Posts Tagged ‘Superman: The Movie’

February 24th, 2012  Posted at   Special Reports

In part one and part two of this series, we looked at Superman-related appearances and references in seasons one and two of “Batman: The Brave and the Bold,” the 22 issues of the BATMAN: THE BRAVE AND THE BOLD comic and first four issues of ALL-NEW BATMAN: THE BRAVE AND THE BOLD. In this installment, we begin our look at season three of the show.

Season three started off in high form with Superman’s most epic appearance throughout all of the “Batman: The Brave and the Bold” canon with “Battle of the Superheroes!” The episode, the fifth of season three and the 57th overall, but the first to air as the episodes were aired out of production order, was written by Steven Melching and directed by Ben Jones. And it featured, finally, the first full animated appearance of Superman!

A full Superman appearance in the cartoon had been a long time coming, and the episode’s creators pulled out all the stops to create a tour-de-force with an almost non-stop string of eye candy. Treats for Superman fans covered a wide range, including character appearances, both in full supporting roles and cameos; homages to classic stories and covers from the a wide range of eras; and send-ups to classic Superman tropes.

The Man of Steel, is, obviously, front-and-center in the episode. Voiced by Roger Rose, the character evokes equal parts the models used in the Fleischer and Famous Studios Superman shorts and “Superman: The Animated Series,” with hints of George Reeves’ and Christopher Reeve’s portrayals thrown in for good measure.



Like his cameo in “Sidekicks Assemble!,” but unlike his appearances in the comic books, Superman’s cape does sport a yellow S-shield. The episode sees Superman exhibiting a full range of classic Superman abilities, including strength, speed, flight, invulnerability, super-breath, X-ray vision, heat vision and super-ventriloquism.

Yes, even super-ventriloquism.

The “big three” of Superman’s supporting cast, Jimmy Olsen, Lois Lane and Perry White, all played prominent roles in the episode. And, with exception to the possible appearance of Lois in “The Knights of Tomorrow!,” it marked the first official appearance for all three in any “Batman: The Brave and the Bold” story. All three characters were portrayed at their most classic and iconic Silver Age bests.


Jimmy Olsen, voiced by Alex Polinsky, is clad for most of the episode in his trademark green suit and red bow tie. Many times throughout the episode, he is seen wielding his camera, taking photos in his role as photographer for the Daily Planet. During the episode, Jimmy is also in possession of not one but two different signal-watches.


The original watch is activated by spinning the dial on the outside frame of the watch, causing it to emit a high-pitched chirping sound, alerting Superman. No information is given in the episode as to how the second watch works.

Lois Lane is voiced by Sirena Irwin and works as a reporter for the Daily Planet. In a throwback to her classic Silver Age portrayal, at one point Superman makes a comment about “all the love schemes” Lois has pulled in order to try and trick him into marrying her.

Perry White is voiced by Richard McGonagle. Portrayed as the sometimes affable and sometimes gruff and blustery editor-in-chief of the Daily Planet, during the episode Perry utters the classic Perry White-isms of, “Don’t call me chief!” and “Great Caesar’s ghost!”

The Daily Planet’s signature rooftop globe first received a cameo appearance in BATMAN: THE BRAVE AND THE BOLD #2. However, here, we see the globe in full.

Two issues of the Daily Planet are also seen in the episode, giving us a look at the paper’s nameplate (or masthead).


The second issue also gives us another tribute, paying homage to the book that featured Superman and Batman team-up stories for the majority of its run from 1941 to 1986 and is a term that, even today, is used to refer to the pairing of the Man of Steel and the Dark Knight: World’s Finest.

Speaking of Daily Planet employees, though, mild-mannered reporter Clark Kent also has a brief appearance, marking his first appearance in the series, outside of the cameo in the possible future from “The Knights of Tomorrow!”

Like his alter ego, Clark is voiced by Roger Rose. Rose softens his voice somewhat for the role, but doesn’t seem to go out of his way to distinguish between Clark and Superman. Clark’s time in the episode amounts to only one scene, unfortunately, so we don’t get much with which to gauge his personality or relationship with Lois, Jimmy or Perry beyond that Clark is portrayed as somewhat clumsy.

Krypto the Super-Dog also had a bit part in the story, complete with cape.

He looks rather unfriendly here, but the episode showed him being (Super)man’s best friend, and we even got a small sampling of Krypto’s powers as he and Superman engaged in a short game of fetch, sending Krypto in to outer space. During the episode’s climactic battle, Krypto also got a chance to shine, hitting his opponent with a blast of heat vision.

Superman’s friends weren’t the only ones to make appearances in the episode, though, as cameos were made by an entire line of Superman villains, ranging from the well-known to the obscure.

