Customer Reviews

Batman: The Brave and the Bold - Season One, Part One

5 star:		(20)
4 star:		(11)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(7)

 

 

My review will cover two parts. First let's talk about the show. When I first heard about it, I had my doubts. I grew up on the great "Batman: The Animated Series" and loved "The Batman," especially at the end. But when this came out I first thought they had ran out of ideas for Batman. I was wrong, it mixes action like from the last two shows and adds in humor in such a perfect amount for Batman that it comes off as enjoyable instead of cheesy.

Now as for the release. I agree with everyone else here, this should be the FULL season one. I hate when the studio release half a season of a show. Disney did it with "Gargoyles: Season Two," and Warner has done it with "The Real Adventures of Johnny Quest: Season One, both of which may never see the rest of their season on DVD. Warner has also done it with other shows like "Tiny Toons"and "Smurfs." Is it a cheep underhand move to try and force the consumer to fork over more money then they would for releasing these seasons whole? Sure is. Is it right? Nope, in fact it turns consumers off. But that fact is the way these studios think, if this set does not sell, good luck seeing much more of this show on DVD, even if it is Batman. "Gargoyles" and "Real Adventures of Johnny Quest" have shown that already.

Bottom line, despite how wrong it may be, if you love this show and want to see more of it on DVD, buy this release.

When I first heard of Batman: The Brave and the Bold, I was excited. Then I saw some pictures and got worried. Then I saw a video clip. My fears were confirmed. This wasn't my Batman.

So I never watched it. I did hear good things about it though, and considering my favorite C-list DC comic characters appear in it, when the opportunity came up for me to review Batman: The Brave and the Bold: Season One , Part One , I decided to give it a chance. And now I regret not watching this show earlier. It's fantastically entertaining.

More than that, it's fun. Batman: The Brave and the Bold exists in the present the way 80's action cartoons exist in the memory. That is: You remember them being good, but they don't hold up when you actually watch them. But Batman: The Brave and the Bold does hold up, right now and today, and it feels just like you remember the 80's action cartoons feeling like.

I was worried a light-hearted take on Batman would make him into a joke like Adam West did and I'm sure I wasn't the only one. Thankfully, Batman is played straight and given only a dry sense of humor, pretty much the way the modern fans remember him. He just throws around a few on-liners, and that is all. Even if that turns you off, this show gets so much right. Aquaman is played for laughs here, just like he always should be, and it also introduces tons of awesome C-list characters like Blue Beetle, Deadman, Red Tornado, Wildcat and many others to a public who probably never heard of them. In fact, if you're a DC comic fan, one of the best part of this show will be the insane number of obscure characters from the comics that show up, which will be sure to make any geek happy.

Puncheminnaface!The show deals with some pretty serious subject matter as well, such as death. Examples include the episode "Invasion of the Secret Santas!", which shows the death of Thomas and Martha Wayne, and my personal favorite episode of the collection, "Fall of the Blue Beetle!", where it's shown that not every hero always makes it, and sometimes one has to die. Pretty heavy stuff for a supposedly light, colorful looking kids show.

The finale uses Owlman as the main villain. I don't know if Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths came out before this episode or not, but thankfully even though both utilize the same villain and both involve multiple earths, both feel like separate stories. Owlman's plot in Batman: The Brave and the Bold does feel oddly similar to the plan of the Justice Lords in the Justice League episode "A Better World". Still, it does make for an entertaining episode and a satisfying finale.

The voice work is fantastic, and while nobody will beat Kevin Conroy, Diedrich Bader does a brilliant job as Batman. John William DiMaggio plays a hilarious Aquaman and Batman Beyond's Will Friedle plays Blue Beetle III wonderfully. In fact, all of the voices seem spot on. It would seem Andrea Romano did a fantastic job, as always.

Someday, my son, this will all be yours!The designs are well animated and the style seems to fit the mood of the show. Not to mention it looks absolutely stunning in widescreen. The discs have English and French subtitles, but unfortunately this set has no special features aside from a LEGO Harry Potter trailer (on the main menu for some reason), which is a real bummer. It really could've used a commentary or two, or perhaps a featurette on the wide array of heroes who guest starred in the episode included here. At least we got a stunning transfer.

Batman: The Brave and the Bold isn't my Batman, but that doesn't mean I can't watch it and enjoy it for what it is. It's like the Adam West version of Batman. That's my dad's Batman, and even though I don't consider it mine, that doesn't mean I don't watch it and enjoy the heck out of it. Give Batman: The Brave and the Bold a chance. It may not be your Batman, but it will be someone's. See if you can enjoy it for what it is.

