Fans were lead to believe once the smoke cleared from the battlefield of the JLU series finale "Destroyer", that "it would all be over but the cryin". But to the surprise and glee of comic geeks everywhere, the beloved DCAU LIVES ON!
The acclaimed franchise that began in the 90's with Batman the Animated Series and continuing into its current incarnations of Justice League and Justice League Unlimited will be evolving once more! This time under the classic comic banner of: "The Brave and the Bold".
Creators describe the show's new direction as "classic", and this time, truly "UNLIMITED". "With Brave and the Bold we're both streamlining and broadening this established world."
For those unfamiliar with the title, The Brave and the Bold is a classic "team up" adventure comic that would pair up the biggest names of the day (usually Batman or Superman) with lesser known heroes like Green Arrow or the Question Etc. Although the show will focus heavily on such pairings, creators promise we'll get much more than just a "team up of the week".
"Now we can put more emphasis on characterization and return to telling more personal, character driven stories."
Fans will now have the opportunity to learn about these great characters they've been seeing all over in the background of JLU as well as brand new tales from every corner of the DCU.
Worried fans can also rest easy knowing the formal "League" and its big names will still be featured "from time to time". For example, creators say in the first season fans will be treated to "a return to Skataris for a solo Warlord tale, a galactic journey with Adam Strange, a visit to Hawkworld, a hilarious outing with Ambush Bug, and an incredible two part finale involving Swamp thing." Although many stories will follow traditional "origin tales" of these "second stringers", we will still see continuing adventures of the formal Justice League.
The Brave and the Bold will launch in a big way with a self-titled two hour premier movie directly tied to a past JLU tale!
Here's how creators describe the premier:
"To launch The Brave and the Bold, we're going "back to the future" (and the past and present) and picking up where the JLU Season Three finale "The Once and Future Thing left off."
When we last saw the time traveling thief David Clinton (aka Chronos), he was imprisoned in a time loop thanks to Batman. Now he's free and understandably none too happy.
Now, no longer content with stealing priceless artifacts from the past, Chronos is out for revenge! Specifically against the two heroes he holds most responsible... Batman and the Green Lantern John Stewart.
Chronos puts his plan into action and in doing so, confronts the Batman of his time (Terry McGinnis / Batman Beyond) as well as the Justice League Unlimited (including John Stewart's son War Hawk)! Chronos is more than happy to spill some family blood for starters but when he learns of the "true" Batman's identity (Bruce Wayne) the real game begins and the story takes off. Think "Back to the Future Pt.2" say creators, "Chronos sets his sights on taking out Bruce Wayne in the past and begins a time traveling journey with Terry McGinnis hot on his heels to keep his *future mentor alive". Not an easy task when all the while he must avoid accidentally changing the course of history or even erasing himself from existence!
Fortunately for Terry, the DCAU is chock full of heroes and he's not alone in his quest! Along the way, Terry is joined by a pair of unexpected allies. The first being a mysterious female voice on the other end of a "comlink" who calls herself "The Oracle". The second is a masked face familiar to long time fans... Dick Grayson (aka Nightwing)!
But creators warn, "don't expect these two to buddy up to one another. There is some serious tension and immediate sparks between these two"."
Plenty of D.C. and animated Batman history is explored, including a delightful segment where we return to "Mask of the Phantasm" and Terry must stop Chronos from getting to a young Bruce Wayne while he's on a date with Andrea Beumont... all without being seen!
Will Batman survive? Heck, will the DCAU survive? We'll all just have to wait and see.
The accompanying toyline will borrow from the show's theme and they're intended for release in "two-packs" featuring primarily all new sculpts with a return to the classic five POA..
Here is an exclusive first look at prototypes for the first two waves of figures based on this new series!
The Brave and the Bold!
