As a critic, I find myself approaching episodes to analyze them as objectively as possible, occasionally taking the time to tack on superlatives. But I have to come forward: this is my favorite episode of the series. There is a variety of great themes at work, both satirical and emotional, traversing the boundaries of time and myth. It is a look not only into Batman’s past, but into the Batman mythos itself, and it culminate to a beautiful glimpse at the multi-faceted effects our heroes have on us.
Primarily it is a study of the appeal of action heroes on children. It not only serves to transport the viewer to a more innocent time, but it also argues the case, that the corny heroes we become attached to as children can make a significant impact on our lives. Beware the Gray Ghost argues this by showing how the Gray Ghost has encouraged Bruce’s heroism. There is a lot more to the straightforward revenge story we have come to understand about Bruce’s willingness to enter a life of crime fighting. Several children in Gotham must have undergone similar tragedies to Bruce’s and yet Bruce is the only one who seems to have turned to a life of heroism. What makes Bruce unique is that all throughout his childhood, he had a hero that he was genuinely attached to. That Bruce’s identification with the Gray Ghost is a parallel to our identification with Batman engages us all the more.
Expounding on this, childhood is also a special time for acquiring moral aspirations. There are obvious connections between the Gray Ghost and the sixties Adam West Batman cartoon, as is clear from the casting of Adam West as Simon Trent. Surely, the Gray Ghost television show was little more than a badly acted serial with a low budget and stories that consisted of nothing but action and adventure. But nonetheless, it was able to inspire young Bruce to become a hero, even after the absurdity of the series had no doubt become apparent to him. Something so artificial and cheaply made, but that conveys a message of heroism, can inspire and encourage and have a lasting effect on young children. When we are older we demand realism and grittiness from our heroes; when we are young we see past their fantastical attributes and value them for their essence.
All the while Simon Trent, the actor who played the Gray Ghost, is completely unaware that his character has inspired Batman and cares little for what impact the series had on the children who grew up with it. Rather, the role has left him miserable, typecast as the same character and unable to get a job. Before I could pinpoint the layers of meaning that reside within this episode, I found it laughable that an aged actor would don a costume to assist Batman in defeating the evil villain. But now I think otherwise. Trent decides comes to an understanding that Batman, for one reason or another, values the character of the Gray Ghost, and this realization tears down any notion of financial difficulty or world-weariness, allowing him to embrace the Gray Ghost’s moral essence. In doing so, he returns to his former glory. It serves as an archetypal story of redemption, shows that inspiration can work in more ways than one, and finally, conveys the message that heroic characters can, on occasion, transcend the shackles of being fictitious constructions.
But the episode has real-life commentary too, and it boasts satire at the expense of the cynical fans that overlook the heroic value of such characters and instead exploit their merchandise for selfish reasons. Bruce Timm’s character is a perfect embodiment of all those people who rely on the camp value of heroes to make money, all the while neglecting their inspirational value. This is what happens when we lose sight of our childhood and the formative influence of our myths, instead becoming jaded and self-obsessed. How refreshing it is to see an attack on the cynical in favor of the idealistic.
Come resolution, Bruce Wayne tells Simon Trent that the Gray Ghost was his hero, just as Batman had said it earlier on, but then adding, “and he still is.” This statement is the ultimate love letter to the Adam West Batman series, as the Batman of the ‘90s gives him his most loving compliment. Bruce confides in Trent his identity, the ultimate form of trust between Batman and his hero. And finally, the part that affects me the most, is Bruce’s admission that his childhood has never really gone away. Behind Batman’s cold, dark, troubled exterior, the Bruce Wayne of his childhood has remained with him his entire life.
Beware the Gray Ghost makes me feel better about my love of a cartoon series. It allows me to see value in the exploits of superheroes. And when my cynicism seems to dominate, it reminds me of my childhood, a time when the Batman of the sixties and the Batman of the nineties were one and the same.
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