All of that changed with "Chill of the Night", as writer Paul Dini tore off the show's carefree veneer to expose the Batman property's more complex, disturbing underbelly. That Dini not only managed to deliver the most thrilling and powerful installment of the series to date, but also did so without completely undermining the series' established tone, is a testament to his prowess as a writer, his firm handle on the Batman character, and just how much this show has grown since its debut.
In many ways "Chill of the Night" felt more like an episode of Batman: The Animated Series than an episode of Brave and the Bold, and that's not only due to the involvement of Dini, who along with Bruce Timm masterminded that groundbreaking 1990's series. Kevin Conroy, voice of The Animated Series' titular hero, also made his presence felt as the voice of the Phantom Stranger, as did Richard Moll, who lent his voice to Two-Face in the previous show and here starred as Lou Moxon, the man who hired Joe Chill to kill Thomas and Martha Wayne. Not only that, but the episode was bathed in deep shadows more than this series typically is, and even featured a few images and sequences that paid obvious homage to the visual style of Dini and Timm's celebrated show. Throw in the voice of Adam West as Thomas Wayne (and even an "old chum" reference), and the result was an episode that felt in some small way like a celebration of the 1960's live-action show as well.
The episode was a surprisingly faithful adaptation of Len Wein and Jim Aparo's renowned Untold Legend of the Dark Knight comic miniseries, which revealed new secrets and layers to Batman's origins, most notably in its revelation of the true reasons behind the Waynes' murders. This episode ran with that premise, but added a new wrinkle to the fold by having the Phantom Stranger and the Spectre play a game of moral tug-of-war with Batman as their rope. Adding such a high concept, cosmic scale to this intimate story went a long way towards making sure it stayed true to this series' grandiose tradition. More importantly, it allowed the series' lighthearted version of the character to go through this harrowing journey without coming out the other end as the tortured, more cynical version of the character found in the comics. Again, that the episode managed to go this dark route without sacrificing its established tone was its most impressive feat.
As a Batman fan, it's easy to call this the series' best, most rewarding and entertaining episode yet. Some fans might rue the way the episode so consciously shed the series' goofy, jovial skin to dive into Batman's tragic essence, but I think that'd be ignoring the fact that the series has often veered off in surprising directions in an effort to pay tribute to a certain aspect of the Batman mythos. Whether or not you prefer a more lighthearted Batman or a more tortured version, it's hard to argue that "Chill of the Night" pays tribute to the most important facet of the character's mythology, his origin, and does it rather flawlessly. Bravo.
