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Batman: The Brave and the Bold

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For the original comic, see The Brave and the Bold. For the comic sequel, see Batman: The Brave and the Bold (comics).

Batman: The Brave and the Bold
Genre
Based on
Developed by
Voices of
Theme music composerAndy Sturmer
Composers
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons3
No. of episodes65 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producerSam Register[1]
Producers
  • James Tucker
  • Michael Jelenic
  • Linda Steiner
EditorJoe Gall
Running time26 minutes
Production companies
Original release
NetworkCartoon Network
ReleaseNovember 14, 2008 (2008-11-14) –
November 18, 2011 (2011-11-18)
Related

Batman: The Brave and the Bold is an American animated television series based in part on the DC Comics series The 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 on Batman'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, on Cartoon Network in the United States,[2] and ended on November 18, 2011. It also aired in Canada on Teletoon. The series was followed by a comic-book continuation which ended in 2014, and a feature-length crossover film: Scooby-Doo! & Batman: The Brave and the Bold, which aired in 2018.

It was the first series produced by Warner Bros. Animation to be broadcast in high definition.

Overview

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Each episode of Batman: The Brave and the Bold features the main character (Batman) teaming up with other characters from the DC Universe to thwart villains or to solve crimes, the show focusing mainly on the inclusion of lesser-known characters. Most episodes have a cold 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 alien Starro. 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 with Scooby-Doo, entitled Scooby-Doo! & Batman: The Brave and the Bold, was released in 2018.[6]

Characters

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Main article: List of Batman: The Brave and the Bold characters

Cast

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Principal cast

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Special guest cast

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Additional voices

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Episodes

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Main article: List of Batman: The Brave and the Bold episodes
SeasonEpisodesOriginally aired
First airedLast aired
126November 14, 2008 (2008-11-14)November 13, 2009 (2009-11-13)
226November 20, 2009 (2009-11-20)April 8, 2011 (2011-04-08)
313March 25, 2011 (2011-03-25)November 18, 2011 (2011-11-18)
FilmJanuary 6, 2018 (2018-01-06)

Production

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Writing

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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 1960s Batman TV series.[23]

While the tone is lighter, the series has touched on the subject of death with such examples as retelling the murder of Thomas Wayne and Martha Wayne at the hands of Joe Chill, the death of the Silver Age Blue Beetle, the assassination of Boston Brand, the death of the first Black Canary, the execution of "Gentleman" Jim Craddock, and the self-sacrifice and deaths of B'wana Beast and the Doom Patrol. The tone of the series was addressed in the episode "Legends of the Dark Mite!", when Bat-Mite broke the fourth wall to read out this 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's roots 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 the Brave 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 their Golden and Silver Age incarnations. While the show has featured major heroes such as the Green Lantern and the Flash, it consistently focused on the lesser-known individuals that portrayed the heroes, such as Guy Gardner and Jay Garrick, rather than the more popular, better known Hal Jordan or Barry Allen,[21] until Barry appeared in the second-season episode "Requiem for a Scarlet Speedster!" (though this episode centers around Kid Flash and Jay Garrick) while Hal appeared in the first-season episode "The Eyes of Despero!" as well as the third-season episode "The Scorn of Star Sapphire". In the episode "Bat-Mite Presents: Batman's Strangest Cases!", Batman even teamed up with Scooby-Doo and the Mystery, Inc. gang to defeat the Joker and the Penguin in a retelling of the two similar crossovers from The New Scooby-Doo Movies.

Additionally, Batman's alter 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 confronts Joe Chill.[22] From this episode onwards, whenever Bruce Wayne appears, his face is no longer silhouetted.

Crew

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Home media

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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, via Warner 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 other media

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Comic book

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Main article: Batman: The Brave and the Bold (comics)

In January 2009, the first issue of Batman: 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, including Matt Wayne, J. Torres and Landry Walker.