The five stars is for the show. If you're a comic geek, you'll actually love this show because it grows on you.

Here's why the split seasons thing is NOT a big deal. You are getting 13 episodes. Yes, Season 1 was 26 episodes. The thing is, that is DOUBLE the normal amount of episodes newer cartoons have been coming out as, and quite frankly if you look at DVDs of other new Warner Bros cartoons like "What's New Scooby-Doo" and "The Batman" each season is approximately only 13 episodes. So you are getting your money's worth. They most likely will not release a full 26 episode season set, and if they do it'd cost like $40 like the old Batman The Animated Series boxsets used to.

The pattern is, they release 13 episode seasons or collections. They start off costing about $15. Eventually they go down to $9 to $10 (seasons of both "What's New Scooby-Doo" and "The Batman" have hit those marks both online and in stores).

Sure, it's not the complete season. Yet the complete season is really like two seasons already. I'd rather buy 13 episodes than buy those discs with only 4 episodes each on them.

The reason Season 2 of Gargoyles didn't get a Volume 2 release? Too many customers like me realized we paid $20 for Season 1 and then half of Season 2 was over $30. I won't pay over $30 for only half a season, and it took way too long to come down in price.

This half season set is still a good deal when you realize you're getting the same number of episodes that are full seasons of "The Batman". 13 episodes isn't too shabby. If you don't buy this set though, who knows if they'll release Vol. 2 with the other 13 episodes, and then the first 13 episodes of Season 2? If the third season is only going to be 13 episodes as reported, then Season 3 would be a full season set, whereas it'll be two-parters for the first two seasons...equaling five sets of 13 episodes just like "The Batman".

- Plastic Man: "Are you seeing what I'm seeing? 'Cause I'm seeing gorillas riding pterodactyls with harpoon guns, stealing a boat."
- Batman: "It's Gorilla Grodd."
- Plastic Man: "It's messed up is what it is!"

For a brooding crimefighting loner, Batman sure teams up a lot. And I guess this incarnation finds him brooding not as often as you'd think. What we get in this animated series seems to be the Silver Age incarnation of Batman (guy's even drawn like the '50s & '60s version), and this is a different, more gregarious, sunnier kind of cat. Frank Miller would probably have a hissy fit. The featured stories are set in contemporary times, and yet it's clearly a mash-up of the old and the new. Batman hangs out with the likes of the new Blue Beetle, but when the Green Arrow drops in, the beardless archer is sporting his old classic Golden Age duds.

There's a breezier tone. Check out that gonzo, jazzy theme music! - and the outlandish plots and the lots of exuberant punching and kicking, comic book style. For those who've imprinted on the more angsty, angrier, darker Dark Knight, this type of cheery takes a bit of getting used to. Kids will enjoy what's on the surface. But this show also has something for the grown-ups and the hardcore DC Comics fans.

BATMAN: THE BRAVE AND THE BOLD Season One, Part One comes in two discs and contains the first thirteen episodes. And because Season One comprises 26 episodes, this means that the set is officially only half as good. Still, the nifty rotating cast of heroes and the cool character designs and that delightful whiff of camp are things to savor. These are mostly stand-alone episodes, and I love that each episode starts out with a mini-adventure that teams Batman up with a fellow DC character, and that it ends before the opening credits and mostly doesn't have anything to do with the central story. You never do know which cape & cowl is going to step up in any given episode. The writers are careful to guest star not only the more well-known superheroes but the obscure ones, as well. The new Blue Beetle, Jaime Reyes, is featured prominently. Aquaman, braggadocious and bold, is given the best treatment since possibly ever. This Batman is voiced by Diedrich Bader (also known as that creepy guy in OUTSOURCED). Bader has got Kevin Conroy's timber and cadences down pat to the extent that I initially assumed it was Conroy just picking up where he left off.

The only bonus feature is "Lego Harry Potter." It's pretty much what you think it is.

Brief plot breakdowns now for the 13 episodes. If you're a stickler about not knowing even the most basic reveals, then consider yourself ***SPOILERS*** alerted:

- Episode 101 - "The Rise of the Blue Beetle!" - In the pre-opening credits segment, Batman and Green Arrow go up against the Clock King. Then Batman and the new Blue Beetle fly thru a wormhole in space and end up on a distant planet where Blue Beetle is deified by that world's cute amoeba cell-like inhabitants.

