What do you think?
Rate this book
Legends of the Dark Knight: Jim Aparo #2
Legends of the Dark Knight: Jim Aparo, Vol. 2
Jim Aparo was one of the premier Batman artists of the 1970s, working primarily on the Batman team-up title THE BRAVE AND THE BOLD. Now, DC collects Aparo's run on the series in hardcover for the first time from the beginning. Aparo portrayed Batman as a detective who operated in shadow, yet captured the action and thrills of the Caped Crusader.
These stories feature appearances by numerous DC heroes (and villains) including Plastic Man, Metamorpho, Sgt. Rock, The Flash, Aquaman, Mister Miracle, Green Arrow, Wonder Woman, Deadman, Green Lantern, the Metal Men, Hawkman, The Phantom Stranger, Supergirl, the Teen Titans--and Jim Aparo himself!
Collects THE BRAVE AND THE BOLD #123-136 and 138-151.
These stories feature appearances by numerous DC heroes (and villains) including Plastic Man, Metamorpho, Sgt. Rock, The Flash, Aquaman, Mister Miracle, Green Arrow, Wonder Woman, Deadman, Green Lantern, the Metal Men, Hawkman, The Phantom Stranger, Supergirl, the Teen Titans--and Jim Aparo himself!
Collects THE BRAVE AND THE BOLD #123-136 and 138-151.
528 pages, Hardcover
First published September 10, 2013
9 people are currently reading
62 people want to read
About the author
Bob Haney
448 books13 followersRobert G. Haney was an American comic book writer, best known for his work for DC Comics. He co-created the Teen Titans as well as characters such as Metamorpho, Eclipso, Cain, and the Super-Sons.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
January 29, 2017
This volume collects mostly issues mostly issues of The Brave and the Bold (DC's team-up title) plus a couple stories from Detective, all from the mid-1970s. I didn't read much DC back then, but Batman was very prominent in pop culture and, though I love many other artists' interpretations of the character, it's Jim Aparo's version that remains definitive to me. The stories, however, leave something to be desired. On a month by month basis they are okay, but collected in a volume they quickly start to feel very samey. The plot usually revolves around an international incident, or a criminal gang taking hostages and threatening to blow things up. Don't expect too many "name" villains, either. Joker and Two-Face team up for the rare two-part story, but the way they are written they could be anyone. Likewise Catwoman. Mostly it is foreign warlords, or local crime bosses. Finally, there is always at least one ludicrous plot device or twist. They're not "bat-shark-repellent" level, but they come close. This was a time when Superman would display a new "super" ability on a regular basis to get himself out of a fix and you'll see a lot of that sort of thing here. I'm not disappointed I read this, but I had to read it in very small doses over a long period of time in order to tolerate it. 2.5 stars.
November 24, 2017
How about that! I've had this book sitting on my bookcase, sealed in shrinkwrap, thinking I'd read all these stories. Was doing some sorting through and discovered that I'd never read nearly half of these Jim Aparo Batman Team-Up stories! *GASP* If you know me at all, you know in how high of regard and esteem I place the Batman Aparo Team-Up Cannon! It's one of my favorite things on Earth.
I'm not sure if this was a rainy day treat planted by my past self. I do that on occasion. Or if I simply had forgotten. Also very likely. Either way. I have treasure greater than gold for the next several nights. And couldn't be a happier reader.
I'm not sure if this was a rainy day treat planted by my past self. I do that on occasion. Or if I simply had forgotten. Also very likely. Either way. I have treasure greater than gold for the next several nights. And couldn't be a happier reader.
October 11, 2014
Great reprint volume featuring one of the best Batman artists (and one of my personal favorite comic book series as well).
This Batman reprint book features the art of the legendary Jim Aparo, best known for his work on the Spectre, Aquaman, the Phantom Stranger, and, of course, Batman in The Brave and the Bold. This volume reprints B&B #123-151 (all the Aparo issues; #146, with the Unknown Soldier is NOT in this one) and Detective Comics #437-438.
The Brave and the Bold has been one of my favorite comic books since I was a tiny tot, so this was a pure joy to read, especially since it featured many of my favorite stories; #123, with Plastic Man and Metamorpho, and the metafictional #124 are gems. Bob Haney does most of the writing on these stories (with Archie Goodwin doing the Detective features), and he's one of those old comic book work horses who knew how to craft a good script and make a proper comic book. What Bob Haney and Jim Aparo got through to the reader in one issue would take at least three comics in these times of woefully decompressed storytelling. You always got your money's worth with an issue of their Brave and the Bold.
The average reader today will probably not find these as enchanting as I did, but I think anyone who's a Batman fan or a fan of good comic book art would enjoy this book!
