Random. Helps sell the tragedy and senseless of the Wayne murders. And really, simplicity is best for it. Also, depending on the story, it might help explain why Bruce is so obsessive about being Batman and why he helped train Dick: so he'd actually get justice for his family.
I'll have to go with random, somehow it feels more impactful to me. It does a great job showing how bad Gotham really is and how Batman is needed to protect all the people in the city no matter if it's a billionaire, or some kid on the street. Not just some looming conspiracy taking out specific targets who actively got in their way. It shows how it's not necessarily a clear choice for everyone, how crime can hit anyone and change their life forever, and how bad Gotham really is. To me the conspiracy/ court of owls take away from how the Wayne murder really shows the decline of the city, since Thomas and Martha chose to put themselves in the crossfire in the conspiracy version. Even more so in the court of owls than the mafia one.
Honestly, I think Chill being a nobody who murdered the Waynes out of desperation or a hitman the mafia hired because Thomas was an obstacle in their operations are two equally fascinating and poetic possibilities. In fact, I really liked how "the Batman" played with both possible cases
True, both iterations of the killer are fascinating, but I personally like the one where the killer was simply a thug who wanted fast cash, but a scuffle resulted in the murder. The reason I like this is that it really isn't a big mystery of criminal masterminds who intentionally targeted them but it was just a man acting out of desperation that was bred from the corruption of Gotham, which the Waynes were too busy enjoying their lavish lifestyles to notice and it cost their lives (seriously, why would any rich family go in public places without bodyguards and walk down a dark alley without precautions). Bruce broke that cycle of carelessness and fought to make a difference (it's poetic because the chaos of Gotham caused a catalyst that created Batman, therefore balancing itself out)
The tragedy of Batman comes from him trying to punch away his trauma instead of ever addressing it. As the face of Batman's trauma, Joe Chill always works best when he represents something Batman CAN'T just punch into submission. Sometimes he represents the shadowy, untouchable power of the one percent, other times he's the complex socioeconomic systems that lead to desperate crime, or simply a meaningless tragedy with no greater meaning behind it.
I think there is a frustration for Bruce with his parent's murder being a random happenstance. In a way it is demeaning to their death. Takes him down to the level of the everyday person. People die all the time because of nonsensical reasons. It's hardly ever a grand orchestrated plan put in place because of someone's importance.
"That was a lifetime ago!" "Yes! MY LIFETIME!" Chill's face upon realizing who Batman is is very fascinating and poetic. At that moment, he realized the consequences of his selfish acts and that now is the time to reap what he sowed...
Diedrich Bader, Kevin Conroy, and Adam West all in one episode, plus Mark Hamill, Jennifer Hale & Julie Newmar to boot… this episode is so STACKED voice acting cast wise
I love the imagery of Martha Wayne being dressed in a butterfly costume as a nod to " The Butterfly Effect" of their deaths having set Batman's destiny into motion. 🤔🦋
ichard Moll, Jeff Bennett, and the man who played Joe Chill, Peter Onorati, all performed on Batman and DC shows as well with Moll being the most memorable and Bennett the most prolific among the trio
Bruce suddenly hugging his mother out of pure instinct was the most heartbreaking part of the episode, especially if we consider that Batman is the non-metahuman hero with the greatest capacity for emotional self-control. At that moment, he briefly became again the boy who died in the crime alley
Bruce did missed the feeling or sensation of hugging his Mother and Bruce felt safe when being held by his Mother the same for any child who ever felt safe in the arms of their Mother and Father
He's Batman to begin with because he never stopped being the boy from crime alley. He's mentally frozen in that moment, refusing to move on from it. It's what motivates him. When Batman says his iconic phrase "I am Vengeance, I am The Night, I am Batman!" that's what he's referring to. He fights to avenge his parents, and to avenge Gotham from the corruption that caused their deaths to begin with. He is the hope for a better tomorrow that Gotham needs, the one thing stopping some other kid with their parents walking down a dark alley from suffering the same loss he did.
@Crow_Rising, this is all true, but the writers some times play around with it. Like when Batman had the chance to either save his parents or save his son Damian, and he chose Damian. They are sometimes desperate to reinvent the wheel and to change everything.
I love the imagery of Martha Wayne being dressed in a butterfly costume as a nod to " The Butterfly Effect" of they're deaths having set Batman's destiny into motion.🤔🦋
This is why I love "the Brave and the Bold". It could be silly and campy like the 60's show, but also dark and tragic like the 90's cartoon. The fact both tones combined worked perfectly shows how underrated this masterpiece is
I love that while they emphasized DC Silver Age they werent afraid to pull from all eras. Mister Mind's butterfly form from 52, the armor from Dark Knight Returns, etc.
The last song from Holy Musical Batman got me thinking about what kind of Justice League show I'd want to see and I realized I kind of want to see a new Super Friends. I like the "long lost brothers who found each other and love each other like family", "super friends, super bros with super hearts and super souls", "fortress of friendship" vibe that last song has. If someone found a way to mash all that into something that feels like a Brave and the Bold for the Super Friends I would love it. Just enjoying every characters history with a light-hearted but 100% sincere love and tying it together with a team that builds each other up.
We had perhaps one of the most depressing rendition of the death of Batmans parents, smack dab in the middle of a Christmas episode of Batman vs. robot Santa's.
The angel and devil trope might be useful, but I think having the characters voiced by a previous incarnation of Batman and his archnemesis still packs the right punch. Episodes like this and a few others can really illustrate how, even for a show with much more silver age routes and lighter tone, when you hit the darker notes so rarely, that in finally doing so, you can still tell a quality story.
Deidrich Bader is very underrated as Batman He is excellent for both comedic and fun scenes as shown throughout both this and the Harley show but can definitely pull a more dramatic and serious version of the character when needed
@@nivekian Bruce: But if you think I'm too weak to get back out there and I'll fail, just say it. Alfred: You're too weak and will fail. Bruce: I'm strong, and will succeed!
"In the Chill of the Night" was one of the greatest episodes created! Paul Dini was behind the amazing writing, and it serves as an anniversary episode to Batman as Joe Chill's boss was played by Two-Face( Richard Moll), Bruce's father ( Adam West) and finally, Gentleman Ghost and Spectre played by Mark Hamill AND Kevin Conroy!!!!❤
Really loved that Moll even reprised his role as Two-Face in the episode too! One of the rare times a BTAS voice actor reprised their role outside that series.
Something I really love is that line at the end of “Batman may die but Bruce Wayne never will” because in other Batman stories it’s always interpreted the other way around. There’s this prevailing idea between audiences and writers that Batman is the real identity and Bruce is the disguise, it was refreshing to see this show take a new stance. Because the show is right you can stop Bruce from being Batman in many ways but Bruce’s mission to make the world a better place is the thing that will never die. What makes Batman so interesting is that he is fundamentally human, he’s not a symbol above the people he protects, he IS one of them. He isn’t an all powerful spirit of vengeance, he’s a man who experienced one of the worst things a child could ever go through and has dedicated his life to make sure that doesn’t happen to anyone else. And that past trauma continues to deeply affect him to this day. To me that’s a more interesting dichotomy than the whole idea that “Bruce Wayne died that night and Batman was born”
@@Hakar17 See this argument has a pretty big flaw and that is that it goes off the assumption that all writers over the entire existence of the Batman character agree about these things. So sure due to its popularity its what DC is currently going with. But Brave and the Bold pulls heavily from Golden to Bronze age and Batman as the real identity isn't the usual way he was written prior to the dark age. Beside that is the Lasso of WW also prone to inconsistencies as writers often can't agree if its pulls the true truth out of someone or what they think the truth is which is a big difference.
By far Brave and the Bold’s best episode of them all. And getting Kevin Conroy, Mark Hamill, Richard Moll, Adam West and Julie Newmar to voice the supporting cast didn’t hurt either.
@@rynobehnke8289 And that it worked was even more impressive. Also making the Faceless Hunter a cool villain is also a feat. Goes to show that good writing and direction is key.
I think it's really important for people like Joe Chill to be just "some guy". I agree that it's one of the few things that enable Bruce to relate to the ordinary people of Gotham. Pretty major part of being Batman.
Ooooh, talk about the "dead Barry" episode! How sad the Rouges were gives me a tear and a chuckle every time. And the line about Geezer Flash, priceless. lol
The part that I always find darkly amusing is the Spectre's reaction at the end, the outcome wasn't what he vouched for verbally, but if you know who he is in the comics, Chill getting his comeuppance the way he did is something right up Spectre's alley. Or at least getting close to it. He didn't turn Chill in to cheese...
