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Come and spend the holidays with Batman and the Red Tornado as they fight some knockoff toy villain… oh, and then pray next week is a new episode since at least one show (Star Wars : The Clone Wars) is going on a three week hiatus until the new year! Wow… Merry Christmas?

While it’s not the Christmas episode I would have wanted (i.e. whenever are they finally going to have a FEMALE team up) it’s still Christmas and Batman is up against not one, but two alsoran third rate villains. First off, if you really needed to get caught up with the new Blue Bettle post his adventure with Batman in Episode 1… well, here you go, they’re crashing the invasion of a Christmas time bowling tournament by a guy calling himself the Gamesmaster… and all his “sports” themed thugs. Weirdo. Oh, and why the update? Well it seems NOW Blue Beetle sentient armor can now speak to it’s wearer… in a language apparently only Blue boy can understand. Go figure.

Then next up it’s time to catch up to “higher education” and the archeological teaching styles of one robot person (Data he aint) who is aka The Red Tornado. After saving a pair of kids from almost being run over, The Red Tornado is introduced to the first time to the Spirit of Christmas… and like that Data reference he so wants to know everything there is about Christmas (which includes awkward robotic Christmas caroling). Soon enough the town is beseiged by robotic terrorizing “Secret Santas” (who are not so secret as they spread terror amongst the children—or at least try, chlldren are so jaded these days… sheesh lady! The new toy whatever villain said the Santas would terrorize the CHILDREN, not the easily freaked out adults!)

Speaking of things to freak out about, or not, you never see the Toy Man anymore… (that guy with the balding head of years ago)... and if DC has it’s way you never will see him again.

Maybe it’s just me, but going back years to one of the previous “re-incarnations” of Superman and that incident where the Toyman kidnapped that reporter Cat’s kid, and then off and murdered him viciously… yeah, in this new ultra sensitive era you are so never going to see characters like that ever again (any character with too much baggage that’ll never clear the censors are so never going to make appearances on TV or comics again I bet)... of course I could be wrong but I think not in this case.

Anyway it’s a Santa-riffic, evil toys gone wrong plan gone amok and it’s being taken care of by the Data Bot who so wants to know more about Christmas, and the grumpy old Wayne who knows everything about Christmas but isn’t into it because of his bad childhood memories… what!! Again!! Damn!! Is there any ONE Holiday Batman can celebrate that isn’t going to bring back bad childhood or teenage memories?!? Easter, Groundhog Day, Valentine’s Day (oh most definitely NOT), Boxer Day, Memorial Day, Veteran’s Day, May Day, St. Patrick’s Day, Thanksgiving, Flea Market Day, Yay Day, Song Day, Mushroom Hunting Day, the Day Crazy Redd comes to… oh, no, wait, those are Animal Crossing holidays. My bad. And wait… are they trying to rewrite Batman history or was his parents always killed on Christmas day (and I thought he was so up and up chipper after seeing The Mark of Zorro which is sometimes relabeled in certain versions like Batman Beyond canon as a Red Ghost movie (you know, the character voiced by Adam West). Anyway maybe pairing up the Tornaod who wants to save Christmas with the Bat who wants to not celebrate Christmas wasn’t a great idea but… oh, well. Bots will be busted, toys will TRANSFORM, Reindeer will fly, Secret Santas will be decapitated, Merry Christmas! 5 out of 5!

Now let’s hope you don’t have to wait for three fricking weeks for the next episode! That’s a damn long wait!!

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