There’s a new Batman in town: he’s brave, bold and nothing like the Batman you’ve gotten used to over the past three decades.
Since the 1980s revamp of Batman, spearheaded by gritty writers like Alan Moore and Frank Miller, the alter-ego of playboy Bruce Wayne has developed into the dark-brooding-callous sociopath we’ve come to love as the Batman.
In the 1990s, Batman’s cartoon persona was revamped from his Superfriends characterization (that spilled over into several Scooby-Doo guest appearances) into a Batman more in-line with the Miller-Moore archetype. Batman fans from toddlers to tweens quickly accepted this Batman and adored him for his gritty-vigilante attitude. Even those fans who had since grown out of “childish” things like cartoons and comics, took a break from reality and delved into animated reality. He was the intelligent crime-fighting loner everyone secretly imagined themselves to be.
Starting with Batman the animated series, Warner Bros. and DC Comics steadily worked to upgrade their animated Batman every five years. In the Justice League, this new Batman had his first venture into team dynamics. In Justice League Unlimited, the Dark Knight did his team thing, but remained a loner who every-so-often showed us his compassionate, dare I say loving, side. Older fans slowly caught wind of this daring new series, and hopped on the animated bandwagon. Cartoons weren’t just for kids.
Enter The Batman: a new series with a new look at Batman’s earlier years. Season one was like Jackie Chan the cartoon on steroids. Justice League Unlimited and Moore-Miller fans quickly screamed ‘bloody-murder.’ “The Joker portrayed as an actual circus clown, that flips and wears no shoes? I think not!” Time to grow up again, and leave the Batman to the kiddies.
But, by season two there was a whisper that began to circulate in the darkest of alley ways, toy stores and gatherings of weathered parents, longing to reclaim their childhood.
“I saw The Batman, by accident of course, and well it was actually kind of good.”
“Hey, did you see last week’s episode with Dr. Strange?”
“I think they’re going to form the Justice League. I really think they’re going to do it.”
“Aargh! My DVR didn’t record it, did you tape it? WTF!!!”
Yes, Batman was back in our hearts. But a season later, he was gone.
Luckily, with a new Batman feature on the way called the Dark Knight, no tears were shed. Batman would be back, even if just for a summer. And boy did Batman ever return. Everyone from child to adult, regardless of being a McCain or Obama supporter, jumped onto the Dark Knight bandwagon. Many ventured twice to see a movie that didn’t quite feel like a superhero movie. No, the Dark Knight wasn’t a superhero - just a detective who happened to wear a mask and cape.
Now, there is a new Batman animated series in town and it goes by the name of Batman: The Brave and the Bold. Moore-Miller and Justice League Unlimited fan-boys beware - this Batman will make you scream ‘bloody-murder’ once again. The look and feel of this series, adapted from the comic book by the same title, feels like an upgraded version of the Superfriends.
At first you may be pre-disposed to write this series off as a return to the days of the hokey Adam West Batman. Not necessarily true. Yes, the series does focus on the lighter pre-Miller-Moore aspects of Batman. But, it also does so without taking itself too seriously. The writer’s have created a Batman world that makes fun of being just that - a world where a man dressed up as a bat fights several arch-nemeses along with his buds who also happen to wear costumes. There’s anything from James Bond style death traps, which the characters will immediately call out as death traps, to over the top journeys into outer space.
What series producers James Tucker and Michael Jelenic have done is create a fun-witty cartoon that shows off a different side of an old favorite. Of course this series won’t be for everyone, but neither was the Teen Titans which was able to garner a small older following.
This new/retro Batman is a definite breather from the one we’ve come to love. The only question is, can this Batman survive in post-Dark Knight world? I think it can. Children will love it, and their parents will watch it and get into it, just as they did with Avatar: the Last Airbender.
And, to the Miller-Moore fan-boys, dare I quote the Heath Ledger Joker?
“Why, so serious?”
“Why….. so serious?”
Batman: The Brave and the Bold premieres Friday, November 14 at 8pm E/P on Cartoon Network.
Sounds cheesy. I’d rather get wasted
I loved the Batman series from the 90s. I totally forgot about that.
If it’s something I can watch with my son, i’ll definitely watch. I actually really liked Avatar - Even though now I’m too old to watch cartoons