Movie:
Disc:
Serious-minded
comic book fans will probably hate Batman: Brave vs. the Bold. After
all, it is all rather ridiculous: Batman flies into outer space with a
jetpack; sentient gorillas riding pterodactyls like ponies lift an
ocean liner up into the air using ropes and haul it off to a long lost
island; and so on. Anyone else will however have a blast . . .
This late 2008 animated cartoon series is based on the
Brave and Bold comic book series that ran from 1955 to 1983 (probably
the year in which superhero comics became too "adult" for their own good).
In each episode Batman teams up with another superhero for that episode such
as Aquaman, Green Arrow, Plastic Man and Blue Beetle for instance. (Rival
company Marvel had their own equivalent, namely Marvel Team-Up in
which Spider-man usually teamed up with other superheroes. Marvel Team-Up
also died in the mid-1980s even though it was revived for a brief run in the
1990s again.)
Fans of previous Warner Bros. Animation efforts aired on
the Cartoon Network such as The Batman
and Justice League will have a blast. It has
the same animation style and pop cultural knowingness of
Teen Titans: colors are bright and
vibrant with, er, bold lines. It's all in good fun with its tongue firmly
tucked into its cheek. Fortunately camp is kept to a minimum, so it's
possible to enjoy this show even if you have hated director Joel
Schumacher's run on the Batman movies.
THE DISCS: Unfortunately Warner Home Video has
decided to release standalone discs for now instead of a complete season box
set, Volume 2 will only be released on November 10, 2009 in the States. (At
the time of writing there is no release date for a box set.)
WORTH IT? Sure, Brave and the Bold is aimed
at smaller children, but dads who grew up with the original comic books will
find much to appreciate. The show is witty with great stylized animation.
Heck, they'll probably be the ones buying this disc without Junior even
nagging them for it!
RECOMMENDATION: A single disc set such as this may
be fine for someone who is merely curious what the series is like and not
willing to fork out for a box set. More dedicated fans will probably call
foul and prefer to wait for the complete season box set instead.
