Author: Robert Greenberger

One could argue that Moses is the most significant and influential character from the Old Testament. After all, he led the Hebrew out of slavery and delivered the Ten Commandments. His birth story proved influential, notably to Jerry Siegel a few thousand years later. As embodied by Charlton Heston, there was never a mightier figure which is why it has taken until 2014 before anyone attempted a modern day retelling of his story.

Ridley Scott brought all his filmmaker skills to Exodus: Gods and Kings and the movie is a visually sumptuous. The Middle East provides a nice visual backdrop to this story and the movie deserves to be seen on the large screen. Watching the Digital HD version on my computer screen, courtesy of 20^th Century Home Entertainment, shows the limitations of epics on any home screen. There is so much detail and scope that deserve the silver screen so the home version blunts its impact.

Scott was roundly criticized for his casting white folk in the lead roles but commercial considerations made any other choice untenable. With that said, he chose well with Christian Bale as Moses, paired opposite Joel Edgerton as his adoptive brother Ramesses II. Yes, more racially accurate people should have been cast from there on down but this is an argument you’re not going to win so let’s move on.

I wish the movie was so deft. The film’s pacing is one of its largest problems. We dwell on a battle with the Hittites at the beginning that has little bearing on the rest of the story and should have been trimmed so we could get on with things. As it is, there are long, drawn out scenes where very little of note happens or gets said. Then, when we get to the 10 plagues, we only see a few of them, when we wanted each and every one. That said, when the plagues arrive, we do get a far better sense of how each decimated the Egyptian people, weakening Ramses’ resolve to keep the Jews in his grasp.

Which brings us to another issue of contention which are the biblical and historical inaccuracies. While Ramesses II is likely the unnamed Pharaoh in the Exodus story of the Bible, the pyramids the Jews are seen building were completed centuries earlier. What were they building? Hard to say but certainly the pyramid for Seti I (John Turturro) since these resting places tended to take over a decade to complete. Moses’ divine power to turn a staff into a snake is absent as is his stutter – he’s downright eloquent at times.

There are some very interesting character dynamics that are begging to be better explored. First, there’s Moses being raised by Seti after his daughter and his even-handed treatment from Seti, much to Ramesses displeasure. Then you have Moses and his long-lost brother Aaron (Andrew Tarbet) or his wife Zipporah (Maria Valverde). But the chief dialogue is between Moses and God, in the form of a young boy named Malak (Isaac Andrews), who is at least seen next the Burning Bush. Malak seems unhappy with Moses’ performance and attitude but sticks with his chosen avatar and there’s no reason given. Why Moses? Why let the Jews suffer for years while Moses goes into exile, marries, and raises a son of his own? Nope, no one questions this, just somberly accepts their fate.

The film overall is somber and dreary, lacking in the spark of life. There’s little sense of joy in the palace or the caves or the huts or the desert. There’s a distinct lack of humor in the tale, which may be true in the Bible, but here, we had a chance to bring more life to the players.

Instead, we get a visually feast beginning with the arrival of the plagues right through the parting of the Reed Sea (wherever that was). Here, Scott easily outdoes Cecil B. DeMile and brings us a parting worthy of the moment’s spectacle.

The 2:30 film has a very nice transfer and plays smoothly. The colors are rich and the sound, through standard computer speakers, was acceptable.

The Digital HD comes complete with the bonus features, which features Scott’s Commentary. There also The Lawgivers’s Legacy (23:14), where academics extol the facts and suppositions surrounding whether or not there was a real Moses and if so, when did he operate and whom did he oppose. There are nine Deleted Scenes (14:37), the most valuable one being Moses coming down from the mountain to find his people worshipping the Golden Calf. Additionally, there are fourteen BTS Enhancement Pods (48:13) covering each major aspect of mounting a production of this nature. Finally, there are The Gods & Kings Archives split between Pre-production, Production and Post-Production stills, sketches, artwork, and design.

Lionsgate had an opportunity to take advantage of the crass commercial stunt of splitting Mockingjay into two films and enrich the world and characters. Somehow, though, they squandered the opportunity and turned out a leaden adventure that did little more than spin its wheels as we are forced to wait for the final chapter. Given the content of Suzanne Collins’ final installment in her Hunger Games trilogy, this could have been a done-in-one, albeit lengthy, final film. However, it was decided to split it into two and here, we should have gotten to know everyone a little better.

After being available for online viewing, Mockingjay – Part 1 arrives on disc Tuesday in the standard combo pack, giving you Blu-ray, DVD, and a digital copy.

Katniss Everdeen’s journey from Tribute to Icon showed us a petulant, reluctant hero in the making and with Jennifer Lawrence wonderfully assaying the part, her growth should have been stronger on screen then the print version. She remains resistant and reluctant, finally willing to trade being used as a stalking horse in exchange for help freeing Peeta Mellark (Josh Hutcherson and the other Tributes held by the Capitol. She clearly sucks at being anything than what she is as seen in the amusing public service ad filming scene but finally reveals her inner fire when District 8 is bombed.

The game being played against President Snow (Donald Sutherland, the second best bit of casting in the series) is a tricky one, especially considering his decades of advantage. His moves are cold and calculating, yet his clearly is over-confident and misfires when he bans the Mockingjay symbol from being displayed. As he tightens his grip on the districts, more and more rebellion is sparked. That he and Katniss exchange moves for as long as they have shows he has underestimated her. But not before outfoxing her on more than one occasion, including the brainwashing of Peeta, surreptitiously releasing him so he would become his secret weapon, which is more or less where this half ends.

The first set of missed opportunities are close to home. Mom and Prim have survived the devastation of District 12 and they are seen here and there and yet neither one is given much to say or do and their relationship with Katniss is at arm’s length, which goes against everything established in the first book. Then we have the introduction of President Coin (Julianne Moore). In the BTS material, she is said to have had a strong take on the character but it doesn’t come through on screen. Her growing relationship with Katniss would have been nice to see much as more could have been done with Plutarch (the dearly missed Philip Seymour Hoffman) and even Hamish (Woody Harrelson).

Instead, we go from District 13 to visit District 12, rescue a cat; visit District 8 and narrowly avoid being blown up, and back to District 13 as others try to free the Tributes. Katniss broods a lot and seems so obsessed with Peeta’s freedom she barely has time for Gale Hawthorne (Liam Hemsworth), whose love for her has forged him into a hero, not that you can really tell given how little he’s given to do.

The movie is incredibly faithful to the book but screenwriters Peter Craig and Danny Strong made one significant change: Effie Trinket (Elizabeth Banks) has survived and has been brought to District 13 where she bonds with Katniss in a nice way. Given their skills, it’s sad that this was a brief highlight and so much of the film is a series of action set pieces and missed opportunities. Director Francis Lawrence did a far stronger job with Catching Fire and while he handles the scope and action nicely, the human touches feel thin. One hopes the final act redeems all concerned and ends the series on a high note.

The film’s transfer to High Definition is splendid with sharp colors and little lost to the shadows. The audio is just fine, too.

The Blu-ray comes with an assortment of special features built around the eight-part, two and a quarter hour “The Mockingjay Lives: The Making of Mockingjay – Part 1“: 8-part feature-length documentary which covers everything from the story to the special effects, costuming, and casting. The BTS footage demonstrates just how much fun they had shooting the film, which is good considering how dour the story is. What’s frustrating is that the director, producers, and cast all have strong ideas about the characters and story but so little of it made it on screen. There is also a commentary from Lawrence and Producer Nina Jacobson.  “Straight From the Heart: A Tribute to Philip Seymour Hoffman” is a nice ten minute tribute specific to his involvement in the last three films in the set. Songs of Rebellion: Lorde on Curating the Soundtrack” features Lorde detailing all the choices she made in assembling the soundtrack album and we have her “Yellow Flicker Beat” music video. There are also a handful of deleted scenes, only one of which I think should have been restored to the film.

