"The Rubberface of Comedy" is the twelfth episode of the first season of The Batman. It is the the first of a two-part story.
Plot
On the rampage with his newly created substance-altering “Joker Putty,” the Joker is out to remake artifacts and landmarks in his image. With his new "putty" he's able to melt and alter the texture of any surface, to warp it in his own vision like silly putty. Both the police and the Batman are hot on his tail. Meanwhile, Chief Rojas demands both the Joker and The Batman be brought to justice under his "Zero-Tolerance" policy against all criminals and freaks. When Officer Ethan Bennett suggests they work with the Batman, Rojas reprimands him for the idea and demands he choose sides.
During the excitement, Bruce decides to let best friend in on his secret identity, to gain a new ally in his fight against Gotham City’s underworld.
This eventually leads to a dramatic showdown between the Joker, in a showdown “fun house” no less, the Batman, and Officer Bennett and Officer Ellen Yin. During the struggle, Bennett inhales fumes from a broken canister of “Joker Putty,” instantly having an ill effect on the cop. In short, the Joker is captured, the Batman disappears, and Bennett is suspended for crediting Batman with The Joker’s capture, and failing to apprehend the Dark Knight.
Later that evening at Bennett’s apartment, he is still feeling ill from gas inhalation earlier in the day. After receiving a phone call from Bruce Wayne, aka The Batman, to meet tomorrow to discuss some important matters, we see him stumble towards the bathroom. He peers in the mirror, looking sickly. He rubs his face and is shocked to discover… his skin begins to melt.
Voice Cast and Characters
- Rino Romano as The Batman
- Alastair Duncan as Alfred
- Steve Harris as Detective Ethan Bennett / Clayface
- Ming-Na as Detective Ellen Yin
- Kevin Michael Richardson as Joker
- Jesse Corti as Chief Rojas
Uncredited appearances
- Punch and Judy
- Bane (shown in a photo)
- Penguin (Shown in a photo)
- Mr. Freeze (shown in a photo)
Trivia
- The episode shares plotline similarities to Batman: The Killing Joke. Most notably, Joker, in both stories, captures a close friend to Batman and attempts to drive them insane, simply to prove that only "one bad day" can break anyone's sanity.
- This episode marks the first two-episode story-arc in The Batman.
External links
- "The Rubberface of Comedy" at IMDb