Season 2 of Batman: The Brave and the Bold is now underway. Warner Bros. kicked off the season with an interesting episode that reminds myself of a old Hanna Barbera cartoon, Wacky Races. Tiggerbrown and rhine1784 reviewed the show, so let's see what rating it gets.
Review: Batman: The Brave and the Bold
Death Race to Oblivion
Synopsis: Heroes and villains are forced to race each other in order to save the world from destruction by Mongul.
The teaser reveals the mindless aggressive “Blockbuster” against the Caped Crusader as he and Captain Marvel team up to foil his museum master plan. SHAZAM!
Ladies and Gentlemen….START YOUR ENGINES!! In episode 1 for Season 2, the BMBATB starts out Mad Max/Wacky Races style. The evil and tyrannical alien Mongul with the help of his artificial planet weapon “War Moon” puts the heroes and villains to epic test. They must race each other for the savior of planet earth. Batman, Plastic man, Catwoman, the Joker, Black Manta, the Green Arrow and many others join in on the ultimate race, survivor style. As friend and foe race against the champion Steppenwolf, the War Moon slowly begins to house the drivers who aren’t so lucky.
This is the exact sort of episode which makes BTBTB so wonderful. The story line and characters within are absolutely a perfect fit for this series. We do get to see a slightly different side of Batman, “When it comes to protecting Gotham, I have no friends”. Season 2 is definitely off with a bang and the quality is superb.
BTBTB: Death Race to Oblivion:
Reviewed by rhine1784
Next we move on to Tiggerbrown's review.
Review: Batman: The Brave and the Bold
Death Race to Oblivion
Do you remember the movie Death Race 2000? Jason Statham starred in the 2008 remake of the much cooler 1975 cult classic with David Carradine and Sylvester Stallone. When I read the title to the season two premiere of BTBTB I thought to myself, “Man, they’re getting serious.” But Dustin called it in the preview, this more like the cartoon Wacky Races than a high octane, blood and guts action film.
There’s no Penelope Pitstop or Muttly here, but the campy cast of DC heroes and villains do their best to ham it up. The story is pretty basic: Mongol transports a group of heroes and villains to a barren desert where he forces them to race against Steppenwolf for control of the Earth or be executed. Using a weapon called the Warmoon; Mongol threatens the home city of each hero and the entire world. Batman, Green Arrow, Huntress, Joker, Catwoman and others all get their vehicles primed for the race to save the Earth. If you’re not familiar with the classic 60’s cartoon Dustin was comparing this to, think Cannonball Run but with super heroes. Just a side note; if WB had decided to make a live action Batman feature film instead of Superman in 1978, Burt Reynolds may have easily become the face of the Dark Knight. Pretty scary thought, isn’t it?
The episode works best when played for laughs. The Joker shines in the role of comic relief playing the commentator as well as getting in some site gags such as using a giant whoopee cushion to put Black Manta out of the race. I also liked the decision to include Woozy Winks, Plastic Man’s oafish sidekick. His very 1940’s depiction fits perfectly with the old school tone of the episode. The more dramatic plot elements are where the episode drops the ball. For example, having Batman pretend to be ruthless in his attempt to win the race at the expense of the lives of the other drivers was unconvincing for any fan of the Caped Crusader. Even Mongol should know better! I suppose if your only introduction to Batman is from this series, the rivalry between Green Arrow and Batman may have convinced you.
The production value, animation and acting were all up to the usual high standard. While he’s no Mark Hamill, Jeff Bennett stands out above the rest as the Joker. I much prefer this throwback to the Dailies style than the attempted modernization in The Batman.
I also continue to like the BTBTB version of the Huntress. This incarnation may be the series’ most intriguing female character. I hope she is featured again.
I leave the prelude to last. Captain Marvel is one of my favorite all time super heroes. Billy Batson and the World’s Mightiest Mortal are portrayed true to the Whiz comic’s original characters, much more so than in the Clash episode of Justice League Unlimited (Although it was still pretty spectacular!). My only criticism is that his appearance was far too short. If there is one character that would fit this series to a tee, it is The Big Red Cheese! I’ll keep my fingers crossed for a full length Batman and Captain Marvel team-up.
Overall this episode had its comedic moments, but isn’t exactly the direction I was hoping for after last season’s finale or the Music Meister.
BTBTB: Death Race to Oblivion:
Reviewed by Tiggerbrown
Overall, I would have to agree more with Tiggerbrown. The episode was enjoyable and reminded me of a cartoon from my childhood, but there was nothing special that would make me remember the episode a couple of months from now. Let's hope the the season two episodes have more and better things in store for us.
Posted by Dustin
First of all let me get this out of the way. The inclusion of Deadman, aka Boston Brand, in Blackest Night Batman dilutes this story. Yes, I know he has history in the Batman comics and all these Blackest Night comics have a team up of one type or another, but please, you don’t think there is enough darkness, pain, grief and remorse between Dick Grayson, Damian, and Tim Drake to carry this story by themselves?
Ok, thanks for indulging me. I think I’ve got that out of my system. Fortunately, Deadman drops a nice clue about Batman’s skull later in the story that is very intriguing and I will get to that later.
Our story opens in a rain soaked graveyard that Dick compares to a “damn battlefield” as we saw in the IGN teaser page from last week. Dick and Damian bear witness to the destruction that was once the resting place of Bruce Wayne’s parents and supposedly the final resting place of Wayne himself. (Did anyone else notice that Bruce’s skeleton is without clothes?) Dick solemnly prepares to bring the remains to the bunker under Wayne Tower. The scene as laid out by Peter Tomasi and penciled by Ardian Syaf is exceptional. The black borders surrounding each rain filled panel deepens the grim nature of the task at hand. It is a haunting tableau.
