Longbox Junk Retro Review - The Brave and The Bold #85 (1969)

Welcome to Longbox Junk, where the comics are cheap and the reviews are free!

Lately, I've had a pretty good run of luck while out Longbox Junkin' at the local flea markets.  There's been some unexpectedly sweet finds coming my way, and ain't THAT the truth!  

In my last Longbox Junk post, I took a look at a great Golden Age Lone Ranger comic that I bought for a couple of bucks.  So I thought to myself, "Why not show off another one of those Fantastic Flea Market Finds?"

And so here we are. . .ready to crank up the Longbox Junk time machine for a trip back to 1969 and a look at another surprise find I made back in early August that cost me a measly TEN BUCKS at the flea market!

It's a comic featuring the iconic artwork of the great Neal Adams and the introduction of his Bronze Age makeover for Green Arrow.  When I spotted this comic in the shape it's in (I'd grade it at a 7.5/8.0, but I'm no expert) for the price they wanted, I couldn't believe my good fortune!

So strap in, because it's time for another Longbox Junk Retro Review! 

Ready?  LET'S DO IT!

THE BRAVE AND THE BOLD #85

DC (1969)

THE SENATOR'S BEEN SHOT!

SCRIPT: Bob Haney

PENCILS: Neal Adams

INKS: Neal Adams

COVER: Neal Adams

THE COVER:

Now THAT'S a nice cover!  A Bronze Age beauty by the Legendary Neal Adams at the top of his game.  Green Arrow is the star of the show on this one, sporting his new (at the time) look front and center.  I really like how Batman's cape serves to frame the Emerald Archer.  The tilted logos and  bright splashes of color also really catch the eye. There's nothing I don't like about this cover.  It's the sort of thing that grabs my attention and makes me want to buy a comic book!  Let's get inside and see what's going on. . .

THE STORY:

After witnessing the attempted assassination of newly-elected Senator Paul Cathcart, a staunch supporter of a pending anti-crime bill, Batman fails to capture the gunman.  Later, in the hospital as the Senator lays in critical condition, Bruce Wayne is shocked when the Governor asks him to take over the Senator's term in order to push the anti-crime legislation through!

Meanwhile, as Bruce Wayne ponders his decision, we find multi-millionaire Oliver Queen discussing his bid on an important building project meant to keep the state and Gotham City from bankruptcy.  His opponent for the project is Argonaut Incorporated, headed by Miklos Minotaur. . .a man Oliver knows is the head of a powerful criminal organization (thanks to his other identity as the Green Arrow).  

As he wonders whether or not he can do Gotham more good as Oliver Queen or as Green Arrow, he is suddenly attacked!  After narrowly escaping the assassination attempt, Oliver realizes that he's been targeted by Minotaur.

The next day, Bruce Wayne, still agonizing over the decision to take over the Senator's term and fight crime through legislation, or to continue to fight crime as Batman, he reveals his secret identity to his psychiatrist, Edmond!  Sworn to secrecy, the psychiatrist  isn't really much help, telling Bruce/Batman that this is a decision he's going to have to make by himself.  

Later that day, we learn that the psychiatrist that Bruce Wayne revealed his identity to is ALSO Oliver Queen's psychiatrist as we follow Edmond and Oliver while they survey the contested land development project and Oliver Queen reveals his identity as Green Arrow!  Edmond is either the luckiest, or the unluckiest psychiatrist on the face of the earth!

That night, Green Arrow and Batman both decide to visit Edmond's office to continue their respective discussions with him.  After they get over their surprise at running into each other in such a seemingly random way, they find that Edmond's office has been broken into and the psychiatrist is missing!  

Both heroes realize that Miklos Minotaur is trying to get to their public identities through their mutual psychiatrist. The suspicion is confirmed when they review Edmond's office recording and they hear the kidnapping in progress.  Green Arrow and Batman agree they have to team up and rescue their friend. . .

The following morning, realizing the lengths Minotaur will go to, Bruce accepts the task of completing Senator Cathcart's term. . .and so becomes Senator Bruce Wayne!  In the meantime, on a small volcanic island in the Mediterranean, Green Arrow is hot on the trail of Edmond's kidnappers. . .

As Green Arrow pursues Minotaur's men, vicious animals are released in the maze of rocky tunnels leading to the crime lord's hidden base.  Green Arrow manages to fight them off, and shortly after is joined by Batman, who followed the signal of Green Arrow's Justice League transmitter to his location.  The two heroes continue on together to rescue their mutual friend. . .