First up was Lex Luthor, voiced by Kevin Michael Richardson. Richardson had previously held other Superman-related voice acting roles, including that of Darkseid in the “Superman: Shadow of Apokolips” video game.

Luthor is considerably different, both visually and in characterization, in his appearance here compared to his previous comic book appearance in BATMAN: THE BRAVE AND THE BOLD #1. In fact, the Luthor presented here is much closer to Rohtul from “The Super-Batman of Planet X!” Though, while it may not have been intentional, it is interesting that the comic book appearance pays tribute to Luthor’s Golden Age incarnation, while the appearance here pays tribute to both his Silver Age and post-Crisis incarnations, given that in the episode, Luthor is seen wearing gray prison togs as well as a business suit.

Also here, Luthor sports a piece of jewelry very much associated with this post-Crisis incarnation: a ring studded with Green Kryptonite.

This episode marks the first actual appearance in “Batman: The Brave and the Bold” canon, after previously being mentioned in the show in “The Rise of Blue Beetle!” as well as in the comics in BATMAN: THE BRAVE AND THE BOLD #2. Green Kryptonite seems to cause immediate weakness and pain in Superman and, according to Luthor himself, eventual death.

Red Kryptonite, making its first appearance and the first and only form of kryptonite other than green to be seen in “Batman: The Brave and the Bold” canon, also plays a role in the episode, being used by Luthor against the Man of Steel.

According to Batman, Red Kryptonite has unpredictable effects on Superman, lasting approximately 24 hours before wearing off on their own. In this particular instance, the Red Kryptonite caused Superman’s personality to change, making him, as Jimmy Olsen put it, a “rude, selfish, sadistic creep.”

Luthor’s hideout also holds another treat for those familiar with the Silver Age of Superman, in that it is located within an astronomical observatory on the outskirts of Metropolis. (The city of Metropolis also makes its first appearance true appearance in this episode, though its skyline was seen in the distance in BATMAN: THE BRAVE AND THE BOLD #2. The majority of the episode is set in the city, so much of its architecture and people are seen throughout.)

Luthor had many hideaways pre-Crisis, with this one, often designated “Luthor’s Lair II,” introduced in SUPERMAN #167. Inside, we see statues of Julius Caesar, Genghis Khan and Attila the Hun as part of Luthor’s twisted “Hall of Heroes,” another nod with roots in the Silver Age.

Other statues pre-Crisis included Nero, Blackbeard, Benedict Arnold, Captain Kidd and Al Capone, though these are not seen in the episode. Traditionally, the statues were life-size and in full color. Here, though, while they are not full color, they appear to be at least twice life-size.

One final tool in Luthor’s arsenal that seemed to be an Easter egg is that of the aircraft he used at the episode’s beginning in order to stage an attack of the Hall of Minerals in Metropolis.

With a change in paint, the ship is identical to the Supermobile, complete with fist-shaped battering rams. The firsts are made from titanium, according to Lex Luthor. No word in the episode on how much, if any, of the ship is comprised of Supermanium, sadly.

The Toyman, complete with armies of toy soldiers and lethal toy tanks, also makes an appearance in the episode. He is voiced by John DiMaggio, who had previously voiced the character — though a much different take on him — in “Superman: Doomsday,” the direct-to-video feature that very loosely adapted the death and return of Superman storylines.

Toyman looked somewhat different than in his previous appearance in BATMAN: THE BRAVE AND THE BOLD #2, though that likely owes to the different artists and that the model sheets for the animated version were not available when the comic book was produced. Like with his comic book counterpart, he is only called Toyman, but he resembles the Winslow Schott version. No mention is made of the other Toyman that appeared in BATMAN: THE BRAVE AND THE BOLD #17.

Other villains making appearances, though only in the form of cameos, included Metallo, who was first seen as an action figure, again complete with Green Kryptonite “heart.”


The character is not named in the episode and has no dialogue (and thus no actor portraying him), He seems to draw visual inspiration from the Bronze Age Roger Corben version as well as the post Crisis (circa 1990s to early 2000s) John Corben version.

Also not named, but making a non-speaking cameo appearance, was a character who seemed to be El Gar-Kur, perhaps the most obscure reference of the episode.

First appearing in “The War Between Jimmy Olsen and Superman!” from ACTION COMICS #253, El Gar-Kur was a criminal from the Bottle City of Kandor who is able to free himself from the city and sets about in an attempt to conquer Earth, only to be ultimately thwarted by Superman. If he looks a bit familiar, it’s because El Gar-Kur was, amazingly, a perfect look-alike for Superman’s pal Jimmy Olsen. El Gar-Kur wore an outfit similar to the one seen in the episode in his original ACTION COMICS appearance, though with a different color scheme.

Speaking of Kandor, this episode also featured a cameo appearance by the villainous Brainiac and his alien pet Koko (though both were unnamed in the episode).

Richard McGonagle, also the voice of Perry White, voiced the character, who threatened to subject Metropolis to the “shrinking process,” causing Superman and Batman to go into action once more.

First alluded to in “Legends of the Dark Mite!,” Mr. Mxyzptlk (pronounced by Superman as mix-yiz-pit-lick) makes his first appearance here.

Mxyzptlk was voiced by Kevin Michael Richardson, also the voice of Lex Luthor, and plagues Metropolis, not only by bringing the Daily Planet globe to life in his own image, but by triggering a series of transformations in Jimmy Olsen, including turning Jimmy into…

…the shape of a human balloon with ears and teeth like a mule (a reference to “Jimmy Olsen, Freak!” from SUPERMAN’S PAL, JIMMY OLSEN #59):

…a human octopus (a reference to “The Human Octopus!” from SUPERMAN’S PAL, JIMMY OLSEN #41)

…a gorilla’s groom (a reference to “The Bride of Jungle Jimmy!” from SUPERMAN’S PAL, JIMMY OLSEN #98; including an homage to that issue’s cover by Curt Swan and George Klein)

…a genie (a reference to “Jimmy the Genie” from SUPERMAN’S PAL, JIMMY OLSEN #42)

…a wolf-man (a reference to “The Wolf-Man of Metropolis!” from SUPERMAN’S PAL, JIMMY OLSEN #44 and “Jimmy Olsen, Wolf-Man!” from SUPERMAN’S PAL, JIMMY OLSEN #52)

…a Bizarro (a reference to “Jimmy Olsen, the Bizarro Boy!” from SUPERMAN’S PAL, JIMMY OLSEN #80 as well as the Bizarro Jimmy Olsen that first appeared in “Jimmy Olsen’s Kookie Scoops!” from ADVENTURE COMICS #287) and constituting the only Bizarro reference in “Batman: The Brave and the Bold” canon)

…a giant-head version of himself (a reference to “The Super-Brain of Jimmy Olsen” from SUPERMAN’S PAL, JIMMY OLSEN #22)

…and a human porcupine (a reference to “The Human Porcupine” from SUPERMAN’S PAL, JIMMY OLSEN #65).

These direct references to stories and homages to covers from the comics were not isolated incidents in the episode, as many other classic covers and scenes were paid homage to throughout the duration of the episode via flashbacks or in-story happenings.

A scene early in the episode paid homage to the cover of SUPERMAN’S PAL, JIMMY OLSEN #121 by Curt Swan and Neal Adams. And, yes, the scene involved the exact scenario presented on the cover (Jimmy trying to trick Superman into revealing his secret identity).

A brief dream-sequence brought an homage to the cover of SUPERMAN’S GIRL FRIEND, LOIS LANE #23 by Curt Swan and Stan Kaye. Note the attention to detail in Lois’ wardrobe, the placement of objects on the blanket as well as the rocks in the foreground.

A flashback scene gave us a look an homage to the classic cover of SUPERMAN’S PAL, JIMMY OLSEN #53 by Curt Swan and Stan Kaye, which itself was inspired by the cover of the July 1940 cover-dated issue of “Thrilling Wonder Stories” (Mort Weisinger had a hand in both books). The dialogue on the comic’s cover was also used verbatim in the episode.

Another classic cover, SUPERMAN’S PAL, JIMMY OLSEN #30 by Curt Swan and Stan Kaye, also got a send-up.

The cover of SUPERMAN’S GIRL FRIEND, LOIS LANE #26 by Curt Swan and John Forte was also paid homage to in a scene that, unlike its original comic book counterpart, was not an “imaginary story.” Again, note the attention to detail.

This scene also marks the first an only appearance of Lana Lang in “Batman: The Brave and the Bold” continuity (aside from a possible cameo in “The Knights of Tomorrow!”). She is not named in the episode, but is clearly meant to be Lana, as it was on the original. She had no dialogue in the scene, and thus no voice actress portraying her.

And finally, the cover to ACTION COMICS #311 by Curt Swan and Sheldon Moldoff was recreated. Unlike the Turtle Man cover, the dialogue was not verbatim in the episode, but similar dialogue was.

Though these are all Silver Age covers penciled by Curt Swan, another distinctly different story was paid homage: BATMAN: THE DARK KNIGHT by Frank Miller. In the climactic final battle between Batman and Superman, Batman dawns a suit of armor nearly identical to the one worn in the final issue of that series, and two of the show’s recognizable “freeze frame” scenes paid direct homage to iconic panels in the issue, when Batman punches Superman and later kicks him in the face.


