top 5 favorite moments in Batman Animated. Such great acting from Conroy.

[@TheLastBabyMan]

"Cybertron Industries." Ah yes, run by my favourite Batman villain, Megatron.

[@pistonx3544]

Thank you I was not the only one that got that reference!

[@rdphoenix07]

Paid for by a generous donation from Decepticon, Inc. Decepticon, Inc., we're more than meets the eye.

[@lewisaino]

Autobots Inc/ Matrix SA is their main rival

[@indiecinemaster4699]

Harvey Bullock is my favorite character that's not Batman or the villains. He's such a compelling individual and I wish we had more than just a couple episodes centered on him.

[@milkiassamuel780]

He was also one of my favourite characters on Fox's Gotham (TV show).

[@indiecinemaster4699]

@@milkiassamuel780 I saw a bit of that, and while seems good, this Bullock seems better, based on what little I've seen...

[@milkiassamuel780]

@@indiecinemaster4699 To be honest with you, I do have to agree that Batman the Animated series' Harvey Bullock is still my favourite depiction of the character, but I can honestly say that Gotham's Bullock is still pretty good and does have some funny moments here and there.

[@MrKlausbaudelaire]

@@indiecinemaster4699 Gotham's Bullock actualy goes through one of the BEST character development throughout the seasons. He goes from the "I don't give a shit" drunk cop to almost a father figure to Gordon.

[@lewiskazinsky7334]

@@MrKlausbaudelaire Arguably the only one apart from Bruce who gets any character development. Everyone else just went cartoonishly off the rails. For me, the show tripped itself up trying to force in as many iconic villains/storylines as possible. It’s still a fun show, but the later Jerome stories don’t even compare to his first episode. The writers never knew when to leave good enough alone.

[@comicboybook9009]

4:38: I loved how HARDAC programmed Gordon to be the most average suburban old guy

[@LowellLucasJr.]

Can't wait for the review of *His Silicon Soul*. That was a real tear jerker. I felt for the duplicate and still believe his soul was genuine.

[@IxodesPersulcatus]

Interesting tidbit: Captain Clown, Joker's one-off henchman from an earlier episode, was built by Karl Rossum for one of Grant Walker's theme parks. It's all connected.

[@jinpei05]

Source?

[@The_Str4nger]

He build Captain Clown? HE BUILD CAPTAIN CLOWN?!

[@vanhopecomedy]

RIP Captain Clown. 🥺

[@lathanfitzpatrick3531]

One-off?ONE-OFF?dont talk about captain clown like that!

[@crakatoot5480]

hands Down one of the best episodes. Batman v terminator, practically writes its self

[@IferGanomer]

I like how this episode introduced Bruce's secret passages in his company. A detail that would be re-used in the 2nd episode of Batman Beyond.

[@jtrain6789]

Walter needs to use the catchphrase "Same bat time, same bat channel" when he does the multiple episodes.

[@olsongc8422]

I can't believe Walter missed out on a reference! Rossum, the last name of the creator in this episode, is a reference to R.U.R (Rossum's Universal Robots) which is a call out to Karl Capek's Czech play of the same name. It's also where the term robot was first coined, and it means "slave". It's amazing!

[@WalterCulture]

Part 2...

[@olsongc8422]

@@WalterCulture yay!

[@AtrumNuntius]

The Heart of Steel episodes scared me as a kid kind of like the same way the Terminator did.

[@omarsalem1219]

Who the heck allowed you to watch the terminator as a kid

[@Uru19861]

His Silicon Soul.

[@rdphoenix07]

@@omarsalem1219 I saw The Terminator as a kid too.

[@spectrecruz2697]

Even as a kid I was made well aware of the potential danger of AI

[@BigSteve1997]

I remember watching this at first and thinking "what is this, this isn't a batman story" then rewatching it a few times I really love how creepy and interesting these episodes really are

[@mrsrobophile]

There are so many references to famous robots and robot-themed works. Even Rossum himself is a reference to Rossum's Universal Robots, often thought to be the source of the word robot! One of my favorite episodes.

[@ZatchZXman]

Especially when you consider that Sunrise Studios animates the Gundam series and other sci-fi series like Ultra Man and Cowboy Bebop

[@ravensazttv]

I am really enjoying the documentary style of this aspect of the channel. Twilight zone and now this. Keep it going, this is incredibly satisfying.

