Disclaimer
This review is about the second volume of Batman the animated series and will be based on plot, characterization, emotional pull, episode quality, and creativity. It will not be based on how well or poor the original source material is, nor will it be based out of nostalgia or the previous or later volumes. This review the media in question stands alone and it will hopefully be judged in a professional and unbias manner. Thank you for reading.
WARNING possible spoilers WARNING
There are a few over arching plots, like the deal with Talia al Ghul that will be resolved in the next volume, and things like the ninja who wants revenge on Bruce Wayne. That being said, there aren't many plots that expand into more then a single episode. Also a few of the episodes get a little... weird and overly "creative" with their plots as well. The good episodes generally have well written plots, and even the bad ones aren't well written, they are just so weird that it doesn't feel like you are watching Batman anymore. For the most part though, the plots are pretty decent and well worth a look through even if they are somewhat formulaic and episode by episode.
Harley made friends with Ivy, Riddler was introduced as a sophisticated intelligent computer programmer, Hugo Strange was a hypnotherapist, and Catwoman is trying to turn over a new leaf. There is a great amount of characters including Clayface and the Joker, most of whom are portrayed really well in the series. There is some interesting developments for Clayface, Catwoman, and even Batman as well as Harley Quinn, though the other characters introduced and seen in this volume are pretty well done as well. There are a few moments, and I mean few, that characters aren't well done, like Batman nearly killing Clayface and then trying to save him afterwards, or Sid the Squid character who is just too silly. Still, most of this series has been well done in this aspect and this volume isn't an exception.
It is pretty tense when Alfred is turned into a tree, or when Batman is eaten by Clayface, and can be a bit touching when the woman Clayface loved thinks he is dead. There is plenty of humor here and there, and the action is pretty decent. Hard to take the show seriously when Batman is attacked by a freaking suitcase but I'll mention that in the next section. The emotional pull, action, tension, it is all pretty decent. The Hugo Strange episode had a conclusion that was glossed over, and the robot episode had some good Barbra Gordon moments in it too, so pretty decent time in this category. There was one point I felt bad for the Penguin even.
There are some episodes the animation is awesome, but for the most part, there are some animation issues here and there in some of the episodes, and the robot episode with Batman vs. the suitcase had some okay moments in it as well as some creepy moments that allowed me to remember what in my childhood caused Five Nights to be a fascinating and scary game, but the episode as a whole is a bit convoluted and incredibly silly. The rest of the episodes are okay in most details, but the animation certainly took a hit a few times and that one episode... it was mostly the laser suitcase too..... bleh. Also the "Sid the Squid" episode was mostly pointless as well, and the "Almost Got Him" episode was kind of interesting but served little purpose then being a quick episode.
The creativity is laid on a bit thick in some episodes as mentioned above, but it mostly isn't bad. There are some cool ideas around these episodes with some of the fight scenes like when Batman battled the ninja near lava, or the scenes with Vertigo. The settings are often pretty cool and ideas like everything the Riddler does, as well as many of the crazy antics of the villains particularly Joker. The creativity being a little thick is of course episodes I mentioned above, but those episodes in general were lacking anyway which is why I am not bringing them up here much.
Overall Batman the Animated Series Volume 2 is a pretty decent ride that you don't really have to know much about the first volume to enjoy. There are some good episode long plots and some, but few, over arching plots that are pretty well done as well. the characterization is fantastic, the emotional pull is pretty decent, and the creativity is well done, but some of the plots and some of the episodes are a little lacking, and animation quality can dip once in a while.
If you are a fan of Batman or just want to get into Batman then I recommend Volume 2, and if you liked Volume 1 then I highly recommend giving this a try as well. It is a pretty decent series that can get silly and corny once in a while, it is a kids show, but it isn't that bad. SO far through the entire series to this point the characterization is just fantastic and if you love great characters and don't mind a cartoon format from the same company who did Loony Tunes and Freakazoid but more serious, look no further. Also a note if you like Batman in the Justice League cartoon or just like the other DC cartoons from this animated universe, give this a try.