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Game Over for Owlman!
Original Airdate - March 6th, 2009
When parallel worlds collide, Batman swaps places with Owlman--his criminal counterpart in an alternate universe--to stop the Crime Syndicate from taking over their world. Crime fighters in one world must battle their evil counterparts in a crime spree melee. Meanwhile back on Earth, Owlman has been perpetrating crimes disguised as Batman and assembled all the villains to join him. When Batman returns, he finds himself on the wrong side of the law and hunted by Green Lantern, Aquaman, Blue Beetle, Red Tornado and Plastic Man. It’s a strange twist of fate that leaves Batman with only one option - to team up with Joker and take Owlman and the Crime Syndicate down!

Written by Joseph Kuhr
Directed by Ben Jones
Animation by Lotto Animation
Review by James Harvey
Media provided by Warner Bros. Animation
Cast
Deidrich Bader as Batman / Owlman
Jeff Bennett as Red Hood / The Joker
James Sie as Dyna-Mite
Corey Burton as Red Tornado / Silver Cyclone
Will Friedle as Blue Beetle / Scarlet Scarab
James Arnold Taylor as Green Arrow / Blue Bowman

Music
Theme Written and Performed by Andy Strumer
Music by Michael McCuisition, Lolita Ritmanis, Kristopher Carter

Note: Review below is for both parts of the story. Beware of spoilers!
Images





Review
"Like looking into a funhouse mirror...of evil!" is going down as one of my favorite lines of the series to date! The quote in question comes from "Deep Cover for Batman!," the first of a Batman: The Brave and The Bold two-part event.

As odd as this may sound, it seems as though the entire season has been leading up to this episode. Well, both episodes, actually. All the heroes that appear, all the villains, it all seems logical. As if every appearance before this was laying the groundwork for this clearly epic two-part Batman: The Brave and The Bold episode. And, boy, will fans ever get a lot out of this episode. Even if you're not a fan of the series, I strongly recommend that you give at least the first of this two-part corker a shot.

So what's this two-part event about? When parallel worlds collide, Batman swaps places with Owlman--his criminal counterpart in an alternate universe--to stop the Crime Syndicate from taking over their world. Crime fighters in one world must battle their evil counterparts in a crime spree melee. Meanwhile back on Earth, Owlman has been perpetrating crimes disguised as Batman and assembled all the villains to join him. When Batman returns, he finds himself on the wrong side of the law and hunted by Green Lantern, Aquaman, Blue Beetle, Red Tornado and Plastic Man. It’s a strange twist of fate that leaves Batman with only one option - to team up with Joker and take Owlman and the Crime Syndicate down!

Without spoiling too much, it's safe to say that this is the most ambitious installment of the series to date. Not to fall onto the typical cliches that comes with discussing an installment such as this, but this episode certainly does set a new precedent for the series. Not only that, but it really does bring a couple things to light.

This episode really lets Deidrach Bader shine and, boy, is he ever a great Batman. True, he's held his own in each episode of the series so far, but he really goes above and beyond in this one. These two episodes really showcase Bader's work and, here, he doesn't disappoint. Given the fact that he voices multiple Batman, he really gets to flex his muscle, and does an admirable job doing so.

"Deep Cover for Batman!" and "Game Over for Owlman!" have so much going for them, for both long-time comic fans and fans of just the Dark Knight. The shadow-drenched opening teaser for the two-part story is dripping with style, providing probably the best tease of the series. Not only that, but with the teaser obviously tied into the overall storyline, it really does whet the appetite all the more for what comes after. There's plenty of firsts in this two-part episode, including a first look at the Batcave, our first extended trip through Gotham, our first look at the Joker, and much more. Again, I seriously don't want to ruin all of the surprises here, but there are moments that will make fans seriously giddy. Whether it's the various interpretations of Batman that comes to light, the superb work by Jeff Bennett in bringing an excellent Joker to life, or the work seeing the villainous opposites of many of our favorite heroes, there's so much to enjoy in these two episodes.

One of the great aspects of this series is seeing the bigger DC Universe and here, we get it in spades. Not only is the universe to this series expanded upon, but we get countless nods to comics and previous incarnations of these characters. There's more than a couple homages to the classic 1960's Batman series, as well as a very cool homage to the 1989 live-action Batman film by Tim Burton (one word: "Stop").

And, I have to admit, for a brief moment, when we see Batman on the run from the law in Gotham, it's a great look at Batman's stomping grounds. While the headlining heroes of the city try to capture the Dark Knight, this section feels surprisingly intimate for the series. In fact, these two episodes provide the closest look into Batman's home turf in this two-parter, something fans will both love and want to see more of. Hopefully we'll be seeing more of the Batcave and Batman's home in the future.

There's a lot of action to be found here. The blistering fights between Batman and Owlman easily are breathlessly staged, calling back to the brilliant staging and fight scenes that Justice League Unlimited and Teen Titans accomplished during their run. But, the fight scenes are still manage to also be fun. It's hilarious to see the tension between Batman and Owlman cut when we see Joker hilariously tip-toe through the scene with a ticking bomb. Of course, in this series, there's always a great visual gag around the corner, and this two-parter is no exception. The plethora of Batman who come to save the day in the second part of this two-part adventure are an equal mix of hilarious and awesome. Whether it's the amazing Vampire Batman or the hilarious gigantic-cranium Batman (a great homage to the classic Flash storyline), there's so much that long-time comic readers and Bat-fans will get a kick out of.

There are some great jaw-dropping moments, too, moments that will surprise and excite! Batman: The Brave and The Bold really pulls out all the stops and, thankfully, doesn't suffer at all. While I was initially skeptical of a series so packed with heroes in every episode, the series has managed to surpass my expectations at nearly every turn, and this two-part episode is no exception. Only this series can get away with a plethora of Batman teaming up with a host of DC heroes to duke it out with a plethora of evil duplicates, nearly twenty characters, and never once feel too cramped. It's a testament to the creative team of this series that they're able to handle so many characters without ever missing a beat. Everything moves as it should., and is unrelentlessly exciting! Directors Micheal Chang and Ben Jones do a great job bringing Joseph Kuhr's exhilarating script to life!

The Batman: The Brave and The Bold two-part special event, made up of "Deep Cover for Batman!" and "Game Over for Owlman!," is the culmination of thirteen episodes, erupting in both a gigantic and simultaneously intimate look at this interpretation of the Caped Crusader. For fans of the series, I have no doubt this will be one of the most talked-about installments of the series. Without a doubt, this adventure comes Highly Recommended. For those interested in checking out the series for the first time, this is a definitely great place to start. Seriously, it may seem like it's a very involved two-parter, and it is, but the creative team has also done an excellent job at also making it accessible to new viewers. Batman: The Brave and The Bold has been a breathe of fresh air for Bat-fans, and this two-part installment manages to both continue that and easily produce the best of the series to date!

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