New 'Batman' takes lighter approach

On the new Cartoon Network series "Batman: The Brave and the Bold," Deidrich Bader is Batman. At home, he's the butler.

"That's the way it is with my 3-year-old daughter. She is the action hero. I am Alfred. My daughter has a cowl and cape she wears all the time," Bader says during a telephone interview to talk about being cast as the voice of the caped crusader.

In case you're not up on your comic-book lore, Alfred is Bruce Wayne's butler. And Bruce Wayne is the secret identity of Batman.

It's not the entire Bader household that thinks the former "Drew Carey Show" star is best suited to be a servant.

"I think my son is going to spontaneously combust at any moment because his dad is Batman," Bader says.

Away from home, Bader gets to use his deep voice on the new animated series "Batman: The Brave and the Bold." It launches Friday 9 p.m. MST. Comic book fans will recognize this franchise as the one where Batman has been teamed with a wide variety of crime-fighting partners. In the new TV series, look for the likes of the Blue Beetle, Green Arrow, Aquaman, Red Tornado and Plastic Man to help with the law enforcement duties.

Don't look for this series to have as much gloom and doom as the feature films or even the 1992 "Batman" animated series. This version will have a little more humor, a plus for Bader when it came to casting.

"I think what they hired me for was that not only did I have the pipes but I also had the sense of humor that was in line with this show," Bader says. "It is slightly broader, dry and ironic. This is Batman, not the Dark Knight. It is something that my 5-year-old can watch, but I can also watch. I think this show will really appeal to a broad demographic."

Moments of humor have been rare in the other "Batman" manifestations. Only the 1966 television series brought a campy element to the superhero story.

Bader laments that while the new animated series has more humor, it is the generally no-nonsense Batman who delivers the more serious dialogue. Most of the humor comes from the weekly guest-star costumed hero.

Bader, an Alexandria, Va., native, read Batman comics when he was young. But he had to do all his reading during summer camp.

"Dad refused to have comic books in the house. So camp was just six weeks of fantastic reading because everyone had a ton of comic books," Bader says.