14 years ago today, the coolest Batman animated series had come to an end and DC Studios should use it as a model to pursue with a live-action Batman in the future. Batman is one of the main icons of DC Comics, and as a result has gotten a number of different iterations and interpretations over the decades thus far. Each new take on Batman comes with their own fans as they designate their favorites, and each one has surprisingly been much different than the last. But even as more Batman prepare to hit the screen with new projects now in the works with DC Studios, there are some previous works they should draw inspiration from.
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Batman: The Brave and the Bold came to an end with Cartoon Network on November 18, 2011, 14 years ago today (and three years and four days after it began its run), and it offered one of the most distinct versions of Batman that we have ever seen. If offered a take on Batman that was different than anything we had seen in animation at the time, but also any of the live-action projects. It was such a breath of fresh air that DC Studios should go that route with one of its own takes on Batman someday.
What Is Batman: The Brave and the Bold?
Coming to an end 14 years ago, Batman: The Brave and the Bold was actually a pretty special series within Warner Bros. Animation. It was the very first series produced by the company with a high definition release, and then shook up the standard Batman formula even more by taking cues from the Silver Age adventures from the comics. This version of Batman teamed him up with notable heroes and other icons from DC Comics’ roster for special adventures that pit him against wild foes. This version of the hero was voiced by Diedrich Bader, whose very recognizable voice made him a perfect anchor for the tone of the franchise.
This was a much lighter affair than seen in other iterations, and allowed this Batman to be a lot more “goofy” than compared to the no-nonsense versions of many others. Because it was unafraid of the more wacky side of Batman’s past, it often felt like this version of the iconic hero was also the best to watch in motion. It was because no episode was predictable. The series would go from a full musical (with Neil Patrick Harris voicing the villain), then a Bat-Mite adventure (voiced by Paul Reubens), then to end of the world stakes. It was a perfect week to week watch.
Why DC Studios Should Be Like Brave and the Bold
The future is bright for Batman at DC Studios, and that’s because one of their future projects is literally titled The Brave and the Bold. Sure it’s inspired more from the comics, but it wouldn’t be too bad of an idea to take some of the elements seen with this animated series as well. This would give the new live-action Batman an immediately different visual distinction (such as making the next Batman blue and bulkier), but also a different personality.
We’ve seen so many downtrodden and outright depressed versions of Batman in live-action projects over the years, but it wouldn’t be the worst thing to see DC Studios’ new Batman be able to crack a joke or smile a little without it “ruining” people’s impression of the character. But if you start out with a version of Batman that could also fall in line with the new version of Superman, then following in Batman: The Brave and the Bold‘s footsteps also carves out a good path for the future.
It was a series that showcased numerous team ups across a much wider universe, and Batman was the unflappable anchor in the middle of it all. You couldn’t ask for a better model for DC Studios’ future. What do you think? Leave a comment below and join the conversation now in the ComicBook Forum!
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