Batman: The Brave and The Bold “Mayhem of the Music Meister” Soundtrack

Last Friday’s musical episode of Batman: The Brave and The Bold featuring Neil Patrick Harris as the Music Meister was amazing. Of course I’m a bit biased since I’m such a huge fan of How I Met Your Mother’s NPH, but ask anyone else who watched “Mayhem of the Music Meister” and they’ll tell you the same thing. It was definitely the most memorable cartoon I’ve seen on television in years.


The songs were both clever and catchy, and the writers did a great job working the songs into the episode’s storyline. The writers certainly could have taken the easy way out and inserted the songs as musical interludes throughout the show. But instead they made the songs part of the action, allowing the episode to keep its natural rhythm. Best of all, the Cartoon Network made sure to have the episode’s soundtrack available for download immediately after the first airing of the “Mayhem of the Music Meister.”

If you enjoyed last week’s episode of Batman: The Brave and The Bold as much as I did, then you’ll want to head over to iTunes or Amazon.com immediately to download/purchase the “Mayhem of the Music Meister” episode soundtrack. The soundtrack retails for $6.99 on both websites, and includes all 7 songs from last week’s episode plus the show’s official theme song. It really is a great soundtrack, and is just another perfect example of Neil Patrick Harris’ versatility and range. This is a must get for any NPH or DC Comics fan.

B’wana Beast: DC Comic’s Next Big Superstar?

The Blot’s been meaning to talk about this for a while now, but when did DC’s B’wana Beast become a major player in the DC Universe? My guess is that unless you were a hardcore DC Comics fan, you had probably never even heard of the Africa based super hero until his appearances in the animated television shows Justice League Unlimited and Batman: The Brave and The Bold. While the character has been around since 1967, he’s only showed up sporadically in comics such as Crisis on Infinite Earths, Swamp Thing, and Animal Man.

B’wana Beast was actually killed off in the early 90’s but his protégé, Freedom Beast, was up until recently fighting crime as a member of the Global Guardians, sporting B’wana Beast’s signature headdress. That was until he too was killed a few months ago in Justice League: Cry for Justice #1. So what does that mean for the B’wana Beast legacy? The Blot has no idea, but for some reason DC and Mattel believe there’s a growing sentiment to bring back this classic D-list superhero. How else can you explain four, yes FOUR, different B’wana Beast action figures being produced in 2009-2010!?!


I know, it’s crazy right? There are popular DC characters that are lucky if they get one JLU or DC Universe Classics figure, but B’wana Beast, off his two cartoon appearances, is getting a figure in each and every toy line Mattel produces. Already out is the impossible to find JLU B’wana Beast action figure (see above) that was included in the JLU: Legends of the League 6-pack. In stores now is the Batman: The Brave and The Bold Action League B’wana Beast figure, which comes packaged with a standard Batman figure (see below).


Coming very soon is the online exclusive DC Universe Classics 6” B’wana Beast action figure that will only be available in the Animal Instincts 2-pack, which also includes an Animal Man figure. I really dig this 2-pack because it actually ties in to a former Animal Man/B’wana Beast storyline that ran in the first couple of issues of the ongoing Animal Man series from the early 90’s. The MattyCollector.com exclusive Animal Instinct 2-pack will go on sale December 15th and retail for $25 per set.


The final B’wana Beast action figure is the one I know the least about. As you can see from the photo below, it is a Batman: The Brave and The Bold B’wana Beast action figure based on his appearance in the cartoon of the same name. I haven’t been able to find out if and when this figure will see its worldwide release, but with B’wana Beast’s resurgence in popularity you know this figure will be released sometime soon…oh who am I kidding!?! A character can’t have a resurgence in popularity when he was never popular to begin with!


Ok, maybe I’m being a little too hard on the guy considering he’s currently dead in DC's comic book continuity, but seriously? Was there really a need for four different B’wana Beast action figures in less than twelve months? I know Mattel and DC Direct have done an amazing job producing a wide variety action figures based on the heroes and villains from the DC Universe, but let’s move past B’wana Beast already and start giving some other characters their due!