Just because they moved on to more-recent stories, however, they weren’t done with Curt Swan. The legendary Superman penciler was also payed tribute to in the name and likeness of the mayor of Metropolis.


While not an exact likeness, the mayor does very closely resemble Swan in his latter days. Many creators were paid tribute to throughout the series by having streets or buildings named in their honor. However, to my knowledge, Curt Swan is the only comic book creator to get a nod like this on the show — something not even done for Bill Finger or Bob Kane, the creators of Batman. Quite an honor!

Superman’s arctic getaway, the Fortress of Solitude, was seen very briefly in ALL-NEW BATMAN: THE BRAVE AND THE BOLD #1. It makes a return appearance here, with its door looking slightly different. However, we also got a look at the famous giant key! Superman is not seeing using the key in the episode, though. As well, there is seemingly a way to access the Fortess without using it, as Batman was able to enter the Fortress on his own.


By stitching together several frames from the episode, we get an extended look at the arctic landscape surrounding the Fortress.

The interior of the Fortress also brought more treats, including another look at the Bottle City of Kandor (though, in the episode, it is oddly only referred to as “the shrunken city of Kandor”).


We actually get two shots of it, with the bottle looking slightly different each time. And both are somewhat different than in its earlier appearance in the comics. But, again, models sheets were likely not available for the comic book’s artists. Note the detail that in the second shot the bottle’s artificial sun is visible — and further note that is is indeed a red sun, as traditionally was found on Krypton.

Other mementos in the Fortress also provided nods to two other classic takes on the Man of Steel.

The giant robot over Batman’s right shoulder is nearly identical to the ones unleashed by the unnamed scientist in the second Fleischer Studios Superman short, “The Mechanical Monsters.” Over Batman’s left shoulder are the imprisonment, rings as first seen in the Krypton scenes from “Superman: The Movie,” as well as what might be the Phantom Zone prison itself.

While she was not seen, Ma Kent was also spoken of by Batman near the episode’s conclusion.

Other Superman references in the show included classic Superman phrases, such as, “Up, up and away!” (said by Superman while leaping out of a window).

A crowd of people, seeing Superman soar overhead, echoed the classic opening to the radio serial and “Adventures of Superman” television show with “Look! Up in the sky! It’s a bird! It’s a plane! It’s Superman!” And Lois, reporting on Superman, stated that he “has powers and abilities far beyond those of mortal men.” And shortly later, Superman claimed he is “faster than a speeding bullet,” “more powerful than a locomotive” and “able to leap tall buildings in a single bound” [sic].

Further references to “Superman: The Movie” and Superman II” came when Superman told the citizens of Metropolis to “Kneel before… King Superman” (a take off on “Kneel before Zod”) and later referred to Luthor as a “diseased maniac.”

And finally, as almost no take on Superman is complete without it, we got a great scene of Clark performing the classic shirt rip as he ducked into a nearby storeroom, before taking flight as Superman.

All in all, it was an episode chock-full of Superman references and tips-of-the hat to almost every era of the Man of Steel both in comics and other media. No other character on the show (save for Batman himself) received such numerous and wide-ranging tributes, despite many characters making multiple appearances over the three seasons. Clearly, the show’s creators had a deep love for the character of Superman and really wanted to give him his due.

We will finish up this series Friday, March 16, with a look at the rest of season three and comic books released during that time, as well as a brief look at some other appearances of interest. Don’t miss it!

February 17th, 2012  Posted at   Special Reports

We continue today with our look at Superman and related characters as seen and referenced in both the television and comic book incarnations of “Batman: The Brave and the Bold.” In part one of the series, we looked at appearances and cameos in both mediums ranging from the well-known to the obscure. Today, we begin with season two of the television show, which kicked off with the return of a villain first seen in season one.

Mongul, again voiced by Gary Anthony Williams, made a second appearance in “Death Race to Oblivion!,” written by Greg Weisman and directed by Michael Goguen. It was the first-aired episode for season two, but the third in the season’s production order, and the 29th episode overall.

The plot of the story involves Mongul abducting Batman and a half-dozen other heroes and villains and forcing them into a “death race,” with the Earth in the balance. Neither Mongal or Warworld are mentioned this time around, though Mongul is in control of a smaller, more mobile, battle fortress he called Warmoon.

The next Superman-related reference came in “Aquaman’s Outrageous Adventure!,” written by Steven Melching and directed by Ben Jones. In this, the fourth episode of season two and the 30th episode overall, Smallville, Granville and Metropolis are all seen on a map during a cross-country road trip taken by Aquaman and his family, Mera and Arthur Jr.


