Michael Jelenic is ‘The Brave & The Bold’
Batman’s next animated incarnation will take on the form of Batman: The Brave and the Bold debuting on the Cartoon Network wnext Friday night. This is based the DC Comics titles that evovled into a team-up title between super-heroes and ultimately featured Batman as its co-host from issues #73 though its cancellation with issue #200 in 1983. The animated series targets a younger demographic than the most recent animated incarnation.
Each episode will introduce Batman to a partner and a villain from the DC universe. Fans of Frank Miller’s comic book Batman and Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight movie franchise should take note that this particular series focuses on the more jubilant and innocent aspects of the iconic character. The color palette seems to be brighter than the animated series of the mid nineties, and viewers can expect a throwback to the golden and silver age DC Comics.
After speaking with Story Editor Michael Jelenic, it became clear that this series was a throwback to an older more simple time for comics and super-heroes. Jelenic said that the dark, brooding Batman had become the norm, and by creating this series they were doing something different that the hardcore comic heads and kids could all enjoy together.
“Previous incarnations of Batman were serious. This was an opportunity to go into a new series, and see how Batman interacts with different characters from the DC Universe.” These different characters all come from the extensive DC mythos, and many of these characters have never appeared in cartoon form before. Animated versions of the rarely seen Blue Beetle and Red Tornado will make their small screen debut with Brave and the Bold. When asked if this new take on the Batman will affect die hard fans of Frank Miller’s Batman or Christopher Nolan’s movie version, Jelenic responded by saying, “You will always have people that think you got it wrong. Anytime you deal with icons you run that risk, but if the series doesn’t talk down to the viewer, then you can get it right.”
Didn't Red Tornado appear in both Superfriends and Justice League Unlimited?
One hopes that it could be the REAL Blue Beetle, rather than the current usurper of the name, but, probably not…
Did we really need another Batman series months after the most recent version was ended?
I'm sure Warner thinks we do.Whatever happened to the Superman animated reboot?
There was to be another Superman animated series? I figured that's what LSH was.
I remember seeing actual designs done not unlike 'the Batman'.
Matsuda would've done this Superman series? Interesting.
Believe it or not, there are Batman fans who have no love for either Frank Miller's perversion of the character or Christopher Nolan's unrecognizable ninja/Shadow-pastiche-tank-driver-in-an-armored-suit version. I welcome a return to the days when you couldn't question the competency of whichever social worker approved Bruce Wayne as the guardian to a youngster, and your own morality couldn't be questioned if you allowed a youngster to read a Batman comic or watch a Batman movie. If The Brave and the Bold turns out to fulfill only those qualifications, I'll be satisfied.