Showcase Presents The Brave and the Bold Batman Team-Ups: Volume 3

Since the whole idea behind the anthology title is diversity, would it have killed SHOWCASE PRESENTS THE BRAVE AND THE BOLD BATMAN TEAM-UPS: VOLUME 3 to have reached for a little more variety? In this run of 26 consecutive issues from the mid-1970s, we get three Wildcat stories, three with The Joker, and two apiece with Aquaman, Metal Men, Mister Miracle, The Atom and Sgt. Rock. At least there’s only one with Deadman, who made a nuisance of himself in previous editions.

That’s not to say there aren’t some good stories within those pairings. Wildcat is forced to box Batman to the death by Joker. The Metal Men help Batman stop a train carrying the Declaration of Independence from Indian hijackers (the Native American kind, incidentally). The Atom enters an unconscious Batman FANTASTIC VOYAGE-style to control him from within.

And there’s an absolutely bizarre, overly meta piece with Batman and Sgt. Rock that’s interrupted when artist Jim Aparo appears as himself, being held at gunpoint by masked men to draw a new script they hand him. Just because it’s different doesn’t make it great, though.

The general rule of thumb for BRAVE AND THE BOLD — at least to me — is the more obscure the partner, the better the issue. That holds true when the caped crusader here trades kicks with that blond-haired pacifist Richard Dragon, Kung-Fu Fighter and has a PLANET OF THE APES-esque adventure with Kamandi, the Last Boy on Earth.

Other highlights emerge in stories featuring The Demon, The Spectre, Man-Bat, Plastic Man and Metamorpho. The Swamp Thing story is sadly disappointing, though. The ones with A-list heroes aren’t bad either: The Flash, Green Arrow, Green Lantern and Wonder Woman, with the latter fighting Catwoman, if you’re into that sort of thing. Something tells me you are. —Rod Lott

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About Rod Lott

Rod is the fearless editor-in-chief of BOOKGASM and a voice of reason in Oklahoma City.

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Showcase Presents The Brave and the Bold Batman Team-Ups: Volume 3

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