[@chrisazylum6624]

We're now a full week into BatMay 2021! To be continued in Part 2!

[@motor4X4kombat]

3:10 *ptsd Vietnam flashbacks* The horror, the horror.

[@melissaquinn1463]

I’d forgotten that Melissa Gilbert voiced Barbara Gordon. Ah, nostalgia!

[@hayleyelise7144]

Hey Walter! It’s most certainly a different experience re-watching these episodes as an adult, as the references you pointed out become elucidated and far more appreciated than they were in childhood. Though I might blend together part 1 and 2 in my analysis, I wanted to discuss a comprehensive synthesis of both episodes and the overall impression and thematic overtones they conveyed. In a sense, these episodes definitely represent an amalgamation of science-fiction influences and ideas from a range of eras, specifically, automatization and the creation of A.I. to supplant the existence of humanity. H.A.R.D.A.C.’s primary intention and motivation are not necessarily original concepts within the sci-fi genre, and the ethical and moral ramifications of replicating humanity in the form of an artificial facsimile of human life wasn’t really delved into with the depth of many modern interpretations. The quandary over whether or not A.I. are truly alive and deserving of equal rights and treatment as the rest of humanity wasn’t really the intended discussion of these episodes, and I believe the A.I. were destroyed on-screen without the question of if this counts as murder for Barbara and Batman. Still, I think this conversation would eventually have greater pertinence in the later episode His Silicon Soul. Within these two episodes, it seems the integration of science-fiction into Batman’s noir universe and the detective elements of trying to figure out what’s transpiring and who’s behind it are of more significance. There was some implication of deeper facets to this story in the form of the loss of Rossum’s daughter, as it seems to suggest that these A.I. were originally intended to replace humans that were already gone and thus emulate them as closely as possible. It’s therefore easy to see how the perversion of this morally questionable, yet completely understandable and sympathetic action on the part of Rossum could have happened under the guidance of the rogue H.A.R.D.A.C. Overall, these episodes signified interesting dives into science-fiction with great references and a compelling detective narrative. Loved your take on this one, Walter, as always!

[@WalterCulture]

Good stuff, Hayley! Looking forward to your thoughts on part 2!

[@DarthArachnious]

If The Zeta Project had continued to season 3. It would have tied back to this two parter as the origin for the Infiltration Simulants.

[@jamesbounds]

This is a fun two part series.

[@YouCallThataKnife253]

Heart of Steel I & II are my favorite BTAS episodes. So damn good

[@johnlittle8045]

In addition to all the classic sci-fi references you noted, there's an even more obscure reference: Karl Rossum is named after a play from 1920 called R.U.R., or "Rossum's Universal Robots", a Czech story that introduced the word Robot to the English Language (in Czech the word "robota" means "forced labor", and the play's author says his brother coined the word robot from it.) Another reference to this play can be seen on the car driven at the beginning of the episode, which has the license plate RUR as a tribute to the play's title.

[@Briaaanz]

The name "Rossum" actually comes from an old science fiction play that first invented the term "Robot". R.U.R. also comes from the play and stands for "Rossum's Universal Robots"

[@Debatra.]

This was actually my first episode of BtAS, and HARDAC has always stuck with me since.

[@jlev1028]

I remember this episode so well. It had that creepy '40s/'50s sci fi vibe to it. The second part is arguably creepier because of HARDACC doing a "kidnap and replace" scheme, and all those robotic duplicates have glowing red eyes. Also, thank G-d the DCAU comics treated Bruce and Barbara's relationship as icky to the point it permanently fractured Dick's trust in his mentor.

[@eyesofthefox]

This episode inspired the current generation of adults to design robot dogs, bet.

[@DragonKitty666]

And they are also the reason why we will eventually have a terminator.

[@robchuk4136]

The image of Batman dragging in his wet glider is funny to me, and reminds me of a kid coming in from the rain with his kite.

[@ETH5626]

I'm surprised Hasbro didn't say anything about this episode seeing as the Name Cybertron was once used in Saban's VR Troopers.

[@hamzahb3582]

To be fair, I don't think Hasbro said anything to Saban. My understanding is that Saban were afraid of being sued for using the name and didn't want to just take the risk.

[@ETH5626]

​@@hamzahb3582 Well as i said i'm surprised Hasbro didn't sue WB for the Trademark name Cybertron.

