Batman’s had a lot of different animated incarnations over the past 30-years, and while Batman: The Animated Series and Justice League are certainly iconic, one should not overlook Batman: The Brave & the Bold. Is it a bit campy? Yeah, but that’s what makes it so utterly charming. Follow along as we go through the all 3 seasons and experience a Batman that can be loved by all. Plus, feel free to comment down below and make this as interactive as possible, because Batman: The Brave & the Bold is first and foremost, fun. And now… “When OMAC Attacks!” & “The Fate of Equinox!”
1. The Cold Open
We got a couple of decent teasers with these two episodes. Our first interaction was with Hawk and Dove, which outside of a completely ridiculous Batman Space Shuttle, I was fairly indifferent to. I’m not a big Hawk and Dove fan, so I’m not sure how true that rendition was in regards to the bickering duo, but they seemed perfectly fine. The second teaser featured Two-Face, and an excellent rendition of his split personality. It was cool to see him flip back and forth based on the flip of his coin. It was even cooler though to see Batman, for all intents and purposes, sucker punch him. It’s a nice reminder that Batman is not afraid to cross the line a bit to get the job done (But not in a BvS sort of way, which was complete trite.)
2. Spotlight on the Team-Up
There were two premier team-ups in these episodes, and while some people like OMAC… I kinda think it’s a douche character. So let’s focus on the better of the two, Doctor Fate. Considering how wide ranging The Brave & the Bold has been, it’s kinda surprising that there haven’t been more mystical team-ups. The writers doubled down on the this episode though, not only bringing Fate in, but also the Lords of Chaos and Order. It was cool to see a deep cut into the DC celestial pantheon. Plus, I love that any representation of Fate’s power comes across in the same cross shape. Doctor Fate may not be remembered as much as his Marvel counterpart, Dr. Strange; but Fate is the original with over seventy years of backstory. If DC really wants to dip there toes into the mystical realm throughout other media, Doctor Fate is a necessity.
3. Things you wouldn’t think Batman could do
This one is super easy and it came within the first few seconds of the “When OMAC Attacks!” episode. It’s the Batman Space Shuttle. I’m not saying Batman doesn’t have a wide, wide range of fancy toys, but a space shuttle? I haven’t finished seeing Seasons 2 or 3, but I hope there’s a Batman Submarine, and a Batman Underground Driller somewhere in the Batcave. That way we can go underwater, underground, and in space all in our signature Bat-style. To boldly go where no Batman has gone before…
4. And the Bad Guy is…?
Our premier bad guy for these two episodes was Equinox, as he served as the prime antagonist in both. One of the few characters designed specifically for Batman: The Brave & the Bold, Equinox can stand toe to toe with Batman, yet what makes him an intriguing character is his obsession with balance. At no time is this more evident than when he rescues and then heals Batman from the radiation inside the nuclear power plant they were in. He’s definitely interesting and that character flaw can be something the writers can play with during his next appearance.
5. Give me the Bat-Humor
We had a bit of comedy relief with Buddy Blank, and even with Two-Face, but the best interaction of the episode’s came with Dr. Fate. In a very Laurel and Hardy type of exchange, the duo continue to assume their equipment/lair/style trumps the others. The “The Fate of Equinox!” episode was a bit heavy in general, and this quick 15-second aside really helped to lighten up the whole.
That’s it for now, see you next week on our final installment! With summer coming to a close we have the final two episodes from Season One of Batman: The Brave & the Bold. Who will join Batman this time? Non other than Black Canary, Aquaman, Green Arrow and The Outsiders!
