The Good, The Bad And The Classics - The Movie Review Podcast · The Good, The Bad And The Classics Podcast

Batman The Dark Knight Returns Part 2 (2013)

July 29, 2025·1 hr 30 min·5 clips

Joker kills Walper live, gasses the studio, and Batman later leaves him permanently disabled.

1. The Good, The Bad and The Classics reviews Batman The Dark Knight Returns Part 2, a 2013 animated film about Batman, Joker, and Superman. 2. The episode features the hosts John and Neil, plus Elle, and their Batman-focused reactions matter because they compare the film to part one and to Batman v Superman. 3. The episode asks whether this sequel is good, bad, or classic, while testing whether the story works as a Joker film, a Superman film, or a Batman showdown. 4. The hosts say they expected a bigger Joker story after part one, but the film shifts toward Superman and a government conflict. 5. They note that Superman works as a presidential operative for Ronald Reagan and that this makes him feel like a weapon rather than a free agent. 6. John says Superman should act for the world, not for a country, and he connects that criticism to the phrase “I was only following orders.” 7. The discussion points to Oliver, the one-armed former Green Arrow figure, as evidence that Superman’s violence has consequences beyond Batman. 8. Elle and the hosts compare Batman’s armored suit and the film’s final fight imagery to Batman v Superman, which they believe drew heavily from this story. 9. The group also debates whether Commissioner Yendall is right to issue a warrant for Batman, with John arguing that Batman does not kill and still helps the city. 10. They contrast Yendall’s legalism with Commissioner Gordon’s earlier distrust and say she is missing the practical value Batman brings to Gotham. 11. The hosts spend time on the Sons of Batman, calling them easily influenced and comparing them to modern “influencers.” 12. They describe Joker’s fake remorse in Arkham as obvious manipulation and say the doctor who believes him is an idiot. 13. The mind-control lipstick becomes a major talking point because the hosts say Joker could have used intimidation without such a convoluted device. 14. They also criticize the congressman’s nuclear-strike speech as implausible and argue that the story could have removed that subplot entirely. 15. The show spends time on the studio attack, where Joker kills Walper after being blamed for Batman’s psychology and then gases the studio audience. 16. The hosts also discuss the brutal rooftop and fairground material, including Carrie’s role, Batman’s disguise work, and the police shooting to kill him. 17. The episode’s tone is conversational and argumentative, with the hosts frequently interrupting each other to compare comic-book logic with the film’s choices. 18. The format is a scene-by-scene review with plot recap, character debate, and recurring references to other Batman and Superman stories. 19. Listeners who like Batman lore, Superman debates, and animated DC adaptations. 20. Listeners who want a spoiler-free, plot-light review.

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