In the meantime, Miklos Minotaur reveals to his prisoner that he plans to have agents destroy both Bruce Wayne and Oliver Queen for their interference with his schemes.  At that moment, Batman and Green Arrow burst onto the scene!  Minotaur takes Edmond hostage. . .

Minotaur believes he has the upper hand, but he didn't count on Green Arrow's superior bow skills, which give the heroes the chance to attack and easily subdue Minotaur's men.  Unfortunately, in the confusion of the fight, Minotaur himself manages to escape!  

As Batman rushes back to the United States in order to vote on the anti-crime bill as Senator Wayne, Green Arrow concocts a plan to capture and arrest Miklos Minotaur for his crimes by inviting him to a posh party at the U.S. Embassy in his public identity of Oliver Queen.

At the party, Oliver Queen informs the smug crime lord that he's to be arrested and taken back to the United States to stand trial.  Minotaur is shocked when he realizes he's fallen into a trap. . .the embassy is legally U.S. territory and he's taken into custody. . .

Meanwhile, in Washington D.C., Batman arrives just as the voting for the anti-crime bill has begun.  As he rushes toward the Capital, Batman discovers and defeats an assassin waiting for Bruce Wayne.  He manages to arrive just in the nick of time to deliver the deciding vote in favor of the anti-crime bill!

At the end of the day, Edmond is safely returned to the U.S., where he learns that Oliver Queen has decided to fund the land development project AND continue fighting crime as Green Arrow.  

Later, Edmond discovers that Bruce Wayne plans on giving up his Senate seat now that the anti-crime bill has passed.  Wayne prefers to fight crime as Batman.

In a final scene, we see that Edmond has decided to undergo self-hypnosis in order to wipe the knowledge of the true identities of Batman and Green Arrow from his mind.

The End.

THE REVIEW:

Okay then, there it is.  Let's break it on down!

What we have here is a pretty typical example of early Bronze Age DC "One and Done" storytelling.  They weren't quite as tuned in to the continuing storylines as Marvel was at this time, and this story shows it.  This is a tale that needs just a LITTLE more room to breathe.  I think this would have made a fine two-parter.  Anything more than that would probably have been too much, but one issue just seems like it's too little.

That's not to say it's a BAD story.  It's not.  Bob Haney does a great job in the space he's given.  The story is well-written and interesting.  It just seems a bit rushed and overly-compressed.  

What I liked most about the story was the spotlight on both the public AND heroic personas of the two main characters.  With limited space to tell comic stories during this time period, the secret identities of the heroes often fell to the wayside in favor of the more action-oriented superhero side of things.  In this story, Haney makes great use of Batman and Green Arrow's public identities, and truthfully, the scenes with the heroes out of costume were the more interesting to me.

The central conflict of this story was very engaging, with two superheroes grappling with the question of how to better serve the public. . .as themselves, using their money and position to fight crime. . .or as costumed crimefighters able to do what the authorities are unable or unwilling to do.  

This kind of superheroic introspection was just becoming popular at DC, and it's a welcome change from the usual supervillain of the month punch-ups that were more characteristic of DC comics at the time.  This story is a great example of the more mature storylines that would begin to come out of DC in the following years to come.

So the story is good. . .an early example of the more socially-conscious, or "relevant" comics to come.  I just wish that it had a little more room to move around in.  Let's talk about the art side of things.

In my humble opinion, Neal Adams is a living legend and a national treasure.  His fantastic art is always a joy to see in a comic.  His writing?  Not so much.  But THAT'S something for another review!

What we have here is Adams at the top of his Bronze Age game.  The pages of this comic are FULL of superb Neal Adams artwork, featuring his trademark realism and interesting "camera" angles.   Like the story, the art is at its best when spotlighting the characters out of costume, but every single page of this issue is worth lingering over for an extra moment before turning to the next.

CONCLUSION

From the fantastic cover to the final panel, this is comic that delivers in a big way!  It has an interesting story based around heroes conflicted about how best to serve the public and is backed up by some great Neal Adams artwork.  

Sure, the story is a little rushed and could have been better served by having an extra issue to tell it in, but I don't blame that on Bob Haney. . .I blame it on DC thinking that every comic book had to tell a complete story in one and only one issue at that time.  As a modern reader used to comics being a bit more decompressed, it just seems like a missed opportunity to make a good story great.  

If you are a Batman fan or Green Arrow fan or a Neal Adams fan in particular, you'll love this comic! But I can certainly recommend it for just about ANY comic fan that wants to see a somewhat unusual story (for the time) that focuses not just on superheroics, but also on the men behind the masks.  

Me finding this actual issue in good shape at a flea market for ten bucks was just lucky, but a bit of research shows me that this one has been reprinted many times, and is available on ComiXology, for those who like to read their comics online, so it's not hard to find at all.  Give it a look!

Up Next. . .

Spotlighting a few of my more "valuable" lucky flea market finds has been fun, but I've been inspired by Ed Gosney at COOL COMICS IN MY COLLECTION to return to my Longbox Junk roots by taking a look at some. . .Longbox Junk!  

By taking a short look at 1987's "G.I. RAMBOT" from Wonder Color Comics in his blog, I was reminded that not everyone is going to be able to snag a 1950's Lone Ranger comic, but there's plenty of forgotten and "worthless" comics lurking in the bargain bins that need a little love too!

And not for nothin' but if you're looking for a place that keeps comics fun and gives you JUST enough bite-sized pieces of comic goodness to make you want to come back for more. . .check out Cool Comics in the link above or on Facebook.  

Okay, plug time is over!  See you next time with some ACTUAL Longbox Junk.

Be there or be square!

Longbox Junk Retro Review - The Brave & The Bold #55 (1964)

Welcome one and all to another "Retro Review" edition of Longbox Junk, where I spotlight one of the older or more "valuable" comics in my collection. 

Sometimes I buy comics in large lots at auctions just because a couple of them catch my eye.  The rest of them usually end up dutifully bagged, boarded, and recorded but basically end up sitting unread except for a quick flip through to see what shape the pages are in.  This is one of those comics. . .

So jump into the paper time machine with me and travel back to 1964 to take a look at an issue of DC's long-running team up title, The Brave & The Bold.  I've previously dipped into B&B here on Longbox Junk, but more toward the end of its run during the 80's. 

HERE and HERE, if you want to take a look.

I found the issues I reviewed (with a couple of exceptions) to be pretty weak and not seeming to have much effort put into them.  It was obvious that the title was about done for.

THAT SAID. . .

The issue at hand is from quite a bit earlier in the Brave and Bold run, before the title pretty much became an exclusive Batman team up vehicle.  Does it maintain the same lackluster quality I found in later issues that generally make me not want to read any Brave And Bold comics I end up with?

Let's find out!

THE BRAVE AND THE BOLD #55

DC (1964)

COVER: Ramona Fradon

Starting off before even opening the book up, I wasn't too impressed with the cover on this one.  

It's just sort of pale in overall color and The Atom looks kind of strange. . .like he's too big to make much of a difference in the battle pictured, but at the same time too small to do more than stand there squeaking exposition at potential comic buyers.  

After my experience with the mediocre Brave & The Bold issues I previously reviewed, I prepared myself for more of the same as I looked at the cover of this one.

BUT. . .

A cover ain't a comic, so let's get inside this thing.

REVENGE OF THE ROBOT REJECT

SCRIPT: Bob Haney

PENCILS: Ramona Fradon

INKS: Charles Paris

The story goes like so:  

The Metal Men are destroyed one by one by various means until the villain reveals himself to Doctor Magnus.  It turns out to be his FIRST Metal Man, Uranium (and Uranium's own creation, Metal Woman Agnatha. . .or Silver).  

Magnus' original creation was brilliant, but twisted, so Magnus destroyed him. . .or so he thought.  Uranium was brought back to life by an atomic explosion, and since then he has worked to destroy The Metal Men so that he can prove he's the greatest of Magnus' creations.

Uranium and Agnatha take Magnus prisoner and force him to help build a ray that destroys any metal.  Magnus manages to beam out a secret message that is received in the lab of Dr. Ray Palmer, A.K.A. The Atom. . .who rushes into action to rescue Dr. Magnus.  

Atom discovers that the molecular structure of each of The Metal Men was altered, so he shrinks down to atomic size in order to reconstruct them all, then leads them to a confrontation with Uranium and Agnatha, where the heroes win the day, defeating the villains, destroying the anti-metal ray, and rescuing Doctor Magnus.

Overall, it's a pretty well-written story, told in a straightforward manner and with a villain I could feel some sympathy for.  It's a classic "The flawed first creation returns to haunt the creator" story that has been told over and over again. . .the most obvious example that comes to mind is the saga of Data and his predecessor, Lore, from Star Trek: The Next Generation.  

The battle ending the third act of the book was somewhat hokey, with quite a few forced-sounding quips and some strained effort to give every character a moment in the spotlight, but it wasn't so bad as to bring the whole story down.  

All in all, despite a few weak moments, I found this story to be surprisingly good.  It's not the greatest tale ever told, but given the time period this comic is from, it's far from the worst.

As for the art. . .

I've said it before, and I'll say it again. . .one of the things I like about these Retro Review editions of Longbox Junk is that it gives me the opportunity to learn new things about comic book history in the process of taking a closer look at the comic being reviewed.  

This time out, I learned about a remarkable woman that I had never heard of before, an artist named Ramona Fradon, who did the pencils on this issue.  I'm not going to bog down this review with a lengthy diversion into one of the creators, but if you are not aware of Fradon's place in the male-dominated comic industry of the 1960's, I heartily suggest that you read up on her.

The art in this issue has a clean, dynamic style to it.  Sparse backgrounds draw attention to the fine detail of the characters.  In particular, I really liked her depiction of The Atom and his shrinking/growing powers.  I wrote at the start of this review that the cover (also by Fradon) wasn't really impressive.  On a second look, I realize that was mostly due to the bland coloring.  The line art itself is actually pretty nice (But I still think Atom looks a little strange for some reason).

CONCLUSION

Overall, despite a somewhat weak punch-fest ending, I found this issue of The Brave & The Bold to be surprisingly fun and enjoyable.  The story was well-written.  The art was very nice.  And I learned something new about an artist I'd never heard of because of reviewing it.  I would definitely call this one a winner.

Up Next. . .

I'm reaching into the hat and pulling out another Longbox Junk Reader Request!

Be there or be square.

Throwback Thursday Christmas Special - The Brave and The Bold #148

Welcome back to another special "Retro Review" edition of Longbox Junk, where I step away from my usual dollar box fare and take a look at some of the older or more "valuable" comics lurking in my 45 Longboxes.   Sheesh. . .my local comic shops should send me a Christmas card thanking me for clearing out their unwanted inventory.

AND SPEAKING OF CHRISTMAS. . .

Yeah, yeah. . .okay.  That was pretty bad.  But it fits because it's December and THIS Longbox Junk Retro Review is a Christmas Special! So step back with me to March 1979 for some Bronze Age Holiday fun with Batman and Plastic Man!

Wait.  March?  Never mind.  Let's do this!

THE BRAVE AND THE BOLD

#148
"The Night The Mob Stole Xmas"

DC (1979

SCRIPT: Bob Haney

ART: Jim Aparo & Joe Staton

COVER: Jim Aparo

So this comic isn't particularly old (as far as comics go) and it's not really "valuable" (as far as that sweet, sweet collector cash money goes), but what it IS is a Supremely Seventies-Tastic story that is SO good, yet SO bad at the same time. . . providing a perfect holiday punch of Bronze Age silliness mixed with sober social awareness that makes a very nice cup of unintentional hilarity to be sipped by a crackling fireplace in the Merry Month of March.

The story goes like this:

It starts with Commissioner Gordon and the G.C.P.D. investigating an empty semi-truck that was hauling bootleg cigarettes.  The driver is dead and it looks like it was the work of a rival gang of cigarette smugglers. . .Buttleggers.

Okay.  Let's stop here for a moment.

They play it with a straight face in this comic, throwing in a bit of social commentary about the danger surrounding illegal cigarette smuggling (which I guess was a bit of a problem in the late 70's), but I HAVE to applaud Bob Haney for being able to smuggle in the word "Butt" 10 times over 20 pages in a  CCA-Approved mainstream superhero comic book.  Well done, sir! 

Continuing on. . .

Batman (literally) jumps in on the scene, Gordon lets him know that a gang of Buttleggers has been buying cheap smokes down south, slapping fake tax stamps on them, and selling them at a big mark-up in Gotham.  They've even killed some store owners that have refused to sell the illegal cigarettes.  For some reason, Batman's being a bit of a jerk and he pretty much tells Gordon he's got better things to do before speeding off in the Batmobile. . .

On an unrelated note, That's one of my all-time favorite Batmobiles right there.  A compact low-slung beast built for speed that younger me thought was impossibly cool. . .and as far as older me goes, that still holds true.  That Batman drives that bad boy around in the snow with the top down so everyone can hear his new Zeppelin 8-Track ( I imagine him just pounding "Heartbreaker" on top volume while on patrol in this comic) just makes it even better.  There's other versions of  Batman's ride that get a lot more attention than this one, but damn I love that late 70's Batmobile!

BUT I DIGRESS!

So even though Batman was pretending not to be interested in the case, he's really right on top of it and starts threatening and beating his way through Gotham looking for information, as Batman does.  Unfortunately, he comes up with nothing.

BUT. . .

While he's shaking down informants uptown Batman takes a moment to admire the world-famous Christmas display outside of "Lacey's" Department Store.  A kid runs into the street  chasing a ball and is saved by a mangy street-corner Santa that turns out to be Plastic Man (revealed when Batman runs over, rips his beard off and shouts "PLASTIC MAN!" to everyone in earshot).

It turns out that Plastic Man has fallen on hard times and is pretty depressed about his situation.  He tells Batman that since their last case together, his life has fallen apart and the only work he can find outside of being a carnival freak is crappy jobs like being a street corner Santa.  BatScrooge tosses Plastic Man a single coin in his cauldron and tells him that he's got stuff to do. . .but hey, Happy Holidays, pal!  

Through the night, Batman continues his patrol and search for clues leading to the Buttleggers, but still comes up empty.  He decides to swing back by Lacey's (presumably to rev his engine and blast some Zeppelin while cruising with the top down past Plastic Man's street corner) and discovers that while he was away the entire Lacey's Christmas display has been stolen right out from in front of the store! 

Commissioner Gordon and the Mayor are on the scene, along with the G.C.P.D.  Gordon is trying to calm the Mayor down, who is literally ready to declare a state of emergency over the situation. Gordon tells Batman that a convoy of trucks was spotted packing the display up.   Still being a jerk for some reason, Batman just drives off  without saying a thing (the art hilariously shows him throwing a rooster tail of slush onto a couple of patrolmen as he speeds away).

Batman heads to Plastic Man's street corner, wondering if he might have seen anything, but Plastic Man is gone and his charity cauldron (presumably with Ebenezer BatScrooge's single coin still in it) dumped in a pile by a message scrawled in the snow. Batman decides it's time to get the portable WhirlyBat-Copter out of the trunk in order to catch up to the departed convoy heading South out of Gotham.  

After he catches up, Batman ditches the WhirlyBat and jumps on to the last truck, where he finds Plastic Man inside. . .along with some live reindeer.  Plastic Man tells Batman that he spotted the crooks packing up the store display, but when he tried to stop them he got sucker-punched from behind and taken prisoner because the robbers were talking about how they "needed a Santa Claus for the shindig".    Luckily, before he blacked out, he was able to leave the message that he just KNEW Batman would find.

Batman spots one of the reindeer eating some loose tobacco and suddenly realizes that by some astounding coincidence that the display thieves are ALSO part of the buttlegging ring!  When the convoy stops at a gas station, Batman decides the detective work is over and we get a nice fight scene including the kind of merciless throat chop that we really don't get from modern Batman.

CHOP!  70's Batman didn't mess around.

Let's take a brief intermission here in order to spotlight one of the things I LOVE about doing these "Retro Reviews".  The ads.  To me, there's nothing that makes an old comic into a printed time machine taking me right back to that time more than the ads.  Call me crazy, but they're one of my favorite things about older comics.  Case in point:

Awwwwwwwwww. . .YEAH!

The rest of the super-swag on this ad is great, no doubt about that, but move your eye over to the left and take in the glory of the Batman Utility Belt!  I remember not just WANTING that belt when I was a kid. . .but NEEDING that belt more than just about anything.  I begged my mom for that belt and she was like "It's plastic junk that won't last a week and I don't have the money to waste." 

Every time I read a DC comic book afterwards that had this ad in it, I felt the bitter sting of denial.  I STILL remember the feeling of emptiness that was my life knowing I'd never have a Batman Utility Belt of my own.  Yes, yes. . .I was a deprived child in an uncaring world.  Truly a more miserable wretch worthy of the finest pity party could not be found.

See. . .THAT'S what is great about older comics to me.  They may not always be masterpieces of literature or art, but they sometimes can bring me right back to a moment in time like nothing else except maybe certain songs or movies.

BUT I DIGRESS (again)!

Despite Batman's brutal throat chops, he's outnumbered and outgunned and finds himself on the losing end of the battle after he makes a bad move and falls into an oil pit.  Luckily for the Caped Crusader, the thugs are more concerned with making a a getaway than finishing him off.  Plastic Man rescues Batman, but not before the convoy has escaped.  But after running Batman through the car wash (?!) to clean the oil off him, Plastic Man informs him that he heard the trucks were headed for Florida, and an overjoyed Batman is back on the chase to the Sunshine State!

Batman's pretty chipper for a guy who just got buffed in a car wash. . .

Batman and Plastic Man (who, for some reason, is still wearing his Santa suit) make their way to Florida.  It's not really shown how they get there.  The next time we see the two of them, they are scuba diving toward their final destination.  Bat-Sub, maybe?

It turns out that the convoy carrying the stolen Christmas display was headed for the Florida estate of a mobster Kingpin named Jake Doyle who is dying and has invited all his mob friends and enemies to his estate for one last big Christmas party before he dies. . .explaining why he stole one of the most famous Christmas displays in the world.  But what the rest of the guests don't know is that Doyle isn't really dying and it's all an elaborate setup to get all his Buttlegging competition in one place so he can take them all down at once.

While Batman and Plastic Man recon Doyle's mansion, some thugs get the drop on them and the pair are captured. Batman folds like a chump without even throwing a single throat chop. Batman is strung up on the giant Christmas tree like an ornament and Plastic Man (still in his Santa suit and beard) is forced to play the part of Santa Claus at the mob Christmas Party/Trap.

When Doyle tells Plastic Man/Santa Claus to open a giant present, a bunch of machine gun-toting thugs jump out of the box and begin hosing the party guests with lead.  Plastic Man drops his Santa disguise and puffs himself up like a giant shield to absorb the bullets.  

Big Jake gets PO'd that his party isn't going the way he wants it to, so he drops the dying act and jumps out of his wheelchair, trying to shoot Plastic Man.  This makes the other mob bosses and their henchmen realize it was all a trap and a big gunfight breaks out between them all.

In the confusion, Batman frees himself and brutally takes down the mastermind of the whole fiasco in a way that leaves absolutely NO doubt that you've gotten on the wrong side of the wrong guy. . .

 You just got Batmanned son!

Out of nowhere, It starts snowing, which freaks everyone out, considering this is taking place in Florida. . .but it’s just a helicopter dropping fake snow as part of Doyle’s party plans. Plastic Man funnels the snow into a whirlwind and buries the gunmen, who quickly surrender. 

Batman laments Gotham’s loss of its holiday display and the ruination of Christmas, so Plastic Man suggests they conscript the crooks into loading everything on the trucks so they can haul it all back to Gotham. 

Using their mob slave labor force (With Plastic Man being the whip-cracking overseer back in full Santa Garb) the world-famous "Lacey's" display is put back in place. . .the Buttlegger ring is broken, and Batman gets the credit for saving Christmas (even though Plastic Man did most of the heavy lifting).  All's well that ends well!

The End.

It would be easy to bag on this comic.  From a modern and objective point of view, it's pretty bad.  The story hinges on coincidence, the team-up is forced, the premise is utterly ridiculous, the dialogue is pretty cringeworthy, and the art is workmanlike to be kind.  Just on the good side of crappy to be unkind.

THAT SAID. . .

I can't help but like this comic.  It has a lot of problems to the modern eye, but at the heart of it all, this is just good old fashioned FUN!  It's played with a straight face, but that just makes it unintentionally hilarious to read.  From Batman cruising around through a snowstorm with the Batmobile's top down, to Plastic Man running Batman through the car wash, this comic is just goofy as hell, and that makes it awesome in its own way.

Is this story great?  Not even close to it.  Is it even good?  Not really.  But did I like it? Yeah. . .I liked it a lot for what it is, and that is a time capsule of a lost time in comics history when publishers were in a transition between the passing Bronze Age and the upcoming Modern Age.  A time where comics were caught between the ridiculous and the serious. It's a time that I was growing up in and these are the kind of comics I grew up on.  

So in the spirit of the season, despite this comic's many faults I can't really be negative about it.  It's bad, but it's FUN. . .and  I think that these days we could all probably use a little more fun in our lives. 

And so I end this Longbox Junk Christmas Special Retro Review in the best way I can think of. . .

Merry Christmas and a happy, prosperous New Year from me to all the readers of Longbox Junk!

Up Next. . .

Back to Longbox Junk business as usual.

Be there or be square!

Longbox Junk - The Brave and The Bold Part 2

THE BRAVE AND THE BOLD

PART 2

ISSUES 191, 192, 195 & 196

Welcome back to the series that's like that one guy at work who just does what he has to do and nothing else. He knows he's never going to get a great review from management, but he doesn't care as long as he just gets paid.

ISSUE 191

SCRIPT: Cary Burkett, Gary Cohn & Dan Mishkin

PENCILS: Jim Aparo & Dan Spiegle 

COVER: Jim Aparo

In a strange turn of events, Batman and Joker team up to find the truth after Penguin is killed and Joker is framed for the death. Will you be surprised if I tell you it's the worst team-up ever? Didn't think so. . .

This unlikely team-up between Batman and Joker was actually pretty good. . .in an 80's hilarity way, of course.

The Aparo art is barely passable and the story is thin and ridiculous, but you have to love the gymnastics needed in order for this teamup to take place. Then there's the hilarity of Joker trying to kill Batman twice "Out of habit" during their partnership, the ridiculous "Jokermobile", and how Batman finds Joker by just going up to his "Ha-Hacienda" and knocking on the door.

Even Grant Morrison stayed clear of THESE events. And that's saying something.
All in all, this was actually decent, but only for the "Really?" factor.

ISSUE 192

SCRIPTS: Mike W. Barr & Cary Burkett

PENCILS: Jim Aparo & Dan Spiegle

COVER: Jim Aparo

It's time travel madness as C-List villain I.Q. somehow manages to make a time machine from parts bought at a local electronics shop, sending Superman back in time so he won't interfere with his nefarious schemes. . .but accidentally pulling Superboy forward so he can team up with Batman to take him down. Oops!

Pretty bad.

Aparo's art is better than usual on this one, and the cover is actually pretty cool, but the time travel shenanigans needed to force the Superboy/Batman teamup are so weak it's ridiculous.

And then there's Superboy fashioning long underwear out of lead to resist the Kryptonite the villian has for. . .reasons? No. EIGHTIES reasons! That's it.

So bad. No bueno.

ISSUE 195

SCRIPTS: Mike W. Barr

PENCILS: Jim Aparo

COVER: Jim Aparo

Vampires have come to Gotham! Batman and Andrew Bennett (I. . .Vampire) team up to rid the city of filthy bloodsuckers and, in doing so, save the daughter of a mob boss before she turns into a cursed creature of the night!

I found this issue to be a lot of fun and a good read. The writing was grim and moody (mostly from Andrew Bennett's miserable perspective) and a nice change from the goofiness of some of the previous issues.

Also, unlike some of the other Brave and Bold stories that are extremely dated, I think this one holds up pretty well today.  Another decent example of when this series did things right.

ISSUE 196

SCRIPTS: Robert Kanigher

PENCILS: Jim Aparo

COVER: Jim Aparo

After Ragman saves Batman from a trap, they team up to take down a group of domestic terrorists. All that AND the origin of Ragman!

To me, Ragman has always been sort of an unnecessary character. This issue is no different. It's not terrible, but the writing is overblown in trying to be dark and grim, but just doesn't pull it off in the way the I. . .Vampire teamup in the previous issue did. Here, it just comes off as trying too hard. That and Ragman's origin is just ridiculous, no matter WHO writes it (at least in his original form. The revamped origin in the 90's was better).

All in all, like Ragman himself, I found no real reason for this to exist.
It was utterly average in every way.

CONCLUSION

This handful of Brave and Bold really only had ONE good issue in it.  I don't have the full run, but I have the definite feeling that's the basic ratio.  Even from the limited number of issues I do have, it's pretty plain to see that this was a series that really didn't try too hard. . .

Up next. . .

Meet a man who has denied himself all pleasure except for the beautiful screams of the wicked. I'm talking about R.E. Howard's grim puritan himself, Solomon Kane, in Dark Horse's "Red Shadows" mini.