This Batman reprint book features the art of the legendary Jim Aparo, best known for his work on the Spectre, Aquaman, the Phantom Stranger, and, of course, Batman in The Brave and the Bold. This volume reprints B&B #123-151 (all the Aparo issues; #146, with the Unknown Soldier is NOT in this one) and Detective Comics #437-438.
The Brave and the Bold has been one of my favorite comic books since I was a tiny tot, so this was a pure joy to read, especially since it featured many of my favorite stories; #123, with Plastic Man and Metamorpho, and the metafictional #124 are gems. Bob Haney does most of the writing on these stories (with Archie Goodwin doing the Detective features), and he's one of those old comic book work horses who knew how to craft a good script and make a proper comic book. What Bob Haney and Jim Aparo got through to the reader in one issue would take at least three comics in these times of woefully decompressed storytelling. You always got your money's worth with an issue of their Brave and the Bold.
The average reader today will probably not find these as enchanting as I did, but I think anyone who's a Batman fan or a fan of good comic book art would enjoy this book!
November 28, 2015
Mid-70's Brave & Bold run by Haney and Aparo, who both also appear in one of the stories. Over 500 pages of reading. A smidgeon of Archie Goodwin in Detective Comics thrown in at the end. Story lines in the 70's were often highly implausible and squeezed to fit into a single issue. I laugh when Bats takes off a mask and has his hood on underneath, or the many times he is knocked out and no one takes off the cowl. Reminds me of Marvel Team-Up in the same era when Claremont and Byrne had a run. Aparo excelled at dark and mysterious layouts.
July 13, 2014
my review for the 1st volume holds for this one, too. loved seeing Haney and Aparo show up as characters.
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1...
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1...
January 23, 2018
If you’re a fan of Jim Aparo...
...this book is an absolute no-brained. I happen to love Jim Aparo’s artwork and consider him a very close second to being the best 1970’s era Batman artist after Neal Adams and in this volume you’ll see why. Most of the book consists of reprints from Aparo’s run in Brave And The Bold, almost all written by Bob Haney while the volume ends with two solo Batman stories written by Archie Goodwin. Some have complained that Bob Haney’s B&B stories tended to be very outside continuity -and they’re not wrong!- yet if you can overlook this you’ll have a great time. Huge book with a 500+ page count that’s very much worth you’re time if you’re a fan.
...this book is an absolute no-brained. I happen to love Jim Aparo’s artwork and consider him a very close second to being the best 1970’s era Batman artist after Neal Adams and in this volume you’ll see why. Most of the book consists of reprints from Aparo’s run in Brave And The Bold, almost all written by Bob Haney while the volume ends with two solo Batman stories written by Archie Goodwin. Some have complained that Bob Haney’s B&B stories tended to be very outside continuity -and they’re not wrong!- yet if you can overlook this you’ll have a great time. Huge book with a 500+ page count that’s very much worth you’re time if you’re a fan.
November 28, 2016
Once is more than enough for this collection of The Brave & The Bold short stories from the 1970s. Jim Aparo is deservedly one of the all-time greats as far as Batman artists go, but the writing here is cheesy and 'ridiculous' is an accurate description for the plots. Yes, I know, such writing was the norm in the seventies, but it doesn't make the stories better today. On the other hand, this book is ideal for kids, who will get a kick out of these innocent adventures. But here is the book's problem: I am not ten years old.
August 30, 2017
As a collection of Batman stories, your enjoyment will vary depending upon how much you can go with the sometimes genuinely oddball flights of fancy Bob Haney created in the pages of the Brave and the Bold. As a showcase for Jim Aparo's art, however, there's no doubt: this book is fantastic. Plus, because he was the primary artist on the Brave & the Bold, a comic that teamed Batman with a different hero in every issue, we get his take on characters as diverse as the Teen Titans, Supergirl, Green Arrow, Black Canary, the Flash, and so many more.
February 12, 2018
More Aparo goodness
It's remarkable how well the art holds up. The writing,however , can be pretty dated at best and offensive at worst.
It's remarkable how well the art holds up. The writing,however , can be pretty dated at best and offensive at worst.
August 21, 2023
Honestly, mainly worth it for the exceptional art. The majority of the stories are by Bob Haney, and can get quite goofy at times, even when Batman’s been made over into the Dark Knight.
Read
April 9, 2019I’d previously read a dozen or so Jim Aparo comics in The Brave and the Bold Bronze Age Omnibus, which featured stories of Batman teaming up with other DC characters. This collection (the second in a series; my library doesn’t have volume one) is essentially a follow-up to that book, highlighting more of Aparo’s run on BATB. Unfortunately, it didn’t do much for me.
