Review:
Mark Waid knows a thing or two about team-ups, and this collection brings to a close his run on DC's premier team-up book, The Brave and the Bold. As his final four chapters made for a rather thin TPB collection, he selected three older team-up stories, two from his own pen a decade previously, and one by Alan Bennett, whom Waid credits with being a major influence on his own approach to writing.
In the first chapter (#13), Batman and the Jay Garrick Flash must stop T.O. Morrow's Samuroids, stealthy samurai androids, from assassinating Bruce Wayne. In Waid's hands, there is a naturalness to Jay's fatherly bits of wisdom that even Batman can appreciate. The top single image has to be Jerry Ordway's angry Penguin on page 7!
Chapters two and three pair Green Arrow with Deadman, then add in Nightwing and Hawkman. They must stop Anuttara and his Ghost Army. The mix of intense heroes with more flippant ones presents some narrative tensions, and the horrific torture sequence of Green Arrow makes this definitely for Teen+ readers.
Waid's final chapter brings Superman to Gotham, where he teams with Catwoman to thwart an auction sale that would lead to an army of Clayfaces. Waid really plays up the differences between Superman and the absent Batman, as Catwoman, Commissioner Gordon and others note. Scott Kolins has a wonderfully adaptive art style, and he fluidly shifts to meet the narrative needs.
The most remarkable older tales included in the collection are Alan Bennett's story of Hawk and Dove, teaming with Batman, and the tensions between Peace and War that lead to shocking developments. I see why Bennett would become such a strong influence on a young aspiring writer, it is a compelling story. And Waid's own story, a goofy team up between Impulse and Zatanna, complete with highly stylized art by Humberto Ramos. Zatanna has seldom looked so tall, lean and leggy.
Description:
Collects: The Brave and the Bold (volume 2) #13-16 and (volume 1) #161, The Flash (volume 3) #107 and Impulse #17
Authors: Mark Waid
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Brave and the Bold 3: Dragons and Demons Paperback – April 6 2010
by (Author)
Bursting with the high-octane sense of adventure that powered classic superhero team-ups in the Silver Age, BRAVE AND THE BOLD pairs A-list characters from all walks of life for unforgettable, out-of-this-world stories. In this collection, written by KINGDOM COME writer Mark Waid, Batman teams with the Golden Age Flash while Nightwing, Hawkman Green Arrow and Deadman battle a siege on the mystical haven known as Nanda Parbat. And look out for appearances by Superman and Catwoman, too!
Or from the back:
Batman. Flash. Deadman. Green Arrow. Nightwing. Hawkman. Catwoman. Superman.
They may be dedicated to the fight against evil, but some of the DC Universe's greatest heroes don't have much more in common than that.
Tge irugubak Fkash, Jay Garrick, has inspired a legacy of heroes bearing his mantle - but Batman believes there can be only one Dark Knight - and he is no role model.
Green Arrow wages a no-nonsense, one-man war for justice on the streets of gritty Star City - but the wisecracking Deadman takes a lighter approach as he battles in the surreal world of spirits.
Nightwing is a born leader whose years of training and friendly disposition made him one of the world's most trusted heroes - but Hawkman is a commander who soars on the strength of his take-no-prisoners personality and brute force.
Superman is the ultimate hero who fights for truth, justice and teh American way - but Catwoman’s herioc deeds are tainted by her exploits as a thief.
Can this diverse - and conflicting - assortment of heroes work together to stop the demons, dragons and other evildoers who want to put them all out of commission?
Publisher : DC Comics (April 6 2010)
Language : English
Paperback : 168 pages
ISBN-10 : 1401221912
ISBN-13 : 978-1401221911
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