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Batman: The Brave and The Bold

Started by Midnite, April 03, 2008, 11:01:43 AM

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thalaw2

I think it's time to return to some Fun Batman.  He's been doing the Dark Knight thing for too long now.  I enjoyed the 60's series and I didn't watch it until like the 80's when it was on Saturday mornings (or was it afternoon?) 

I think this could be a good series for those willing to relax and have fun with it.  It may be better than The Batman. 

Tomato

Just to add another point in here before it gets glossed over... we talk about the "Fun Fun Fun" Batman being more "Kid Appropriate" as though somehow BTAS was a language and gore filled spectacle, which is rediculous. They may not have been teletubie-level happy happy fun time, but they were by no means inappropriate for younger audiences.

I've seen a trend for awhile, and if I'm wrong I encourage someone to correct me... For some reason people tend to assume a movie cannot be engaging for adults unless it has some absurd level of cursing or lewd dialogue strewn throught it, or that in order for a child to enjoy a cartoon or movie it must be dumbed down to such an extent that any measure of intelligence is beaten out of it. In essence a good chunk of people in media are stupidly(in my opinion) under the impression that nothing can be both popular and age-appropriate to children as well as engaging to people of an older age bracket.

In essence, that's what this feels like to me. Instead of trying to put some effort into doing something innovative, they're using bright colors and a mulititude of guest stars to mask bad writing and lack of imagination, using the "age-appropriate" banner to excuse themselves of responsibility. From what I've seen, children are just as happy to see a "darker" batman... And as someone who grew up with BTAS and TNBA, The fact that he wasn't as "Fun Fun Fun" as Spidey or X-men was what made him cool for me.

Now, Prev and others have made a valid point about the fact that none of us have seen it yet and several of us are making alot of predictions based on a few remarks made by the production team. And they're right, in the long run I could be wrong and the whole thing could be absolutely awesome, if a little lighter then some of us BTAS-groupies would prefer. However, there are also some issues with the information they've given us that more then warrent scepticism.

Midnite

QuoteJones On Upcoming "Batman: The Brave and The Bold" Animated Series


April 08, 2008 by James Harvey
Ben Jones, ones of the directors for the upcoming Batman: The Brave and The Bold animated series, briefly talked to The World's Finest about the upcoming cartoon.
"I wouldn't mind trying to allay some of the fears expressed on various message boards," Jones told The World's Finest. "First, there will be an element of comedy, but that doesn't mean that we're skimping on the action.

"We're trying as hard as we can to make sure the action will be as amazing and exciting as any previous incarnation of the Batman," he added.

Jones wanted to assure fans that the series won't be making fun of Batman, but will instead tell stories about him in a slightly lighter style.

"Character-wise, Batman is still the same gruff perfectionist that he's been for the last twenty-five or so years," says Jones. "Everyone here is a Batman fan too, so we want to do right by him."

While he doesn't want to spill any specific details just yet, Jones says that fans will be excited about both the approach the show will take and vast amount of characters that will be appearing.

"I'm excited about what we're doing on the show," says Jones. "The geek in me wants to spend all day going on and on about cool it is to have certain characters or actors in the show, or some of the cool stories we're doing."

Stay tuned for more on Batman: The Brave and The Bold coming soon. 

http://www.worldsfinestonline.com/ne...ullnews&id=121

doctorchallenger

Quote from: Tomato on April 08, 2008, 04:15:45 PM
Just to add another point in here before it gets glossed over... we talk about the "Fun Fun Fun" Batman being more "Kid Appropriate" as though somehow BTAS was a language and gore filled spectacle, which is rediculous. They may not have been teletubie-level happy happy fun time, but they were by no means inappropriate for younger audiences.

I've seen a trend for awhile, and if I'm wrong I encourage someone to correct me... For some reason people tend to assume a movie cannot be engaging for adults unless it has some absurd level of cursing or lewd dialogue strewn throught it, or that in order for a child to enjoy a cartoon or movie it must be dumbed down to such an extent that any measure of intelligence is beaten out of it. In essence a good chunk of people in media are stupidly(in my opinion) under the impression that nothing can be both popular and age-appropriate to children as well as engaging to people of an older age bracket.

In essence, that's what this feels like to me. Instead of trying to put some effort into doing something innovative, they're using bright colors and a mulititude of guest stars to mask bad writing and lack of imagination, using the "age-appropriate" banner to excuse themselves of responsibility. From what I've seen, children are just as happy to see a "darker" batman... And as someone who grew up with BTAS and TNBA, The fact that he wasn't as "Fun Fun Fun" as Spidey or X-men was what made him cool for me.

Now, Prev and others have made a valid point about the fact that none of us have seen it yet and several of us are making alot of predictions based on a few remarks made by the production team. And they're right, in the long run I could be wrong and the whole thing could be absolutely awesome, if a little lighter then some of us BTAS-groupies would prefer. However, there are also some issues with the information they've given us that more then warrent scepticism.

I think its true that media geared towards a younger audience can often be so insipid that it was as if the creators thought that children are idiots.  But I also think there is a diffence between a light-hearted treatment of a character or genre and dumbing the character or genre down.  For example, I thought Krypto was a great cartoon, one that treated the genre light-heartedly but with a fair degree of respect. True it was a talking animal cartoon, so it may be easier to move into that mode, but I don't think it is impossible to do with the major characters.  At least this is my hope.

As far as using guest stars as flash to mask weak writing.  We'll have to see on that one.  However, I think that DC probably has 2 interrelated marketing concerns that it is trying to address.  First, it is trying to introduce a broad array of characters to a younge audience, to encourage them to buy not just Batman products (i.e. comic books), but those of other characters, as well.  Team and team up books were created as an attempt to cross pollinate comic consumers, after all. I bet the theory still applies; they have done team toons, why not try a team-up toon?  Second, they are probalby looking to market a line of toys witht the series; again the toys should help suport DC's essential goal of selling comics.  And I wouldn't be surprised if they are trying to create such a line to encourage sustained interest.  Now bear with me here, cause this is going to sound wierd.  As the father of a Bat-fan (sorry to put my Dad cap on again, but it definitely colors my perspective), he has gotten many, many, many, many Batman action figures from his parents and others, some of which are merely repaints of previous molds, repackaged as another "new outfit."  We are bat-saturated.  So a toy line that is just Batman characters, to us, a likely set of consumers, is not particularly attractive.  But a line with the new Blue Beetle? A Silver Age style Green Arrow? That has some more interest for us (I have to say writing this makes me feel really shallow, like we try to buy our son's affection or something; I don't want to give that impression).  Maybe DC is responding to marketing research that has told them something along those lines.  Just a thoguth anyway.


Previsionary

Quote from: Tomato on April 08, 2008, 04:15:45 PM
Just to add another point in here before it gets glossed over... we talk about the "Fun Fun Fun" Batman being more "Kid Appropriate" as though somehow BTAS was a language and gore filled spectacle, which is rediculous. They may not have been teletubie-level happy happy fun time, but they were by no means inappropriate for younger audiences.

I've seen a trend for awhile, and if I'm wrong I encourage someone to correct me... For some reason people tend to assume a movie cannot be engaging for adults unless it has some absurd level of cursing or lewd dialogue strewn throught it, or that in order for a child to enjoy a cartoon or movie it must be dumbed down to such an extent that any measure of intelligence is beaten out of it. In essence a good chunk of people in media are stupidly(in my opinion) under the impression that nothing can be both popular and age-appropriate to children as well as engaging to people of an older age bracket.

In essence, that's what this feels like to me. Instead of trying to put some effort into doing something innovative, they're using bright colors and a mulititude of guest stars to mask bad writing and lack of imagination, using the "age-appropriate" banner to excuse themselves of responsibility. From what I've seen, children are just as happy to see a "darker" batman... And as someone who grew up with BTAS and TNBA, The fact that he wasn't as "Fun Fun Fun" as Spidey or X-men was what made him cool for me.