Overall, it was entertaining but disappointing but I will be there for the finale to see if they can trump the great wreck of a second half the novel itself was.

Aquaman finally gets his due in Justice League: Throne of Atlantis, out now from Warner Home Entertainment. In the latest installment in the new linked video continuity, all inspired by the uninspiring New 52 reality. As is fitting in a spotlight film like this, Aquaman’s origins are explored so we also get the tried and true enmity between Arthur Curry and Orm, the Ocean Master.  There’s lots of shouting, fighting, fish, and Sturm und Drang but honestly, not a lot of warmth and emotion—much like the current source material.

Queen Atlanna (Sirena Irwin) rules over forgotten Atlantis which is about to be proven a real legend as it braces for war. The undersea kingdom is discovered when Cyborg (Sean Patrick Thomas) investigates a sub having gone missing. Upon discovering the existence of Atlantis, he summons the rest of the Justice League — Superman (Jerry O’Connell), Batman (Jason O’Mara), Wonder Woman (Rosario Dawson), Green Lantern (Nathan Fillion), Flash (Christopher Gorham) and Shazam (Sean Astin).

As the story churns along we meet drifter (get it?) Arthur Curry (Matt Lanter), who gets caught up in the battle, displaying unusual abilities to telepathically command sea life. He also meets Mera (Sumalee Montano) who has powers of her own and its true love in an eye blink. Arthur finally meets Orm (Sam Witwer), his half-brother who is angry at everyone. Aiding him, because one villain is never enough anymore, is Black Manta (Henry Lennix).

What is missing from the mess of heroes, villains, and fish is heart. Writer Heath Corson has become their go to writer but he is a by-the-0numbers scripter so there’s a sameness permeating the video. Director Ethan Spaulding may need to learn about characterization and pacing but Producer James Trucker should know better given his strong pedigree.

I’ve written previously about my dislike of the current character designs, too top heavy, too angular, and not really resembling their comic book counterparts. It’s more of the same here but it also looks a little cheaper, a little more rushed and stilted which is a shame.

The video comes in 1080p/AVC-encoded format which is fine for this limp effort bettered only by the DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track.

As has become habit with these discs, there are some fine and some less fine special features. What’s really missing is a piece placing Aquaman in context, exploring his 70+ year existence, noting his other media appearances and examining how he’s become the butt of pop culture humor. But that piece is missing. Instead, we have Villains of the Deep (12 minutes), which examines, instead, Ocean Master and Black Manta. While good, it needs the good guy counterpoint. There’s also Scoring Atlantis: The Sound of the Deep (30 minutes) which is a lengthy examination of the development and scoring with composer Frederik Wiedmann, Tucker, recording engineer John Rodd, and conductor Russell Steinberg.

A nice surprise is the Robin and Nightwing Bonus Sequence (4 minutes) as Tucker explains how this 45-second piece worked as a prequel to the Batman/Green Lantern Scarecrow chase. 2014 NY Comic-Con Panel (27 minutes) showcases Tucker, Corson, character designer Phil Bourassa, dialogue director Andrea Romano, and Aquaman’s voice Matt Lanter.

From the DC Comics Vault (83 minutes) offers up four episodes: “Aquaman’s Outrageous Adventure!” and “Evil Under the Sea!” from Batman: The Brave and the Bold, “Menace of the Black Manta and The Rampaging Reptile-Man” from the 1967-70 Aquaman series, and “Far from Home” from Justice League Unlimited.

Bone: Out from Boneville Tribute Edition
By Jeff Smith
192 ages, Scholastic Graphix, $14.95

Bone is a phenomenon that just keeps growing, it seems.  Jeff Smith’s self-published debuted in 1991 and charmed readers who discovered the black and white fantasy. However, he found a brand new audience when Scholastic added the series, in color for the first time, to their Graphix imprint. There now are the nine volumes, Rose (with art by Charles Vess), Tall Tales, Bone Handbook and three illustrated prose novels from Tom Sniegoski.