Granville is a Kansas city that neighbors Smallville and was first mentioned in the “Smallville” television series. It was also later referenced in an issue of SUPERMAN/BATMAN, written by Jeph Loeb.

Several excerpts of the map are shown throughout the episode but, unfortunately, not enough are shown to gauge a relationship of the locations of Smallville and Granville in relation to Metropolis, beyond that Smallville and Granville are seemingly located to the west of it. However, in regular DC Universe continuity, both Middleton and Cosmos are traditionally located in Denver, which would put Smallville and Granville in Kansas, presumably. (The scale of the map is difficult to judge, but comparing it to the scale in these caps alone, and by piecing it together with the others shown throughout the episode, it is safe to assume that the distance between the cities would put Smallville and Granville across the state line into Kansas, which would align with the traditional modern-day location of Smallville.)

By piecing together many of the map excerpts shown in the episode, we are able to get a broader look at the geography of the Eastern seaboard and pinpoint a more precise location of Metropolis in relation to Gotham (and several other cities that will no-doubt be familiar to readers of the regular DC Universe).

Overlaying this on a map of the real-world United States and assuming that, like their regular DC Universe continuity counterparts, New Carthage and Ivy Town are both in New York; Radiance, Civic City and Calvin City are all in Pennsylvania; Happy Harbor is in Rhode Island; and Codsville is in Maine, this places Metropolis in northwest Pennysylvania and Gotham in the area of Jersey City, New Jersey or New York, New York.

After references to Superman both obvious and subtle, as well as appearances from several related heroes, villains and places, the teaser portion of “Sidekicks Assemble!,” written by Marsha F. Griffin and directed by Michael Chang, the eighth episode of season two, though only the sixth aired, and the 34th episode overall, brought something even better. In this episode, the Man of Steel himself, at long last, made his first actual appearance in the animated form of “Batman: The Brave and the Bold.”


Unfortunately, due to the rights issues, it was only a cameo appearance from behind and we were not privy to even get a clear view of his face. The character also had no dialogue, and thus no actor portraying him. But still, finally, more than two full years after being mentioned in the show’s debut, Superman finally made his way into the animated form of the franchise.

While it did not contain an appearances of Superman or even mention him by name, “The Super-Batman of Planet X,” written by Adam Beechen and directed by Michael Goguen, the ninth episode of season two and the 35th episode overall, brought many treats and references for Superman fans. Here, Batman is drawn through a wormhole in space and lands on the planet of Zurr-En-Arrh, where he meets the Batman of that world.

The episode’s story is loosely based on “Batman — the Superman of Planet X!,” written by France Ed Herron with art by Dick Sprang and Charles Paris, originally published in BATMAN #113. It involves Batman developing Superman-like abilities including strength, flight and invulnerability, after being exposed to elements native to Zurr-En-Arhh. These elements were unspecified in the original story, but designated “rodon” in the episode.

Unlike the original story, the episode does not specifically name-check Superman. However, by expanding on story, the episode incorporates a great number of Superman-related references both through story elements and the episode’s casting choices.

Batman of Zurr-En-Arhh’s arch-nemesis is none other than the nefarious Rohtul — a name clearly formed by spelling Luthor backward. The character was voiced by Clancy Brown, who previously voiced Lex Luthor in “Superman: The Animated Series,” “Justice League” and “Justice League Unlimited” as well as in other animated projects, such as “The Batman,” “Superman/Batman: Public Enemies” and the video game, “Superman: Shadow of Apokolips.”

Rohtul is a character taken from another story in Superman’s history, but also one with a connection to Batman. In WORLD’S FINEST COMICS #91, published about three months prior to BATMAN #113, readers were introduced to the 30th-century descendent of Luthor: a ruthless villain named Rohtul. “The Three Super-Sleepers,” written by Edmond Hamilton with art by Dick Sprang and Stan Kaye, found Superman, Batman and Robin in the year 2957 working to thwart Rohtul’s plan to terrorize Earth with his newly built “destruction-ray projector.”

A fleet of remote-controlled robots used by Rohtul also resemble the robots used by him in his original comic book appearance.

The episode also introduces Visli Vaylar, who’s appearance, personality and name are clearly meant to evoke equal parts Lois Lane and Vicki Vale. She is voiced by Dana Delaney, who had previously voiced Lois Lane in “Superman: The Animated Series,” “Justice League” and “Justice League Unlimited” as well as in the direct-to-video movie, “Superman: Brainiac Attacks” and, like Clancy Brown, reprised her role in “The Batman” and “Superman: Shadow of Apokolips.”