Speaking of that usually light show going surprisingly hard. The cold open where the Spectre does that is one of the most purely horrific (and very Spectre) scenes in any DC TV adaptation. When the freed rats approach, and immobile cheese-Milo *whimpers*... Rated Y7, ladies and gentlemen! Onward to the talking gorillas!
I like to think Chill's Cosmic number was up and Spectre was ironically giving Batman the right to avenge himself... Chill was never gonna survive the night either way
Batman the Brave and the Bold is usually remembered for how campy it is, but it could also go to dark places. It's kind of shocking just how many superheroes die on screen in this show, and those moments are usually treated very seriously.
I always loved it whenever previous Batman actors would return to the Batman myths in other roles. The fact that the majority of the guest actors in this episode are Batman "royalty" makes this one of my favorite BTBATB episodes.
This show is just perfect level of "camp/Silver age sillyness" and modern sensibilities. I honestly think it's a truer version of the DC universe then any adaptation before including the DCAU.
I like to think of BTBATB as the silver age to the DCAU's bronze (and Super Friend's gold). All good in their own ways, but best when you can enjoy them all together.
@@juststatedtheobvious9633 True. I was mostly thinking storytelling/structure wise, as an early experimental days kind of thing. In tone it's more like there are 2 comic cartoon silver ages (unless you want to count the live action serials. Those feel a lot more golden age to me in terms of content. Still a bit campy though).
I consider the first Superman episode to be one of the best Brave and The Bold had. Not so much for the story, but for the insane amount of references in it. Really anyone who is a fan of looking at the covers of random issues of Jimmy Olson can feel validated.
I always tell people if they want a distillation of Silver Age Superman in 22 minutes (with time for a Dark Knight Returns pastiche!), watch that episode. "The Super-Batman of Planet X" also has that energy, including bringing back the Superman TAS voice cast as their Zur-En-Arrh counterparts.
It’s interesting that this version of Batman holds his Bruce Wayne identity in high regard when Spectre says Batman will end if Chill lives to reveal his identity, considering most version don’t cherish it as Wayne is a front to his real identity.
It's pulled the Batman forever "Poor Edward. I had to save them both. You see, I'm both Bruce Wayne and Batman. Not because I have to be. Now... because I choose to be."
I feel like this Batman is further along in his development than most of the on screen versions. As he matures and his bonds with other people get stronger he tends to put more into both his identities. After a while it stops being one or the other. Batman is Bruce Wayne and Bruce Wayne is Batman. Inseparable and complete. Funny thing is, Superman has the same development but backwards. Superman was a tool for Clark, but gained his own connections and identities to the point Clark couldn't separate himself from either side.
I mentioned this last Brave and the Bold show video but man this was my Batman growing up. Really my intro to the more obscure DC. I recently rewatched The Final Patrol and that's another one where they fully adapted the comic it was based on and didn't shy away from the death and darker elements of the Doom Patrol.
I got into Batman and comics way before this show came out. I had burned out on the edgy Batman and X-Men style and just wanted to have fun watching something comic related again. Then I saw this show and it hit at just the right time. I binged the whole thing in a couple of day and now it's in my heart as a great detox show like the 90s Lois and Clark or Avengers EMH.
Another thing Brave and The Bold should be commended for is introducing a whole generation to some more obscure comic characters like the Phantom Stranger, the Spectre and the Metal Men.
You're going in deep into Brave and the Bold, and i'm all here for it, the show gets overlooked most times, but we do get people who rightfully gush about it, like this episode goes hard. Not only does this does a great Bruce Wayne reveal, it's one of the few episodes without "a big team up" in it. I do like the one Reverse Flash episode (surprise surprise), where he was voiced by John Wesley Shipp, 90's Barry Allen from the series, and now famously known for being Henry Allen and Jay Garrick in then DC CW Universe.
I say this epsiode still had a "big team up" just not in the classical sense of the series. Bruce after all both got to team up with his dad and he was pared up for the whole story with Phantom Stranger and Spector.
William Dunn, whose comment you excerpted in your piece, did indeed work on the show. He supervised the background color paint and helped art direct the show. He was a huge part of the show's look and appeal.
Joe Chill being the one to ALMOST make Batman break his rule is probably singlehandedly the most "Batman" thing ever done with, well, Batman. Batman is nothing if not stubborn, taking his rule to the point where sometimes even his allies turn against him because of it. Joker couldn't make him break it, Red Hood couldn't make him break it, but Joe Chill, the very man who killed Batman's parents... Batman even if only for a brief moment considering breaking that rule, revealing his identity as if to say "You're not leaving this room" in this episode is one of the most chilling moments in Batman history. He truly became the spirit of vengeance returned to haunt Chill even if for but a moment. The fact he decided to spare him also speaks volumes about how stubborn Batman is regarding his rule. Joker would have a field day if he ever found out that Batman briefly had the mind of a killer. The knowledge that Batman wasn't quite as unbreakable as he wanted others to believe would be the most dangerous information Joker ever learned.
I also like that Hamill as the Spectre is getting to channel his version of Emperor Palpatine in his performance, almost like he is tempting Bruce to the dark side. Diedrich Bader was incredible as Batman, and I put him just behind Kevin Conroy and Bruce Greenwood.
I think the death of the Waynes should be a random act of violence. In fact, one thing I liked about Three Jokers is how they portrayed Chill as a sick old man at death's door who actually regretted murdering Thomas and Martha. Having Batman uncover some big evil conspiracy to murder his parents feels too easy. Having it so it was just some guy who later dies of an illness and regrets his actions means Bruce has to deal with some complex emotions.
This episode really made me want to have a Spectre animated series based on the 70s stories. But alas, WB has no entrepreneurial spirit no matter who owns WB.
I do love how the angel and devil on Bruce’s shoulder were voiced by the previous batman & joker, it brings a sort of META to the battle for Bruce’s soul as he struggles to listen to the voice of justice, the voice of vengeance and what he wants. And like you said, THIS being the moment that Bruce unmasks himself, acknowledging the man beneath the mask in a series that mostly ever followed him with the mask on was such a beautiful choice and one that I believe they made deliberately. I wouldn’t be surprised if in pre production this episode was written in the bunch with season 1 and they reserved the face reveal for this episode
This episode has everything I love about this channel: Batman; comics history; solid analysis; insightful commentary; an inclusive appeal to everyone to take a look and enjoy anyway they want; and a presenter to honestly loves what and to who she’s speaking.
1940s: Batman’s parents were victim of happenstance. Much later: Batman’s parents were murdered by a secret society manipulating the fate of the city. Now: Here’s the evil god who has been manipulating Batman’s life and bloodline since time immemorial. Also, here’s the Batman Who Laughs. What?
I remember reading a graphic novel that had both Bruce's father technically being the first "batman" with that costume as well as Joe chill being gunned down by his own men after he blurted out that he made batman. It was held together in the narrative that someone knew who Batman was and was threatening his existance
it's such a shame that this series gets overlooked so often, it's so good! it might not be as iconic as the 90s series, but it's still worth checking out imo. they also did a Scooby-Doo crossover, and it's god tier tbh.
Love that, even when Sasha covers an adaptation instead of an actual comic book, we still get notes on specific comics we could read for better context.
I'm absolutely loving that you're finally getting to Batman: The Brave and the Bold. Personally, rather than recommend an episode to look at, I'd love it if you could do a video covering the show's incarnation of Aquaman. Frankly, it's OUTRAGEOUS(!) how the show managed to make a version of Aquaman who found a way to keep stealing the show from Batman in a Batman series. Brave and the Bold Aquaman truly is the best Aquaman.
Brave and the Bold was a wonderful hidden gem of DC animation. It’s the show that broke me out of my phase of only excepting “Dark” iterations of Batman. Definitely deserves more recognition.
Okay, any dive into Brave and the Bold needs to discuss that series finale. Mitefall is one of the most impressive pieces of animation television and satire ever done. It wven references the Chill episode.