To celebrate the tenth anniversary of this incredibly successful partnership, Scholastic is releasing next week a hardcover Tribute Edition of volume one. The complete, still-charming is on hand but there is also additional material. We start with the 10-page poem “An Ode to Quiche”, written by and critiqued by the monsters who plague the fellow from Boneville. There are nine pinups culled from the other volumes so it’s nice to see plenty of Smith’s lovely cartoon work.

The tribute comes from an assortment of talented folk, who just all happen to be producing work for Graphix, including Kate Beaton, Jeffrey Brown, Frank Cammuso, Nathan Fox, Jimmy Gownley, Kazu Kibuishi, Mike Maihack, Scott Morse, Jake Parker, Dav Pilkey, Greg Ruth, Dan Santast, Raina Telgemeier, Doug TenNapel, and new-to-the-party Craig Thompson. These are uniformly lovely images that are done with affection and shows the versatility of the source material.

Graphic novels have grown a lot since they became a thing back in the 1970s and it’s terrific there is a robust market now for children to discover graphic storytelling. The versatility and promise of the medium is more often found here than in the stand comic books no longer being produced for these readers. It’s nice to see Scholastic celebrate with Bone.

Given the genre cred of Simon Pegg and the ascendance of Rosamund Pike, I approached Hector and the Search for Happiness with a certain level of curiosity. I was unfamiliar with the original novel by French author Francois Lelord and somehow missed the film’s release back in September. 20^th Century Home Entertainment resolved that with the release today of the film on DVD.

In short, the film is about a psychiatrist, Hector (Pegg), who wants to shake up his tedious life. He doesn’t feel like he’s good at his job or able to help people, and laments to his girlfriend Clara (Pike) that he has yet to sample the very experience he recommends to his clients. As a result, he goes walkabout, seeking to taste life and find happiness. Then things happen.

It’s a charming premise and certainly well-trod territory but one expects, well, more from the story, especially considering the strong cast, anchored by Pegg and Pike but also including Toni Collette, Stellan Skarshard, Jean Reno, and Christopher Plummer. Perhaps it has something to do with the many hands — Peter Chelsom, Francis Lelord, Tinker Lindsay, Maria von Heland, and François Lelord — to handle the adaptation. Chelsom (Hannah Montana: The Movie) directed the film which attempts to be motivationally uplifting but somehow comes across as a journey filled with good intentions, rarely delivering on the promise.

Considering his long-term relationship, it doesn’t make a lot of sense for Hector to leave Clara behind rather than share the experience with her. After all, they do not have children and surely she can take a break from naming pharmaceuticals. Instead, he waves cheerio and leaves London from China and Shanghai exotic nightlife as seen by a wealthy businessman (Skarsgard). After mistaking true love for prostitution (Ming Zhao), he hightails it to Africa where he reconnects with an old friend (Barry Atsma). The humanitarian work is rejuvenating but he somehow gets mixed up with a drug dealer (Reno).

All the way, he is writing fortune cookie-worthy sayings in his notebook, these bon mots clearly becoming his new guiding principles. In case you miss the message they appear on screen, bringing his notebook to annoying life. As a result, he also wants to make amends so completes his travel in Los Angeles where he seeks out an old flame (Collette). While they, he just happens to find a leading happiness researcher (Plummer), so participates in a brain study.

The film is pretty to look at and the performances are solid uninspiring, much like the script. The intentions are noble and honorable, but Pegg mined a similar theme with far better results in The World’s End. His need for fulfillment, while missing the obvious back home, remains a truism but it’s annoying that Clara feels empty without a child, the worst sort of feminist message.

The film is accompanied by the short Around the World with Simon Pegg, a travelogue that’s wittier than the film. There’s The Making of Hector and the Search for Happiness which shows lots of noble intentions gone awry. Chelsom provides an audio commentary that, to be honest, I skipped given my overall disappointment with the final product.

