Mitefall!

  • Title: Batman: The Brave and the Bold – Mitefall!
  • tv.com: link

batman-brave-and-bold-mitefall-ambush-bug

After watching Batman (Diedrich Bader) and Aquaman (John Di Maggio) stop Gorilla Grodd (Di Maggio) from stealing a ocean laboratory with the use of robotic sharks Bat-Mite (Paul Reubens) laments the Silver Age hijinks of his favorite show who he believes has jumped the shark (literally!). In the mood for a more dramatic version of the Caped Crusader the imp decides to use his power to sink the show for good in Batman: The Brave and the Bold‘s final episode.

Batmite’s plan involves adding a love interest, giving Batman an adorable kid and a studio audience laugh track, inserting more toy props into the show (enter the Neon Talking Super-Street Bat-Luge) and replacing Dimaggio as the voice of Aquaman with Ted McGinley.

Thankfully for Batman there’s another hero on the case to help save the Dark Knight Detective. The bad news is the only hope for our hero is Ambush Bug (Henry Winkler), who Bat-Mite remarks is a pretty obscure hero even for this show.

This episode has everything, even Alpine Ice Climber Batman, Ace the Bathound and his annoying new Scrappy-Doo-like sidekick, a promo for a Batgirl cartoon, Batman surfing the Malibu waves, the end of Batmite, and a final farewell featuring as many Batman: The Brave and the Bold characters as the artist could fit on-screen (even G’nort makes it into the shot!).

batman-brave-and-bold-mitefall-cast

Not to be outdone by the main story, the episode’s opening segment is one of the most bizarre of the entire series (take a second to think about that) as Batman travels to a parallel Earth and saves President Abraham Lincoln (Peter Renaday) from a steampunk powered John Wilkes Booth (Dee Bradley Baker).

The show may not be as good as Batman: The Animated Series (what is?), but despite being stuck with long hiatuses and scheduling issues the show provided some great moments and very memorable episodes. I’m sad to see it go, but at least Paul Dini (who wrote this episode) found a way for it to go out with a bang poking fun not only at the show itself but the problems that creep into so many super-hero cartoons. Alpine Ice Climber Batman, indeed.

2 thoughts on “Mitefall!”

  1. Wow… bat-mite not only broke the fourth wall, he stabbed it to death in the back alley, went to its funeral, then banged its wife.

  2. I think this batman series is really creative and enjoyable! and i know this is just out of no where but it gave me a different side to the character Zatanna’ (you know the magician like girl on the left next to the female metalmen). The reason why is because in some series of DC animation i found her quite big-headed and self centered. And no, no not all series just some that i had known of ;D

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