“Hero” begins with a motorcycle chase. Katana is trying to stop Anarky from escaping with some ill-gotten gain. While looking back over his shoulder at Katana, Anarky fails to see the Batmobile charging at him from the opposite direction. When he turns forward again, he crashes. However, he quickly reveals that he has not stolen anything, but rather he set them up to be captured by the SCU. Batman and Katana choose to let Anarky get away, in order to escape being apprehended themselves.
Following that ordeal, Harvey Dent is in his office watching a news report on Mayor Grange’s resignation. The news report states that, although he is the front runner for the special election, his poll numbers have been dropping, especially after the botched attempt to capture Batman. This angers Dent. While still brewing in his anger, Anarky appears stating his appreciation for accepting an alliance, but proposing they ramp up their efforts.
Later, Bruce Wayne and Dr. Ava Kirk are on a date in a fancy restaurant, watching a table across the restaurant. The other table is occupied by Tatsu Yamashiro and Dane Lisslow, whom Bruce has set up on a blind date. There is very little being said between the two of them. Suddenly, Lisslow gets a phone call from Harvey Dent and is forced to leave for work reasons. He escorts Tatsu out, and Bruce and Ava continue their date. Just as Bruce and Ava are getting settled into a more normal date, men wearing masks and carrying guns enter. They notice Bruce Wayne, and their plan shifts from theft to kidnapping. Before Bruce can snap into action, Deathstroke crashes through the window and takes down all of the men in short order.
The next day, Harvey Dent holds a press conference announcing that Deathstroke has been hired by the SCU to help protect Gotham. Back in the Batcave, Batman and Katana are worried about Deathstroke. Their attempts to research him have come up with nothing. Alfred states his intention to ask his contacts at MI-6 if they know anything about Deathstroke. In the meantime, Batman knows that they will not have to find Deathstroke, but that Deathstroke will come find them.
Batman’s words prove prophetic as Deathstroke soon interrupts their attempt to stop a smuggling deal. After they have subdued the smugglers, Deathstroke faces off with Batman and Katana. In the ensuing fight, Deathstroke injures Katana badly. Batman sneaks Katana into Dr. Kirk’s hospital, asking for her help. She agrees to do so secretively.
Upon leaving the hospital, Batman hears from Alfred about Deathstroke. His sources have told him that Deathstroke is no hero, but a mercenary. At this same time, Deathstroke is turning on Harvey Dent and Anarky.
There are two main problems with this episode. Firstly, while attempting to escape the SCU at the beginning of the episode, Katana takes out a GCPD helicopter. This seems too drastic of a response for the situation. Policemen could have died in that crash. It seems unlikely that Batman would let that just slide. Batman should have said something to Katana about how she went too far. Secondly, once Katana is injured, Batman takes her directly to Dr. Kirk. Why risk his identity like that? Normally, Alfred uses his experience and the equipment in the Batcave to tend to any wounds Batman and Katana receive. It is understandable that the injuries sustained by Katana may be too severe for Alfred to handle, but there is no scene depicting any discussion on that matter.
These issues, combined with the previously written about problems with this show’s depiction of Harvey Dent, cast a shadow on an otherwise solid episode. The brutality and unique fighting style of Deathstroke was portrayed well by both the writers and the animators. Furthermore, the story was well crafted with no holes or unnecessary filler. If the three relatively minor problems are ignored, this episode can be quite an enjoyable one.
[wp-review]