I always liked how B&B looks. It looks clean and the colors feels solid. For a long time i thought it was from 2014 or newer then one day i saw an episode that had a 3D model of the Batmobile then i realized it was old
The voice cast alone in this episode is legendary. Especially considering recent deaths, I'd love for this episode to get a special release. Even some theatrical short before a DC movie (it's better than all the ads).
personally the way they did the Bruce/killer confrontation on Gotham (in that series his parents' killer was named Matches Malone but it makes no real difference) is honestly fascinating to me. they did tie Matches in as having been hired to kill the Waynes specifically but in spite of that he himself is still just a common criminal. Having the confrontation between him and Bruce take place while Bruce is still a child too due to the premise of the series gave it alot more heft in my eyes. Instead of testing Batman's code, it was forging his code in front of our eyes and Matches was used as the reason Bruce doesn't kill. It's one of the many very worthwhile things about Gotham
BTB&TB is my favorite Batman series of all time, and it came out just when my kids were old enough to watch it with me. "My era" of comics was 1974-1986 (pre-Crisis Bronze Age) but really goes back to the late 1930s thanks to reprints and special editions that DC released when I was a kid. Lines like "I am the son of..." gave me goosebumps (or, OK, chills) because I felt like I was seeing some of my favorite stories come to life. The series was a great love letter to the Silver Age, and so is Casually Comics. Great content!
One episode I absolutely love is Batman's strangest cases. For one thing it does have Lord Death-Man, who this channel has touched on. And the American toning down of his fate which it acknowledges is fun. But best of all, the team up we didn't know we needed: Batman the Scooby Gang and Weird Al Yankovic. Awesome.
I especially love how that episode actually recreated the look of early Japanese animation for the Batman-manga segment. But also the cold opening of that episode also being an adaption of a mad magazine story fit perfectly into the episodes theme as well.
When I was a kid I got a book from book fair called The Untold Legend of Batman. It was a black and white reprint of these stories from the 70s. So I was so happy to see that exact story adapted into the Brave & the Bold. It was such a great adaptation of one of the first Batman comics I read.
This and The Batman (2004) were my Batman shows as a kid. I remember how little they showed Bruce Wayne's face in this series so much so that I can't readily recall what his face looks like from this series like I can from BTAS or The Batman (2004)
"So, being a hero isn't all that is cracked up to be, but you know what? I'd do it all over again; in a hummingbird's heart" -B'wana Beast -Brave And The Bold
BIG FAN! I loved the Booster Gold stuff, and Blue Beetle (voiced by Will Friedle). I loved that they dug into the goofy elements of Batman's lore, and yet let him be a role model to the "Up and comers" Have you looked at the Deadpool episode of Ultimate Spiderman where Deadpool is PG? Just a thought.
I remember loving this show because it was a batman I could watch with my son at the time due to his age. Fun goofy tone was appreciated during a time where almost all the Batman stuff was too dark for him. We did note a few deeper, edgier bits back then though and this was one of them.
I geeked out hard when this episode aired. Not just for the comic references but the stellar voice cast pulled from so many eras of Batman on TV. This was a true love letter to Batman and I was surprised that it wasn't an anniversary episode.
I first saw this, as a kid, I could never really grasp the full meaning behind the scene, but I really did feel the weight of it. And it’s stuck in my head for many years. Also, I would love an episode based on the music Meister. That one musical episode from brave, and the bold is by far my favorite.
I love this series and one big reason is because of the variety, both in tone and in characters. One episode could be Aquaman going on a family road trip, and another could be an adaptation of Death of the Doom Patrol. My favorite episode though is "Fall of the Blue Beetle!" because it raises some interesting questions about legacy characters, both in-story and in a meta sense. It's a story about Jaime coming to terms with being Ted's successor, but it's loosely based on a story about Ted coming to terms with being Dan's successor. Neat stuff.
I still remember watching this episode for the first time when i was a kid and not knowing who bruce wayne was and being mind blown because i never thought about who was underneath the mask, back then this was probably the "darkest" piece of media i watched at that age (aside from mufasa's death scene in the lion king) still love this episode so many years later
Oh my god that’s a really cool way to watch it. I mean I’m sure it wasn’t intentional but not knowing who Bruce Wayne is and then getting the face reveal must have been a hell of a twist!
Absolutely love this show. The opening of the following episode Gorillas in the Mist with Specter is so freaking dark! Every episode is great and worth a watch/review.
Imagine that the plot of this episode was already used for Batman: the Animated Series. The iconic 90's Batman hunting down the man who created him would have been EPIC
Robin’s Reckoning was essentially that. Though since that backstory was created for the Batman TAS, it’s possible they used this comic story as an influence.
I like the randomness for the Earth 2 version. The Earth 1 Gotham has so much "hidden" history that it only makes sense that the hit was part of something bigger. That said, I liked the episodes with B'wana Beast and Vixen.
Still my favorite episode of the show, very BTAS especially with Paul Dini writing this one along with Kevin Conroy & Mark Hamill playing the angel & devil on Batman's shoulders, plus the late, Richard Moll playing Moxon & briefly reprising his role as Two-Face! And of course Adam West & Julie Newmar as Thomas & Marth Wayne ? The icing on the already delicious cake!
This was definitely my favourite episode of the series. My second favourite was the episode featuring the Doom Patrol. These two episodes I think about often, even though I probably seen the show the last time more than 10 years ago. Definitely some of my favourite Batman stories. Even though I prefer more grounded and serious stories, this series is cemented in ny mind. For every laugh-out-loud over-the-top episode, you had gut wrenching episodes, like the episodes I mentioned.
I was a child when I watched the brave and the bold;mainly (if any other reason) because it was on and when I saw him unmask himself,I was really shocked as all the episodes I saw had him as just Batman.It was the first time not only did I see his face but also him call himself by his real name. Knowing that Paul Dini wrote this is pretty unsurprising as he is THAT talented of a writer,who created one of the most iconic Batman villains and also wrote the plots for 2 of the greatest comic book based games (Arkham Asylum and Arkham City).
This episode was my favorite of the show. I'm more of a fan of the actors who played all these iconic character so recognizing them was a delight. I did not know all the comic book references and now I love the episode even more.
I love this episode. One of my favorites. I love this show overall. I think it's practically perfect in every way. As for favorite episodes: Every episode with Aquaman is great. Fall of the Blue Beetle Deep Cover For Batman/Game Over For Owlman Legends of the Dark Mite Siege of Starro 1&2 Requiem For A Scarlet Speedster Darkseid Descending Mitefall Sidekicks Assemble The Color of Revenge When OMAC Attacks/The Fate of Equinox Inside the Outsiders Menace of the Madniks Battle of the Superheroes Triumvirate of Terror And last - Bold Beginnings - I know I already said any episode with Aquaman, but I specifically refer to the intro adventure with Space Ghost... Because Space Ghost!
I still remember the first time I saw this at 10 years old, when it first premiered. I was shocked when he revealed his identity because he had never shown his face, not even when he’s by himself, and it was to the man who killed his parents, that made it hit even harder.
This was a great episode. Another from this series, Invasion of the secret Santas, had some great moments concerning Batman's origins. The way the deaths are presented is simple but very inpactful with the audio. I can't help but tear up watching it.
I didn't watch the show a whole lot as a kid but I did like it. And actually one of the moments I remembered was the villains getting angry at Joe Chill because he was the one who was responsible for creating Batman
Fun fact: that "Untold Legend of the Batman" comic series you mention is the first complete comic mini-series' I ever owned... because it was purchasable with cereal box UPCs.
I WAS a fan of this series, and this IS my favorite episode. I tend to like things that flesh a character out, and this theme of catching up to Joe Chill is one I first encountered as a child, reading Batman comics reprints. The 50s Chill story was one of those; the one that introduced Lew Moxon was another. In the comics, both Moxon and Chill died mere moments after encountering the Batman. Moxon's death is in the story showing Dr. Thomas Wayne as "Daddy Bat." Moxon was a bank robbing gang leader who'd been shot during their latest job. The boys couldn't stop Moxon's bleeding and presumably couldn't find any of the people they'd usually go to in this situation, so they needed a doctor fast. I think I remember one of the boys seeing something about a charity masquerade ball being thrown for Gotham General Hospital. They went, hoping to find a doctor. They got there in time to see Dr. Thomas Wayne being announced as the winner of the costume contest. (Apparently, Baby Bruce wasn't the only one who liked the outfit.) The boys kidnapped Dr. Wayne, but I believe that this Thomas Wayne, like others, had seen military service (during a wartime, I think) and had learned to keep his head. He waited and watched for an opportunity, and grabbed it when it came. He knocked the wounded, still bleeding Moxon onto the floor, which paralyzed the boys with surprise long enough for Dr. Wayne, no wuss, to beat them unconscious. Thus he survived. Many years after this story was written, a writer named Andrew Vachss wrote a novel which introduced a new villain -- a sort of gangster who made child -- umm, adult materials. MARTHA Wayne got onto this, I've forgotten how, and started trying to find out who was making this stuff for the sake of the children being victimized. She got close, but the villain detected her efforts and closeness, and like Moxon had in the old story, paid Chill to ice the Waynes -- except that MARTHA, not Thomas, was the primary target here. I liked both of these approaches so well that I actually tied them together so that Moxon and the other villain (William X. Malady, he was supposed to be named.) met and conspired to have the Waynes killed, with each man having one Wayne killed for his own reasons. This is the way I really see the murder of the Waynes. Not some random act, but the plot of no less than two men who beef with the Waynes. As for the larger conspiracy, this rings truer in modern times, but ... meh.
Something interesting about this episode is the coloring on the Bat suit. It's usually a bright grey and blue, but in this episode the blue is so dark it verges on black and gives real BTAS vibes.
My favorite episode is the Doom Patrol episode. It embraced the wild tone of the characters and their nonsensical adventures, while also giving us the somber heart of the characters. A perfect homage to the most underrated superhero team ever
I really enjoy seeing videos about the Batman show that I grew up with (besides The Batman show). It’s not as revolutionary in the same way as TAS was with how characters and stories are portrayed, but it helped expose me to characters I wouldn’t have known about. I think it would be cool if you made a video going over some of the obscure characters that appeared in the show like Bwana Beast or Dr. Magnus and his Metal Men or even Kamundi the Last Boy on Earth. “The Knights of Tomorrow” is another good episode from the series that is like a mix of Earth 2’s Batman story with a mix of more modern elements and ideas I’d like to see that covered as well.
This is my second favorite Batman cartoon series. The G.O.A.T of course being Batman the Animated Series. This episode in particular of Batman Brave and the Bold, is Batman storytelling at its finest. Thank you for showcasing one of the best episodes of the show EVER! ❤
I love this show so much, I’d love to see more coverage of it. Another thing I think you could cover well would be the issue where, similarly to this, The Phantom Stranger got involved with Batman’s origin. However, he did this to prevent it on another earth. It would be a fun story to compare to both this one and The Gift.
This series is my BTAS, I was growing up when it came out and it definitely made an impact on me when I watched it. It was my love of this series, and this episode in particular that made me do a deep dive into the show and brought all these connections to Batman's history to light for me. This episode is perfect I feel, capturing Batman's essence and clearly conveying how he's feeling and really selling him considering whether or not to let Chill live. Honestly the series finale is certainly an episode worth taking a look at. It's a bittersweet but satisfying way to end a ahow from a cast and crew who clearly loved what they were doing, and it is such a smart way to look at the natire of these kinds of shows, hiw they can change, be nade better or worse by corporate meddling, as played by Bat-Mite, and how the time we had with the show was a special time indeed.
It's just about the only time I've seen some of my favorite characters used outside of the 1960's show, so I kind of have to love it due to that alone. Hell, this show used so many underutilized characters that when someone told me Cornelius Stirk made an appearance in it I almost believed them for a minute.
Chill Of The Night is one of the best stories ever and Diedrich Bader is an amazing Batman voice actor. TBatB threw other kinds of curve balls too. Such as the deaths of B'Wanna Beast and Doom Patrol. "Rest well, heroes".
Thanks Sasha for this terrific tribute to Batman's wonderful legacy and Actors. I had the privilege of meeting Adam West, Kevin Conroy, Julie Newmar and Burt Ward. Julie and Burt are Facebook friends, as well. Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to you.
As a kid, I wasn't into The Brave and the Bold because I thought it was too silly, but I when I saw the teaser for The Chill of the Night, I made sure to watch it when it premiered on Cartoon Network. I loved every second. Bruce is so close to finding Joe Chill, he reunites with his parents for a moment, and then finally confronts the man who murdered his parents. He lays a beating on Joe, who stands no chance against The Batman. Batman just verbally lays into him his pain, decades of it, before finally revealing who he is. Then Batman is faced with a choice; Vengeance for his parents' murder, or justice for his parents' murder. In the end, Bruce Wayne chooses justice. Thomas and Martha Wayne died because of Joe Chill, but Bruce Wayne won't. Joe Chill may have died right after by falling debris, but Bruce remained on the path of justice, the kind of man Gotham City needs, the kind it deserves.
As someone who got to grow up watching both of these shows on TV, I still think Brave and the Bold is my favorite series for Batman. It may even be my favorite version of the character, and it's definitely the reason I love so many DC heroes.
This has to be the best brave and bold episode. Ironically the second best was the Music Meister showing how well this show could balance all aspects of Batman
I have to say that this would have to be my favorite Batman series ever. Now I know that the animated series is the best, I am not an idiot. However growing up in the 70's and 80's my Batman was a nice guy. Not the comics version, which I did appreciate. But being a little kid, I loved the Superfriends and the Adam West show. He was like your uncle, and in Superfriends dealt with some crazy aliens, and time travel stuff. I know that was the old silver age comics too. For me though that was Batman. Again I love the animated series, as well as the Batman and even Beware the Batman. This show though, it was over the top and crazy. Dealing with the strangest creatures, most of which I knew from my time absorbing the DC universe as a kid. Plus it was the versions I knew, at least from the looks of them. As this video stated though it could get dark, in a very impactful way. Just look at how they handled B'wana Beast. Anyway I really enjoy your content, keep up the great work.
How do you prefer your Joe Chill? Random criminal or part of a larger conspiracy?
Merry Christmas and happy new year u can kiss me under the mistletoe now hmm hmm 😘😘😘😘😘😘😘😘😘😘😘😘😘😘😘😘😘
Definitely random, it’s more tragic.
Random. Helps sell the tragedy and senseless of the Wayne murders. And really, simplicity is best for it. Also, depending on the story, it might help explain why Bruce is so obsessive about being Batman and why he helped train Dick: so he'd actually get justice for his family.
I'll have to go with random, somehow it feels more impactful to me. It does a great job showing how bad Gotham really is and how Batman is needed to protect all the people in the city no matter if it's a billionaire, or some kid on the street. Not just some looming conspiracy taking out specific targets who actively got in their way.
It shows how it's not necessarily a clear choice for everyone, how crime can hit anyone and change their life forever, and how bad Gotham really is. To me the conspiracy/ court of owls take away from how the Wayne murder really shows the decline of the city, since Thomas and Martha chose to put themselves in the crossfire in the conspiracy version. Even more so in the court of owls than the mafia one.
I think Batman doesn't work if Joe Chill is part of a conspiracy.
Honestly, I think Chill being a nobody who murdered the Waynes out of desperation or a hitman the mafia hired because Thomas was an obstacle in their operations are two equally fascinating and poetic possibilities. In fact, I really liked how "the Batman" played with both possible cases
True, both iterations of the killer are fascinating, but I personally like the one where the killer was simply a thug who wanted fast cash, but a scuffle resulted in the murder. The reason I like this is that it really isn't a big mystery of criminal masterminds who intentionally targeted them but it was just a man acting out of desperation that was bred from the corruption of Gotham, which the Waynes were too busy enjoying their lavish lifestyles to notice and it cost their lives (seriously, why would any rich family go in public places without bodyguards and walk down a dark alley without precautions). Bruce broke that cycle of carelessness and fought to make a difference (it's poetic because the chaos of Gotham caused a catalyst that created Batman, therefore balancing itself out)
The tragedy of Batman comes from him trying to punch away his trauma instead of ever addressing it. As the face of Batman's trauma, Joe Chill always works best when he represents something Batman CAN'T just punch into submission.
Sometimes he represents the shadowy, untouchable power of the one percent, other times he's the complex socioeconomic systems that lead to desperate crime, or simply a meaningless tragedy with no greater meaning behind it.
My favorite version is the Telltale one, with Thomas also being a criminal,
I like the idea of it just being completely random.
I think there is a frustration for Bruce with his parent's murder being a random happenstance. In a way it is demeaning to their death. Takes him down to the level of the everyday person. People die all the time because of nonsensical reasons. It's hardly ever a grand orchestrated plan put in place because of someone's importance.
"That was a lifetime ago!"
"Yes! MY LIFETIME!"
Chill's face upon realizing who Batman is is very fascinating and poetic. At that moment, he realized the consequences of his selfish acts and that now is the time to reap what he sowed...
700th like
Diedrich Bader, Kevin Conroy, and Adam West all in one episode, plus Mark Hamill, Jennifer Hale & Julie Newmar to boot… this episode is so STACKED voice acting cast wise
I love the imagery of Martha Wayne being dressed in a butterfly costume as a nod to " The Butterfly Effect" of their deaths having set Batman's destiny into motion.
🤔🦋
Don't forget Richard Moll AKA Harvey/Two-Face from B:TAM both reprising his role as well as portraying Lew Moxen.
Who did Jennifer Hale play? Was she Ivy?
@@csquared84Zatanna and Ivy
ichard Moll, Jeff Bennett, and the man who played Joe Chill, Peter Onorati, all performed on Batman and DC shows as well with Moll being the most memorable and Bennett the most prolific among the trio
Bruce suddenly hugging his mother out of pure instinct was the most heartbreaking part of the episode, especially if we consider that Batman is the non-metahuman hero with the greatest capacity for emotional self-control. At that moment, he briefly became again the boy who died in the crime alley
Bruce did missed the feeling or sensation of hugging his Mother and Bruce felt safe when being held by his Mother the same for any child who ever felt safe in the arms of their Mother and Father
He's Batman to begin with because he never stopped being the boy from crime alley. He's mentally frozen in that moment, refusing to move on from it. It's what motivates him. When Batman says his iconic phrase "I am Vengeance, I am The Night, I am Batman!" that's what he's referring to. He fights to avenge his parents, and to avenge Gotham from the corruption that caused their deaths to begin with. He is the hope for a better tomorrow that Gotham needs, the one thing stopping some other kid with their parents walking down a dark alley from suffering the same loss he did.
@Crow_Rising, this is all true, but the writers some times play around with it. Like when Batman had the chance to either save his parents or save his son Damian, and he chose Damian.
They are sometimes desperate to reinvent the wheel and to change everything.
I love the imagery of Martha Wayne being dressed in a butterfly costume as a nod to " The Butterfly Effect" of they're deaths having set Batman's destiny into motion.🤔🦋
same
This is why I love "the Brave and the Bold". It could be silly and campy like the 60's show, but also dark and tragic like the 90's cartoon. The fact both tones combined worked perfectly shows how underrated this masterpiece is
I love that while they emphasized DC Silver Age they werent afraid to pull from all eras. Mister Mind's butterfly form from 52, the armor from Dark Knight Returns, etc.
Kind of wild they brought it back years later for a Scooby crossover and it worked wonders. Such a good show with a varied tone.
The last song from Holy Musical Batman got me thinking about what kind of Justice League show I'd want to see and I realized I kind of want to see a new Super Friends. I like the "long lost brothers who found each other and love each other like family", "super friends, super bros with super hearts and super souls", "fortress of friendship" vibe that last song has. If someone found a way to mash all that into something that feels like a Brave and the Bold for the Super Friends I would love it. Just enjoying every characters history with a light-hearted but 100% sincere love and tying it together with a team that builds each other up.
Silly and campy yet also infectiously genuine.
My favorite incarnation of Aquaman hands down, he and batman being bros in this one is amazing
We had perhaps one of the most depressing rendition of the death of Batmans parents, smack dab in the middle of a Christmas episode of Batman vs. robot Santa's.
The angel and devil trope might be useful, but I think having the characters voiced by a previous incarnation of Batman and his archnemesis still packs the right punch.
Episodes like this and a few others can really illustrate how, even for a show with much more silver age routes and lighter tone, when you hit the darker notes so rarely, that in finally doing so, you can still tell a quality story.
Ironic considering that The Spectre who took the role of the devil is actually God's Vengeance
@@KainSpada09I mean sure but the important part is that for many of us Mark Hamill is the Joker
Kevin Conroy and Mark Hamill were perfect choices for the Phantom Stranger and The Spectre
The left: angel
The right: devil
Couldn;t be better casting. Love them all as Batman
Deidrich Bader is very underrated as Batman
He is excellent for both comedic and fun scenes as shown throughout both this and the Harley show but can definitely pull a more dramatic and serious version of the character when needed
He’s the perfect fusion of Conroy and West
He could even play a live action Batman too honestly
It gets even better when you consider that Bader later went on to play Guy Gardner in the Green Lantern animated series.
@@pickedceasar1216Well said!
he solid in the Harley Quinn series as Bruce/ Batman. "I do not F*** Bats..."
@@nivekian
Bruce: But if you think I'm too weak to get back out there and I'll fail, just say it.
Alfred: You're too weak and will fail.
Bruce: I'm strong, and will succeed!
"In the Chill of the Night" was one of the greatest episodes created! Paul Dini was behind the amazing writing, and it serves as an anniversary episode to Batman as Joe Chill's boss was played by Two-Face( Richard Moll), Bruce's father ( Adam West) and finally, Gentleman Ghost and Spectre played by Mark Hamill AND Kevin Conroy!!!!❤
*The Phantom Stranger, Gentleman Ghost is another character... A Hawkman villain to be precise
Gentleman Ghost? You mean Phantom Stranger?
Honestly, the phantom stranger and the specter really need to be teamed up more often as a yin and yang type duo
ngl that definitely felt like a BTAS episdoe paul dini couldn’t get off the ground once he bought up the ghost creatures
Really loved that Moll even reprised his role as Two-Face in the episode too! One of the rare times a BTAS voice actor reprised their role outside that series.
Something I really love is that line at the end of “Batman may die but Bruce Wayne never will” because in other Batman stories it’s always interpreted the other way around.
There’s this prevailing idea between audiences and writers that Batman is the real identity and Bruce is the disguise, it was refreshing to see this show take a new stance.
Because the show is right you can stop Bruce from being Batman in many ways but Bruce’s mission to make the world a better place is the thing that will never die. What makes Batman so interesting is that he is fundamentally human, he’s not a symbol above the people he protects, he IS one of them.
He isn’t an all powerful spirit of vengeance, he’s a man who experienced one of the worst things a child could ever go through and has dedicated his life to make sure that doesn’t happen to anyone else. And that past trauma continues to deeply affect him to this day.
To me that’s a more interesting dichotomy than the whole idea that “Bruce Wayne died that night and Batman was born”
Agreed. I also appreciated that later on, Beware the Batman showed us what a Batman without Bruce Wayne looked like, and it was NOT pretty at all.
Absolutely.
Batman is the real identity Wonder Woman's lasso indisputably demonstrated this. Any argument otherwise is as laughable as saying 2+2=9
@@Hakar17 See this argument has a pretty big flaw and that is that it goes off the assumption that all writers over the entire existence of the Batman character agree about these things.
So sure due to its popularity its what DC is currently going with. But Brave and the Bold pulls heavily from Golden to Bronze age and Batman as the real identity isn't the usual way he was written prior to the dark age.
Beside that is the Lasso of WW also prone to inconsistencies as writers often can't agree if its pulls the true truth out of someone or what they think the truth is which is a big difference.
By far Brave and the Bold’s best episode of them all. And getting Kevin Conroy, Mark Hamill, Richard Moll, Adam West and Julie Newmar to voice the supporting cast didn’t hurt either.
This show made me cry over B'wana Beast. B'WANA BEAST!
This show is a childhood classic in my eyes and will always be a favorite.
You really have to respect the series to give B'wana Beast of all character a literal Z lister the big Heroic self sacrificing out.
@@rynobehnke8289 And that it worked was even more impressive. Also making the Faceless Hunter a cool villain is also a feat. Goes to show that good writing and direction is key.
@@antonakessonHis end shocked me after everything shown through the series featuring B'wana Beast. 🥺
I think it's really important for people like Joe Chill to be just "some guy". I agree that it's one of the few things that enable Bruce to relate to the ordinary people of Gotham. Pretty major part of being Batman.
Ooooh, talk about the "dead Barry" episode! How sad the Rouges were gives me a tear and a chuckle every time. And the line about Geezer Flash, priceless. lol
The part that I always find darkly amusing is the Spectre's reaction at the end, the outcome wasn't what he vouched for verbally, but if you know who he is in the comics, Chill getting his comeuppance the way he did is something right up Spectre's alley. Or at least getting close to it. He didn't turn Chill in to cheese...
Speaking of that usually light show going surprisingly hard. The cold open where the Spectre does that is one of the most purely horrific (and very Spectre) scenes in any DC TV adaptation. When the freed rats approach, and immobile cheese-Milo *whimpers*...
Rated Y7, ladies and gentlemen! Onward to the talking gorillas!
I like to think Chill's Cosmic number was up and Spectre was ironically giving Batman the right to avenge himself... Chill was never gonna survive the night either way
@@rwg6357 With what I know on The Specter, it certainly fits. And it's a twisted sort of kindness in that regard.