Now, Prev and others have made a valid point about the fact that none of us have seen it yet and several of us are making alot of predictions based on a few remarks made by the production team. And they're right, in the long run I could be wrong and the whole thing could be absolutely awesome, if a little lighter then some of us BTAS-groupies would prefer. However, there are also some issues with the information they've given us that more then warrent scepticism.

B:TAS hit the 10+ crowd as the darker atmosphere and tone/subtlety of certain episodes and the following movies would be hard for the younger crowd to really grasp without help from someone older (and you cannot deny that bat:TAS hit some slightly dark topics. Freeze's story immediately pops into mind). I think this toon is trying to appeal to a larger gap to bring in more batfans and I think that's a good idea to keep his legacy going. Perhaps I'd be more up in arms if this toon fit into some type of continuity, but it doesnt. I will say that I wish they'd choose another hero since a Batman toon just ended. Wonder Woman is the only hero of the trio to not really get any solo love. :P

But yeah, it's not so ridiculous to think that B:TAS was hitting an older crowd, and particularly fans of the stories already, because of how the stories were laid out and the tones they played with as compared to...S:TAS or Spider-man: TAS which generally had a much lighter atmosphere and was action happy. The differences really came to light during the first meeting of Batman and Superman in that "World's Finest" movie. But then again, compared to today, the 80s/90s had a much larger array of toons that hit at several different age groups and that's something the 00s seem to be missing for the most part. Or perhaps I'm tired of the same formula being applied to the same general cartoon over and over? *shrugs*

Tomato

@doctorchallenger: I completely agree. But while being more lighthearted isn't bad(I actually prefers Begins over Burton-flicks because it was a bit lighter), it can be taken to absurd levels (Forever, & Robin). And I'm sorry, reading "Fun Fun Fun" in reference to Batman does tend to make my mind drift back to some of the absurdity Batman has gone through.

As for the guest stars thing... I guess it depends on how they handle it. If they introduce core group of characters and expand on them, or do something like what JLU did and introduced a few characters over time and expanded on them, then I'm fine with it. The issue comes down to doing what I saw "The Batman" do a few times near the end, where today they had a "Batman and Flash" episode and the next a "Batman and Superman" episode, where the importance was on the guest rather then the plot. It's one thing to do that a few times for the fans, but it just doesn't work for an entire series.

@Prev: I guess my problem with the whole "dark topic" issue is that I don't think that, for the most part, makes any difference to those kids. It's one thing if you're using language and killing people in discriminately, because that does influence a child's mind. But what dark tones that do exist in batman don't really register to children... you bring up mister freeze's wife thing, but to a kid all that matters is why he has ice powers and that batman beats him.

I know that's an over-simplification, but I do think we get so caught up in things being darker then what we might wish that we forget that children don't care about them anyway.

But whatever. Most of my fears were laid to rest with the article Midnight posted (I still have a sense of "this could really go bad" but it's less of a probability now) and I'm content to wait and see.

Podmark

All this is reminding me that I miss Batman Beyond.


The Hitman

Aquaman looks like Johnny Bravo with a goatee. Tee Hee!

I too hope this is lighthearted and not kiddie stuff. I think they can get away wiith it. Here's why:

When I was a kid, my favorite movie was Who Framed Roger Rabbit?. That movie's filled with sexual innuendos, murder, mild language, the works. But you know what? 10- year- old Lil' Hittie only saw cartoons coming to life, and Christopher Lloyd's hand turning into a giant buzz saw, which was pretty cool.

Same thing with Batman:TAS. Kids only see stuff if they're looking. If they don't know about the "dark & dirty," they won't be looking for it. So, for this show's sake, let's hope the writers had a similar revelation.

docdelorean88

Red tornado looks alittle strange, with his metal plated shoulders?

