Thursday, January 07, 2010

‘Brave and the Bold’: A brighter, chummier Batman

(Published Dec. 31, 2009, PDI-Entertainment)

Based on the DC comics team-up book from several decades back, the animated TV series “Batman: The Brave and the Bold” has a friendlier, more easy-going Dark Knight. His adventures aren’t strictly confined to Gotham City this time, as Batman saves the world with some of the famous and obscure heroes of the DC Universe. Their temporary alliances are formidable, and they trounce some of the strangest and toughest super-foes.

The deliberate retro look utilizes a brighter color palette and more offbeat designs, giving the show a fun, playful vibe. This chummier Batman is more accessible to younger viewers, but is charming and solidly written enough that adults can enjoy it as well for its full half hour.

Voiced by Diedrich Bader (formerly of “The Drew Carey Show”), the latest incarnation is open to mentoring young new crime fighters, such as the Blue Beetle (in one episode, it’s said that Robin is grown up, and is the protector of another city). Batman is also more competitive this time; he has a friendly rivalry with recurring guest hero Green Arrow.

Both comic book geeks and the unfamiliar will appreciate the choice of team-ups. In a musical episode, the singing villain Music Meister (the excellent Neil Patrick Harris) is confronted by Batman and the fetching heroine Black Canary. In other engaging episodes, the Caped Crusader is joined by the space-faring Adam Strange, the shrinking adventurer Atom and the sea king Aquaman, among others. Opening sequences inventively compress other partnerships into exciting mini-adventures that run for only about two-and-a-half minutes.

While it’s nowhere as grand as the old “Justice League Unlimited” series, “Brave and the Bold” has its own tone, and focuses on variety. The mixing and matching works and the stand-alone episodes are easy to get into. Batman is part of a bigger whole here, and is glad to acknowledge it.

“Batman: The Brave and the Bold” airs Sundays, 9 p.m., and Mondays, 5 p.m. on Cartoon Network.

No comments: