| Batman: The Brave and the Bold | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Genre | |
| Based on | |
| Developed by | |
| Directed by | Andrea Romano (voice director) |
| Voices of | |
| Theme music composer | Andy Sturmer |
| Composers |
|
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
| No. of seasons | 3 |
| No. of episodes | 65(list of episodes) |
| Production | |
| Executive producer | Sam Register[1] |
| Producers |
|
| Editor | Joe Gall |
| Running time | 26 minutes |
| Production companies | |
| Original release | |
| Network | Cartoon Network |
| Release | November 14, 2008 (2008-11-14) – November 18, 2011 (2011-11-18) |
| Related | |
| |
Batman: The Brave and the Bold is an Americananimated television series based in part on theDC Comics seriesThe Brave and the Bold which features two or more superheroes coming together to solve a crime or foil a super villain. As the title suggests, the series focuses onBatman's regular "team-ups" with various heroes similar to the most well-known version of the original comic book series. This version has a much lighter and simpler, often comic feel, targeting younger viewers more than the character's other series. The series premiered on November 14, 2008, onCartoon Network in the United States,[2] and ended on November 18, 2011. It also aired in Canada onTeletoon. The series was followed by acomic-book continuation which ended in 2014, and a feature-lengthcrossover film:Scooby-Doo! & Batman: The Brave and the Bold, which aired in 2018.
It was the first series produced byWarner Bros. Animation to be broadcast in high definition.
Each episode ofBatman: The Brave and the Bold features Batman teaming up with other characters from theDC Universe to thwart villains or to solve crimes, the show focusing mainly on the inclusion of lesser-known characters. Most episodes have acold open with an escapade not related to the remainder of the episode. In the first season, the villain was Equinox, who later returned in "Time Out for Vengeance!"; and in the second season, the villain was the alienStarro. During production, the show's creator said that if a character's cold open appearance was deemed successful, then it may warrant exploring the character further in a future episode's main adventure.[3]
Batman: The Brave and the Bold ended after season three, which consisted of 13 episodes.[4] After it ended, a new show,Beware the Batman, returned the character to a more serious tone.[5] A direct-to-video crossover withScooby-Doo, entitledScooby-Doo! & Batman: The Brave and the Bold, was released in 2018.[6]
| Season | Episodes | Originally released | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| First released | Last released | |||
| 1 | 26 | November 14, 2008 (2008-11-14) | November 13, 2009 (2009-11-13) | |
| 2 | 26 | November 20, 2009 (2009-11-20) | April 8, 2011 (2011-04-08) | |
| 3 | 13 | March 25, 2011 (2011-03-25) | November 18, 2011 (2011-11-18) | |
| Film | January 6, 2018 (2018-01-06) | |||
The show has no overarching story, instead having most episodes stand alone.[20] The show is lighter in tone than previous Batman series,[21] depicting the Dark Knight as more lighthearted and playful with a "dry, ironic wit".[22] The show features various references to various depictions of Batman in media, including the 1960sBatman TV series.[23]
The tone of the series was addressed in the episode "Legends of the Dark Mite!", whenBat-Mite broke thefourth wall to read a missive from one of the show's creators:
Batman's rich history allows him to be interpreted in a multitude of ways. To be sure, this is a lighter incarnation, but it's certainly no less valid and true to the character'sroots than the tortured avenger crying out for mommy and daddy.
Show creators have chosen to go with "lesser known" characters. In many instances, the characters are those that were repeatedly teamed with Batman in the 1970s run of theBrave and the Bold comic book, such as Green Arrow, Wildcat, Plastic Man, and even the Joker. Thus, the characters have an appearance and feel akin to both of theirGolden andSilver Age incarnations. While the show has featured major heroes such as theGreen Lantern and theFlash, it consistently focused on the lesser-known individuals that portrayed the heroes, such asGuy Gardner andJay Garrick, rather than the more popularHal Jordan orBarry Allen, who also appear.[21]
Additionally, Batman'salter ego Bruce Wayne does not appear as an adult during the series in situations where Batman was unmasked. His face was kept hidden until the season 2 episode "Chill of the Night!" when Batman finally confrontsJoe Chill.[22] From this episode onwards, whenever Bruce Wayne appears, his face is no longer silhouetted.
