Batman: The Brave and the Bold -- a quirky, kid-friendly animated series that ran between 2008 and 2011 -- highlighted lesser-known DC characters in simple, action-packed stories. After initial fan skepticism due to its lighthearted tone, B:TBATB has been reassessed over the years and has managed to take its rightful place among Batman's greatest animated fare. Developed by James Tucker and Michael Jelenic, the show's strengths rested on its wit, sense of humor, and its overall dedication to DC's expansive list of characters.

Hinging on the classic comic book gimmick of recurring superhero team-ups, Batman found himself working with all kinds of heroes, from the boisterous Aquaman to the crook-turned-hero Plastic Man. B:TBATB gave obscure characters their time to shine, making for a wide variety of stories, with Batman providing a constant baseline. One such character, utilized across several episodes was comics legend Steve Ditko's strange yet tenacious mystery man, The Question.

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The Question Was One of Several Unique Heroes to Team Up with Batman

The Question fights a Parademon on Apokolips in Batman: The Brave and the Bold

The Question's original iteration was a no-nonsense, hard-boiled detective character infused with Ayn Rand's philosophy of Objectivism (a character trait that was hilariously explored in 2021's DC Showcase: Blue Beetle, which paired the Question with another Ditko creation -- Blue Beetle Ted Kord). As with almost any comics character, The Question's long lifespan has seen him go through all sorts of changes. At his core, however, he's always remained a steadfast, selfless individual; without any special or supernatural powers, he uses his mind and his investigative skills to solve crimes and bring evildoers to justice.

Hiding his identity behind a specially-made mask that gives him a faceless appearance (and a customized belt buckle that, once activated, emits a vapor which The Question uses to change the color of his clothes), Ditko's avenger is a unique take on the classic mystery men of the 1930s and 1940s -- characters that were popular in all forms of media, from radio shows to comics. Voiced by Nicholas Guest, this version of the character brought back the hero's signature blue trench coat and fedora (the same ensemble worn by the Jeffrey Combs-voiced Question in Justice League Unlimited) and, in addition to establishing him as an inquisitive mind, also had him deliver his own share of knockout punches.

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Steve Ditko's The Question Always Finds the Answer

The Question communicates wirelessly with Batman in Batman: The Brave and the Bold

As resourceful and intelligent as any other version of the character, B:TBATB (in what was a rare occurrence) gave The Question a small but impactful arc that spread across two episodes: "The Knights of Tomorrow" and "Darkseid Descending." Each installment of the show began with a quick mini-adventure, essentially a teaser that typically had nothing to do with the episode proper. The teaser in "The Knights of Tomorrow" sees The Question embark on a reconnaissance mission on Apokolips, communicating wirelessly with Batman back on Earth. Everything ends on a cliffhanger as The Question is soon discovered and, following a short brawl with a gang of Parademons, appears to plunge to certain doom -- with a giant Apokoliptian fire pit straight below.

In the very next episode, "Darkseid Descending," Apokoliptian forces invade and wage total war on Earth. Batman quickly gathers the show's answer to the Justice League (called Justice League International in reference to the 80s comic book series by Keith Giffen, J. M. DeMatteis and Kevin Maguire). Unfortunately, these heroes -- Booster Gold, Blue Beetle Jaime Reyes, and Green Lantern Guy Gardner -- proved to be inexperienced and completely unprepared for battle despite their power sets. Near the end of the episode, a Boom Tube opens and Darkseid himself -- one of the most evil and powerful creatures in the DC universe -- finally appears, and Earth is as good as conquered.

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Jack Kirby's Darkseid is Defeated by a Trench Coat-Wearing Weirdo

The Question spies for Batman on the planet Apokolips in Batman: The Brave and the Bold

The episode's McGuffin is a Boom Tube generator, a towering piece of machinery that the forces of Apokolips placed in Washington, DC, in order to instantaneously transport the rest of their soldiers and weaponry to Earth. At the very last possible moment, as Batman continues a losing battle against Darkseid, the generator is activated. Except, this time, its frequency is reversed and instead of helping the invading army, it sucks up every last Parademon and sends the enemy back to Apokolips. As the smoke clears, a lonesome Parademon enters the frame and is revealed to be The Question.

Cutting off communication with Batman and having to work undercover, The Question infiltrated Darkseid's forces and managed to hijack the Boom Tube generator to save Earth. Even for a show that teams up the shape-changing Plastic Man with DC Comics' Uncle Sam, this was a jarring mix of characters. On paper, having The Question -- a hero without any powers or specific knowledge of alien worlds -- sneak around Apokolips only to appear at the last minute and save the day may sound ridiculous -- and perhaps it is -- but it's played out without any sarcasm, and ends with a conclusion that feels both earned and new.

This combination of Ditko's trench coat-wearing weirdo and Jack Kirby's Fourth World conqueror Darkseid is an unabashed love letter to comic books. As ludicrous as a lot of these stories may be, all these heroes bring a sense of joy to those who follow their exploits. "Darkseid Descending" in particular shows that it pays off to take risks in the name of fun and adventure and, most importantly, that every hero -- no matter how off-beat or strange -- has something to offer.