World Famous Comics: The Brave & the Bold Team-Up Archives, Vol. 1 (DC Archive Editions)
The Brave & the Bold Team-Up Archives, Vol. 1 (DC Archive Editions)
By: Bob Haney, Robert Kanigher Publisher: DC Comics Average Rating: Binding: Hardcover Label: DC Comics Number of Items: 1 Number of Pages: 224 Publication Date: June 01, 2005 Release Date: June 01, 2005
Product Description: The wildfire success of THE BRAVE THE BOLD team-ups made it a showcase for characters deserving of wider recognition and artists showcasing their work to readers. It gave birth to characters such as the Viking Prince and Silent Knight, and later to the Justice League of America and Silver Age Hawkman. In this first volume of eight stories from 1963- 1965, the bravest of heroes meet, often for the first time, with the boldest of compatriots.
The worst archive that DC has put out The art and Bob Haneys stories make this just pablum. I remember been 14 and thinking its got a few good stories in each issue but when taken all at once and for the price your money is better spent elsewhere. The Classic B & The B were The Viking Prince and the Silent Knight. Regretfully this isn't the classic in fact its far from it :(
The Earliest Brave & The Bold Team-ups The Brave & the Bold was one of the great DC titles of the Silver Age serving as kind of a try-out book for new characters (it's where the JLA started!). With issue # 50 the book became a team-up book for various heroes. Most of us remember only that Batman was always featured as one of the members of the team-up and that is basically true. From issue #67 through the last, #200, Batman was featured in every issue. But this Archive Edition presents the early team-up which featured a different team every issue and Batman appears in only one of the stories. These stories are from the early and mid 1960's, the heart of the Silver Age. This hardcover presents the stories from Brave & the Bold #50 - 56, and #59. Contained inside is artwork from some the very best artists of the Silver age including Gil Kane, Alex Toth, and Joe Kubert.
Issue # 50 presents the team-up of The Green Arrow and the Martian Manhunter and was the first appearance of the Manhunter outside of Detective comics. The pair along with Speedy battle Vulkor in a story with art by George Roussos.
Issue # 51 features another team-up of great Silver Age stalwarts, Aquaman and Hawkman. The pair must stop a creature name Tyros who has power over both birds and sea creatures and is threatening Atlantis.
#52 - This is one of the stranger team-ups in the book featuring Sgt. Rock, Lt. Cloud, and the Haunted Tank in a vintage war story with art by Joe Kubert.
# 53 - The Atom & the Flash join forces to stop the Atoms Micro world from expanding and destroying the Earth. Alex Toth handles the art in a great story.
#54 One of the goofiest villains of all time, Mr. Twister who looks like a colonial American and carries an Indian Medicine man staff battles Robin, Aqualad, and Kid Flash in the first real Teen Titans appearance.
#55 - The Atom and the Metal Men are featured in this issue as the Atom has to rescue the Metal Men from the evil metal robots Uranium and Silver.
#56 - The Flash and Martian Manhunter face an android who can mimic the powers of the JLA members, using two at a time. Geroge Roussos Art.
#59 - In Batman's only appearance, he teams with Green Lantern , they battle through time against the Time Commander. Art by Gil Kane and significant in that it's Batman's first team-up in Brave and the Bold.
Reading these stories from 40 years ago is always a bit strange when you're used to the more complex stories of modern times. These tales were very simple with often silly villains who've been long forgotten with good reason. Still, these are great fun to read and you knew at the end of the story that it WAS the end and their weren't plotlines still left open so there's a real satisfaction you get when you read these classic Silver Age stories.