[@invadazim4320]

Cybertron? Isn't that the name of the home planet of the transformers, as well?

[@ETH5626]

@@invadazim4320 Yes seeing as it part of Transformers. I have never heard of any other show that uses the name Cybertron besides Transformers and the Pilot VR Troopers that originally went by that name.

[@Ugly_German_Truths]

@@ETH5626 There are MANY trademarks for the term Cybertron.trademarks.justia.com/search?q=Cybertron Hasbro has it for Toys connected with the convertible process of Transformers. And this one is still active, last refreshed in 2017 and obviously used in new toys to this day. But Batman did not show transforming robots, it showed flesh-covered ... well probably android would fit best for "human imitation robots"... Saban has it for a television program, but Batman did not call it's series "Cybertron Adventured", it's only a nametag inside one of the episodes, also the page of the trademark itself calls it abandoned since at least 99. trademarks.justia.com/744/58/cybertron-74458809.html There are computer producers, software companies and more that all have the term protected for a very narrow field of products, but not the depiction of a company inside a cartoon.

[@rdphoenix07]

You know, shows and movies with stories like this, with humans being replaced by imposters who are infiltrating everything, it's kind of terrifying. You find yourself thinking: "What would I do in a situation like this? Who could I trust? Are my friends and family really my friends and family?"

[@Mysteryof89]

Also also, Sunrise was behind one of my favorite animes, The Big O. Which took heavy inspiration from thier time working on Batman TAS

[@michawozniak5955]

You missed how Rossum is a shoutout to Rossum's Universal Robots, so the name of the company in Karel Capek's theatre play which was the first one to use the term "robot".

[@claytonrios1]

Sunrise eh? The studio behind Yashahime and Gundam!

[@SharpDesign]

The one with the robot Batman was heart breaking. Kind of like the Doctor Who episode where the fake Doctor realizes he isn't the Doctor.

[@pendragonxt3674]

The Next Doctor was a landmark Doctor Who episode and the fake Doctor helped the real Doctor take down a Cybermen Queen.

[@SharpDesign]

@@pendragonxt3674 are you defending as if I said something bad about it? I agree with what you say.

[@pendragonxt3674]

@@SharpDesign No. I’m adding on to what you said.

[@SharpDesign]

@@pendragonxt3674 oh, okay. Sorry, dealt with weird replies recently. My bad.

[@StillTheVoid]

You should do a Super-March. Just Sayin' since the series is so underrated.

[@santinojoshuatorre1695]

i love this episode (well this and part 2). I didn't know Sunrise animated this. Interestingly, Sunrise is best known for the Gundam franchise. Very apt.

[@christianruffin1342]

I had no idea Sunrise (the animation studio behind Dirty Pair, City Hunter, and even Inuyasha) worked on this episode. For an Japanese animation studio that uses bright colors in dark backgrounds, this works surprisingly well.

[@hrynkiewich]

All of the influences you mentioned and you forgot the biggest influence. Karel Čapek's R.U.R (Rossum's Universal Robots). The play where humanity is introduced to the word 'robot' for the first time. Karl Rossum's name is taken from an obvious choice. Does anyone remember Randa Duane's license plate? I do, even after all these years. It's RUR.

[@WalterCulture]

Patience. There's a part 2 to this.

[@reijigamer]

Sunrise you say. I guess The Big O styling makes even more sense.

[@TheCreepypro]

as a kid who loved scifi this was one of my favorite episodes I never realized till now why it was fun to hear all the cool inspirations to this episode

[@jlev1028]

New comment: Watching this episode in full again, I never realized how much tension there was, i.e. Rossum being frightened by HARDAC into not telling Bruce anything, Randa's hands feeling cold, Gordon's android body being built while Bruce and Rossum are talking. It's quite amazing. I do think the music was too over-the-top.

[@imransheikhinfo]

This episode is a love letter to Blade Runner

[@irongorillafederation1082]

Missed one reference Rossum himself. The invention of the word robot comes from a 1930's Czechoslovakian play called Rossum's Universal Robots. So there's another little story there.

[@KeeKage37]

The Heart of Steel story is one of my favorites from the Batman animated series. Part two especially hits hard.

[@ReveiwKing999]

And let's not forget if my calculations are correct, Bat-May 2021 is going to end with the even better sequel to these two episodes.