The series was not initially released on DVD in full season formats, like previous Batman series. A series of DVD volumes, with each containing 4–5 episodes, were first released. A two-disc collection of the first 13 episodes, season 1, part 1, was released on August 17, 2010.[24][25][26] Season 1, part 2 was released on March 15, 2011,[27] making the first season available both as separate volumes and two-part sets.
Season Two, Part 1, was released on August 16, 2011. It contained 12 episodes and did not contain "The Siege of Starro!".[28] Warner Home Video released Season Two, Part 2 on March 20, 2012. It contains 14 episodes, including the two-part "The Siege of Starro!" and the season 3 episode "Battle of the Superheroes!".[29] The final release, Season 3, complete, was released on June 19 the same year. The DVD also contains the unaired-on-TV season 2 episode "The Mask of Matches Malone!" as a bonus episode.[30]
A Blu-ray set for the first season was released manufacture-on-demand on November 5, 2013, viaWarner Archive.[31] This was followed by a second-season manufacture-on-demand Blu-ray set on September 9, 2014, and a third-season manufacture-on-demand Blu-ray set on March 21, 2017. A first-season DVD box set was conventionally released on May 20, 2014, and a second-season DVD box set followed on April 7, 2015.
| Volume | Release date | Episodes |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | August 25, 2009 | "The Rise of the Blue Beetle!" "Terror on Dinosaur Island!" "Evil Under the Sea!" "Invasion of the Secret Santas!" |
| 2 | November 10, 2009 | "Day of the Dark Knight!" "Enter the Outsiders!" "Dawn of the Dead Man!" "Fall of the Blue Beetle!" |
| 3 | February 2, 2010 | "Journey to the Center of the Bat!" "The Eyes of Despero!" "Return of the Fearsome Fangs!" "Deep Cover for Batman!" "Game Over for Owlman!" |
| 4 | "Mystery in Space!" "Trials of the Demon!" "Night of the Huntress!" "Menace of the Conqueror Caveman!" | |
| 5 | "The Color of Revenge!" "Legends of the Dark Mite!" "Hail the Tornado Tyrant!" "Duel of the Double Crossers!" | |
| 6 | "Last Bat on Earth!" "When OMAC Attacks!" "Mayhem of the Music Meister!" "Inside the Outsiders!" "The Fate of Equinox!" | |
| Season 1, Part 1 (2 discs, 13 episodes) | August 17, 2010 | "The Rise of the Blue Beetle!" "Terror on Dinosaur Island!" "Evil Under the Sea!" "Day of the Dark Knight!" "Invasion of the Secret Santas!" "Enter the Outsiders!" "Dawn of the Dead Man!" "Fall of the Blue Beetle!" "Journey to the Center of the Bat!" "The Eyes of Despero!" "Return of the Fearsome Fangs!" "Deep Cover for Batman!" "Game Over for Owlman!" |
| Season 1, Part 2 (2 discs, 13 episodes) | March 15, 2011 | "Mystery in Space!" "Trials of the Demon!" "Night of the Huntress!" "Menace of the Conqueror Caveman!" "The Color of Revenge!" "Legends of the Dark Mite!" "Hail the Tornado Tyrant!" "Duel of the Double Crossers!" "Last Bat on Earth!" "When OMAC Attacks!" "The Fate of Equinox!" "Mayhem of the Music Meister!" "Inside the Outsiders!" |
| Season 2, Part 1 (2 discs, 12 episodes) | August 16, 2011 | "Long Arm of the Law!" "Revenge of the Reach!" "Death Race To Oblivion!" "Aquaman's Outrageous Adventure!" "The Golden Age Of Justice!" "Clash of the Metal Men!" "A Bat Divided!" "Sidekicks Assemble!" "The Super-Batman of Planet X!" "The Power of Shazam!" "Chill of the Night!" "Gorillas In Our Midst!" |