Batman the Brave and the Bold is usually remembered for how campy it is, but it could also go to dark places. It's kind of shocking just how many superheroes die on screen in this show, and those moments are usually treated very seriously.
The sad Aquaman episode was pretty dark in why he was sad.
I really do miss this show and its highlights of the lesser-known DC characters.
This show was my introduction to so many DC characters
@@marlo176 same.
@@marlo176ditto…sent me looking online then into reading the graphic novels
I always loved it whenever previous Batman actors would return to the Batman myths in other roles. The fact that the majority of the guest actors in this episode are Batman "royalty" makes this one of my favorite BTBATB episodes.
This was the episode! I remember showing my roommate this episode and even he thought "damn".
This show is just perfect level of "camp/Silver age sillyness" and modern sensibilities. I honestly think it's a truer version of the DC universe then any adaptation before including the DCAU.
I like to think of BTBATB as the silver age to the DCAU's bronze (and Super Friend's gold). All good in their own ways, but best when you can enjoy them all together.
The Super Friends was the opposite of the golden age.
@@juststatedtheobvious9633 True. I was mostly thinking storytelling/structure wise, as an early experimental days kind of thing. In tone it's more like there are 2 comic cartoon silver ages (unless you want to count the live action serials. Those feel a lot more golden age to me in terms of content. Still a bit campy though).
Why do you consider these sensibilities "modern"? They were always there since the early comics
wonder what this makes the dark/modern age?
Batman The Brave and The Bold was so good. Wish it wasn't cancelled, like all good shows.
Yeah but it had a long run and a perfect finale
And also a movie years later!
it ran its course, unfortunately there’s only so much they could do with it without repeating it
I consider the first Superman episode to be one of the best Brave and The Bold had. Not so much for the story, but for the insane amount of references in it. Really anyone who is a fan of looking at the covers of random issues of Jimmy Olson can feel validated.
It even has a reference to Lois Lane's marriage shenanigans!
I always tell people if they want a distillation of Silver Age Superman in 22 minutes (with time for a Dark Knight Returns pastiche!), watch that episode.
"The Super-Batman of Planet X" also has that energy, including bringing back the Superman TAS voice cast as their Zur-En-Arrh counterparts.
It’s interesting that this version of Batman holds his Bruce Wayne identity in high regard when Spectre says Batman will end if Chill lives to reveal his identity, considering most version don’t cherish it as Wayne is a front to his real identity.
It's pulled the Batman forever "Poor Edward. I had to save them both. You see, I'm both Bruce Wayne and Batman. Not because I have to be. Now... because I choose to be."
I feel like this Batman is further along in his development than most of the on screen versions. As he matures and his bonds with other people get stronger he tends to put more into both his identities. After a while it stops being one or the other. Batman is Bruce Wayne and Bruce Wayne is Batman. Inseparable and complete.
Funny thing is, Superman has the same development but backwards. Superman was a tool for Clark, but gained his own connections and identities to the point Clark couldn't separate himself from either side.
I mentioned this last Brave and the Bold show video but man this was my Batman growing up. Really my intro to the more obscure DC. I recently rewatched The Final Patrol and that's another one where they fully adapted the comic it was based on and didn't shy away from the death and darker elements of the Doom Patrol.
Ooh yes definiteiyl! If any other episode should be covered its the Doom Patrol
I got into Batman and comics way before this show came out. I had burned out on the edgy Batman and X-Men style and just wanted to have fun watching something comic related again. Then I saw this show and it hit at just the right time. I binged the whole thing in a couple of day and now it's in my heart as a great detox show like the 90s Lois and Clark or Avengers EMH.
That was a great episode
"I wouldn't know anything about that 💀\_______/💀" might be my favorite scene from the series.
Another thing Brave and The Bold should be commended for is introducing a whole generation to some more obscure comic characters like the Phantom Stranger, the Spectre and the Metal Men.
Batman The Brave and The Bold went fucking hard and it's how I learned about Blue Beatle and a ton of other characters.
You're going in deep into Brave and the Bold, and i'm all here for it, the show gets overlooked most times, but we do get people who rightfully gush about it, like this episode goes hard. Not only does this does a great Bruce Wayne reveal, it's one of the few episodes without "a big team up" in it.
I do like the one Reverse Flash episode (surprise surprise), where he was voiced by John Wesley Shipp, 90's Barry Allen from the series, and now famously known for being Henry Allen and Jay Garrick in then DC CW Universe.
I say this epsiode still had a "big team up" just not in the classical sense of the series.
Bruce after all both got to team up with his dad and he was pared up for the whole story with Phantom Stranger and Spector.
I hope she covers the Mayhem of the Music Meister episode
@@djpegao Maybe we can get by next week, after Neil Patrick Harris's appearance as The Toymaker in Doctor Who lol
William Dunn, whose comment you excerpted in your piece, did indeed work on the show. He supervised the background color paint and helped art direct the show. He was a huge part of the show's look and appeal.
Joe Chill being the one to ALMOST make Batman break his rule is probably singlehandedly the most "Batman" thing ever done with, well, Batman. Batman is nothing if not stubborn, taking his rule to the point where sometimes even his allies turn against him because of it. Joker couldn't make him break it, Red Hood couldn't make him break it, but Joe Chill, the very man who killed Batman's parents... Batman even if only for a brief moment considering breaking that rule, revealing his identity as if to say "You're not leaving this room" in this episode is one of the most chilling moments in Batman history. He truly became the spirit of vengeance returned to haunt Chill even if for but a moment. The fact he decided to spare him also speaks volumes about how stubborn Batman is regarding his rule.
Joker would have a field day if he ever found out that Batman briefly had the mind of a killer. The knowledge that Batman wasn't quite as unbreakable as he wanted others to believe would be the most dangerous information Joker ever learned.
I also like that Hamill as the Spectre is getting to channel his version of Emperor Palpatine in his performance, almost like he is tempting Bruce to the dark side.
Diedrich Bader was incredible as Batman, and I put him just behind Kevin Conroy and Bruce Greenwood.
"Batman may die, but Bruce Wayne... never."
Those words really send a chill down my spine.
I think the death of the Waynes should be a random act of violence. In fact, one thing I liked about Three Jokers is how they portrayed Chill as a sick old man at death's door who actually regretted murdering Thomas and Martha.
Having Batman uncover some big evil conspiracy to murder his parents feels too easy. Having it so it was just some guy who later dies of an illness and regrets his actions means Bruce has to deal with some complex emotions.
This episode really made me want to have a Spectre animated series based on the 70s stories. But alas, WB has no entrepreneurial spirit no matter who owns WB.
An animated Spectre series could be so trippy!
Definitely in the style of that Animated Showcase about a decade ago. I loved that one.
I do love how the angel and devil on Bruce’s shoulder were voiced by the previous batman & joker, it brings a sort of META to the battle for Bruce’s soul as he struggles to listen to the voice of justice, the voice of vengeance and what he wants. And like you said, THIS being the moment that Bruce unmasks himself, acknowledging the man beneath the mask in a series that mostly ever followed him with the mask on was such a beautiful choice and one that I believe they made deliberately. I wouldn’t be surprised if in pre production this episode was written in the bunch with season 1 and they reserved the face reveal for this episode
This episode has everything I love about this channel: Batman; comics history; solid analysis; insightful commentary; an inclusive appeal to everyone to take a look and enjoy anyway they want; and a presenter to honestly loves what and to who she’s speaking.
1940s: Batman’s parents were victim of happenstance.
Much later: Batman’s parents were murdered by a secret society manipulating the fate of the city.
Now: Here’s the evil god who has been manipulating Batman’s life and bloodline since time immemorial. Also, here’s the Batman Who Laughs.
What?
I remember reading a graphic novel that had both Bruce's father technically being the first "batman" with that costume as well as Joe chill being gunned down by his own men after he blurted out that he made batman. It was held together in the narrative that someone knew who Batman was and was threatening his existance
it's such a shame that this series gets overlooked so often, it's so good! it might not be as iconic as the 90s series, but it's still worth checking out imo. they also did a Scooby-Doo crossover, and it's god tier tbh.
Love that, even when Sasha covers an adaptation instead of an actual comic book, we still get notes on specific comics we could read for better context.
I'm absolutely loving that you're finally getting to Batman: The Brave and the Bold.
Personally, rather than recommend an episode to look at, I'd love it if you could do a video covering the show's incarnation of Aquaman. Frankly, it's OUTRAGEOUS(!) how the show managed to make a version of Aquaman who found a way to keep stealing the show from Batman in a Batman series.