Interestingly, in “The Batman Nobody Remembered,” written by Batman co-creator Bill Finger with art by Jim Mooney, from WORLD’S FINEST COMICS #136, Batman crash-lands on a parallel Earth where Vicki Vale looks identical to his Earth’s Lois Lane. It is unknown if this story had influence on the episode, however. But, while Vaylar has no obvious roots as a previously established character from the comics like Rohtul, she did serve as a reporter for the Solar Cycle Globe.

We get few details about The Globe in the episode, but it seems to be something more akin to a television news program, rather than a newspaper. But, still, comparisons to the Daily Planet — and its iconic building — are obvious.

Among Vaylar’s co-workers at The Globe are Tlano, aka Zurr-En-Arhh’s Batman hidden behind a very familiar disguise. Tlano was mentioned in the original BATMAN story as his alternate identity, but that story never showed the character.

Batman-alum Kevin Conroy lends his voice to Zurr-En-Arhh’s Batman, as well as Tlano. In the fashion of many Superman actors from throughout the years, Conroy raises his voice an octave when voicing the secret identity. The character is also portrayed as a much meeker and milder personality than his super-hero counterpart, not to mention awkward and clumsy, in classic Clark Kent style.

Other Superman-related references are sprinkled throughout the episode. Zurr-En-Arhh Batman’s home city is Gothtropolis, a portmanteau of Gotham and Metropolis. And the city’s architecture, as well as the fashions of her residents, are very reminiscent of those of Krypton as depicted in the Silver Age.

While Earth’s Batman found himself gaining abilities after being exposed to rodon, he also found his super-powered self greatly weakened by exposure to quartz which, on Zurr-En-Arhh, seems to possess a strange green hue and had an effect on the super-powered Earth Batman similar to effect Green Kryptonite has on Superman.

According to Rohtul, “quartz interacts with rodon to become poisonous to Earthmen’s physiognomy.” Zurr-En-Arhh’s Batman was in possession of a spray-on polymer compound that shielded Earth’s Batman from rodon, thus negating it’s effects, as well as those of quartz.

Much of the show’s dialogue likewise had references to Superman. When Earth’s Batman first starts experiencing the effects of his powers, he is hit with a blast from one of Rohtul’s robots. Upon Vaylar asking if he is okay, he replies, “It tickled,” a nod back to the cover of SUPERMAN #32, by Wayne Boring and Stan Kaye, as well as other similar situations throughout the years.

After the Batmen stop Rohtul, thus marking Earth’s Batman’s public debut on Zurr-En-Arhh, Vavlar asks for his story. In subtle homage to “Superman: The Movie,” Earth Batman replies, “Just a friend… visiting from out of town,” before flying off.

As Earth’s Batman is flying and testing his abilities, we get a riff on the familiar Superman opening as a group of passers-by proclaim, “Look! Up in the sky! It’s a zeta bird! It’s an aircar! No! It’s Batman!

And still later, Earth’s Batman comments that he never thought he would be fighting for “truth, justice and Zurr-En-Arhh way,” as we get a majestic shot of Batman standing akimbo in front of a fluttering Zurr-En-Arhh flag (which, in many ways, looks to be a combination of the American flag and the flag of Krypton as first seen in “Krypton on Earth!,” illustrated by Wayne Boring and Stan Kaye, from ACTION COMICS #246).

This episode also opens with Batman and Green Arrow chasing a group of a space pirates who have stolen that Emerald Eye of Ekron, marking one of the only Legion of Super-Heroes-related references on the show, even if only a vague one. The Eye is not actually seen in the episode and, as the scene is set in present day, the Legion is not seen or mentioned, either.

Batman of Zurr-En-Arhh later had minor, non-speaking, cameo appearances during season three in “Night of the Batmen!” and “Mitefall!” Rohtul later had a similar appearance in “Triumvirate of Terror!”

BATMAN: THE BRAVE AND THE BOLD #17, written by Sholly Fisch with art by Robert W. Pope and Scott McRae, then brought the return of a Superman villain and the introduction of two more in “A Batman’s Work is Never Done.”

First up was a brief return of Mongul, as Batman, along with some assistance from the Green Lantern Corps, tracked the warlord “across three galaxies and twenty-seven light years” in order to place him under arrest.

Interestingly, in this, his third appearance overall but first in the comic book, his costume is more similar to that traditionally worn by Mongul the Elder in regular DC Universe continuity, particularly in its somewhat muted color scheme. Whether this was actually intended to be Mongul the Elder or a reappearance of Mongul the Lesser, just with an altered costume, is not clear in the text.

After the appearance of what was presumably the Winslow Schott Toyman in issue #2, this issue also featured the first appearance of what looks to be Hiro Okamura, the third character to use the name of Toyman.


Like with the previous, he is only called Toyman in the text, before being defeated by the heroes. However, his visual appearance and comments from Batman that he “went straight” indicate a similarity to the then-regular DC Universe version of Okamura.