Certain characters such as Superman, Wonder Woman, Captain Marvel Jr. and Mary Marvel made appearances in the comic prior to actually appearing in the show, while other characters, such as Power Girl, Kid Eternity, Brother Power and Angel 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 (notably Katana and Talia al Ghul and The Doom Patrol and Damian Wayne) do not match up with their television counterparts, something that Brave and the Bold director Ben Jones stated stems from the comic artists not being given character reference sheets from the show's producers.[33]

The Batman: The Brave and the Bold comic series began selling in the UK on March 11, 2010, published by Titan Magazines.

In late 2010, the series was relaunched as The All-New Batman: The Brave and the Bold, with the new creative team of Sholly Fisch and Rick Burchett. In order 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.

Crossovers

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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 recruits Scooby-Doo and his friends to take on a threat posed by villains of Batman.

The Batman: The Brave and the Bold incarnation of Batman appears in the 2017 episode, "The Academy", of Teen Titans Go! via archival footage.

Video games

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Soundtracks

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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.TitleLyricsMusicPerformed byLength
1."Batman: The Brave and the Bold Theme"  Andy Sturmer0:32
2."I'm the Music Meister"James TuckerMichael McCuistionNeil Patrick Harris, John DiMaggio, James Arnold Taylor, Kevin Michael Richardson, Dee Bradley Baker and Grey DeLisle5:54
3."Drives Us Bats"Michael JelenicLolita RitmanisNeil Patrick Harris and Various Artists1:46
4."If Only"Michael JelenicLolita RitmanisNeil Patrick Harris and Grey DeLisle2:35
5."Death Trap"James TuckerKristopher CarterNeil Patrick Harris and Grey DeLisle1:49
6."The World Is Mine"Michael JelenicKristopher CarterNeil Patrick Harris, Grey DeLisle, Jeff Bennett and Various Artists3:34
7."If Only (Reprise)"Michael JelenicLolita RitmanisGrey DeLisle and James Arnold Taylor2:03
8."Drives Us Bats (Mayhem of the Music Meister End Credits)"Michael JelenicLolita Ritmanis 0:31

