Showcase Presents The Brave and the Bold Batman Team-Ups: Volume 2

Judging from the names of some of the stories in SHOWCASE PRESENTS THE BRAVE AND THE BOLD BATMAN TEAM-UPS: VOLUME 2, tell me if you can spot a trend: “Count Ten … and Die!,” “Play Now … Die Later!,” “Double Your Money – and Die!”

As unimaginative as those titles may be, the tales to which they’re affixed are pure fun in DC’s crime/adventure mold of the ’70s, and the 21 on display here all pit Batman with a separate ally – sometimes with heavy reluctance on the Dark Knight’s part – each and every issue.

This volume’s colleagues include Plastic Man, Sgt. Rock, The Flash, Green Lantern, Metamorpho, Metal Men, Deadman, Wonder Woman and a bunch of annoying British kids who dub themselves “The Bat-Squad.” Among the highlights:
• The Green Arrow is on a death list of shareholders about to cash in on a can’t-miss investment, until Batman intervenes and comes face-to-face with one of his most notorious enemies.
• In two separate occasions, Batman travels to Mexico to partner with aging pugilist pal Wildcat.
• The Phantom Stranger shows up twice, one time when ghosts of Gotham City’s ancestors show up and attempt to take back their town.
• From the future, Adam Strange shows Bruce Wayne a newspaper headlining announcing the billionaire’s death, so they must rework the present to postpone the obit.
• With an airplane held hostage by terrorists, Batman and Black Canary go undercover as pilot and sexy stew, respectively, to save the day.
• In a pair of startling similar stories, Batman must call upon the Teen Titans to close the generation gap between city officials and idealistic hippie kids.
• In the best story, a steamship vacation to Ireland for Bruce Wayne goes wrong, sending the Caped Crusader deep into the House of Mystery.

The ’70s were a strong time for superheroics at DC. Less wordy than Marvel, writers Dennis O’Neil and Bob Haney delivered engaging thrills in less than two dozen pages at a time, and their scripts were brought to life by some real pros – most notably, Neal Adams and Jim Aparo.

That’s not to say these comics are great literature; this may be the only place you’ll ever read the sentence “So it appears I’ve twice been possessed of this dead Portuguese harpooner’s personality!” Plus, every now and then, their age – and thus, dated attitude – shows, as when Robin the Boy Wonder berates Black Canary for not being where she should be during a sting operation, and she gives what she thinks is a good excuse: “The rain ruined my hair … I had to dry out!”

Costumed derring-do, crazy dialogue, sexist flubs – I wouldn’t have my BRAVE AND THE BOLD any other way. –Rod Lott

Buy it at Amazon.

OTHER BOOKGASM REVIEWS OF THIS SERIES:
• SHOWCASE PRESENTS BATGIRL: VOLUME 1
• SHOWCASE PRESENTS BATMAN: VOLUME 1
• SHOWCASE PRESENTS BATMAN: VOLUME 2
• SHOWCASE PRESENTS BATMAN AND THE OUTSIDERS: VOLUME 1
• SHOWCASE PRESENTS THE BRAVE AND THE BOLD BATMAN TEAM-UPS: VOLUME 1
• SHOWCASE PRESENTS CHALLENGERS OF THE UNKNOWN: VOLUME 1
• SHOWCASE PRESENTS THE ELONGATED MAN: VOLUME 1
• SHOWCASE PRESENTS GREEN ARROW: VOLUME 1
• SHOWCASE PRESENTS THE HAUNTED TANK: VOLUME 1
• SHOWCASE PRESENTS HAWKMAN: VOLUME 1
• SHOWCASE PRESENTS THE HOUSE OF MYSTERY: VOLUME 1
• SHOWCASE PRESENTS THE HOUSE OF MYSTERY: VOLUME 2
• SHOWCASE PRESENTS JONAH HEX: VOLUME 1
• SHOWCASE PRESENTS LEGION OF SUPER-HEROES: VOLUME 1
• SHOWCASE PRESENTS METAMORPHO: VOLUME 1
• SHOWCASE PRESENTS THE PHANTOM STRANGER: VOLUME 1
• SHOWCASE PRESENTS SHAZAM!: VOLUME 1
• SHOWCASE PRESENTS SUPERMAN FAMILY: VOLUME 1
• SHOWCASE PRESENTS THE UNKNOWN SOLDIER: VOLUME 1
• SHOWCASE PRESENTS THE WAR THAT TIME FORGOT: VOLUME 1