While we've already gotten JLU versions of Vibe and Steel, couldn’t we all use a DC Universe Classics version of the greatest break dancer in the history of the DCU? And what about Gypsy, Lady Blackhawk, Mister Bones, Major Diaster and Big Sir, don’t they deserve multiple action figures too? I know I’d kill for a JLU or DCU Classics Doctor Mist action figure! I could go on for days, but I’ll spare you my ramblings. Who would you like to see in an upcoming release from Mattel or DC Direct?

SDCC 09 - Batman: The Brave and The Bold Action Figures

As you may have been able to tell from The Blot’s earlier post, I’m a huge fan of the Batman: The Brave and The Bold cartoon. So of course I’m also a big fan of its corresponding toy line. With its retro feel and blocky style, the Batman: BB figures are the perfect action figures to appease both children and adult collectors.



Mattel’s Batman: The Brave and The Bold display at San Diego Comic Con 2009 was put together really well, and people were definitely swarming the display cases trying to identify all of the soon to be released action figures. The first thing I noticed right away was the Starro stars strategically placed throughout the Batman: BB display. My only question is how are they being sold? Do they come with certain figures or can you buy a Starro 4-pack!?! If so, I’d buy a Starro multi-pack in a heartbeat.


My favorite new Batman: BB figure is Gold from the Metal Men. This has to be the first ever Metal Man action figure, right? And if you notice in the close-up picture of Gold, the other two Batman figures in the photo seem to come with Metal Men accessories! From the looks of things it appears there will be a Metal Men themed wave of Batman: The Brave and The Bold action figures hitting store shelves soon.

SDCC 09 - Batman: The Brave and The Bold Action League Toy Line

As cool as Hasbro’s Marvel Super Hero Squad figures are, deep down The Blot’s a DC Comics guy at heart. So I was excited to find out Mattel would be releasing their own version of Hasbro's Super Hero Squad figures called the Action League based on the popular cartoon Batman: The Brave and The Bold.



I saw Wave 1 of the Action League 2-packs at my local Target last week, and from the looks of the poster below a ton of other figures are in the works. My favorite part of the Action League is the diversity of characters included in the toy line, but what else would you expect from a line of action figures based on Batman: The Brave and The Bold. That cartoon has included pretty much every single character in the DC Universe.



Best of all, Mattel will be releasing a Ted Kord Blue Beetle figure! Now you too can act out the exploits of the Wil Wheaton voiced Blue Beetle II, especially since it’s the only version of Blue Beetle II still up and running (at least sort of anyway). And if you’re a big fan of Batman, Action League is the toy line for you. Mattel will be releasing at least 10 different versions of the Caped Crusader.

Batman: The Brave and The Bold Animated Series

I haven’t watched a Batman cartoon since I was a kid, but this newest animated series has really piqued my interest. Batman: The Brave and The Bold is based on the DC comic book series of the same name, which featured a variety of super heroes from across the DC Universe teaming-up with Batman to fight crime.


What I liked about The Brave and The Bold comic the most was that it took secondary heroes who weren’t being currently used and teamed them up with Batman for an issue or two. It gave fans of those characters a chance to see their favorite heroes in action and brought about some new and entertaining Batman stories.


I think Batman: The Brave and The Bold will do the exact same thing. It allows fans of DC Comic’s secondary characters the ability to see their favorite heroes animated on the small screen. It is the exact same thing fans loved about Justice League Unlimited and the reason why that show’s toy line is still being produced years after the cartoon ended. I just get tired of the same 7-10 characters used in every single DC cartoon. According to the show’s Wikipedia page, heroes set to be featured in the new show include Adam Strange, The Atom, Black Canary, Booster Gold, Deadman, Dr. Fate, Fire, Green Aarow, Jonah Hex, Kamandi, Huntress, Metamorpho and Wildcat. (link)

I also love the look and feel of Batman: The Brave and The Bold. The animation is “inspired by the work of legendary Batman artist Dick Sprang.” (link) The use of heavy dark lines, similar to Sprang’s style, is evident throughout and the characters have a very boxy look to them. I think the animation studio behind the show did a really excellent job. The characters look animated and yet not cartoony. See for yourself in the Batman: The Brave and The Bold trailer below:



Batman: The Brave and The Bold animated series will air on the Cartoon Network and is set to debut on November 14, 2008.