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“The Brave and the Bold” was a brave departure for Batman animation. A tribute to the Silver Age of comics (1956-1970), it was both brighter and more optimistic than “Batman: The Animated Series” and was as much a platform for other DC superheroes as it was the Dark Knight, here voiced by comedian Diedrich Bader (whose can also be heard as the narrator in the Weird Al Yankovic biopic “Weird”).
Before being reinvented by writer Grant Morrison as a mental failsafe for Batman should his mind ever be compromised, the Batman of Zur-En-Arrh was an alternate Batman from another world. It’s this version that we meet in Episode 9 of Season 2 (“The Super-Batman of Planet X”) of “The Brave and the Bold.” Kevin Conroy voices this gaudy red, yellow, and purple variant of our Caped Crusader. It’s a fun throwback to a simpler age, with the planet Zur-En-Arrh a world of retro-futuristic architecture — like something from Flash Gordon, all ray guns, gleaming silver towers, and giant robots. In this world, our Batman finds that, like Superman on Earth, this planet gives him superpowers, and the Batman of Zur-En-Arrh’s abilities pale by comparison. However, over-confident in his new abilities, Bruce Waynrfails to consider he might share a similar weakness with Superman — and it is nearly his undoing.
Conroy relishes every moment playing his particular Batman and portraying the humility forced upon him by this new unearthly visitor. It’s an aspect of the character that we haven’t seen before, and it’s a testament to Conroy that he pulls it off with aplomb. The final act is a delight, with Batmen teaming up against an alternative Lex Luthor (Xel Rothul, voiced by Clancy Brown).
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