TVSquad

Batman's been around in one iteration or another on our television screens for almost as long as there has been television. Since the debut of Batman: The Animated Series in 1992, we've had some form of Batman on our screens almost non-stop. The latest incarnation of the caped crusader comes just in time to enjoy the success of The Dark Knight in theaters, but unlike its animated predecessor, doesn't carry nearly the dark tone of the film.

In fact, Batman: The Brave and the Bold almost takes a page from the beloved 1960's Batman television series with Adam West and Burt Ward. It's not nearly as corny as that in delivery, but it does have a wackiness to some of the villains and gadgets presented. Ultimately, though, it's a team-up show and a way for DC to showcase virtually its entire universe in a Batman show.

From the competitive tone established between Batman and Green Arrow to Plastic Man stuffing his body full of gold and jewels despite trying to be a reformed thief, the characterizations are dead-on in most cases. Friday nights at 8/7 Central on Cartoon Network never looked so crowded.

Sure, this Batman isn't nearly as somber as he's been presented on the big-screen, but this is the version that has to interact with a plethora of super-heroes. So while there's no Robin in sight, there are plenty of other heroes. And in light of this, we have a much friendlier Batman. Also, so far it's been wall-to-wall action with no sign of any connecting story pieces between episodes.

In fact, the only progression we've seen of any note is the fact that in the first episode Blue Beetle was a novice Batman was putting to the field test to see what he was made of, and by the fourth episode, they were just having a traditional team-up in the cold open battle. Which brings me to another stylistic presentation I like. Each episode features two team-ups, though only one in the story proper. The other is just a short team-up that runs prior to the opening credits and in many cases has no connection at all to the later story.

I guess the moral of that story is that Batman is far busier. While the tone of Batman's characterization isn't as corny as the television series, it is more in line with the Batman of the 1970's The Brave and the Bold comic series. In fact, many of the villains and heroes appear in a "Silver Age" form themselves, most notably Green Arrow. But at the same time, we have Blue Beetle appearing as Jamie Reyes, who didn't take up the mantle until a few years ago in the DC Universe.

Ultimately, while it's not the same Batman we've been watching on television cartoons for the past sixteen years, it is an enjoyable show. I guess Batman is there to have the star power to lure in viewers. Once they're there, DC is free to show them just how impressively vast and varied their super-hero universe is. It's a pretty solid idea and so far the execution is light, fun and very well executed.

And I guarantee you'll find yourself wanting to see more of some of these guest stars. In seven short episodes we've already seen the new Beetle twice and Green Arrow twice. And here's the real kicker. Batman: The Brave and the Bold made Aquaman cool. Let that sink in for a minute. It's actually possible! They play him up like a cocky, arrogant prick considering he's the ruler of Atlantis, and it may be the most enjoyable Aquaman I've ever seen. So if a show can make Aqauaman cool, how can it not be an awesome cartoon?