If you missed my last WAWI on Grimm, you can find it here.
It’s well known I am a DC fan, so I love DC cartoons. Batman is the one that has the most cartoons, I think. I could be wrong, though. That aside, my favorite Batman cartoon is Brave and the Bold. It has been years since I watched it. It premiered on November 18, 2008, and ended on November 18, 2011. While at the time, my son’s favorite superhero was Spiderman, he loved Brave and the Bold. He loved Scooby-Doo at the time, too, so I got to watch lots of good cartoons as my kids were growing, but I digress.
Batman, The Brave and the Bold has so many heroes go through it. We see Plastic Man, Green Arrow, Speedy, and Aquaman, to name a few. Oh my Goddess, is Aquaman stupid in this! I do mean he is stupid. Some of the time, it is comical, most of the time, it is cringy. What he lacks in intelligence, though, he makes up for in heart and bravery. One of the best episodes with him in it is in the first season.
In the best episode with Aquaman, Batman gets sick in a fight, and there is no medicine for it. If something isn’t done, it means doom for Bats. Aquaman with Atom shrinks down and enters Batman’s bloodstream. Because of Aquaman’s ability to talk to water creatures and get them to do his bidding, he is able to get a that he names Platelet to carry them where they need to go. I guess that makes sense because humans are something like 70% water? What is your opinion on that? It seems far-fetched to me, but in the interest of the story, I went with it. Obviously, they were victorious, but it was funny. Especially Atom’s exasperation.
This Batman has a lot more humor, in my opinion. Batman himself is funnier. Or at least a bit more lighthearted. Not to say he is happy or not serious, he is still somber and pensive, but he is more verbally compassionate. For example, still in the first season (I binge-watched the show for you), when Aquaman loses his optimism and jolliness, Batman gives him a pep talk. It was kind and heartfelt. It wasn’t Batman just telling him to snap out of it.
We see loads of villains too. Of course, there is the Joker. Jeff Bennett voices Joker in the majority of the part of the world it is shown. Keiji Fujiwara voices him in the Japanese version. I was disappointed to learn that it wasn’t Mark Hamill that voiced him in my research for this article. I more recently learned that Mark Hamill has voiced Joker many times, so I thought maybe here too, but nope. Aside from Joker, we see Brainiac, Gentleman Ghost, Catwoman, Poison Ivy, Owlman, and many more.
In Brave and the Bold, Batman goes through portals to other Earths, dimensions, and other planets and more. He helps the Green Lantern Corps and teams up with a bunch of other Batmen (Batmans?). He goes back in time and meets Jonah Hex and so many other adventures. There is magic and mayhem, and I love it.
Overall this is a much more lighthearted Batman cartoon. I was good with letting the kids watch this. Some of the more recent cartoons I wouldn’t want my kids watching them if they were small. The newer ones are better for teens and adults. Batman The Animated Series was good, too, as was Batman Beyond. Brave and the Bold has always been my favorite, though. Maybe because my son and I would snuggle and watch it, or maybe the show itself, or the combination of the two. Whatever the reason, it rocks. Have you watched it? What are your thoughts? Let me know in the comments below. Before we go, though, what is the plural of Batman? Batmen? Batmans? Until next time, have fun storming the castle.
