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2010 TV News Archives

March 29, 2010: Superman Homage on "Batman: The Brave and the Bold"

By Barry Freiman

The creators of the animated series "Batman: The Brave and the Bold" are clearly aware the Superman fans are out there and we're waiting for the real thing, but the March 26th episode "The Super Batman of Planet X!" based on a 1950s comic book story with that title was a really good tease. The episode was a Superman love-fest and an honest adaptation of a documented period in Batman's history - whether he really did it or it's just in his mind and his "Black Casebook".

Laced with Superman references from "Look Up in the Sky" to bending steel bars, flying, the whole bit - even "It tickles" - the episode had Batman on another planet where humans have super powers. On this upside down world where a human Batman is a Super Batman, Bats has freeze vision like a Bizarro instead of heat vision and is weakened by quartz instead of Kryptonite; but otherwise he's all Bat-Man of Steel.

The actual Batman of Planet X who becomes envious of a super powered bat-rival is voiced by Kevin Conroy ("Batman: The Animated Series" for starters). The Batman of Planet X is in fact Zur-En-Ahhr, a Batman from another planet in a wildly multi-colored batsuit. The Zur-En-Ahhr concept recently resurfaced as a psychological condition in comic book continuity, an invented personality Batman created in his subconscious.

When out of the psychedelic batsuit, Conroy has a blast playing what is essentially a Clark Kent character. The Batman of Planet X is secretly a mild-mannered bespectacled reporter for a great metropolitan newspaper so Conroy, forever Batman and Bruce Wayne to a generation, got to play (essentially) Clark Kent.

His "Lois Lane", who is a red head like Lana Lang, has the pipes of Lois Lane voice actress Dana Delany. And his arch nemesis, the villainous Ruhtol, a bald megalomaniac in purple and green, is voiced by Clancy Brown. Brown has provided the voice of Lex Luthor to "Superman: The Animated Series", "Justice League", "Justice League Unlimited", "The Batman", and "Superman/Batman: Public Enemies", not to mention a video game or two.

While Cartoon Network doesn't have a rerun of the episode on its schedule currently, it is a must see for Superman fans. In fact, "Batman: The Brave and the Bold" in its second season has been teasing Superman all year including seeing the Man of Steel's back in a JLA flashback and references in another episode to Smallville and Metropolis (both of which were reported right here on the Superman Homepage when they took place). "Batman: The Brave and the Bold" is currently airing new episodes Fridays at 7:30 PM on Cartoon Network with next week's episode featuring Captain Marvel.


2010 Television News

Listed below are all the Television News items archived for 2010 organized into various categories:

“Smallville” News:

“Young Justice” Animated Series News: Other Superman Related Television News:

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