| Season 2, Part 2 (2 discs, 14 episodes) | March 20, 2012 | "The Siege of Starro! Part One" "The Siege of Starro! Part Two" "Requiem for a Scarlet Speedster!" "The Last Patrol!" "Menace of the Madniks!" "Emperor Joker!" "The Criss Cross Conspiracy!" "The Plague of the Prototypes!" "Cry Freedom Fighters!" "The Knights of Tomorrow!" "Darkseid Descending!" "Battle of the Superheroes!" (season 3 episode) "Bat-Mite Presents: Batman's Strangest Cases!" "The Malicious Mr. Mind!"[32] |
| Season 3, Complete (2 discs, 13 episodes) | June 19, 2012 | "Joker: The Vile and the Villainous!" "Shadow of the Bat!" "Night of the Batmen!" "Scorn of the Star Sapphire!" "Time Out for Vengeance!" "Sword of the Atom!" "Triumvirate of Terror!" "Bold Beginnings!" "Powerless!" "Crisis: 22,300 Miles Above Earth!" "Four Star Spectacular!" "Mitefall!" "The Mask of Matches Malone!" (as a bonus episode)[32] |
| The Complete First Season (4 DVD discs/2 Blu-ray discs, 26 episodes) | November 5, 2013 (Blu-ray) May 20, 2014 (DVD) | "The Rise of the Blue Beetle!" "Terror on Dinosaur Island!" "Evil Under the Sea!" "Day of the Dark Knight!" "Invasion of the Secret Santas!" "Enter the Outsiders!" "Dawn of the Dead Man!" "Fall of the Blue Beetle!" "Journey to the Center of the Bat!" "The Eyes of Despero!" "Return of the Fearsome Fangs!" "Deep Cover for Batman!" "Game Over for Owlman!" "Mystery in Space!" "Trials of the Demon!" "Night of the Huntress!" "Menace of the Conqueror Caveman!" "The Color of Revenge!" "Legends of the Dark Mite!" "Hail the Tornado Tyrant!" "Duel of the Double Crossers!" "Last Bat on Earth!" "When OMAC Attacks!" "The Fate of Equinox!" "Mayhem of the Music Meister!" "Inside the Outsiders!" |
| The Complete Second Season (4 DVD discs/2 Blu-ray discs, 26 episodes) | September 9, 2014 (Blu-ray) April 7, 2015 (DVD) | "Long Arm of the Law!" "Revenge of the Reach!" "Death Race To Oblivion!" "Aquaman's Outrageous Adventure!" "The Golden Age Of Justice!" "Clash of the Metal Men!" "A Bat Divided!" "Sidekicks Assemble!" "The Super-Batman of Planet X!" "The Power of Shazam!" "Chill of the Night!" "Gorillas In Our Midst!" "The Siege of Starro! Part One" "The Siege of Starro! Part Two" "Requiem for a Scarlet Speedster!" "The Last Patrol!" "Menace of the Madniks!" "Emperor Joker!" "The Criss Cross Conspiracy!" "The Plague of the Prototypes!" "Cry Freedom Fighters!" "The Knights of Tomorrow!" "Darkseid Descending!" "Battle of the Superheroes!" (season 3 episode, DVD only) "The Mask of Matches Malone!" (Blu-ray only) "Bat-Mite Presents: Batman's Strangest Cases!" |
| The Complete Third Season (1 Blu-ray disc, 13 episodes) | March 21, 2017 (Blu-ray) | "Joker: The Vile and the Villainous!" "Shadow of the Bat!" "Night of the Batmen!" "Scorn of the Star Sapphire!" "Battle of the Superheroes!" "Time Out for Vengeance!" "Sword of the Atom!" "Triumvirate of Terror!" "Bold Beginnings!" "Powerless!" "Crisis: 22,300 Miles Above Earth!" "Four Star Spectacular!" "Mitefall!" |
In January 2009, the first issue ofBatman: the Brave and the Bold was released. The comic book follows the same format as the show, starting off with a brief teaser segment at the start of the book which features Batman teaming up with an additional hero for a short adventure unrelated to the rest of the issue. Several authors have contributed to the comic book series, includingMatt Wayne,J. Torres, andLandry Walker.
