Sight and Sound: "Chill of the Night!"

"Chill of the Night!," an outstanding installment of Batman: The Brave and the Bold, premiered 9 April 2010 on Cartoon Network. The episode was written by the legendary Paul Dini, directed by Michael Chang, and features Diedrich Bader as Batman, Jennifer Hale as Zatanna, and Jeff Bennett as Abra Kadabra. This animated series provides endless fun, rarely if ever disappoints, and, even with all that being said, "Chill of the Night!" represents its most stunning story to date. Shadowed by the opposing influences of the Spectre and the Phantom Stranger, the caped crusader is forced to choose between justice and vengeance as he follows a trail of clues that may lead him to solve the murder of his parents. In addition to the voice actors listed above, the episode guest stars Adam West, Julie Newmar, Kevin Conroy, and Mark Hamill! As an added bonus, the story features a brief appearance from one of the Flash's renowned Rogues. In the traditional teaser sequence, Batman takes on Abra Kadabra after teaming-up, appropriately enough, with Zatanna. Given Dini's well-known love for the Zatanna, it's clear that in this instance Abra Kadabra was chosen as an appropriate counterpart for the sorceress superhero, not vice versa. Nevertheless, a multitude of Kadabra's familiar tricks from various classic comic appearances are on display as the magicians duel it out at a Gotham City museum. Perhaps next time Batman will let the scarlet speedster himself join in the action!