"Batman Sets the Pace" finds the Dynamic Duo actually escaping their gaseous demise in believable fashion, climbing back to back up and out of the chimney without any gimmicks. It's only a matter of time before the Clown Price of Crime demands a ransom for the safe return of the Maharajah of Nimpa (Dan Seymour), and amazingly the Maharajah himself agrees to pay his own ransom! It's a sad day for Batman when he's required to endorse a ransom check written out by the now freed Maharajah, who needs to be corrected in the spelling of Batman's name: "one T!" Despite his pleas not to give in to the Joker's demands, the Maharajah incredibly talks about what an 'honorable bandit' his captor was, unaware that the Caped Crusader has his own ace in the hole that will trump Joker's. The final scene has Commissioner Gordon inquiring about Batman being asked to go to California and run for Governor, which precludes similar questions in "Dizzoner the Penguin." The infectious sense of fun makes this one of the most enjoyable two parters the series produced, and quite a fitting climax to three excellent adventures for Cesar Romero during the abbreviated first season. It's a pity that the collaboration between Francis and Marian Cockrell would extend to only one other two parter, Van Johnson's Minstrel (also involving banking and finance).