Certain characters such as Superman, Wonder Woman,Captain Marvel Jr. andMary Marvel made appearances in the comic prior to actually appearing in the show, while other characters, such asPower Girl,Kid Eternity,Brother Power andAngel and the Ape, appeared in the comic without ever actually appearing on the show. In addition, the depictions of several characters in the comic book do not match up with their television counterparts, something thatBrave and the Bold director Ben Jones stated stems from the artists not being given reference sheets.[33]
TheBatman: The Brave and the Bold comic series began selling in the UK on March 11, 2010, published byTitan Magazines.
In late 2010, the series was relaunched asThe All-New Batman: The Brave and the Bold, with the new creative team of Sholly Fisch andRick Burchett. To devote more pages to the actual story, the teaser segments from the first series were dropped.[34] This incarnation of the title lasted 16 issues. The final issue is a Valentine's-themed story featuring Batman, Batgirl and Bat-Mite.
In 2018, an animated direct-to-video film,Scooby-Doo! & Batman: The Brave and the Bold, was released. In the film, which features most of the cast reprising their roles from the series, Batman recruitsScooby-Doo and his friends to take on a threat posed by villains of Batman.
TheBatman: The Brave and the Bold incarnation of Batman appears in the 2017 episode, "The Academy", ofTeen Titans Go! via archival footage.
La La Land Records released a 2-disc compilation of music from the series on January 28, 2014, featuring the musical scores for 12 episodes from the first and second seasons (including those of "Legends of the Dark Mite!", "The Mask of Matches Malone!" and "Chill of the Night!"). It is a limited edition release of 2000 units and can be purchased at the La La Land Records website.[36]
A soundtrack exclusively covering songs from the musical episode "Mayhem of the Music Meister!" was released on October 24, 2009.[37]
| No. | Title | Lyrics | Music | Performed by | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Batman: The Brave and the Bold Theme" | Andy Sturmer | 0:32 | ||
| 2. | "I'm the Music Meister" | James Tucker | Michael McCuistion | Neil Patrick Harris,John DiMaggio,James Arnold Taylor,Kevin Michael Richardson,Dee Bradley Baker andGrey DeLisle | 5:54 |
| 3. | "Drives Us Bats" | Michael Jelenic | Lolita Ritmanis | Neil Patrick Harris and Various Artists | 1:46 |
| 4. | "If Only" | Michael Jelenic | Lolita Ritmanis | Neil Patrick Harris and Grey DeLisle | 2:35 |
| 5. | "Death Trap" | James Tucker | Kristopher Carter | Neil Patrick Harris and Grey DeLisle | 1:49 |
| 6. | "The World Is Mine" | Michael Jelenic | Kristopher Carter | Neil Patrick Harris, Grey DeLisle,Jeff Bennett and Various Artists | 3:34 |
| 7. | "If Only (Reprise)" | Michael Jelenic | Lolita Ritmanis | Grey DeLisle and James Arnold Taylor | 2:03 |
| 8. | "Drives Us Bats (Mayhem of the Music Meister End Credits)" | Michael Jelenic | Lolita Ritmanis | 0:31 |
The main theme has also been included onThe Music of DC Comics: 75th Anniversary Collection soundtrack.
