Review: Brave and the Bold Archives

The Brave and the Bold Team-Up Archives, Vol. 1 by Bob Haney

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


The Brave and the Bold is a title that's become associated with Batman. For the last 130+ issues of its pre-Crisis run, Brave and the Bold was Batman + guest star battle bad guy. However, before the title was annexed by Batman with Issue #67, the title went through many incarnations. 50 Issues were a mixed bag, Issue 28 introduced the Justice League of America, with Issue 49 being Strange Sports Stories. With Issue 50, the title became a Superhero team up magazine where two different superheroes would join forces. It was key in establishing a DC Universe. As the introduction of this book states, Superman had already established quite a family of supporting characters, but it takes more than that to build an interconnected hero universe.

Issue #50-Martian Manhunter and Green Arrow: Two back up characters. You could really sense that the publishers were tenatively dipping their toe in the water to see how this team up thing would work. It was striking because Martian Manhunter had to fight other Martians and mind control's a big thing leading to a real nice plot twist. Overall: A-

Issue #51-Aqauman and Hawkman-The King of the Sea and the Master of the Air against an Atlantean menace and due to mind control, their own reliable allies are turned against them including both sea animals and Hawkgirl. Overall: A.

Issue #52: A team up from the war comics as Lt. Cloud has to get a key agent to headquarters. But to succeed he'll need a little from the Haunted Tank and Sergeant Rock of Easy Company. Really out of place among these superhero stories but surprisingly good. No wonder Sergeant Rock has been so popular through the years. Overall: A-

Issue #53: The Atom and the Flash are duped by a scientist under alien control into being part of his plot to expand a microverse and destroy the Earth. Lots of pseudoscience but plenty of excitement. Overall: A

Issue #54: This was not an official Teen Titan Adventure and there's no Wonder Girl here but we can consider it a pilot for the Teen Titans as Robin, Aqualad, and Kid Flash race to a town where there's a misunderstanding between kids and parents and the evil Twister steps in. Good Silver Age story that proves Robin's worthy as leader of the Titans even without superpowers. Overall: A-

Issue #55: The Metal Men are falling apart and the Atom is called to investigate. The culprit is Uranium, a rogue rejected Metal Man. I've never read the Metal Men and this story didn't make them all that appealing, but it was still a good solid Atom Story. Rating: B+

Issue #56: A strange creature appears who can mimic the powers of the Justice League, any two heroes at a time. It turns out an alien creature who received rejection on its own world. Think Super Skrull with a love story element. Overall, still pretty good. Rating: B+

Issue #59: Issues #57 and 58 took time off from the team up to introduce Metamorpho. This picks up the concept with Batman and Green Lantern against the Time Commander. The story is strong overall despite the Time Commander making a very stupid mistake to allow our heroes to defeat him. However, the ending where they forget each other's secret identities is a little weird. Rating: B+

These are solid all-star stories and this whole series is one I wish would see another collection. However, most other team up issues have been collected. Issue 60 with the Teen Titans in their own Archive/Showcase, Issues 61 and 62 in the Black Canary Archives, Issue 66 in the Metamorpho Showcase case collection and most other issues in Batman and the Bold Showcases. However, uncollected anywhere is Issue 63 with Wonderwoman and Supergirl and 65 with the Flash and Doom Patrol.

Still, this is an enjoyable collection filled with some of the best DC superheroes of the Silver Age and a great read if you can find it.



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