It’s easy to dismiss the animated series’ follies as due to being merely “a cartoon” and not intended to keep with the continuity of the comics. This is the most common defense used to excuse this sort of thing, and in most cases it holds up. We’ve already discussed the liberties taken with Brother Blood and Trigon the Terrible, and admittedly it is even a wonder that these two characters are even in the series at all. Yet these examples are understandable rewrites, and the themes of the source material are ultimately kept intact even while they are being reworked.

Another argument is that half of the fun is seeing how they will work aspects of the comics into the animated series, creating an entirely new continuity while referencing the old all the while. This argument is exactly why both Blood and Trigon work in their animated forms. We understand the need and we see enough of what was originally there to begin with. Fans of only the animated series get some insight to these characters while comic fanboys get the duel joys of picking out the references and subtle derisions from the comic continuity. It’s fun, until a character is reworked for no apparent reason.

With all of this in mind, let’s move on the “Cyborg the Barbarian.” The episode is well intended and even begins with a joke so amusing that it can’t help but be mentioned here. We knew that Cy would end up time warping back to 3000 B.C., we just didn’t know how, and that is were the “funny” gets turned on. Basically, Cy has retrofitted the tower with a super-deluxe-turbo home theater system to maximize fun and relaxation. As if their wall sized television screen wasn’t enough. Cy’s enthusiasm is matched by Robin’s irritation that all of this equipment does nothing to enhance their crime fighting capabilities.

Once again, a massive difference in leadership style that could have been interestingly explored in a “Titans East / Titans West” series. Oh well.

Just as Cy is about to flip the switch on what looks like a supercharged equalizer (does this even make sense?)... Zap! He disappears right before the rest of the team's very eyes. Yes Beast Boy, we know you weren’t at fault.

Back in 3000 B.C., Cyborg encounters the usual time traveling devices explored in countless other time travel adventures found in film, television, comic, or heck, even radio for that matter. Cy is essentially a character who relies on the technologies from the future to survive. The irony that he is now trapped in a primitive culture is funny, but it is hardly undiscovered country. He is almost immediately mistaken as a foe until he proves himself, and then he ultimately must take on the sworn enemies of his newfound friends in order to find his way back to his own time.

In last week’s review I previewed this episode by calling attention to the similarities from Army of Darkness, and it is apparent that these similarities are an intended homage. Substitute the wise-cracking Cyborg for the smack-talking Ash, his arm for the “boomstick,” and Cy’s love interest Sarasim for Ash’s love interest Sheila, and you are pretty much par for the course.

It’s a funny setup, and the homage is admirable for fans of Raimi’s roots, but one wrong turn spoils the thing. That wrong turn, in a word, comes in the form of Sarasim, voiced by Kimberly Brooks. Don’t get me wrong, the developments between Cyborg and Sarasim were necessary and even touching in some ways, but they just never gelled the way they should have. Cy is one of those characters that is half-business and half-pleasure. He loves to kick back, have fun, prank around with the likes of Beast Boy, and suck down a pizza or two, but there is another side to Cyborg that exists in times of crisis, just below the surface. This is the half-business side, and basically consists of Cyborg owning up to responsibility and taking leadership when needed. We saw this in “Titans East,” and comic fans enjoy this side of Cyborg in Johns’ current run of the series.

So for him to be given an opportunity for a relationship to form with another character is a vital aspect of his character. It helped shape him in the comic way back in the Lopez / Wolfman run when he befriended Sarah Simms, a social worker whose primary focus was handicapped children with prosthesis.

Sarah Simms. Sarasim.

See the conundrum? Why even call this character Sarasim? Sure, in the end Sarah Simms and Vic Stone never fully explored a relationship together, but Vic’s involvement with her and the kids she cared for seemed to help shape Vic in many ways. Not only did it fill a void for the character, but it gave him definition. The series has touched on this aspect before without mentioning Sarah, but somehow it just feels wrong to rework her into a warrior from 3000 B.C. even if the level of depth remained merely at consistent flirtations between them.

Ultimately, Cyborg manages to address the immediate issue of his waning power supply with the use of hydroelectricity, and then manages to confront Sarasim’s nemesis, Krall, voiced by Michael Clark Duncan. Before defeating Krall, Cyborg is sent hurtling through a portal back into the present where everything pretty much wraps up as expected.

This episode would have been fine had Sarasim’s name not recalled her comic incarnation. Likely, to some, this will seem like a petty complaint, but it simply killed the hope of a “Sarah Simm” like development for Cyborg in the present. That, simply put, is disappointing.

Next Week: Beast Boy wants a moped so he gets a job. Too funny, right? We’ll see next week in “Employee of the Week!” See you then!

Mario Anima