The story shifts to the pain being felt by Boston Brand aka Deadman. Apparently Brand can sense what is going on including the impending initiation of his own remains into the ranks of the Black Lanterns. Try as he might, Deadman’s efforts to stop his bones from joining the corp are fruitless and he is faced with not only the horrors he has faced in his life but those that are to come. It is interesting to see his Black Lantern self totally ignore Deadman and fly off. Perhaps you have to be a loved one or close ally to be attacked by a Black Lantern. (Editor’s Note: No one can ever see or be affected by Deadman unless he inhabit their body.)
Meanwhile, 25,000 feet in the air Gotham’s most dangerous dead are being transported to safe keeping by the government to Washington where the JLA can keep an eye on them. But the black rings citing their need for “flesh” have a different idea and rapidly turn that craft and its crew into Swiss cheese. In a moments notice the black rings find their mark and we are treated to a rogue’s galley of cadaverous criminals. The single page splash of Gotham’s newest nightmare is terrific. KGBeast, Magpie, King Snake, [Blockbuster, Deacon Blackfire, The Trigger Twins, and Abattoir] make their way through the night sky as the answer the call to “Rise!” The best incarnation of which is Arnold Wesker aka, The Ventriloquist, with his black ring constructs the puppet, “Scarface.” Brilliant.
The action returns to streets of Gotham where Damian and Dick are returning to Wayne Tower with their precious cargo. The ever nettlesome Damian laments that it “sucks” that he never could fulfill his “rightful place” along side the Bruce Wayne Batman. (Should I cut Damian some slack just because he is ten? Nah!) Patiently, our newly minted Batman, Dick Grayson, informs Damian that the opposite is actually true and he is living his dream. I ask you all to take note of this passage. I think not only is Dick speaking to Damian but to all of us. Credit goes to Peter Tomasi for reminding us that there is only one Batman now and he IS Dick Grayson. Judd Winick has been getting a lot of flak for his interpretation of the new Caped Crusader. Perhaps we should cut him some slack and see how this all turns out.
Equally important is Dick’s ensuing lecture to Damian about death and fear. Damian is trying to get his head around it all and Dick reminds him that we all walk that razor’s edge of a tightrope between life and death. No one is immune for the inevitability of death. It is life’s lessons that prepare us for the transitions we all face such as, in Dick’s case, a new costume and a new family. A nice piece of writing Peter Tomasi.
Unfortunately this little party is crashed by the out of the loop Deadman. “Grayson’s Batman?!” “Bruce is dead?!” And, “just who the hell are you kid?!” Deadman cries as he occupies the body of Batman. In response, Deadman gets two crushing lefts to the jaw from Robin as the Batmobile careens off the road. Damain explodes with anger and demands to know what has happened to Dick. Aw, and I thought the little punk didn’t care. He does.
This is also where we get that nice little nugget about Bruce’s skull. And I quote, “Black Hand’s got Wayne’s skull—He’s licking it—Putting a cowl of Black energy over” SKRAK! Damian ends that little speech with a left. A lot has been made of the Bruce Wayne skull. Many insist it has bat ears. Well, the skull itself doesn’t have the bat ears. It is this cowl of energy that Black Hand is placing over it. Apparently this skull is important enough to Black Hand to transform it into some type of spectral incarnation of Batman to what purposes we still know not of. This must be important to the whole Blackest Night storyline and I can’t wait to see what it is.
Deadman shifts gears and leaps into the body of Damian explaining to Dick the significance of the Black rings and the dead. Like a true detective Batman works it out right away and speeds off to the nearest site of a loved one’s resting place. Ominously, the rain blackened headstones of the Graysons and the Drakes are shown to us. As Deadman prattles on to Dick about Damian’s issues, Black Lantern rings penetrate the sacred ground with horrifying results. The next set of pages are black bordered again deepening the appalling sight of John and Mary Grayson rising from the dead as Black Lanterns. Poignantly, their hands are still entwined mocking the love the two took to the grave together. Soon after, the dead fists of Jack and Janet Drake punch their way through the soil to answer the call to RISE! Batman beseeches Deadman to exit Damian’s body before he kills him and Deadman calls out in agony that, “they need to feed” and “Black Lanterns, Black Lanterns!”
As our heroic trio rush to the Drake burial place where they are met with an empty hole. Immediately, Dick calls the new Red Robin, Tim Drake, and delivers the grim news. At first Tim is put off until he hears the awful truth and he agrees to come home right away. (Dick, Damian and Tim together? Awesome.) The last page of this book is a full pager where Deadman, Batman, and Robin look over an apocalyptic night sky. Deadly lightning bolts stab at Gotham city while a shattered Bat signal replete with bodies stretches into the darkness. In an understatement Damian says, we’re probably gonna need all the help we can get.” (Shades of Roy Scheiders’s character from Jaws, Chief Martin Brody upon seeing the shark deadpanning, “your gonna need a bigger boat.”) No kidding!
I was going to give this story a three out of five Batarangs because of the inclusion of Deadman. Even though he gave us the “cowl of black energy” clue. Like I said earlier, Dick, Damian, and Tim have experienced enough heartache to fill ten bat caves. Instead, I’m going to give it a four. What Peter Tomasi has given us, more than assisted by Syaf, Dell, and Cifuentes, is a parable of life, death, family, and off times, the painful baggage we accumulate along the way. It is these hard lessons that prepare us and shape us into the people we become and the bitter turning points that confront us all.
Well done team. I eagerly anticipate the next chapter.
Blackest Night: Batman #1:
Reviewed by Dark Knight Dave