Brave and the Bold Aquaman truly is the best Aquaman.
Brave and the Bold is the show that made me love Aquaman and whenever someone says he's not cool I point to this partiuclar show.
Brave and the Bold was a wonderful hidden gem of DC animation. It’s the show that broke me out of my phase of only excepting “Dark” iterations of Batman. Definitely deserves more recognition.
Okay, any dive into Brave and the Bold needs to discuss that series finale. Mitefall is one of the most impressive pieces of animation television and satire ever done. It wven references the Chill episode.
I always liked how B&B looks. It looks clean and the colors feels solid. For a long time i thought it was from 2014 or newer then one day i saw an episode that had a 3D model of the Batmobile then i realized it was old
The art style is based upon the style of the legendary Bat-artist Dick Sprang.
Yeah the show looks greats a solid decade later.
One of my favorite episodes growing up. I think this calls for a rewatch on HBO Max.
The voice cast alone in this episode is legendary. Especially considering recent deaths, I'd love for this episode to get a special release. Even some theatrical short before a DC movie (it's better than all the ads).
personally the way they did the Bruce/killer confrontation on Gotham (in that series his parents' killer was named Matches Malone but it makes no real difference) is honestly fascinating to me. they did tie Matches in as having been hired to kill the Waynes specifically but in spite of that he himself is still just a common criminal. Having the confrontation between him and Bruce take place while Bruce is still a child too due to the premise of the series gave it alot more heft in my eyes. Instead of testing Batman's code, it was forging his code in front of our eyes and Matches was used as the reason Bruce doesn't kill. It's one of the many very worthwhile things about Gotham
BTB&TB is my favorite Batman series of all time, and it came out just when my kids were old enough to watch it with me. "My era" of comics was 1974-1986 (pre-Crisis Bronze Age) but really goes back to the late 1930s thanks to reprints and special editions that DC released when I was a kid. Lines like "I am the son of..." gave me goosebumps (or, OK, chills) because I felt like I was seeing some of my favorite stories come to life. The series was a great love letter to the Silver Age, and so is Casually Comics. Great content!
Bronze age is a continuation of the silver age. I think if you read them together it's even more enjoyable
One episode I absolutely love is Batman's strangest cases. For one thing it does have Lord Death-Man, who this channel has touched on. And the American toning down of his fate which it acknowledges is fun. But best of all, the team up we didn't know we needed: Batman the Scooby Gang and Weird Al Yankovic. Awesome.
I especially love how that episode actually recreated the look of early Japanese animation for the Batman-manga segment. But also the cold opening of that episode also being an adaption of a mad magazine story fit perfectly into the episodes theme as well.
I'm glad this show is getting coverage. I grew up too late for BTAS and this series was always very fun.
When I was a kid I got a book from book fair called The Untold Legend of Batman. It was a black and white reprint of these stories from the 70s. So I was so happy to see that exact story adapted into the Brave & the Bold. It was such a great adaptation of one of the first Batman comics I read.
“All aboard the Brave and the Bold train.”
This and The Batman (2004) were my Batman shows as a kid. I remember how little they showed Bruce Wayne's face in this series so much so that I can't readily recall what his face looks like from this series like I can from BTAS or The Batman (2004)
"So, being a hero isn't all that is cracked up to be, but you know what? I'd do it all over again; in a hummingbird's heart"
-B'wana Beast -Brave And The Bold
One of the best Batman episodes of all time, not just BatB.
I remember this episode fondly, especially how Specter is voiced by Mark Hamill there
BIG FAN! I loved the Booster Gold stuff, and Blue Beetle (voiced by Will Friedle). I loved that they dug into the goofy elements of Batman's lore, and yet let him be a role model to the "Up and comers" Have you looked at the Deadpool episode of Ultimate Spiderman where Deadpool is PG? Just a thought.
I love the Batman Brave and the Bold episodes with the evil version of the hero on a alternate earth.
Injustice League
I remember loving this show because it was a batman I could watch with my son at the time due to his age. Fun goofy tone was appreciated during a time where almost all the Batman stuff was too dark for him. We did note a few deeper, edgier bits back then though and this was one of them.
meanwhile when i was a kid i was having nightmares with the Joker of the Batman from 2004 lol
I geeked out hard when this episode aired. Not just for the comic references but the stellar voice cast pulled from so many eras of Batman on TV. This was a true love letter to Batman and I was surprised that it wasn't an anniversary episode.
Incredible show. The Owlman 2-parter, Shadow of the Bat, and Bold Beginnings were among my favorites.
I love this episode especially the appearences of both The Phantom Stranger played by Kevin Conroy and The Spectre played by Mark Hamill.
I first saw this, as a kid, I could never really grasp the full meaning behind the scene, but I really did feel the weight of it. And it’s stuck in my head for many years.
Also, I would love an episode based on the music Meister. That one musical episode from brave, and the bold is by far my favorite.
I love this series and one big reason is because of the variety, both in tone and in characters. One episode could be Aquaman going on a family road trip, and another could be an adaptation of Death of the Doom Patrol. My favorite episode though is "Fall of the Blue Beetle!" because it raises some interesting questions about legacy characters, both in-story and in a meta sense. It's a story about Jaime coming to terms with being Ted's successor, but it's loosely based on a story about Ted coming to terms with being Dan's successor. Neat stuff.
I still remember watching this episode for the first time when i was a kid and not knowing who bruce wayne was and being mind blown because i never thought about who was underneath the mask, back then this was probably the "darkest" piece of media i watched at that age (aside from mufasa's death scene in the lion king) still love this episode so many years later
Oh my god that’s a really cool way to watch it. I mean I’m sure it wasn’t intentional but not knowing who Bruce Wayne is and then getting the face reveal must have been a hell of a twist!
Batman The Brave And The Bold's take on Damian was... pretty wild.
Especially the meta aspects.
Absolutely love this show.
The opening of the following episode Gorillas in the Mist with Specter is so freaking dark!
Every episode is great and worth a watch/review.
Imagine that the plot of this episode was already used for Batman: the Animated Series. The iconic 90's Batman hunting down the man who created him would have been EPIC
Robin’s Reckoning was essentially that. Though since that backstory was created for the Batman TAS, it’s possible they used this comic story as an influence.
@@benwasserman8223
That two-part episode was great, but Robin vs Zucco conflict wasn't nearly as exciting as Batman vs Joe Chill, anyway
You do know what the comment you read actually said, right?
I like the randomness for the Earth 2 version. The Earth 1 Gotham has so much "hidden" history that it only makes sense that the hit was part of something bigger.
That said, I liked the episodes with B'wana Beast and Vixen.
Still my favorite episode of the show, very BTAS especially with Paul Dini writing this one along with Kevin Conroy & Mark Hamill playing the angel & devil on Batman's shoulders, plus the late, Richard Moll playing Moxon & briefly reprising his role as Two-Face! And of course Adam West & Julie Newmar as Thomas & Marth Wayne ? The icing on the already delicious cake!
This was definitely my favourite episode of the series. My second favourite was the episode featuring the Doom Patrol.
These two episodes I think about often, even though I probably seen the show the last time more than 10 years ago.
Definitely some of my favourite Batman stories. Even though I prefer more grounded and serious stories, this series is cemented in ny mind. For every laugh-out-loud over-the-top episode, you had gut wrenching episodes, like the episodes I mentioned.
I was a child when I watched the brave and the bold;mainly (if any other reason) because it was on and when I saw him unmask himself,I was really shocked as all the episodes I saw had him as just Batman.It was the first time not only did I see his face but also him call himself by his real name.
Knowing that Paul Dini wrote this is pretty unsurprising as he is THAT talented of a writer,who created one of the most iconic Batman villains and also wrote the plots for 2 of the greatest comic book based games (Arkham Asylum and Arkham City).
This episode was my favorite of the show. I'm more of a fan of the actors who played all these iconic character so recognizing them was a delight. I did not know all the comic book references and now I love the episode even more.
I love this episode. One of my favorites. I love this show overall. I think it's practically perfect in every way.
As for favorite episodes:
Every episode with Aquaman is great.
Fall of the Blue Beetle
Deep Cover For Batman/Game Over For Owlman
Legends of the Dark Mite
Siege of Starro 1&2
Requiem For A Scarlet Speedster
Darkseid Descending
Mitefall
Sidekicks Assemble
The Color of Revenge
When OMAC Attacks/The Fate of Equinox
Inside the Outsiders
Menace of the Madniks
Battle of the Superheroes
Triumvirate of Terror
And last - Bold Beginnings -
I know I already said any episode with Aquaman, but I specifically refer to the intro adventure with Space Ghost... Because Space Ghost!