The main theme has also been included on The Music of DC Comics: 75th Anniversary Collection soundtrack.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c "Full cast and crew for "Batman: The Brave and the Bold"". Internet Movie Database. Retrieved November 9, 2008.
  2. ^ Harvey, James (October 31, 2008). "Cartoon Network Announces "Batman: The Brave And The Bold" Timeslot Change". Retrieved November 9, 2008.
  3. ^ a b c d "Animation News Discussion Cartoon Community – toonzone news – Toon Zone News Interviews the Brave and Bold James Tucker!". News.toonzone.net. Archived from the original on March 30, 2009. Retrieved 2011-01-02.
  4. ^ Dan Iverson (July 23, 2010). "SDCC 10: The Joker Finally Kills Batman – TV News at IGN". Tv.ign.com. Retrieved January 2, 2011.
  5. ^ G-Man (July 24, 2010). "Comic-Con: Brave and the Bold & Young Justice Panel". Comic Vine. Archived from the original on July 27, 2010. Retrieved July 26, 2010.
  6. ^ "Scooby-Doo! and Batman: The Brave and the Bold Trailer Debut and Movie Details". IGN. October 30, 2017. Archived from the original on April 4, 2023.
  7. ^ Harvey, James (April 10, 2008). "Bader Confirmed As Batman For "Batman: The Brave And The Bold"". The World's Finest. Archived from the original on December 6, 2008. Retrieved November 9, 2008.
  8. ^ "The World's Finest – Batman: The Brave and the Bold".
  9. ^ a b c "Interview with John DiMaggio".
  10. ^ a b c "Interview with James Tucker".
  11. ^ a b "Interview with Michael Jelenic".
  12. ^ "CC2010: Batman- The Brave and the Bold Interview with Andrea Romano | ComicsOnline 2010". Comicsonline.com. July 31, 2010. Archived from the original on August 8, 2010. Retrieved January 2, 2011.
  13. ^ a b "The World's Finest – Batman: The Brave and the Bold".
  14. ^ "Animated Shorts – The Voice of CN's Batman Talks Season 2". Newsarama.com. Retrieved January 2, 2011.
  15. ^ "Comics Continuum article".
  16. ^ "Wil Wheaton Twitter". Twitter. April 14, 2008. Retrieved November 9, 2008.
  17. ^ "Comics Continuum by Rob Allstetter: Tuesday, August 25, 2009". Comics Continuum. August 28, 2009.
  18. ^ a b "Comics Continuum Article".
  19. ^ "Comics Continuum article".
  20. ^ Phegley, Kiel (November 6, 2008). "Directing Batman: The Brave & The Bold". TV/Film. Comic Book Resources. Archived from the original on November 17, 2008. Retrieved November 9, 2008.
  21. ^ a b Phegley, Kiel (November 4, 2008). "Making Batman Braver and Bolder". TV/Film. Comic Book Resources. Archived from the original on November 17, 2008. Retrieved November 9, 2008.
  22. ^ a b Murphy, Joel (November 14, 2008). "One on One with Diedrich Bader". TV/Film. HoboTrashcan. Retrieved November 9, 2008.
  23. ^ Worley, Rob (October 27, 2008). "BATMAN THE BRAVE AND THE BOLD – Rise of the Blue Beetle". TV/Film. Mania. Archived from the original on August 21, 2009. Retrieved May 1, 2009.
  24. ^ "Worlds Finest Online". Worlds Finest Online. Retrieved January 2, 2011.
  25. ^ "Batman: The Brave and the Bold – Season One, Part One: Batman, Green Arrow: Movies & TV". Amazon. August 17, 2010. Retrieved January 2, 2011.
  26. ^ ""Batman: The Brave And The Bold – Season One, Part One" DVD Now Available". Worldsfinestonline.com. Retrieved January 2, 2011.
  27. ^ "Batman: The Brave And The Bold Season One Part Two DVD – Warner Bros.: WBshop.com – The Official Online Store of Warner Bros. Studios". WBshop.com. Archived from the original on January 3, 2011. Retrieved January 2, 2011.
  28. ^ "Batman: The Brave And The Bold Season Two Part One DVD – Warner Bros.: WBshop.com – The Official Online Store of Warner Bros. Studios". WBshop.com. Archived from the original on October 12, 2011. Retrieved April 30, 2011.
  29. ^ "Batman: The Brave and the Bold – 'Season 2, Part 2' DVDs Announced: Date, Cost, Contents and Art". November 30, 2011. Archived from the original on December 4, 2011.
  30. ^ "Batman: The Brave and the Bold DVD news: Announcement for Batman: The Brave and the Bold – Season 3 Complete". TVShowsOnDVD.com. Archived from the original on July 4, 2012. Retrieved June 25, 2012.
  31. ^ "Batman: The Brave and the Bold - 'Season 1' Blu-ray Plans Confirmed Today at Comic Con". TVShowsonDVD.com. Archived from the original on July 22, 2013. Retrieved July 19, 2013.
  32. ^ a b "Batman: The Brave and the Bold DVD news: Update about Batman: The Brave and the Bold – Season 3 Complete". TVShowsOnDVD.com. Archived from the original on June 19, 2012. Retrieved June 25, 2012.
  33. ^ IdiotStyle. "Do you know if the creators of the BATB comic are given character references or anything? I ask because the artist did a spectacular issue with Talia al Ghul as the lead villain, and she looked nothing like her tv counterpart. | Formspring". Formspring.me. Archived from the original on July 30, 2012. Retrieved April 8, 2011.
  34. ^ "BATMAN: THE BRAVE AND THE BOLD Becomes World's Fisch-est". Newsarama.com. Retrieved April 8, 2011.
  35. ^ "Streets of Gotham: Full Throttle". Dcbeyond.kidswb.com. Archived from the original on February 2, 2011. Retrieved January 10, 2011.
  36. ^ "Film music | movie music| film score | Batman the Brave and the Bold - Kristopher Carter - Michael McCuistion - Lolita Ritmanis - Limited Edition". Archived from the original on February 11, 2018. Retrieved October 7, 2014.
  37. ^ "Batman: The Brave and the Bold: Mayhem of the Music Meister! Soundtrack". Amazon.com. New Line Records. October 24, 2009. Retrieved January 2, 2011.
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