The stories, written mostly by Bob Haney, are highly plot-driven, with little in the way of character moments. I understand The Brave and the Bold was meant to be just a fun team-up title for Batman, but the stories themselves aren’t great. They’re very by-the-numbers, even with the rotating cast of characters and varied settings. Nearly all villains are corrupt politicians, shady businessmen, drug smugglers, or Russians.
What’s more, Batman doesn’t really have a distinct personality here. Sure, he’s a determined detective and an expert fighter always serving justice. But that’s about it. Haney writes Batman as cookie cutter hero with a flat, good-natured personality (except when he’s angrily pestering criminals for answers) – not unlike how he was portrayed during the Silver Age. Other Bronze Age stories I’ve read bring out a stronger personality in the man, so I was disappointed in this aspect.
The best part of the book is the art. For someone who typically focuses on story first and art second in comics, I took note of Aparo’s art right away. His Batman is a tall, chiseled figure with a flowing cape and long ears. I wouldn’t call him menacing exactly, but he sure looks cool, and that’s enough. Elsewhere, Aparo’s action scenes are energetic, his sense of space and geography palpable. I can see why he was one of DC’s most prolific artists of the decade, and I’m glad he found himself at home with Batman.
In the end, this collection was just okay for me. It’s a fine showcase for Jim Aparo’s art, but the stories fall flat more often then not. Were I alive at the time, reading these issues as they came out, I probably would have loved them (Batman teaming up with Green Lantern this month? Awesome!!). But reading them now, in close succession, they’re mostly forgettable. Oh well. I can’t expect to like everything.
Stray observations:
One thing I appreciate about The Brave and the Bold as a series is that it’s a great showcase for the DC universe. Batman teams up with characters I knew little about, like Phantom Stranger and the Metal Men. But after reading their features, I better understand them and their place within DC.
I mentioned that the villains are all similar, and it’s true. It seems a lot of them were created specifically for these stories, often to highlight social and political issues. But I like that these Bronze Age comics deal with real-world problems like like drug use and government corruption.
Along with the Brave and the Bold stories, this book collects two of Aparo’s contributions to Detective Comics. They can also be found in Tales of the Batman: Archie Goodwin. The second story, revisiting a Ra’s al Ghul associate, is the better of the two.
The stories, written mostly by Bob Haney, are highly plot-driven, with little in the way of character moments. I understand The Brave and the Bold was meant to be just a fun team-up title for Batman, but the stories themselves aren’t great. They’re very by-the-numbers, even with the rotating cast of characters and varied settings. Nearly all villains are corrupt politicians, shady businessmen, drug smugglers, or Russians.
What’s more, Batman doesn’t really have a distinct personality here. Sure, he’s a determined detective and an expert fighter always serving justice. But that’s about it. Haney writes Batman as cookie cutter hero with a flat, good-natured personality (except when he’s angrily pestering criminals for answers) – not unlike how he was portrayed during the Silver Age. Other Bronze Age stories I’ve read bring out a stronger personality in the man, so I was disappointed in this aspect.
The best part of the book is the art. For someone who typically focuses on story first and art second in comics, I took note of Aparo’s art right away. His Batman is a tall, chiseled figure with a flowing cape and long ears. I wouldn’t call him menacing exactly, but he sure looks cool, and that’s enough. Elsewhere, Aparo’s action scenes are energetic, his sense of space and geography palpable. I can see why he was one of DC’s most prolific artists of the decade, and I’m glad he found himself at home with Batman.
In the end, this collection was just okay for me. It’s a fine showcase for Jim Aparo’s art, but the stories fall flat more often then not. Were I alive at the time, reading these issues as they came out, I probably would have loved them (Batman teaming up with Green Lantern this month? Awesome!!). But reading them now, in close succession, they’re mostly forgettable. Oh well. I can’t expect to like everything.
Stray observations:
One thing I appreciate about The Brave and the Bold as a series is that it’s a great showcase for the DC universe. Batman teams up with characters I knew little about, like Phantom Stranger and the Metal Men. But after reading their features, I better understand them and their place within DC.
I mentioned that the villains are all similar, and it’s true. It seems a lot of them were created specifically for these stories, often to highlight social and political issues. But I like that these Bronze Age comics deal with real-world problems like like drug use and government corruption.
Along with the Brave and the Bold stories, this book collects two of Aparo’s contributions to Detective Comics. They can also be found in Tales of the Batman: Archie Goodwin. The second story, revisiting a Ra’s al Ghul associate, is the better of the two.
September 16, 2014
In the 1970s, Batman was a detective and not the World's Greatest Facebreaker. Really fun to read Bronze Age DC that follows the Neal Adams reboot of the character in the late 1960s. Haney and Aparo show up in the comic as themselves, breaking the fourth wall, which isn't as annoying as it sounds.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews