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Series: Batman: The Animated Series (1992)
Episode: “Beware The Grey Ghost” (Season 1, Episode 18)
Original Air Date: November 4, 1992

The Grey Ghost (Adam West) meets The Batman (Kevin Conroy)

“Beware The Grey Ghost” (Episode #18) is featured on Volume One of Batman: The Animated Series (DC Comics Classic Collection) (1992) DVD.

After a series of unexplained yet blatant acts of arson, The Dark Knight awakes with memories of a television program that “he and his father” would stay up and watch during his youth—The Grey Ghost.

The following morning as Bruce Wayne, The Batman investigates this lead and enlists the assistance of a reluctant Simon Trent—who was the fictional actor that played The Grey Ghost (voiced by Adam West). With Trent’s help, The Batman discovers that an episode of The Grey Ghost (entitled “The Mad Bomber”) bore uncanny similarities to the Gotham City arsonist.

From there, the clues begin to fall into place and lead the duo of Batman and Trent (now clad in his Grey Ghost costume) straight to their adversary (voiced by Batman: The Animated Series creator Bruce Timm), whom they eventually bring to justice.

This is one episode of Batman: The Animated Series that I can never get tired of watching as it not only gives fans a glimpse of Bruce Wayne’s childhood, but also reveals a more human side to The Dark Knight.

Yes. Even The Batman had his idols.

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“Madness is like gravity. All you need is a little push.” – The Joker (Heath Ledger)

Who is Harvey Dent?

District Attorney Harvey Dent is famously known as Gotham City's White Knight

A newly appointed public servant. Gotham City’s new District Attorney. And who can forget, the scourge of the underworld (with a good right cross)—Gotham City’s “White Knight.”

But there is more.

After watching Christopher Nolan’s second take on the Batman film franchise, the Dent topic made its rounds at the dinner table.

Who is Harvey Dent?

“Easy enough.” I said to myself, before addressing everyone at our current square-table discussion.

“Dent’s (Aaron Eckhart) love for the law is unparalleled in a world (Gotham) that reeks of corruption from every level. He is Gotham City’s “White Knight”—a public symbol of hope to the oppressed. But all that changed with the loss of his significant other (Rachel Dawes portrayed by actress Maggie Gyllenhaal) as well as his facial disfigurement.”

I then added, “From that point on, Dent’s sense of justice was skewed. He was also unable to reach even the most basic of decisions without consulting his father’s lucky coin as Dent believed, “chance is the only true justice, because it is fair.””

I believe in Harvey Dent! Bah! Politics!

Then my aunt offered another perspective.

“Hubris” she said.

Hubris is the ancient Greek term used “to indicate overweening pride, self-confidence, superciliousness, or arrogance, often resulting in fatal retribution.”

My aunt then continued, “The downfall of Harvey Dent was because he believed too much in his own press release. Much like the fallen angel, Lucifer, in Judaism and Christian belief—Dent felt that he could do it all by himself. That he didn’t need anyone’s help.”

My aunt was right; Dent was solely responsible in persecuting Salvatore Vincent “Sal” Maroni (Eric Roberts) and his mid-to-low level cohorts. He was also repeatedly warned by Gotham City Mayor Anthony Garcia (Nestor Carbonell) that because of his recent exploits, those on the wrong side of the law would stop at nothing to smear his good name. In response, Dent seemingly brushed the Mayor’s warnings aside and said that he was up to the task.

This was one movie that certainly didn't need a viral marketing campaign

We all know how that turned out.

In the end, the portraits of Dent overlooking Commissioner James “Jim” Gordon (Gary Oldman) give viewers and idea as to his fate.

Harvey Dent’s reputation remains intact and in his death, he serves as Gotham’s enduring symbol against tyranny.

Thanks to the sacrifices of his friends.

My aunt was right.

No man can be an island…even if they really wanted to.

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