Source: crisisoninfinitethoughts.wordpress.com

37. Chill of the Night!

Guest Stars – Teaser: Zatanna; Episode: The Spectre, Phantom Stranger

Well, then. It’s the widely agreed upon best episode of the series. I don’t know if it’s my favorite, but it’s really damned good. In the episode, The Spectre, Agent of Vengeance and the Phantom Stranger decide to make a little wager on whether Batman can be pushed to murder. As such, they put him on the trail of Joe Chill, the man who killed his parents.

This episode is not only dark and dour and serious as a heart attack, it’s also a love letter to Batman history. Thomas and Martha Wayne are played by Adam West and Julie Newmar, Lew Moxon is Two-Face actor Richard Moll, and the Spectre and Phantom Stranger are Mark Hamill (The Joker) and Kevin Conroy (Batman). Also, The Spectre is so SO good as God’s wrath. In addition, the climax of the episode is one of the most emotional moments of the entire series, and it uses Brave and the Bold’s formula and tropes with emotional impact.

Verdict: Perfection.