BentonGrey

I like Aquaman's look, although I think the beard ages him a bit too much.  The only design I DON'T like (art style aside) is Red Tornado, who just looks REALLY weird to me.  I suppose it's just the shoulder plates, but it just seems awkward.  I didn't even recognize him as such when I first saw that image.  I also think that bringing GA back to his Golden Age threads is a bad idea from a marketing perspective, as he's already got a decent amount of exposure thanks to JLU and "The Batman" in his more modern garb.


crimsonquill

Okay, folks... Warner Brothers Animation has spilled the beans about the new toon at SDCC...

First up, take a look at the teaser trailer: http://www.comicscontinuum.com/stories/0807/25/batsizzle.htm

I'm pretty impressed with the old school feeling/look of the toon.. but it's also kinda odd having the new Blue Beetle among the cast.

For the full report click here: http://www.newsarama.com/tv/080725-comiccon-brave-bold-panel.html

- CrimsonQuill

JKCarrier

Is that Kite-Man in the first few seconds? Awesome!  :thumbup:

Talavar


BentonGrey

The animation looks pretty great, and I have to say I like the sixties flair to it, a-la New Frontier......however, the lack of Kevin Conroy is a huge black mark, and the inclusion of the new Blue Beetle is simply bizarre. 

RTTingle

   Eh, not saying I don't appreciate Kevin Conroy --- but it's nice to let other people have a go.

   I mean, Batman has many different incarnations and styles.  From the black and white serials with Lewis Wilson & Robert Lowery, to the 60's goofiness of Adam West and in the last 2 decades we've had not one ---- but 4 different actors portray Batman in their own style.

   I'm looking forward to a different take on Batman and honestly, hearing Conroy as the voice again would distract me from giving it a fair chance as its own thing BECAUSE of how much I associate him with the previous animated series.

   I liked the Sprang inspired style of the new series and seeing a little bit of action to it now, even has me more excited.  I loved the music and the lines of the animation seemed similar yet so different from the previous animated series.  The last one being heavy on the Japanimation influence and the previous a little bit, but not so much as so.  Something about this animation seems so.... American.  Again, its the Sprang thing I guess.  But that music and the action.... it just rings out like classic Johnny Quest style fun.  Thats something I've been GREATLY missing.

   Can't wait to hear more about who'll be on the show as the partners and more of the villains.

RTT

Podmark

I'm really conflicted about this show. I dislike the return to 70's style Batman. I dislike the choice of voice actor for Bats (this might change once I watch it). I'm not sure I like the tone and style they're going for.

On the other hand I love that they'll be using characters like Jamie Reyes, Plastic Man and Gentlemen Ghost - guys you'd never see in other Batman shows. Also the trailer was pretty good looking.

UnkoMan

Well I'm a bit pumped. I think I might actually enjoy this quite a bit, presuming the writing isn't talking down and pandering to what they think kids want.

Jakew

Looks ... surprisingly cool! I like the animation style, the action looks slick, and the character designs being used are interesting.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zpXSPJZr65s






thalaw2

Nice trailer.  I too am now pumped!!!

Midnite

A list of heroes and villians appearing in the show.
Source link

Allies:

-Adam Strange
-Aquaman
-The Atom
-Black Canary
-Blue Beetle
-Booster Gold
-Deadman
-Doctor Fate
-Fire
-Firestorm
-Flash
-Green Arrow
-Green Lantern Corps
-Guy Gardner
-Huntress
-Justice Society of America
-Jonah Hex
-Kamandi
-Metamorpho
-Plastic Man
-Red Tornado
-Wildcat

Opponents:

-Black Manta
-Calendar Man
-Cavalier
-Clock King
-Gentleman Ghost
-Gorilla Grodd
-Emerald Empress
-Ocean Master
-Kite Man
-Kanjar Ro
-Zebra-Man

RTTingle

The latest from Newsarama...

