Batman: The Brave and the Bold

Being the pilot episode, it was kind of odd to see Batman in a not so "dark" personality that we're all familiar with. However, the animation and action is good, but the cinematography doesn't match that of The Batman. While there really is no detective work or interesting plot twists like TAS, it holds its own. Overall, it is a kids show that has to rival shows like Ben 10 for ratings being that it comes on right before. I've never seen Ben 10, but I think this show has potential as some of us JLU fans enjoy seeing the partner ups.

When I first heard about the concept for this series, I was skeptical. "Batman teaming up with anyone...but Robin." "Batman operating anywhere in the world...but Gotham City." No Commissioner Gordon, no Alfred the Butler. It didn't sound like it would work. Then I saw some of the character designs, and their retro look got me hooked. Watching this first episode of the series with my six year old son, we both fell in love with it. This episode features two team-ups. The first is with the archer superhero Green Arrow. Batman and Green Arrow have to work together to escape the Clock King's trap. Their banter is funny, and I was surprised at how much I liked it, even though the Clock King was a little over the top. All that happens before the opening credits--after that, it's an outer space story that teams up Batman with the new Blue Beetle--a Latino superhero from El Paso. Blue Beetle has alien technology built into his armor, but is a novice using it. He's a total fanboy, excited to be working side-by-side with Batman. Their mission is to help a race of little globby aliens win their freedom from Kanjar Ro, a classic Justice League Villain. Ro was the weakest part of this episode, with hammy villainy with no real intelligence or direction. There is some cartoony violence here, but nothing as dark or scary as other Batman cartoons of the last twenty years. I'm comfortable watching this with my kids, and I'm pretty picky about what I let them watch.



The story is good, and the animation, while retro in design, is good enough for the story. The voice acting from Diedrich Bader, Will Friedle and others is good, although I do wish they had gotten a Latino voice actor to play Blue Beetle. We'll be watching more of this series, and I hope it stays up to these standards--or better.

What is the definitive form of Batman? The '60s, '70s, and '80s Batman cartoons and live-action gigs showed a light-hearted Batman that we came to love for years...until the '89 Batman movie and the even better Batman: The Animated Series cartoon. This showed a darker time where Batman was a sociopath who faced the death of both his parents everytime he put on the suit and flew into the night as the Caped Crusader. They not only garnered millions of more fans and made a whole new breed of comics and Bat-shows, the movies that piled up (well, at least starting from Batman Begins) transcended the character into new heights. Now, Batman is the dark, gloomy superhero with the world similar to his alter ego that is permanently glued to our hearts and minds. Here's where CartoonNetwork's Batman: The Brave and the Bold takes a giant leap back into the past of silver aged adventures. The opening sequence shows a prime example of that. Batman and the Green Arrow are caught in a diabolical trap against the Clock King, and the comical stretches of imagination, from the idea of a "death trap" to Batman wielding a saber, prove that this Batman cartoon isn't TAS in one bit. The introduction of the Blue Beetle as a teen with a fanboy outlook on Batman is okay. Batman calls him up to stop a meteor from hitting Earth, a sign that old Bats thinks long and hard for good reason why he chooses the Blue Beetle of all people. The transformation of human to creature and the wormhole that brings both Bats and Bluey into a whole new galaxy sounds nothing like the dark and glooming atmosphere found in the Batman cartoons of 16 years ago. In this planet, both our heroes encounter an alien race in need of help due to the rise of Kanjar Ro, and they find the Blue Beetle (who served them and earned their loyalty years ago) as a god and their savior. Since the man behind the blue ora is just a kid, Batman gives him much needed advice along the way that encourages the aliens to stop Kanjar Ro. This is where B:TBatB adds great humor and teamwork lessons into the fold. Batman kneeling under the presence of the Blue Beetle is shocking to me, yet is irresistibly funny. The Blue Bettle's prep rallies are charming and will attract kids more to his character. The many lessons learned throughout the ups and downs of this journey will generally entertain both spectrums of viewers-kids and adults. While I found Batman's liking to having partners sort of strange even for this type of Batman cartoon, and a couple of action scenes and animation designs uninspired and ugly, Overall, I enjoyed the hell out of what I was watching, and for good reason. The action is mostly fast-paced and also very comic-infused, and the many voice talents are perfect. Will Friedle as Blue Beetle? You bet'cha. Diedrich Bader's voice-over for Batman is very refreshing in many ways. Imagine what happens when Adam West and Kevin Conry fused voices. Then have it delivered tailor-made for this cartoon. It's so perfect that even Batman's serious and observant attitude mixed with a slight sense of humor and staggering amounts of narration are blended masterfully. This is the definitive silver-aged Batman. I grew up watching the whole spectrum of Batman cartoons in the '90s and early '00s, and I found it to be the Batman that I will always find the best of the bunch, and I still do. That doesn't mean that I wasn't hungry for more of Batman:The Brave and the Bold. This coat of fresh air is very welcome, from the hilarious dialogue and sparky action scenes to the great voice-over work and excellent tone. Kids-and adults-will absolutely become glued to this show for many reasons, even if they liked it better when the skies were red, the setting was Gotham City, and Batman was the sociopath that won everyone's hearts. Adults be brave to stumble upon this adventure, and kids be bold when it airs.

This new series is very different from previous Batman animated shows, but that's not a bad thing really. It's a fresh new take, and after seeing the pilot, it works. I do realize that the heavy emphasis on high-energy, light fun WILL turn off several hardcore fans. Others will love the whole retro look of the show. The animation is superb, with excellent action scenes. It is always nice to see punches connect with the villains. Hey, not every superhero show have these moments. Since there aren't many dark elements here, it will probably attract some new young fans. But not all kids will dig this series. The reason being that there's a complete lack of the well-known popular villains like Joker, Penguin, Riddler and Catwoman. The producers said that Joker won't appear, still his name can be found in the opening intro, which is pretty awful BTW. So who knows, maybe they had a change of heart? We can only hope I guess.



The episode opens with a funny sequence featuring Batman, Green Arrow and the Clock King. I love the names of his goons, TICK and TOCK, that got a laugh. And overall it's pretty funny, despite a somewhat nasty torture sequence later on in the episode. The comedy ties in well with the action. So...Kanjar-Ro, never been a big fan of him. But he was awesome in the episode. Blue Beetle wasn't as annoying as I thought he would be after seeing the previews. In fact, he was good.



There's so much to talk about, but I guess that's what the forums are for. So I'll just say that this is a really good start for the new Batman series. It will be loved, it will be hated. And it will be around for a while. But I still doubt it'll have more than 2 seasons. Now, if the rest of the episodes are as good as this one, then I hope I'm wrong.