These days, it’s all about the Disney princesses, but Perdita is merely a dog without high pedigree. As a result, she and her mate Pongo, are often overlooked. They’re certainly overshadowed by their antagonist, the Dalmatian loving Cruella De Vil, about the chew every scene in Once Upon a Time. Thank goodness, then, that Walt Disney reminds us about the utter charm contained within their 1961 release 101 Dalmatians. Out Tuesday in a handsome Diamond Combo Pack, their 17th film holds up remarkably well.

The film arrived at a precarious time for the studio as rising costs made their animated fare very expensive. Tastes were changing and they were now competing with television for the younger eyeballs so a different approach was called for. From a technological standpoint, the arrival of Xerography allowed them to streamline the filmmaking process, reducing costs. Ub Iwerks, one of the grand animators in Walt Disney’s employ, gets the credit for finding a way to use modern technology while preserving Disney’s unique look and feel.

Then, rather than dip into fairy tales, they created their own tale with broader humor without sacrificing the heart.

In case you forgot, the story features Pongo (Rod Taylor), Perdita (Cate Bauer) and their 15 puppies. It’s a true love story, arranged through their efforts for their owners Roger (Ben Wright, with Bill Lee as his singing voice) and Anita Radcliffe (Lisa Davis) to meet. Across town, though, Cruella De Vil (Betty Lou Gerson) is seeking more Dalmatians to complete her fur coat. She tries to do things aboveboard, offering to buy the pups, but even though he’s cash-strapped, Roger refuses. She then dispatches Jasper (J. Pat O’Malley) and Horace (Frederick Worlock) to steal them and things go from there.

Humans prove inept so Pongo and Perdita are determined to find their brood so, using the Twilight Bark, summon help from the neighborhood animals, including sheepdog Colonel (O’Malley), tabby cat Sergeant Tibbs (David Frankham), and gray horse Captain (Thurl Ravenscroft). By the time, Cruella is found, Scotland Yard recovers not 15 but 101 dalmatians. The film doesn’t rush through its 79 minute story, nor does it deviate from the core plot with extraneous sub-plots or songs. There is just one, “Cruella De Vil”, ostensibly penned by Roger, a struggling song writer. It’s memorable and fits the story.

The transfer is worthy of the Diamond moniker and you can watch it either at 1.33:1 or the letter boxed in Disney View.  The DTS-HD 7.1 Master Audio is crisp and you can enjoy every yip and growl.

Disney has created four new bonus features for this edition which includes the charming “The Further Adventures of Thunderbolt” (1:48), an all-new story based on the television series seen in the film. Additionally, there’s “Lucky Dogs” (9:08) which places the film in context with on screen commentary from assistant animator Rolly Crump, ink-and-painter Carmen Sanderson, assistant animator Burny Mattison, animator Floyd Norman, executive Don Iwerks, and Lisa Davis (Anita). Disneyland’s “The Best Doggoned Dog in the Word” (51:05) episode is included and should be noted that it is an updated version of a 1957 episode, swapping out footage of Old Yeller with scenes from 101 Dalmatians (in glorious black-and-white of course). The Disney Channel’s Cameron Boyce fronts “Dalmatians 101” (5:12), the most skippable element on the two disc set. All the material from the Platinum Edition DVD is also here. These include Redefining the Line: The Making of 101 Dalmatians: Puppy Dog Tales (5:33), Howling at the Moon (3:36), New Tricks (5:16), Animation 101 (7:51), Drawing All Cars (4:12), Seeing Spots (5:45), A Dog’s Eye View (1:40), Music Video by Selena Gomez: “Cruella De Vil” (3:25), Deleted Song: “March of the One Hundred and One” (2:29),  Abandoned Song: “Cheerio, Goodbye, Toodle-oo, Hip Hip!”(2:32), Abandoned Song: “Don’t Buy a Parrot from a Sailor” (2:39), Demo Recordings and Alternate Versions, and Cruella De Vil: Drawn to Be Bad (7:10), Sincerely Yours, Walt Disney (12:48).