QuoteNews of the new Cartoon Network Batman: The Brave and the Bold cartoon has been percolating since April, and now, CN has officially announced that the series will debut on Friday, November 14th at 7:30 pm. CN's release reads:

BATMAN: THE BRAVE AND THE BOLD (TV-Y-7)
Premieres Friday, November 14, 7:30 p.m. (ET, PT)
Cartoon Network and Warner Bros. Animation present the latest interpretation of the classic Batman franchise, premiering Friday, Nov. 14 at 7:30 p.m. (ET/PT). The Caped Crusader is teamed up with heroes from across the DC Universe, delivering nonstop action and adventure with a touch of comic relief. Blue Beetle, Green Arrow, Aquaman and countless others will get a chance to uphold justice alongside Batman. Though still based in Gotham City, Batman will frequently find himself outside city limits, facing situations that are both unfamiliar and exhilarating. With formidable foes around every corner, Batman will still rely on his stealth, resourcefulness and limitless supply of cool gadgets to bring justice home.

Friday, Nov. 14: "Rise of the Blue Beetle! " - Batman and Blue Beetle team up to save an alien race from Kanjar Ro.

Friday, Nov. 21: "Terror on Dinosaur Island! " - Batman and Plastic Man thwart Gorilla Grodd's plot to devolve humans into primates.

Friday, Nov. 28 :"Evil Under the Sea!" - Batman aids Aquaman as Ocean Master and Black Manta team up to assassinate him.

As the above illustration suggests (and those who caught the preview footage at San Diego Comic-Con saw) the new series owes a stylistic debt to the blockier Batman of Dick Sprang rather than the more lithe versions of the most recent animated series.

The new series will be a break from the continuity of the previous series, and will be, as evidenced by the rating, aimed at a younger audience. As such, the series will not focus as much on Batman's mythology and milieu – the series will not have Commissioner Gordon, Robin, Alfred or, at the time of the SDCC panel, the Joker; but will feature guest stars and villains from across the DC Universe including those mentioned above as well as: Black Canary, the Atom, Adam Strange, Flash, Booster Gold, Deadman, Doctor Fate, Fire, Firestorm, the Green Lantern Corps, Guy Gardner, the Justice Society of America, Jonah Hex, Kamandi, Huntress, Metamorpho, Red Tornado, Wildcat, Gentleman Ghost, Calendar Man, Cavalier, Clock King, Despero, Sportsmaster, Zebra Man, and a fan-favorite "A-list" DC character.

The JSA as a whole will appear?  Wow.  Please let there be Sandman!  Very intrigued with Jonah Hex making an appearance... flashback... time travel?  Hyped about Adam Strange too.

Any guesses on the favorite A-Lister?  I'm betting the boy in blue.

RTT

herodad1

dont take this wrong but theyre wearing out spider-man,superman,x-men,fantasic four and batman.i wish they would go out on a limb and try animating different characters.

RTTingle


Talavar

Well, I've watched that little trailer on the official website, and I've got to say that it is nice to see current Blue Beetle & Plastic Man in animation.  Maybe this'll be better than I thought.

BentonGrey

I'd (big surprise) prefer that it be the classic Beetle, good 'ol Teddy, but they do have some REALLY funky design and character choices in evidence on that show.  Still, I'm looking forward to seeing the King of the Seven Seas in his classic duds and beating the tar out of an Ocean Master that is actually in costume!

Previsionary

wait...wait...wait...

the premiere is on my birthday? That is NOT ok. *sues*...*sues Benton also for loving aquaman*

The Hitman

I am really excited for this! Looks like I have a reason to build that TiVo now...

(Oh, and I realize I'll be the only one to say this, but I dig the redesign of Red Tornado.)

Talavar

Ted Kord would have been good too (especially if they had Booster Gold as well) but the new Blue Beetle comic series is one of those good, low-selling titles that could use a cartoon audience boost.

cmdrkoenig67

I don't know...I soooo loved Batman TAS (Adventures of Batman and Robin, etc...) and the Justice league (& JLU)....At least it looks better than that horrible The Batman series.

Dana

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