[@vanhopecomedy]

There is also a production connection to Bladerunner as well. Bladerunner was released 6/25/82 and takes place in November of 2019. Heart of Steel Part One was aired on 11/16/92 and Heart of Steel Part Two on 11/17/92, ten years after Bladerunner, and airing in November. Thought that was a neat little double homage to Bladerunner in BTAS’ production of these episodes.

[@star-sn3tt]

Heart of steel is my favorite two parter in the series

[@dexterthoma867]

The way you do these captured my attention since last year but this year is really cool

[@johnnygunzfilmbuff7821]

It's funny he mentions Blade Runner. William Sanderson who plays Karl Rossum. Played Sebastian in Blade Runner.

[@DRKLCNS1]

he mentions that in the video too

[@johnnygunzfilmbuff7821]

I notice once I got there and wrote this in advance.

[@brandijones461]

Oof this two parter was so good! It always used to give me the creeps when I was little. Very well done. Can't wait for part 2!

[@maxschechter4156]

3:39 Batman: That’s a briefcase. Keep cool. Keep cool.

[@Vamroc]

William Sanderson the actor who plays Karl is also the same actor who plays J.F. Sebastian in Blade Runner, Sebastian was the architect of the Nexus Six androids so having Wiliam in this role is makes it all better for those who know the actor's history

[@Ryu_D]

Thank you for the episode.

[@welchdisney9453]

This story is one of my favorites :)

[@videogamersoasisdotcom]

I remember seeing this episode as a kid with my siblings. Such an unusual episode with its' Sci-Fi/A.I/Cybernetic themes and Body-Snatcher Horror elements. A refreshingly creepy and thrilling Mini-Series!

[@theswapmeetflea]

_"Barbara , you've grown!"_ 😏

[@erichfiedler1481]

Goodnight everybody

[@jlev1028]

Has the same amount of creepiness as Padme telling Anakin, "My goodness, you've grown!"

[@Doctor_Odin]

Anyone wonder what Jim’s thoughts on his daughter clearly trying to become Mrs. Wayne later on in the series.

[@jinpei05]

I'll always be grateful to Bruce Timm for all his amazing work in animation, but man, he's got some really weird fetishes.

[@Frogman1212]

If you look at his erotic art book "naughty n nice" he is clearly into, shall I say, more petite females.

[@mikshinee87]

They all do. Like the guy who created Ren and Stimpy. Or Frank Miller. Never meet your heroes, I guess.

[@heresthedealio3520]

Omg I was just watching both parts last night XD

[@Obstreperous_Octopus]

The guy who runs the robotics company is named "Rossum"? Oh how I love these references to obscure sci-fi trivia! Makes me wish I could do more than just Like the video

[@stopreadingmyusernamebroth9090]

3:98 is a reference to a trailer in Terminator 2. In that trailer, Skynet uses the exact same machine to put living tissue in the cyborgs.

[@elgatochurro]

"you've grown" 'that's kinda gross' In what universe do you live in?

[@ztslovebird]

HARDAC sounds like the guy from Batman Beyond who had himself turned into a computer until technology advanced enough for him to map his thoughts & memories onto his grandson’s brain.

[@BlueDog241]

I heard before that Harley Quinn was partly inspired by Daryl Hannah's character Pris from Blade runner. There's even an episode where she sings the line "Home again, home again, jiggity jig." from the toy robots in Blade Runner. James Hong did voice acting in an episode of Teen Titans where he played a character that resembled his character Hannibal Chew from Blade Runner. I always wondered why I keep seeing Blade Runner references in DC animated shows.

[@raulbetancourt5795]

Batman vs Terminator and Hal. Quite the combo.

[@thebladerunner5226]

3:40 .....it was at this moment the robot knew he was screwed

[@garthdavis4320]

Cybertron Industries? I’m surprised that nobody got sued for using that name.

[@lihoffman8157]

I'll look at this tomorrow along with the second part.

[@DawnOfTheOzz]

I like the fact that H.A.R.D.A.C. is designed like to be as art-deco-ish as the rest of the show. Though having that much electricity sparking up like that can't be good for it's circuits.

[@Frogman1212]

Yeah I love how machinery is long and round like everything is a train.

[@stoffhimel]

rossem. nice retro scifi refrence right there. R.U.R. Rossems Universal Robots.

