a night in

(ETA: Well, your proprietor has been made to look and feel like a tit, what with this episode disappearing from the schedule. Again.)

Your proprietor doesn't trust the sun that has peeked through a rainstorm that's been battering San Francisco for the better part of the day. One suspects the rain will return in earnest rather soon. But here at the House of Sparrows we're practically hoping for a rainy gloomy night, in anticipation of a half hour of television that has been oft-delayed, but eagerly awaited...



Based on one of my favorite comics, Batman: The Brave and the Bold has been a delightful destination for early Friday evening viewing. Though slightly more kid-friendly than other iterations of the DC comics universe, B:TBATB has captured the truly gonzoid spirit of the team-up comic upon which it is based, which mined the teaming of Batman with lesser-known heroes for some offbeat stories. At worst it's a diverting and entertaining superhero cartoon; at best (as in a truly sublime teaser which teamed Batman with Detective Chimp to solve a locked room mystery), it can be downright thrilling.

I've been keen to see tonight's episode for a number of reasons. "Chill of the Night" concerns Batman's quest for the killer of his parents. Heavier subject matter than the show's usual beat, which may account for its continued postponement. But also notable is the fact that the episode brings back writer Paul Dini (one of the driving forces behind the justly lauded "dark deco" Batman: The Animated Series) to the Batman fold. Kevin Conroy, the voice of Batman for many years, also steps in to provide the voice of the Phantom Stranger. Given the Phantom Stranger's household god status here at the house of Sparrows, tonight's episode pretty much commands your proprietor's attention.

The episode airs in the show's usual timeslot (Friday night, 7:30pm) on Cartoon Network. If you tune in, comment and tell me what you thought, and thus become a friend of the House of Sparrows forever.