Be there or be square!

Longbox Junk - The Brave and The Bold Part 1

THE BRAVE AND THE BOLD

PART 1

ISSUES 176, 184, 185 & 186

Welcome back to the 80's!  Smell that cheap paper, boy! SMELL IT!

That's right.  We didn't need fancy paper in my day.  And stories that made sense?  Didn't need those either.  You kids don't even know how good you got it now.  I had to buy MY comics from the grocery store.  One story in every issue.  None of that continuity crap you kids talk about.  Didn't need it. NOW GET OFF MY LAWN!

ISSUE 176

SCRIPT: Cary Burkett

PENCILS: Jim Aparo

COVER: W.M. Kaluta

Batman and Swamp Thing accidentally cross paths in the Louisiana Swamp when Batman discovers that Selina Kyle's Sister, Felicia (in her only appearance. . .or mention. . .ever) is in danger. 

Overall, I feel that this is one of the better issues on the back end of Brave and Bold.

The cover by Kaluta is great, for starters. The interior art by Aparo is pretty good. The colors are a bit dodgy, but hey. . .80's right? The story is a bit convoluted, but really written quite well. It's more thoughtful and grim than one would expect to find in a mainstream 80's superhero team up book.

All in all, this is a good example of when this title got it right. Nicely done.

ISSUE 184

SCRIPT: Cary Burkett & Mike W. Barr

PENCILS: Jim Aparo & Dan Spiegle

COVER: Jim Aparo

This Christmas issue teams up Batman and Earth-2 Huntress (Helena Wayne), putting Bats into a somewhat awkward and confusing father/uncle/partner position. 

When Batman finds evidence his father was actually bankrolling mobsters, he decides to quit being Batman, leading to some scenes of sad Bruce Wayne trying to party it up, but failing. Eventually (of course) Huntress helps him find the truth and Christmas is saved! YAY!

Overall, this was a pretty good issue. The cover is basically pre-internet clickbait, which makes it sort of awesome. 

The interior art is better than I usually expect from Aparo, and the whole concept of Earth-2 is nicely summed up in a page or two where today an entire issue would be needed. 

All in all, this was a pretty good issue. Not great, but not bad at all. But someone needs to get Huntress a coat for Christmas if she's gonna be swinging around Gotham in the snow wearing a purple swimsuit.

ISSUE 185

SCRIPTS: Cary Burkett & Don Kraar

PENCILS: Adrian Gonzales & Dan Spiegle

COVER: Rich Buckler, Sr.

Green Arrow and Batman team up to take down Penguin after he tricks them both like chumps with his previously-unknown (and never mentioned again) ability to create perfect robot versions of Black Canary and Robin. Who knew? 

Okay. . .this one was pretty bad.

Bad cover, bad interior art, ridiculous story, just. . .bad. 
This issue is a perfect example of how wrong this title could go. Moving along.

ISSUE 186

SCRIPTS: Cary Burkett, Gary Cohn & Dan Mishkin

PENCILS: Jim Aparo & Dan Spiegle

COVER: Jim Aparo

Batman and Hawkman provide an outstanding example of using too much power to solve a problem when they team up to take down C-List antiquities thief Fadeaway Man while completely ignoring the Penguin standing right there!

Another pretty bad one.

Glaring pink (PINK!) cover. Extremely contrived team-up. A weak villain who didn't really need both Hawkman AND Batman to bring down. A ridiculous scene of Batman ripping off a mask to reveal he's wearing his complete cowl beneath it.  

And okay. . .speaking of Bats and his miraculous mask, let's talk about Aparo a minute. Can we just say it? Except when someone is wearing a mask, everyone looks the same. You literally cannot tell the difference between Carter Hall and Bruce Wayne in this issue. Please don't tell me I'm the only person who has ever noticed this.

CONCLUSION

This first batch of Brave and Bold was hit and miss.  And when it misses, it misses big.  It's almost hilarious how bad issues 185 and 186 are.  Of course, you can't expect the bar to be TOO high on what was pretty much the 80's printed version of shovelware social media games. . .newsstand clickbait meant to gather money from kids who haven't learned the difference between good and crap yet.

That's right.  I said it. 

Up next. . .

More Brave and Bold. 
Batman teams up with Joker, Superboy, I. . .Vampire, and Ragman. 

Be there or be square!