- Episode 102 - "Terror on Dinosaur Island!" - Batman and Fire frustrate the Gentleman Ghost while Plastic Man was elsewhere, stuffing his pants with loot. Then Batman and Plastic Man are stranded on a mysterious island that stands outside of time... and has dinosaurs.

- Episode 103 - "Evil Under the Sea!" - Bats foils Felix Faust's scheme to open Pandora's Box, with the help of a surprise guest (you don't find out who until the end). Then Batman journeys under the sea to visit Aquaman in Atlantis, just in time to save Aquaman from an assassin. Surely, Aquaman's sinister brother Orm had nothing to do with this?

- Episode 104 - "Invasion of the Secret Santas!" - Batman and Blue Beetle take on Sportsmaster in a bowling alley. Then the robot hero Red Tornado tries to get with the Christmas spirit except that, well, you know, dude's a robot. Batman is no help; he's got his own holiday issues. Meanwhile, flying saucers from Neptune invade Earth, and these aliens demand Santa Claus. Or is this a trick being played by Fun Haus?

- Episode 105 - "Day of the Dark Knight!" - The Green Lantern Corps requests Batman's assistance in keeping Guy Gardner's nose clean, but then Guy gets into it with a tiny alien prisoner. Then Merlin Ambrosius, seeking aid against Morgan Le Fay and Jason Blood, plucks Batman and Green Arrow from the modern age and into 5th century Britain. It's all very Camelot-y.

- Episode 106 - "Enter the Outsiders!" - Batman and B'wana Beast stymie the Black Manta's crime caper. Then Golden Age old-timer, Wildcat, fresh off a heart attack, horns in on Batman's attempt to take down the unruly Outsiders (who are teenagers in this incarnation, and also are kind of all villainy).

- Episode 107 - "Dawn of the Dead Man!" - In the far-flung blasted future, Kamandi the Last Boy on Earth helps Batman make off with some antibiotics. Then, in London, Boston Brand (a.k.a. "Deadman") teams up with Batman's astral projected self when Batman's body is buried alive by the Gentleman Ghost and the coffin rendered booby-trapped. Hope no one's run out of nth metal.

- Episode 108 - "Fall of the Blue Beetle!" - First, the flashback adventure featuring Bats and the Silver Age Blue Beetle (that'd be Ted Kord). Then teenager Jaime Reyes, the new Blue Beetle, digs into his predecessor's history and arrives at a sinister plot to take over the world.

- Episode 109 - "Journey to the Center of the Bat!" - Bats, Plastic Man and Elongated Man provide the long arm of the law against Babyface. Then, to remedy a Chemo-infected Caped Crusader, Atom shrinks himself and Aquaman down to microscopic size and they infiltrate Batman's body.

- Episode 110 - "The Eyes of Despero!" - Batman and Dr. Fate thwart Wotan's plan to control the Library of Infinity. Then, with the Green Lantern Corps having fallen under Despero's sway, it falls to Batman and the last three free Lanterns to save the day. But what if these Lanterns were Guy Gardner, Sinestro... and G'Nort?

- Episode 111 - "Return of the Fearsome Fangs!" - Inexplicably in the Old West, in a Sergio Leone backdrop, that squirrely-eyed bounty hunter Jonah Hex and Batman corral the Royal Flush Gang. Then, in China, Batman and the prideful Bronze Tiger seek vengeance against Fox and the Shadow Clan for killing their old martial arts master. "You kill my teachaaa!"

- Episode 112 - "Deep Cover for Batman! (Part 1)" - The Injustice Syndicate, sinister doppelgangers of Batman and his superhero pals, aim to make use of a bridge to parallel Earths to cross over to Gotham. But not if Batman beats them to the punch. To quote Bats: "The resemblance to my friends is uncanny. Like looking into a funhouse mirror... of evil."

- Episode 113 - "Game Over for Owlman! (Part 2)" - Batman returns to his own reality and finds himself a wanted felon, thanks to Owlman, a parallel version of the Dark Knight. With every meta-human do-gooder out to nab him, it's maybe time to team up with a certain Clown Prince of Crime.

Nothing irritates me more than ignorant fanboys ruining the reputation of an excellent program because they can't comprehend how prices work. All they see is "Season 1, Part 1" and they foam at the mouth and begin to rant about "greedy corporations" trying to steal their money.


Let me break it down for you. Batman: The Brave and the Bold Season 1, Part 1 is 13 episodes, on 2 DVDs, and is currently prices at $15.49. Keep in mind that the Amazon price fluctuates, I've seen it as cheap as $14.99.