I still remember the first time I saw this at 10 years old, when it first premiered.
I was shocked when he revealed his identity because he had never shown his face, not even when he’s by himself, and it was to the man who killed his parents, that made it hit even harder.
This was a great episode.
Another from this series, Invasion of the secret Santas, had some great moments concerning Batman's origins.
The way the deaths are presented is simple but very inpactful with the audio.
I can't help but tear up watching it.
Bwanabeast's death is a real tearjerker... the fact that that is a sentence sells the show on its own.
I didn't watch the show a whole lot as a kid but I did like it. And actually one of the moments I remembered was the villains getting angry at Joe Chill because he was the one who was responsible for creating Batman
In the comic when he finally met and confronted Joe Chill, he actually apologized and showed genuine remorse
Fun fact: that "Untold Legend of the Batman" comic series you mention is the first complete comic mini-series' I ever owned... because it was purchasable with cereal box UPCs.
Watching the show as a kid was great, but rewatching it, now with the context all the stuff it calls back to from the comics, makes it even better
I WAS a fan of this series, and this IS my favorite episode. I tend to like things that flesh a character out, and this theme of catching up to Joe Chill is one I first encountered as a child, reading Batman comics reprints. The 50s Chill story was one of those; the one that introduced Lew Moxon was another. In the comics, both Moxon and Chill died mere moments after encountering the Batman. Moxon's death is in the story showing Dr. Thomas Wayne as "Daddy Bat." Moxon was a bank robbing gang leader who'd been shot during their latest job. The boys couldn't stop Moxon's bleeding and presumably couldn't find any of the people they'd usually go to in this situation, so they needed a doctor fast. I think I remember one of the boys seeing something about a charity masquerade ball being thrown for Gotham General Hospital. They went, hoping to find a doctor. They got there in time to see Dr. Thomas Wayne being announced as the winner of the costume contest. (Apparently, Baby Bruce wasn't the only one who liked the outfit.) The boys kidnapped Dr. Wayne, but I believe that this Thomas Wayne, like others, had seen military service (during a wartime, I think) and had learned to keep his head. He waited and watched for an opportunity, and grabbed it when it came. He knocked the wounded, still bleeding Moxon onto the floor, which paralyzed the boys with surprise long enough for Dr. Wayne, no wuss, to beat them unconscious. Thus he survived.
Many years after this story was written, a writer named Andrew Vachss wrote a novel which introduced a new villain -- a sort of gangster who made child -- umm, adult materials. MARTHA Wayne got onto this, I've forgotten how, and started trying to find out who was making this stuff for the sake of the children being victimized. She got close, but the villain detected her efforts and closeness, and like Moxon had in the old story, paid Chill to ice the Waynes -- except that MARTHA, not Thomas, was the primary target here. I liked both of these approaches so well that I actually tied them together so that Moxon and the other villain (William X. Malady, he was supposed to be named.) met and conspired to have the Waynes killed, with each man having one Wayne killed for his own reasons. This is the way I really see the murder of the Waynes. Not some random act, but the plot of no less than two men who beef with the Waynes. As for the larger conspiracy, this rings truer in modern times, but ... meh.
Huge fan of the series. The throwback nods and team ups were always so well-written.
Something interesting about this episode is the coloring on the Bat suit. It's usually a bright grey and blue, but in this episode the blue is so dark it verges on black and gives real BTAS vibes.
My favorite episode is the Doom Patrol episode. It embraced the wild tone of the characters and their nonsensical adventures, while also giving us the somber heart of the characters. A perfect homage to the most underrated superhero team ever
I really enjoy seeing videos about the Batman show that I grew up with (besides The Batman show). It’s not as revolutionary in the same way as TAS was with how characters and stories are portrayed, but it helped expose me to characters I wouldn’t have known about. I think it would be cool if you made a video going over some of the obscure characters that appeared in the show like Bwana Beast or Dr. Magnus and his Metal Men or even Kamundi the Last Boy on Earth. “The Knights of Tomorrow” is another good episode from the series that is like a mix of Earth 2’s Batman story with a mix of more modern elements and ideas I’d like to see that covered as well.
This is my second favorite Batman cartoon series. The G.O.A.T of course being Batman the Animated Series. This episode in particular of Batman Brave and the Bold, is Batman storytelling at its finest. Thank you for showcasing one of the best episodes of the show EVER! ❤
Between The BATMAN 2004, Adam West BATMAN ‘66, and BATMAN : THE BRAVE AND THE BOLD are, from what I consider, underrated in my opinion.
I love this show so much, I’d love to see more coverage of it. Another thing I think you could cover well would be the issue where, similarly to this, The Phantom Stranger got involved with Batman’s origin. However, he did this to prevent it on another earth. It would be a fun story to compare to both this one and The Gift.
This series is my BTAS, I was growing up when it came out and it definitely made an impact on me when I watched it. It was my love of this series, and this episode in particular that made me do a deep dive into the show and brought all these connections to Batman's history to light for me. This episode is perfect I feel, capturing Batman's essence and clearly conveying how he's feeling and really selling him considering whether or not to let Chill live. Honestly the series finale is certainly an episode worth taking a look at. It's a bittersweet but satisfying way to end a ahow from a cast and crew who clearly loved what they were doing, and it is such a smart way to look at the natire of these kinds of shows, hiw they can change, be nade better or worse by corporate meddling, as played by Bat-Mite, and how the time we had with the show was a special time indeed.
It's just about the only time I've seen some of my favorite characters used outside of the 1960's show, so I kind of have to love it due to that alone. Hell, this show used so many underutilized characters that when someone told me Cornelius Stirk made an appearance in it I almost believed them for a minute.
Chill Of The Night is one of the best stories ever and Diedrich Bader is an amazing Batman voice actor.
TBatB threw other kinds of curve balls too. Such as the deaths of B'Wanna Beast and Doom Patrol.
"Rest well, heroes".
Thanks Sasha for this terrific tribute to Batman's wonderful legacy and Actors. I had the privilege of meeting Adam West, Kevin Conroy, Julie Newmar and Burt Ward.
Julie and Burt are Facebook friends, as well.
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to you.
As a kid, I wasn't into The Brave and the Bold because I thought it was too silly, but I when I saw the teaser for The Chill of the Night, I made sure to watch it when it premiered on Cartoon Network. I loved every second. Bruce is so close to finding Joe Chill, he reunites with his parents for a moment, and then finally confronts the man who murdered his parents. He lays a beating on Joe, who stands no chance against The Batman. Batman just verbally lays into him his pain, decades of it, before finally revealing who he is. Then Batman is faced with a choice; Vengeance for his parents' murder, or justice for his parents' murder. In the end, Bruce Wayne chooses justice. Thomas and Martha Wayne died because of Joe Chill, but Bruce Wayne won't. Joe Chill may have died right after by falling debris, but Bruce remained on the path of justice, the kind of man Gotham City needs, the kind it deserves.
As someone who got to grow up watching both of these shows on TV, I still think Brave and the Bold is my favorite series for Batman. It may even be my favorite version of the character, and it's definitely the reason I love so many DC heroes.
I absolutely love Batman: The Brave and the Bold. And Chill of the Night is my favorite episode.
Great analysis Sasha!
Great episode, Great smackdown from the rogues and narration from the cosmic duo. Chills of nostalgia
This has to be the best brave and bold episode. Ironically the second best was the Music Meister showing how well this show could balance all aspects of Batman
I have to say that this would have to be my favorite Batman series ever. Now I know that the animated series is the best, I am not an idiot. However growing up in the 70's and 80's my Batman was a nice guy. Not the comics version, which I did appreciate. But being a little kid, I loved the Superfriends and the Adam West show. He was like your uncle, and in Superfriends dealt with some crazy aliens, and time travel stuff. I know that was the old silver age comics too. For me though that was Batman. Again I love the animated series, as well as the Batman and even Beware the Batman. This show though, it was over the top and crazy. Dealing with the strangest creatures, most of which I knew from my time absorbing the DC universe as a kid. Plus it was the versions I knew, at least from the looks of them. As this video stated though it could get dark, in a very impactful way. Just look at how they handled B'wana Beast. Anyway I really enjoy your content, keep up the great work.
He was also a nice guy in the 70s to early 80s comics