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… “Menace of the Conqueror Caveman!” & “The Color of Revenge!”
1. The Cold Open
The first episode this week featured a really solid teaser starring WildCat and Bane. This was our first time seeing Bane within the Brave & the Bold universe, and he is more akin to a DC version of The Hulk than his typical comic persona. That being said, he was definitely pretty cool. This is a ridiculous universe, so having a Bane that can grow to three or four times the size of his regular self works flawlessly. WildCat though, while not as “old-man obnoxious” as compared to his first appearance, remains one of the more forgettable team-up characters. It’s not so bad that he crashes the teaser, but it’s definitely an uphill battle for me as soon as I see him on screen. Maybe it’s his ridiculous old-timey accent.
2. Spotlight on the Team-Up
I feel like I’m going to short change how wonderful Booster Gold was by not mentioning him here, but you can’t overlook the first appearance of Robin in the series. Plus, not only do we get a young, 60’s era Robin; we get a grizzled, mature, Nightwing, Robin as well. Robin was good. No doubt about it. Plus, the episode was ridiculous, but in a very earnest way, playing off the 60’s motif nicely. Robin, unfortunately, is an angst ridden character as he matures. That type of theme just doesn’t flow as well within the world of The Brave & the Bold.
3. Things you wouldn’t think Batman could do
Apparently, Batman doesn’t age… At least in relation to Robin. We see Batman at the beginning of “The Color of Revenge!” with a very young, juvenile looking Robin. Then years later Robin has matured and is now his own crime fighter, while Batman… looks exactly the same. I don’t mind. It keeps the same lax attitude that the entire series has carried. Before you go and critique this though, remember that the comic’s version of Batman has an age range that can be called “fluid” at best.
4. And the Bad Guy is…?
It’s incredible that we could have two really solid episodes and have such blah bad guys. Kru’ll The Eternal wasn’t bad. He was just a little empty. At least they gave him enough of a backstory that you almost felt sympathetic to his plan. It’s incredible what a 10-second look into someones past will do to flesh out a character. Crazy Quilt though! Wow, what a nothing antagonist. Now, the purpose of this episode is to focus on Robin, so having a bad guy who doesn’t detract from Robin is a sure bonus. Plus, Crazy Quilt did work well in the teaser opening set in the past. He’s just so ridiculous!
5. Give me the Bat-Humor
While he isn’t on the ridiculousness par with Aquaman, Booster Gold was pure magic. There are some legit funny moments in his episode. Not cute, quirky, or amusing. Funny. I want more of Booster Gold and Skeets. DC wants their answer to Deadpool? It’s this guy. Stop pitching me the same tired tripe DC! People don’t want your moody movies or your bargain bin Avengers. Your great stories have already been fitted to the small screen, just give the fans what they want. What I want is more Booster Gold… Okay, end of rant. I’m just saying that if they’re really going to make a New Gods movie they better not f*ck it up.
That’s it for now, see you next week! We’ll have Catwoman, Joker, Bat-Mite, Red Tornado… And the character we’ve all been waiting for, Ace the Bat-Hound! (Not a Typo)