Now comprate that to Justice League Unlimited - Season Two (DC Comics Classic Collection). Justice League Unlimited Season 2 is 13 episodes, on 2 DVDs, for 14.99.

Again:
- 13 episodes of BBatB are worth 15.49
- 13 episodes of JLU are worth 14.99

They're just complaining because one is a complete season, and the other is a half season. But, they're BOTH 13 EPISODES!!!


By now, you should know what Batman: The Brave and the Bold is like. It's a lighter take on the caped crusader. If you're the type of fan that loved Nolan's The Dark Knight, or grew up watching Batman the Animated Series, and you like a serious Batman, then you'll want to skip this series and buy Batman: Under the Red Hood (Two-Disc Special Edition).

The rest of us, we love us some campy, almost-Adam-West-like, adventures with the Dark Knight. I never would have imagined Diedrich Bader as Batman. He's no Kevin Conroy, but Bader's voice fits the show's premise. What really makes BBatB stand out is the creator's devotion to feature superheroes and villains that have had very little appearances outside of the comics: Calender Man, Kite Man, the Top, Plastic Man, the Blue Beetle, Kamandi, and Bronze Tiger.

Further, let me answer some questions you might be asking:

1. No, Kevin Conroy is not Batman in this.

2. No, this does not contain the "Bat-Mite Episode" AKA "Legends of the Dark-Mite." That won't be until Part 2.

3. No, this does not contain the musical episode with Neil Patrick Harris. That's in Part 2, "Mayhem of the Music Meister"

4. No, this doesn't have "the one with Kevin Conroy in it." That's episode 37, "Chill of the Night." It also has Adam West, Mark Hamill and Julie Newmar. That's part of Season 2.

That's a lot of 'No's. But it's still worth $15 if you can pick it up at a local retailer. My favorite episodes are "Evil Under the Sea," "Fall of the Blue Beetle" "Deep Cover for Batman" and "Game Over for Owlman." So pick it up if you like superhero action, and I hope I've helped you make an informed decision.

I've gotta add some positivity here only because there are some people I'm sure who will see this entry and think two stars confirms their suspicions about BATB not being a good show, because it is not Batman:TAS from the '90s. Nothing could be TAS, of course, but just because this is a lighter series that embraces Silver Age sensibilities and a little of the camp of the '60s-era Batman doesn't mean it is not fun and very entertaining. One needs to only track down Bat-Mite's speech from this show to really understand what BATB is all about.

BATB is an improvement over the last Batman series (The Batman), at least for hardcore comic fans. While the latter was aimed at 2000s-style younger viewers, BATB has a lot of nods to longtime fans or ones who've delved into past eras of the DC Universe. And hey, it made Aquaman cool, what more can you ask for????? (And wait till we get to the Music Meister episode)

The split season sets are not necessary, but I'll brave it to get a collection of this series.

I finally decided to buy this DVD,foregoing the various "volumes" offered before. I won't go into DC's crappy practice of breaking these DVDs up to squeeze more money out of kids... Plenty of other reviews have covered that already, hopefully they'll get the message. This DVD set was "complete enough" for my to just deal with it and buy it already: Moving on...
James Tucker is one of the many genius animators and designers behind Bruce Timm's groundbreaking Batman The Animated Series of the 1990s. Tucker's style and posture towards the DC Universe can be plainly seen in episodes like the "Legends of the Dark Knight" story in which the producers referenced different incarnations of Batman, notably: the Filmation studios' series; Dick Sprang's canonical take on the character; (and an homage to Frank Miller's Dark Knight Returns.)
Tucker clearly has had an affinity and reverence for the 60s live action TV series for a long time and used it to build the style, tone and parameters of this latest Batman cosmology.
First, it should be noted that this is a kid friendly series (as opposed to Tucker's contributions to the other Bruce Timm series which only got darker and more "adult" in tone,) which is not to say this series is just for children, it's definitely not. While lighthearted in theme and tone and devoid of cruelty and gratuitous violence, it is still replete with well directed action and features wonderful, if sometimes two dimensional character based stories.
What this series has unlike any other before it (including Tucker's contributions to "Justice League" and "Justice League Unlimited") is the most outsized celebration of the DC Comic book universe's vast cosmology, while giving even the obscurest and silliest of villains and heroes their moment in the spotlight. This is a series that breezily moves from Golden Age, to Silver Age to Bronze Age, to whatever age we are in now through the prism of a classic early sixties iteration of the caped crusader's world. It presents an engaging continuity for life long adult fans with encyclopedic knowledge of the comics, while also serving a wonderful gateway to young children who may be discovering all of this for the first time.
The design sense of the show owes much to the 1960s William Dozier/Lorenzo Semple Batman live action series, (everything's got red highlights from the bat mobile to the bat copter) and the drawing of Dick Sprang and Alex Toth.
Named after the DC Comic book showcase "Brave and the Bold" in which Batman was teamed up with various heroes, this new TV show takes Batman light years from Gotham's streets, literally.
Diedrich Bader headlines as Batman, and Will Friedle, Cory Burton and many other actors familiar to TV animation fans and movie goers do great work on the show. Batman never appears as Bruce Wayne, except oddly, in his own recollections or memories, and even then, the adult Bruce Wayne's face is always obscured in shadow; -a nice nod to the darker psychology of this mythology, namely that Batman believes there is no Bruce Wayne...
Bottom line: It's a great stylish show for the kids just discovering Batman for the first time, or adults who know, or will fondly remember the nuanced details and strange plots from the various comics, movies or TV shows they've seen across their lives.
This show will thrill the uninitiated, and also reward the dedicated fan, and ultimately surprise everyone.
-SJ

