Batman: Brave & The Bold – Season One, Part One (Warner Animation/DVD Set)
Picture:
B- Sound: B- Extras: D Episodes: B-
Since his
creation, Batman has fascinated audiences across the board as he continually
evolves across the many forms of media.
From live action to animation, Batman has seen it all and shows no signs
of slowing down. The caped crusaders
newest incarnation is with Batman: Brave
and the Bold, whose first half of Season
One is under review here. Brave and the Bold is not a new concept
for DC Comics as it originally premiered in 1955 (in comic book form of course)
and continues to be a popular take on the classic DC heroes to this day. Essentially The Brave and the Bold series focuses on the teaming up of
different superheroes from the DC comic catalog. For the purposes of this new Batman animated series, it is
specifically Batman who is teaming up with characters throughout the DC
Universe.
Batman: The Brave and the Bold originally aired at the end of
2008 with very high expectations from fans; and to date has seemingly
delivered. As previously mentioned the
series premise is nothing all too groundbreaking as each episode features
Batman plus an additional superhero to thwart a “villain of the week.” Mostly all episodes are standalone with no
foreseeable overarching storyline; with that said the series is lighter in tone
and detail than other Batman series (like Batman
the Animated Series). This form of
Batman is lighthearted with a fast wit and seems to have targeted a younger
audience, like that of The Batman. Each episode starts off with a teaser “mini
adventure,” then the theme song starts and the main adventure begins. The creators of this lighthearted series have
made the wise decision to align Batman with “lesser known” superheroes;
avoiding the likes of Superman and Wonder Woman. This decision ultimately introduces a younger
generation to a host of not always utilized heroes and expands the universe of
possibilities. Superheroes such as
Bronze Tiger, Green Arrow, Wildcat, Deadman, Plastic Man, Blue Beetle, Red
Tornado and Aquaman all stand beside Batman to fight crime. The series may be lighter in tone than other
Batman series, but it manages to mix in some darker moments with the campiness
of the 1960’s Batman live action series.
I truly
enjoyed the first half of Season One with
this Batman: The Brave and the Bold –
Season One, Part One release, even with the jocular tone that the series
has taken. It managed to be different
without disrupting the established Batman mythos that fans expect to see. The addition of ‘lesser known’ heroes and
villains is an excellent choice as it separates itself from the tired,
formulaic model that fans have experienced time and time again. The animation style like The Batman is rounder and cartoonier, obviously drawing inspiration
(somewhat) from the 1960’s Adam West series and whereas not the perfection that
Batman the Animated Series was but
remains inspiring. Brave and the Bold is a fun, creative series that stands on its own,
borrowing elements from the best series and branding it Brave and Bold with its use of under utilized characters and
inventive animation.
The
technical features on this 2 disc animated series release are in line with
other newer WB animated releases, being of a high quality, though not
necessarily the best. The picture is
presented in a ‘matted’ widescreen format to preserve the aspect ratio of its
original airing. The series has vibrant colors as the characters seem to be
brighter than those found in prior Batman series and are framed nicely with the
use of deep, inky blacks. The image is
crisp, clean and clear only showing that the series will transfer amazingly to
Blu-ray. The sound is a simple Dolby
Digital Surround Stereo that mostly comes from the front, but in the heavier
action sequences the surrounds do kick in to give a more immersive feel.
There are
no Extras to be found, but it should be noted that unlike many of the recent
WB/DC animated releases this 13 episode set does come with a nice cardboard
slipcase.
- Michael P. Dougherty II