All told, this is a slightly abbreviated package of goodies but you won’t mind too much. The sweet, entertaining film more than makes up for it and rediscovering its charm is just fine.

So, when did Glee go off the rails for you? I began tiring of the show in the third season, stuck around for one more and realized it couldn’t make up its mind about the type of series it wanted to be. Part of the blame goes to Ryan Murphy and Fox for falling so in love with their core characters that they wouldn’t let them grow up and leave high school. While a spinoff set in Manhattan had been considered and discarded, trying to have it all didn’t work either. After seeing the fitting tribute to Cory Monteith, I bid Finn Hudson and the rest of Lima High an overdue farewell.

When Glee the Complete Fifth Season arrived for review, it gave me a chance to see if I made the right decision or not. The series’ musical numbers remain strong as ever but it also remains maddening. On the other hand, the various social topics it had addressed makes the show wonderful drama but the rest of it is set in a world so divorced from the one we live in, it gets infuriating.

First, the cast is too largely, too spread and too unwieldy to properly focus on one set of characters. We have Rachel, Kurt, and Santana in New York, Mercedes in Los Angeles and everyone else in Lima, OH. But, we have the originals poised to graduate and the newcomers still looking to get themselves properly established in the hearts and minds of the audience.

You still have all the adults with their own issues from Mr. Schu and Emma starting a family to Sue deposing Principal Figgins and managing to somehow shut down Glee Club.

And while the students never seem to have any classes or homework or trouble juggling extracurriculars, homework, family obligations and the like, it beggars the imagination that not one but two of the cast are such geniuses that they fight over Valedictorian. It would have been nice to see the school wrestle with the arrival of the Common Core curriculum or the pressures of standardized testing on both faculty and students.

Rachel’s assent to Broadway is the stuff of legend and her dream come true (we could have satisfactorily ended the series when she debuted) but for her to actually give it away for television makes little sense along with the decision to use Santana as her publicist.

The show veers from one emotional note to another without a lot of proper foreshadowing or setup so character traits come and go, as do their romantic feelings. Of the newcomers, the most intriguing was Marley who is gone early on after revealing her heretofore unknown songwriting skills, which conveniently come into play when the club needs a song at Regionals. And then there’s the horrid unaired Christmas special, held over from 2013 and a sad way to end the first half of the season.

This season saw the show limp to its 100^th episode which Murphy and Brad Falchuk used to trash the club and scatter everyone to the four winds. As centennial episodes go, it was above average but stung with unrealistic events. Eight episodes later, the friends find themselves in many unexpected places, leaving the viewer to wonder how the sixth and final season, now airing, would tie things up.

The high definition transfers on the six disc DVD set are fine although it is noteworthy Fox has not released this on Blu-ray. As usual, the set comes with its patented Glee Musical Jukebox, allowing viewers to go straight to the musical numbers.

The smaller than usual extras include Gleeful: Celebrating 100 Episodes of Glee (8:31) with Matthew Morrison (Will Shuester) and the cast members fondly looking back when they were a phenomenon that had not been anticipated. There’s also Glee in the City (13:34) where producer/director Ian Brennan and actors Kevin McHale, Darren Criss, Amber Riley, Chris Colfer, Chord Overstreet, Adam Lambert, and Lea Michele talk about the story possibilities by being set in the center of the universe.

For today’s comic book readers, there’s an appetite for one flavor of Batman: brooding, angry, single-minded and largely one-dimensional. But for those of an earlier generation where the interpretation of Batman varied by editor and medium, there are other varieties to tickle the fancy and entertain the soul. After years of the unrelentingly grim animated fare, Cartoon Network and Warner Animation came up with a breath of fresh air in Batman: The Brave and the Bold. James Tucker and Michael Jelenic developed this series to mimic the days of Batman being a premier hero and collaborator, operating in a bright, colorful world filled with costumed heroes and crazy villains.