Wow, the amount of venom being spewed in these pre-release reviews is simply stunning (and why does Amazon open some products to pre-release reviews and not others? Baffling). While I can certainly understand everyone's disappointment at this set not containing a full season, let's clear up some misconceptions:

- What constitutes a full "season" in animation is extremely subjective - a network may order 26-episodes up front to fast-track production time, especially with a proven property like Batman. However, these 26 episodes may be broken into two 13-episode seasons, or aired in random bursts sporadically with no real seasonal pattern (Cartoon Network is infamous for doing this with many of the DC shows). I remember early press describing the 13 episodes collected on this set as "Season 1," and in fact the last two episodes here (Deep Cover For Batman/Game Over For Owlman) were designed as a season-ender. So really, what it boils down to is that WHV's description of this set as "Season 1 Part 1" is misleading and based on arbitrary production terminology, and judging by the responses here, incredibly stupid. To simply call this set "Volume 1" would've probably been a much more valid description. No story arcs have been cut off midway, if that's to be a concern.

- I see no evidence of Warner Bros. trying to rip anyone off. The suggested retail price and Amazon's standard discount line up exactly with past 13-episode sets of DC animated shows. Do a quick search for either The Batman or Teen Titans, and you'll see some have been discounted, while others are actually a little pricer. Multiply the price of this set x2 for your 26 episodes, and it's still lower than the price we initially paid for the B:TAS volumes a few years back. This doesn't look like a deluxe release by any means, so it seems to fall into WB's standard pricing patterns.

- Bought the initial single-disc releases and now you don't know what to do with them? Suck it up. WHV's already pulled this trick before, and you're fooling yourself if you didn't see it coming. If you're just anxious to own the latter episodes (including the musical episode), be patient. The Brave and the Bold isn't quite done on TV yet, so we might still be seeing an erratic release schedule regardless.

With that out of the way, this is a great show and I'm looking forward to picking this up. Despite being geared towards kids, I always figured Batman: The Brave and the Bold actually attracted the much older, comics-fluent crowd that understands all the Silver Age references and can appreciate the lighthearted tone (whereas kids probably gravitate towards The Dark Knight version of Batman for being darker and cooler). B:TBATB also unleashes a whole new side of the DC Universe that wasn't covered in the Justice League cartoons -Plastic Man, the Guy Gardner Green Lantern, two Blue Beetles and the Ryan Choi Atom all get exposure here, and there's lots of other surprises along the way. Anyone curious to check out the show's inspiration should look into Showcase Presents: The Brave and the Bold - The Batman Team-Ups, Vol. 1 which reprints the early stories in affordable black-and-white.

So yes - it's not the 26-episode set everyone wanted, but it's a perfectly reasonable release and if you didn't pick up the single discs already, this is a highly recommended purchase.

all through batman history one can differenciate between two main ways of batman interpretations: the dark and scary one and the colourful and fun one. the fun one often tended to be kinda kinky and sometimes went over the border of kinkyness (like the joel schumacher movies). batman: the brave and the bold is a fun interpretation that works! two thumbs up.

my favourite comicbook hero,loved the 60's and 70's vibe with a modern twist even young kids will enjoy