Last week's episode of Brave and The Bold was the one all us Aquaman fans were waiting for, "Aquaman's Outrageous Adventure!" Like Aquaman, let's be bold and decisive, and get right to the action!
After a great opening with Batman and one of his most unlikely guest-stars, Enemy Ace(!), this episode starts with another one of Aquaman's arch-villains, making his Brave and the Bold debut: The Fisherman!
After a great opening with Batman and one of his most unlikely guest-stars, Enemy Ace(!), this episode starts with another one of Aquaman's arch-villains, making his Brave and the Bold debut: The Fisherman!
The Fisherman, using his high-tech equipment, is keeping some undersea scientists hostage. When their governments won't pay his ransom, The Fisherman prepares to drop the scientists' ship into a reef!
Luckily for them, Aquaman has arrived!:
Luckily for them, Aquaman has arrived!:
He quickly dispatches The Fisherman, and then saves the scientists by calling in some of his giant whale friends, who grab the ship and bring it to safety.
Aquaman is happy it all ended well, and is prepared to call this adventure "The Rescue At Rainbow Reef!"
Then it seems that one of his dolphin pals has learned how to speak English! But that's not quite it: we find that this tangle with The Fisherman is a daydream of Aquaman's, and the voice we hear coming from the dolphin is actually his wife Mera, trying to snap him out of his revelry:
Aquaman is happy it all ended well, and is prepared to call this adventure "The Rescue At Rainbow Reef!"
Then it seems that one of his dolphin pals has learned how to speak English! But that's not quite it: we find that this tangle with The Fisherman is a daydream of Aquaman's, and the voice we hear coming from the dolphin is actually his wife Mera, trying to snap him out of his revelry:
Mera is insistent that they spend this vacation like real Surface Dwellers (which Arthur Jr. is doing, focused as is he is on his hand-held gaming device)--no adventures, no crime-fighting.
Aquaman says he agrees, but he's obviously bored. After they stop at a diner for some food, he steps outside and calls his pal Batman, asking to be rescued from "This blasted vacation!"
But Batman is a little busy: he's fighting off a gang of henchmen under the employ of that fowl felon, The Penguin!
Aquaman says he agrees, but he's obviously bored. After they stop at a diner for some food, he steps outside and calls his pal Batman, asking to be rescued from "This blasted vacation!"
But Batman is a little busy: he's fighting off a gang of henchmen under the employ of that fowl felon, The Penguin!
Aquaman offers Batman help, but Bats insists Aquaman should stay on vacation.
He reluctantly agrees, but perks up when in the sky he sees The Arrow Signal, which means...danger!
He reluctantly agrees, but perks up when in the sky he sees The Arrow Signal, which means...danger!
Aquaman helps Green Arrow apprehend The Clock King and his gang of henchmen. The Clock King runs away, leaving his men behind, and Aquaman handles them with glee:
They then catch up to the Clock King, and even though he takes a hostage, that's no problem for our heroes: Aquaman commands some lobsters in a nearby fish tank to crawl all over their foe.
In one of my favorite visual gags of the show, as they talk, the lobsters continue to make Clock King's life miserable:
In one of my favorite visual gags of the show, as they talk, the lobsters continue to make Clock King's life miserable:
Aquaman makes it back to his family just in time to taste the apple pie Mera ordered for desert, with no one the wiser.
Next, they stop an Old West-style town ("Is that Jonah Hex? Ha! Ha! Ha!"), and Aquaman stops in a nearby saloon to get a Sasparilla. He calls Batman again, but Bats is still busy with The Penguin.
Aquaman sees a local TV report about the Blue Beetle squaring off against the villainous Planet Master, which of course means a call to action!:
Next, they stop an Old West-style town ("Is that Jonah Hex? Ha! Ha! Ha!"), and Aquaman stops in a nearby saloon to get a Sasparilla. He calls Batman again, but Bats is still busy with The Penguin.
Aquaman sees a local TV report about the Blue Beetle squaring off against the villainous Planet Master, which of course means a call to action!:
Blue Beetle tries to stop the Planet Master (who, despite the name, has some pretty impressive powers), but has a hard time of it. He's thrilled when Aquaman shows up to help, and together they, as Aquaman puts it, "Silence this cosmic crook!"
Unlike the other, more jaded heroes, Blue Beetle is overjoyed to meet Aquaman:
Unlike the other, more jaded heroes, Blue Beetle is overjoyed to meet Aquaman:
Aquaman and his family check into a motel, where Mera gets wind of a news report detailing the Aquaman/Blue Beetle fight against Planet Master. The jig is up!