The show lasted three seasons and 65 wonderful episodes and late in 2014, Warner Archive finally released Batman: The Brave and the Bold: The Complete Second Season on Blu-ray. There are 26 gloriously goofy half-hour episodes here and they are at the least fun to watch and at their best, creatively satisfying. The conceit usually features a cold opening with one team-up ending as the main story develops. Whereas season one created the over-arching threat of Equinox, season two is all about Starro the Conqueror. Additionally, the emphasis has been on the full DC Universe, from the Justice Society of America to newer heroes such as the third Blue Beetle. While the more familiar Justice League colleagues are around, it’s been a lot more fun to see the first generation of heroes or lesser lights like B’Wanna Beast.

This season we see Bats partner with Plastic Man, Booster Gold, Zatanna, the Spectre, Black Orchid, the Atom, Firestorm, Enemy Ace, the Haunted Tank, Detective Chimp, the Question, Dr. Magnus, Sgt. Rock and the G.I. Robot, Kamandi, Dr. Canus, the Challengers of the Unknown and the Outsiders, most animated to resemble their best known four-color version. The most radical revision remains the blowhard Aquaman, but is done with such gusto and good humor it can be forgiven.

Similarly, the full rogue’s gallery (Kite Man ,Shaggy Man, Evil Star, Blockbuster, Black Manta, Catwoman, Gentleman Ghost, Steppenwolf, Per Degaton, the Gas Gang, Chemo, and the more familiar Joker, Penguin, Riddler) has been well mined for fodder and put to excellent use.

While Kevin Conroy might be the animated voice for the slightly more adult animated adventures found elsewhere, Diedrich Bader does a fine job here. There were some lovely touches in the guest casting such as Conroy voicing the Batman from Zur En Arh while Adam West and Julie Newmar handle Thomas and Martha Wayne in one flashback. Conroy is back as the Phantom Stranger, paired with Mark Hamill’s Spectre which is cool. Then there’s the first television Flash, John Wesley Shipp, as Professor Zoom.

The scripts include ones from comic veterans J.M. DeMatteis, Greg Weisman, and Gail Simone among others and they often have homages to stories from throughout DC’s 75 year history which is just a bonus for longtime fans. One example would be one with Firefly and his Rainbow Creature in a homage to Detective Comics #241 and Batman #134. None, though, can beat the Paul Dini written “Bat-Mite Presents: Batman’s Strangest Cases!” that includes a recreation of the Mad magazine parody “Bat Boy and Rubin”, Jiro Kuwata’s Batman featured in Bat-Manga!: The Secret History of Batman in Japan, and New Scooby-Doo Movies.

While the set lacks any extras, to be expected from Warner Archive releases, it does come complete including “The Mask of Matches Malone!” which was never broadcast stateside thanks a harmless sexual innuendo in a musical number. The version we get is the edited one with revised animation that still didn’t master CN muster.

The high definition transfer is strong accompanied with a good DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 stereo mix.

The two-disc set of Batman: The Brave and the Bold – The Complete Second Season includes the following episodes:

DISC #1

1 Death Race to Oblivion
2 Long Arm of the Law!
3 Revenge of the Reach!
4 Aquaman’s Outrageous Adventur
5 The Golden Age of Justice!
6 Sidekicks Assemble!
7 Clash of the Metal Men!
8 A Bat Divided!
9 Super-Batman of Planet X!
10 The Power of Shazam!
11 Chill of the Night!
12 Gorillas in Our Midst!
13 The Siege of Starro! Part 1

DISC #2

14 The Siege of Starro! Part 2
15 Requiem for a Scarlet Speedster!
16 The Last Patrol!
17 The Mask of Matches Malone!
18 Menace of the Madniks!
19 Emperor Joker!
20 The Criss Cross Conspiracy
21 Plague of the Prototypes!
22 Cry Freedom Fighters!
23 The Knights of Tomorrow!
24 Darkseid Descending!
25 Bat-Mite Presents: Batman’s Strangest Cases!
26 The Malicious Mr. Mind!