the second half of 'Heart of Steel' hits the ground running; the machines are taking over, Batman's in danger, it's all bad. As opposed to the first half, the pacing on this is great, primarily because it moves from one fight scene to the next. But one of the great things about this is that it makes Barbara Gordon integral to the plot; not only is she the one who figures it all out, but she's also a strong female character. I'm pretty sure this episode was her series intro, and what an entrance. the other thing is that there's a good reason why the omnipotent supercomputer (and its Fox News anchor of a femme fatale) exists at all. Turns out Karl Rossum (William Sanderson) isn't really a bad guy after all. Good intentions and whatnot.
This conclusion relies on action more than the opener did, but the creepy vibe is consistent. Dark undertones, to say the least.
8/10