[@nebiatyifru4045]

omg this is the only Batman the animated series episodes I remember seeing. It was one of the cartoon record inside one of a group of VHS my dad recorded for me and my brother to watch where I got my first exposure to DragonBall Z. I was pissed off when this episode ended with a to be continued because I knew I'd never get to see part 2.

[@eyesofthefox]

Classic. So sick.

[@Altmetalpunk]

What happened in the continuity between Barbra and Bruce? Killing joke wasn't part of the DCAU so I'm confused. What's weirder is what happened between harley and nightwing.

[@Doctor_Odin]

What happened between Barbara and Bruce happened offscreen in the DCAU. Slightly hinted in Batman beyond to be more than just a one night stand like in the killing joke movie.

[@zesty2023]

one of the only episodes of BTAS I have on my computer is part 1 and 2 of this, such a good creepy story.

[@jameskenny2411]

This and Night of the Ninja are my 2 favorite non Bat-Villain episodes.

[@ThanksHermione]

The interaction between Bruce and Barbara is especially uncomfortable knowing what happens in the adaptation of The Killing Joke.

[@teddybeer6206]

Creepy two-parter. LOVE IT And wait...the studio that animates Gundam worked on this episode? All these different japanese studios...I'm surprised Toei never took a crack at this series.

[@lihoffman8157]

I saw this last year along with part two.

[@emperorkiva8063]

2:28 Wait. The ones who make Gundam? THAT Sunrise?

[@ryanmatthews3609]

1:17 1:51 cybertron 😆

[@Zidana123]

Bruce: "Barbara! You've grown! It's been what, four years?" Haha, Timm was shipping them from the start

[@wstine79]

The villain feels like an Earthbound Brainiac.

[@louisduarte8763]

Maybe the same voice actor as the Brainiac from Superman: TAS.

[@ReveiwKing999]

@@louisduarte8763 Hardac was voiced by Jeff Bennett (Johnny Bravo voice). Brainiac was voiced by Corey Burton (current Captain Hook voice).

[@blackpanthro]

I remember dreading seeing part 1 on episodes. Robin's reckoning and two face are the only part 1s that felt like i got my time's worth

[@sustelsuk]

Hardac is voiced by Jeff Bennett’s who voiced another evil A.I. Batman villain named d.a.v.e.

[@autobotproductions1244]

And Red Tornado in Young Justice

[@SuperTiberian]

You know, I've noticed a lot of the last few Bat May's episodes have a lot in common. They always have seem to have someone discovering who Batman is.

[@autumbreeze1129]

Cybertron Industries? Didn't realize the Autobots started a business after beating the Decepticons. 😂🤣

[@peterkrug2327]

Tune in next time: same Bat-May time, same Bat-May channel!

[@Firestata84]

Yeah, going to keep this one short as well - since its excellent and I agree with basically everyone. There are some flaws (Jim Gordon bot is not convincing for example), but the flaws are minor and the classic sci-fi inspirations are very appealing to me Verdict: 5 out of 5 bats

[@Redknight-g1z]

The batminator

[@nathanielstoll4533]

Loving the batmay so far this year, you should do the same thing with Superman the animated series or the spectacular Spider-Man

[@nikobrien88]

Blade Runner mixed With Batman The Animated Series.....Perfect. I love this episode. Beautiful animation. The story is great. AI vs Batman take my money.

[@moonwolfyowane6183]

and episode of this series done by the same animation company mostly known for Gundam. That's seriously awesome!

[@wattsink2009]

This is the closest thing we’ll probably get to Batman VS The Terminator.

[@JMDarkly1]

Good lord. The Batman/Batgirl relationship just gets more and more uncomfortable the farther back you go with this series.

[@DanBrizuela]

It definitely has that epic scope that anime is known for, so it makes sense who did the animation.

[@blueraccoon1088]

1:19 hasbro should call the lawyers

[@wikiuser92]

This was a really creepy episode.

[@JanetStarChild]

3:10 ...Batman:TAS is its own universe and not part of the greater DC universe (Superman, Justice League, Batman Beyond, etc..). What you were referring to is actually The New Batman Adventures, which _is_ part of the greater DC universe. Likewise, Mask of the Phantasm is part of B:TAS; not TNBA.

[@matsujonen]

Not going to mention that Hardack was voiced by the same person who played Puck on Gargoyles

[@mattgamer100]

Wish they would’ve made hardac a villain in the Batman games.

[@kaihedgie1747]

Sunrise did this episode? That's pretty neat