The third Superman villain that appeared in this story is, perhaps, the oddest Superman-related cameo of all. And that is the monster Doomsday.

Doomsday. The mindless raging beast who, in regular DC universe continuity, anyway, trashed the Justice League on more than one occasion, incapacitated Darkseid with one blow and gave Superman as much as he could handle in almost every meeting, even killing him in their first encounter. Doomsday. Bound in chains and hanging from a street lamp.

It’s odd and may stretch the credibility of even the Batman presented in the show, who was punched in the face by Mongul. On the other hand, as we saw a few panels later, it seems Batman might have had a little help from a certain Man of Steel, making another comic book cameo, even if only in silhouette.

Speaking of Doomsday, however, a guy who, in regular DC Universe continuity, knows a little bit about him appeared two issues later in BATMAN: THE BRAVE AND THE BOLD #19. “Emerald Knight,” written by Adam Schlagman with art by Carlo Barberi and Terry Beatty, saw the debut of Hank Henshaw, a.k.a Cyborg-Superman.

Interestingly, he appeared looking identical to how he looked in his debut during the “Reign of the Supermen” story arc, rather than his more modern look, or even, despite the Green Lantern ties in the comic, the Sinestro Corps outfit he wore for a time. But, while he had an appearance he had not sported in regular DC Universe continuity for more than 15 years at the time of publication, this was, perhaps, the most prominent Superman-related appearance to date in the comics, as the Cyborg is the first to appear large and in-charge on the cover of the book, with art by Carlo Barberi.

Cyborg-Superman may be more often considered a Green Lantern villain these days, but he is a character with more than just a few roots firmly planted in the Superman universe. He first appeared at the tail end of one of the largest storylines in the early post-Crisis era and came to prominence in what is, hands down, the biggest Superman storyline of the last two-and-a-half decades.

The issue recaps the character’s origin. While it glosses over the finer points of his back-story, the brief recap holds very faithful to his regular DC Universe counterpart, though it avoids mentioning any direct connection to Superman himself. His depiction throughout the rest of the issue is also faithful, the aforementioned visual appearance aside.

Another Superman villain was given a cameo of sorts in “The Siege of Starro! Part Two,”
written by Joseph Kuhr and directed by Michael Goguen. It was the 15th episode of season two and the 41st episode overall. In the episode, aboard the Faceless Hunter’s ship are seen trophies from and statues of various aliens, including a parademon from Apokolips, a Thanagarian hawkman and what looks to be Brainiac.

No further information is given in the episode about the figure.

A Superman story seemed to be used as a point of inspiration in “Emperor Joker!,” written by Steven Melching and directed by Ben Jones, the 19th episode of season two and the 45th episode overall. In the episode, Bat-Mite inadvertently imbues the Joker with his powers, similar to what Mr. Mxyzptlk had done in the similarly named storyline that ran through the Superman titles in 2000.

Aside from the Joker killing Batman, then bringing him back to life only to kill him again, there are very few overt similarities between the two stories, however, beyond the basic premise. And the episode contains no references at all to Superman or related characters. Bat-Mite does say at the end of the episode, however, that he is going to the Fifth Dimension. The Fifth Dimension is the home of Mr. Mxyzptlk in regular DC Universe continuity.

The BATMAN: THE BRAVE AND THE BOLD comic was canceled following issue #22 and relaunched the next month with a new #1 issue and a new title: ALL-NEW BATMAN: THE BRAVE AND THE BOLD. An announcement from DC Comics promised “to surround the Caped Crusader with an A-list cast of co-stars and surprise guests” and they started off with a bang in the first issue with the first full-story appearance of Superman.

“Bottle of the Planets,” written by Sholly Fisch with art and cover by Rick Burchett and Dan Davis, has Superman looking quite a bit more streamlined than in his earlier appearances but still not quite on model to what we would see in his full appearance on the animated version. Also notable is the S-shield on Superman’s cape is missing here, where it was seen in his appearance in “Sidekicks Assemble!”

The story involves Superman and Batman shrinking down and descending into the Bottle City of Kandor in order to unravel the mystery behind a rash of mysterious thefts.

No indication is given of how Kandor was shrunk. Though, oddly, from Superman’s dialogue, it could inferred that it was either a willing choice or something created by Kryptonians, given that he calls it a “highly advanced Kryptonian society shrunk down in a bottle.” This conclusion ultimately poses a lot of other questions not addressed in the text. What isn’t in doubt, though, is that the Bottle City is kept in Superman’s Fortress of Solitude.

No giant key is seen… but where there is a giant door with a giant lock, there must be a giant key, right?

