Batman: Ace of Detectives 1-10

Batman:  Ace of Detectives 1-10 by Pendant Audio Productions

I have made a commitment to listen to more contemporary, non-BBC-produced audio drama, and it seemed easiest to start with something familiar.  Luckily for me, Pendant Audio has been producing fan serials (each between 10-20 mins; because there are no radio slots to worry about) since 2006 which merge the worlds of Batman:  The Animated Series and the comic book universe.  Listening to the first one, I admit I was slightly apprehensive, but I am happy to report that these are truly ambitious audio serials that restore my faith in audio theatre in the Noughties and beyond.  Are they as polished as a BBC production?  Of course not.  To quote from the website, “This fan work, like thousands on the internet today, was produced by fans of the character. It is provided free of charge and is NOT made for profit. No copyright infringement is intended.”  Ergo, I think all the actors, writers, composers, directors, etc, are working for free.  I have great respect for this, and even though it’s a fan production rather than original writing, idea-wise, it’s certainly on par with any BBC adaptation of a “classic” by Mike Walker et al.  Also, it’s obvious that Ace of Detectives will only get better with time; I’m starting at the beginning necessarily, but those episodes are 6 years old.  

First Sertan Saral, and then Peter Milan, are the writers/directors of Ace of Detectives.  BBC writers (except perhaps those for The Archers, though I think the days of their hack-servitude ended in the ‘70s) don’t have this kind of punishing schedule:  1 episode per week written, directed, and presumably edited by the same person.  In that sense, it’s fairly impressive—it gives events a certain unity while following a single storyline (though problems occur when a fair bit of filler creeps in; read on).  I have no idea who provides the music.  The theme, for one, sounds like it’s by Danny Elfman. I really don’t know.  However, in general it’s quite good and has been mixed into the scenes with finesse.  

Actually, scenes are the zenith of AoD’s production.  With some very simple sound effects, we instantly know when we’re in the Batcave (dripping noises), a restaurant at dinnertime (piano lounge music), on a street (honking cars and city noises), etc.  I can’t fault the acoustics and echo effects for various scenes, which see characters in the sewers, among other things (though when Tim and Gordon go to Catwoman’s house, I really couldn’t understand what was going on).  Transitions between scenes are also impressive; they neither linger nor do they draw attention to themselves.  

The opening of episode one, however, is extremely confusing (“Tim is helping Alfred to take care of some Superman defective clone”?!?).  The story arc for the first ten episodes revolves around the Riddler, his attempt to turn good for an Arkham psychiatrist named Misty, and how the Joker and Harley Quinn foul all that up.  Also, Batman has issues with Catwoman, and Commissioner Gordon has to be coaxed out of retirement.  Let me say that Seth Adam Sher as Batman is very good.  He has definitely based his Batman voice on Kevin Conroy from Batman:  The Animated Series, arguably one of the best Batmen of them all.  But he can also do the dry humor, as in the first episode, when he remarks, “Alfred, please fire Tim.” 

 

I’m undecided on Scott Vinnacombe as Tim Drake/Robin.  He’s surely been selected for his youthful tones, and it’s true that Robin has one of the most humorous roles in the serial so far.  “Breaking and entering, at your age?” asks Gordon in episode 8.  “It’s for the good of the city.”  (“Nice entrance,” murmurs Tim in appreciation when Catwoman finds them at her hideout.)  Yet, I think here is one actor who could benefit from a face-to-face recording and rehearsal style as is common practice at the BBC (I assume, because of pure logistics, AoD is recorded in different locations and mixed at the editing stage).  His “aw gee” style of Robin, while a legitimate interpretation, feels a bit subdued compared to the rest of the performances.  Time will tell.  Similarly, I’d better be careful what I say about Peter Milan as Gordon, given he is the director and writer!  To be honest, vocally he sounds much too young to be Gordon, especially since at the start of the story, Gordon (presumably after the events of The Killing Joke) has retired.  

I’m similarly unsure about Laura Post as Selina Kyle/Catwoman.  She’s one of the strongest actors in the serial, but her voice doesn’t really fit my conception of Catwoman.  She’s very sultry and vamp-voiced and definitely one of the best-written characters (presumably why she got her own serial, Catwoman:  Queen of Thieves).  I think perhaps she’ll grow on me.  Plain miscasting, in my opinion, is the culprit in the case of Micheal McCaskill as Edward Nigma/The Riddler.  He just doesn’t fit the way I think Riddler should sound; he sounds too normal!  Tom Stitzer is obviously not British, but he is pretty good as Alfred, who again has a very strong role in this serial.  I’m sorry, but M Sieiro Garcia as Renée Montoya just does not work for me.  At this juncture, her audio acting is timed way too slooooow.  Perhaps she improves.  

That said, Adam Bell is a gem as the Joker.  Certainly he’s following the Mark Hamill school, but he does so with great range and a good understanding of the audio medium.  To be honest, it’s a great relief that Pendant’s Batman and Joker are so good, because in this run of stories at least, they keep the story buoyant.  Robin Carlisle was also quite good as Harley Quinn, which of course pleased me.  Finally, Ara Pelodi as Misty, the psychiatrist, was adequate but I’m not sure audio’s her medium.  

Storywise, what can I say?  Serials are difficult, no matter what the length, but this certainly kept me interested, and I will of course keep listening—hopefully eventually I’ll get up to speed with the current releases.  I do think this embraces the style of several different “universes” of Batman, which in my book is a good thing.  In terms of using the audio medium, in general I think it’s quite accomplished.  For example, there is use of a speakerphone and a mic relay between Batman and Alfred; good techniques for storytelling that no doubt were inspired by cinematic conventions. 

***

I’ve tried a bit of their The Dixie Stenberg and the Brassy Battalion Adventure Theatre, one of their homage to OTR original stories, but I wasn’t quite as impressed.