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No, no, that whole Crisis on Infinite Earths slash Zero Hour slash Final Crisis never occured and Batman isn’t dead… I mean Bruce Wayne isn’t dead… wait, they may yet pull a Superman and he might pop out of his Bat Crypt anyday now if he hasn’t done so yet… we are such suckers for DC Comics’ evil tricks… huh? Oh, Batman ends up taking a trip to evil alternate Earth which isn’t all that evil except for the evil version of the Injustice jerkoids who are not the same evil counterparts from the last time they did this in an episode of Justice League (it’s only characters who appeared in Batman : The Brave and the Bold). And look! There’s a hero named Red Hood… gee, wonder who he is (though I don’t have to wonder who he’s not… damn you Mark Hammill for skipping out on these two episodes!!)

Yeah. What was that all again about the every several years DC must fix it’s glut of Alternate Earths problem again? Apprently it’s a sales gimmick to make people buy comics because if these two episodes are any indications (along with every other episode in every other DC Animated Series over the past x years) DC sure loves it’s Alternate Earths… enough already!!

In an Alternate Earth where Batman is Owlman (no, no, Alan Moore won’t be angry. His is called Nite-Owl.), and certain characters who appeared in Batman : The Brave and the Bold (mainly Aquaman, Green Arrow, Fire… wow, she’s spending the entire season as cameo appearance fodder without a single team up episode… BOOOOO!!!... Red Tornado and Blue Beetle III) are all in this evil version of the Justice League (because apparently they couldn’t get Wonder Woman (another woman), Green Lantern, Hawkgirl (guilty of being a known woman), and…)

Say, is it me or is Season One of Batman : The Brave and the Bold so sexist… no, it is sexist isn’t it. Damn first season!!

Anyway Batman is just coming back from arresting the Riddler (we never see him, we’re just told he’s been captured) when he is attacked by Owl Man (the evil Bruce Wayne). Batman captures him and takes his place, returning to the evil dimension to find out what’s going… yeah, he just left his evil self in his own Batcave, I’m sure nothing good will come of that… on. Anyway he ends up being teamed with the Red Hood (yes, it’s the Joker, though why the episode plays coy and never really lets you see his face fully despite the fact everyone and their third cousin knows it’s the Joker—new voice actor nonwithstanding) and in the end, after the Red Hood is tortured by the evil Red Tornado (Silver Cyclone) and Batman/Red Hood effect a prison break of the “good” (evil) guys for a major battle royale which ends with Silver Cyclone’s plan to use a organic erradicating bomb to wipe out a planetary population (first Batman’s Earth, then the evil Earth since Silver Cyclone isn’t particularly picky about which humans die as long as they die), they make friends and the Red Hood wishes that his counterpart on Batman’s Earth would repay the favor Batman has done for him… fat chance, right? Well… not so.

In the second part it turns out the Joker is really going to help Batman out after all. Seems he’s not all that pleased a new “Bat Faker” (Yeah, he does seem to hate people who dress like Batman but really are not Batman) is in town horning in on his business (don’t you just hate it when you show up at the jewerly store to rob it only to find your nemesis robbed it before you!) and he’s out to team up with Batman to take the faker down. The rest of the episode has the two pitted against clueless allies (the same people who were evil in the last episode) and the same “good” guys from the other episode (evil of course here), and we find out that the Joker (just like Red Hood) really can’t suppress his urges (evil or good) no matter what happens to him, so he flips on Batman… which brings up an entirely unnecessary summoning of the League of Alternate Earth Batmans… sigh.

I still liked the Episodes, and look! Second episode end has so many Batmans! Pirate Batman, Wild West Batman, Man Bat Batman, Christian Bale I occasionally throw hissy fits and shriek at the studio staff while on set Batman… oh, wait, not that Batman. He too pissy. Anyway 5 out of 5 (barely as I am still disappointed in the alternate Earth premise as it seems we can’t go through on DC Animated Series without visiting the concept at least once).

Next review as we near the 7 hour mark? Aquaman needs a hug… or a strong drink that isn’t water… as he seems to be a bit on the downer side. Maybe a quick trip across the galaxy to help old school rocket pack I think he stole that look from Flash Gordon Adam Strange might cheer him up, or get him to open up as to why he’s such a pill… next review.

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