Once in Kandor, the story introduces four Kryptonians residing in the city: Maryam Cha-Na, Professor Et-Rog, General Lek-Var (all three members of Kandor’s ruling council) and scientist Nah-Um.


The text indicates Maryam Cha-Na, Professor Et-Rog and General Lek-Var are leaders of Kandor’s various societal guilds (Military, Artists and Science, respectively). While their fashions are much more similar to one another, the idea of a Kryptonian society being broken into various guilds mirrored what was happening in then-regular DC Universe continuity.

No characters with those names appeared in previous Superman stories that I am aware. However, a fifth Kryptonian, a character who has been a part of previous Superman continuities both in comics and other media, is introduced via flashback in the form of the villainous Jax-Ur.

Both his visual appearance and back-story given are like those of his pre-Crisis (specifically, Bronze Age) counterpart. In short, Jax-Ur destroyed one of Krypton’s moons (designated Wegthor pre-Crisis) with an experimental missile. The destruction caused Jax-Ur to be sentenced to eternity in the Phantom Zone.

This telling of Jax-Ur and his back-story marks the first mention of the other-dimensional Phantom Zone or the Phantom Zone projector in “Batman: The Brave and the Bold canon. Both would factor in to this story’s climax.

And, finally, the story also found Superman proclaiming, “Rao!,” as he did so often in the Bronze Age. While initially simply an alien-sounding exclamation used to replace “Great Krypton!” in the Bronze Age, in regular DC Universe continuity, it was later revealed that Rao is a Kryptonian deity — often seen as the personification of their sun or the chief god in their polytheistic beliefs.

The 23rd episode of season two and 49th episode overall, “The Knights of Tomorrow!,” written by Todd Casey and Jake Black and directed by Michael Chang, gave us a look at a possible future. As envisioned by Alfred Pennyworth, this future gave cameos of none other than Clark Kent, marking his first appearance on the show or in the comic, at the wedding of Bruce Wayne and Selina Kyle.

Clark then had a second appearance at their funeral.

It is not clear who the woman with Clark was intended to be. An obvious guess would be that she is Lois Lane or, given the auburn hair, possibly Lana Lang (she actually closely resembles Lana as depicted in “Superman: The Animated Series”). However, she does not match the visual depiction of Lois or Lana as they would appear later in “Batman: The Brave and the Bold.” As these are brief cameos, neither Clark or the woman have any dialogue, and thus no actors in the roles.

Note that Clark at the funeral scene does not look much older than at the wedding in comparison to the other characters. While this is only a possible future as envisioned by Alfred, it does give us a hint at what the show creators might have had in mind for the character of Superman and his longevity (though a later “in-continuity” glance at the future seems to contradict that).

The final Superman reference in season two came in episode 24, the 50th episode overall. In “Darkseid Descending!,” written by Paul Giacoppo and directed by Michael Goguen, Martian Manhunter tells of a time when “Big Blue,” a common nickname for Superman, challenged him to an arm-wrestling competition. He begins to tell how he was victorious using physics, opposed to brute force, but his story is cut off by Aquaman.

In January 2011, Superman was given an action figure as part of the “Batman: The Brave and the Bold” Total Armor line.

The three-pack set included Batman, Superman and Metallo (complete with Green Kryptonite heart). At the time of release, Metallo had not appeared in either the animated show or the comic book, though he would make his debut in season three. Interestingly, the figures could be used to vaguely replicate the scene from the episode where Metallo makes his official debut.


Later, Superman received another figure, this time in a solo pack.

The figure appears to have been made from the same basic mold as the original figure, with an adjustment to the shoulders. The darker paint scheme is a bit of an oddity, as it correlates to nothing Superman had worn in the animated or comic book versions at the time of release, or would wear later.

These were the only three Superman-related figures released in the line.

Superman had one final comic book appearance before the official start of season three of the show in ALL-NEW BATMAN: THE BRAVE AND THE BOLD #4. “The Bride and the Bold,” written by Sholly Fisch with art by Rick Burchett and Dan Davis, featured a tuxedo-clad Superman serving as best man at the wedding of Batman and Wonder Woman. (Don’t ask.)

But, one shirt rip later (and the first shirt rip, mind you)…

…and costumed Superman flew into action. Once again, Superman is slightly off-model from what we would see on in the animated version, but a bit closer than the previous appearance and much closer than his first. Also, like the last comic book appearance, Superman’s cape does not sport an S-shield.

And with that, the first two years of the cartoon and a little more than two years of comics came to a close. But season three was right around the corner — as was Superman’s biggest moment yet.

Come back Friday, February 24, for part three of this series, which will cover Superman’s first full-episode appearance on the show in “Battle of the Superheroes!”