Mera is frustrated, but Aquaman begs forgiveness: "We're heroes, it's what we do!" Nevertheless, he promises, no more heroics from now on. He declares his next adventure is the one with his family!:
Mera is frustrated, but Aquaman begs forgiveness: "We're heroes, it's what we do!" Nevertheless, he promises, no more heroics from now on. He declares his next adventure is the one with his family!:
Aquaman sticks to his word, and during their drive around the country, his promise is tested when he seems to see heroes, heroes everywhere:
They visit the World's Largest Ball of Sod, among other natural wonders. He thinks he's stumbled upon the supervillain The Sportsmaster, but it turns out he's on a boring vacation with his family, too:
Aquaman then gets a call from Batman, and overhears that Batman is now in the clutches of The Penguin, and was calling for help!
Aquaman convinces Mera that they should visit Gotham City, talking it up as a "A center of world art, commerce, and culture", while also suggesting they keep the RV's windows up. When Mera points out this is where Batman lives, Aquaman plays dumb.
While his family waits back in the RV, Aquaman tries to rescue Batman, but is also zapped by The Penguin and placed in the same death trap. Mera and Arthur Jr. follow, and soon they are in the same pickle. Meanwhile, The Penguin plans to launch a series of Umbrella Rockets straight into Gotham City! (Though Aquaman and Mera are barely listening)
Mera finally admits that maybe vacations aren't right for people like them, and in the face of true danger, she advises her husband to "Show him why you're King of the Sea!"
Aquaman then commands some finny friends to help free them all from Penguin's ropes, and once they do Mera wants to join the fight:
Aquaman convinces Mera that they should visit Gotham City, talking it up as a "A center of world art, commerce, and culture", while also suggesting they keep the RV's windows up. When Mera points out this is where Batman lives, Aquaman plays dumb.
While his family waits back in the RV, Aquaman tries to rescue Batman, but is also zapped by The Penguin and placed in the same death trap. Mera and Arthur Jr. follow, and soon they are in the same pickle. Meanwhile, The Penguin plans to launch a series of Umbrella Rockets straight into Gotham City! (Though Aquaman and Mera are barely listening)
Mera finally admits that maybe vacations aren't right for people like them, and in the face of true danger, she advises her husband to "Show him why you're King of the Sea!"
Aquaman then commands some finny friends to help free them all from Penguin's ropes, and once they do Mera wants to join the fight:
Batman chases after The Penguin while Aquaman and Mera take on his henchmen. Why, even Arthur Jr. gets in a few licks, showing he's mighty strong just like his old man:
Batman follows The Penguin to his armored sub, but is quickly outnumbered by even more of The Penguin's gang. Aquaman dives into the water, and makes a beeline for the sub, landing on top and evening the odds:
Batman gets close enough to The Penguin to paste him one, which is all it takes. Case closed!
Batman thanks Aquaman for his help, especially since it was during his vacation. Aquaman promises--again--to quit all the adventuring go back on the real vacation, suggesting they visit "The Stonehenge made from old refrigerators!"
But this time, Mera and Arthur Jr. are on the same page as Aquaman, and want more adventure. Arthur Jr. declares this trip be called "The Time My Dad Saved The World Again!"
Aquaman, beaming, embraces his family and says, "That's my boy!"
Batman thanks Aquaman for his help, especially since it was during his vacation. Aquaman promises--again--to quit all the adventuring go back on the real vacation, suggesting they visit "The Stonehenge made from old refrigerators!"
But this time, Mera and Arthur Jr. are on the same page as Aquaman, and want more adventure. Arthur Jr. declares this trip be called "The Time My Dad Saved The World Again!"
Aquaman, beaming, embraces his family and says, "That's my boy!"
...the end!
This episode is probably Aquaman's finest half-hour on TV, full stop. "Aquaman's Outrageous Adventure!" is a big valentine to the character, retaining most of Aquaman's most beloved elements while still keeping him consistent with the version we've seen in previous episodes of the series.
It had adventure, laughs, tons of guest stars...Great Neptune, even the blue camouflage suit! Outrageous!
This post originally appeared on January 11, 2010.
This episode is probably Aquaman's finest half-hour on TV, full stop. "Aquaman's Outrageous Adventure!" is a big valentine to the character, retaining most of Aquaman's most beloved elements while still keeping him consistent with the version we've seen in previous episodes of the series.
It had adventure, laughs, tons of guest stars...Great Neptune, even the blue camouflage suit! Outrageous!
2 comments:
Man, I miss B:TBATB. Funny thing is, it'd fit in better with today's Cartoon Network, which is all goofy, than then. sigh.
Chris
Thanks for the reminder of how much fun that show was.
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