Team-ups: Coasting Part 1
March 1972 – May 1979
For the
rest of the 1970s, Brave & Bold seemed to rely on its popularity.
This was
the lowest point in Brave & Bold history, if only because it was its least
creative. Sales were still good and
solid (it went monthly in this period as did many DC comics), and the stories
and art were sometimes fantastic. But as a reflection of the superhero comics industry
at the time, Brave & Bold seemed tired and in need of some fresh ideas. Batman
met only ten new characters (that is, they never appeared before in B&B) in
this fifty-issue run, and one of them was Superman. That averages one new team-up every two
years.
Most of the new team-ups were
exciting in idea if not in application.
Some of Batman’s most bizarre partners were in this time period – the
Demon, Manbat, Kamandi, Swamp Thing, the Unknown Soldier and Richard Dragon
Kung Fu Fighter! Mr. Miracle appeared –
the only nod to Kirby’s Fourth World series going on
elsewhere at National.
These new heroes reflected
National’s attempt to refresh their line in the 1970s. Kirby’s work (including the aforementioned
Kamandi), gave a shot of excitement at National. The horror genre was at its
peak with DC’s mystery magazines such as Phantom
Stranger and Swamp Thing putting
out excellent stories and art. Sword and
sorcery magazines came back – harkening to B&B’s earliest days only with a
more modern twist (read: more sex and violence) – Warlord, Claw, Stalker. DC
even tried pulp heroes (the Shadow
and the Avenger in Justice Inc.) and
gave villains their own comics – Kobra,
the Secret Society of Supervillains and the Joker!
While these
comics were wonderful and exciting in themselves, the superhero genre was
stagnating. At one time the two biggest
selling comics at National, both Justice League of America
and Brave & Bold were at their lowest ebb.
Even turning the comics into 100 page giants packed with new material
and wonderful reprints couldn't help boost sales in a faltering economy.
The price
of comics going from ten to twelve to fifteen, twenty-five, fifty cents hurt
sales; a lot.
Maybe it
was also partly the fault of the editor, Murray Boltinoff, and his choice of
guests. He insisted B&B feature “real” heroes – no more ubermensch in
underwear with impossible and inexplicable powers. Reprints in the 100 page giants consisted of
Viking Prince, Silent Knight, Green Arrow, Secret Six, Teen Titans and
Blackhawk stories. While this idea
worked for Charleton comics (this was one of Dick Giordano’s favorite mantras),
at B&B it made for boring team-ups.
Wildcat appeared on average every eight issues. Green Arrow appeared annually.
Plus the guests seemed
interchangable – Metamorpho could have been Plastic Man could have been the
Metal Men. Green Arrow could have been
Wildcat could have been Black Canary.
Batman needed someone to investigate a health spa who could not be seen.
He called Deadman. Why not the Martian Manhunter? Come to think of it, why not
Element Girl instead of Metamorpho? Why
not Black Orchid instead of Wonder Woman? Dolphin instead of Aquaman? They did
it once – with Supergirl instead of Superman, and it worked! They didn’t take the hint…
Imagine Batman meeting the New Gods or the Forever People
(Mr. Miracle’s appearances hardly mentioned the Fourth World :
there was one appearance by Granny Goodness and a mention of Darkseid but
otherwise Miracle’s three team-ups added nothing to the mythos). Or imagine his teaming with the Avenger,
Travis Morgan the Warlord, Captain Comet, Code Name: Assassin or Kirby’s
Sandman.
Meanwhile, Marvel was once again
beating DC at its own game: The Thing in
Marvel Two-in-One, introduced new
characters such as Spiderwoman and teamed with Doc Savage. Spiderman’s Marvel Team-Up guest-starred Howard the Duck and the cast of
Saturday Night Live. It had continuing
story lines with more than one guest (Thor and Havok in one, Dr. Strange and
Ms. Marvel in another, Hulk, Woodgod and Warlock in yet another!). How can B&B top that?
Ironically, Batman was having more exciting team-ups
elsewhere other than in his own team-up magazine.
Walt Simonson’s Manhunter fought Batman in Detective Comics; the Shadow out-spooked Batman in both Batman and Detective Comics, where he also “met” the ghost of Enemy Ace. On
television he met Scooby Doo for goodness’ sake!
Twice!
This is
why the stranger team-ups (Swamp Thing, Kamandi, Manbat) seemed so
strange and brought a lot of response, positive or not. Swamp Thing? I gotta
buy that! Kamandi and Batman
together? How? Good or bad, the powers-that-be didn't look at sales
figures, only what they thought would “work”.
For that matter, however, when the stories worked, they worked. The Joker team-up is one of the best selling
comics of this era. But then they wondered why the fourth Wildcat story in as
many years didn't sell as well. Even adding the Joker as the titled villain to
a Wildcat story didn't help sales. And
the editors asked, “Why?”
Still, it wasn't all that bad: experiments were made – three of B&B’s four
three-person team-up (the fourth being the 100th anniversary issue)
and two of its five multi-part story lines appeared in this era (both with Green
Arrow {sigh} well, their hearts were
in the right place). The villainous Ruby Ryder appears in several issues to
taunt Batman and Bruce Wayne – a small attempt to make B&B truly a third
Batman book? But as is the danger of
team-up books, continuity and characterization must take a back seat to getting
our heroes together to beat the bad guys in about twenty pages (not counting
the unnecessary splash).
But such
attempts were fleeting and (apparently) unnecessary. B&B still had good sales and loyal
readers from years past (the sales drop was proportionate to the industry as a
whole), and the marvelous Aparo art was always spectacular, giving B&B its
distinct look. This was the time when Aparo made his nitch as the Batman
artist. As influential to Batman as Wayne Boring or Curt Swan were to Superman.
It wasn’t
the best, but it was still good! And
that’s all that matters!
Isn’t it?
(Unless otherwise stated, Bob Haney wrote and Jim Aparo drew
the issues)
May 1972
#101: … &
Metamorpho, “Cold Blood, Hot Gun”
Writer: Bob
Haney, Artist: Jim Aparo.
A Gotham
mansion is being sold via sealed-bid auction.
A hired killer named Bounty Hunter is trying to eliminate everyone who
submitting a bid, including Bruce Wayne and Metamorpho’s girlfriend Sapphire
Stagg! Who hired him and why? Ends up
being one of the brothers selling the mansion.
This issue
features a blurb for the return of a Metamorpho strip in Action Comics, a
reprint of a B&B Viking Prince story and a third letter by Bob Rozakis is
published.
#102: … & Teen
Titans, “Commune of Defiance ”
Writer: Bob
Haney, Artist: Jim Aparo and Neal Adams. These masters working together result in one of the
best artwork in comics! Wondergirl never
looked prettier (in all of three panels she was in! Boo! Hiss!)
Barcleyville
is Gotham ’s oldest city, but now it’s a crime-ridden
slum and set for demolition. The Young
Aquarians (a good-natured youth gang) can prevent the town’s demolition if in
30 days they can roust out all the muggers and pushers and clean up the town.
It works, until the mob boss brings in his hired goons during the victory block
party! The plot is somewhat reminiscent of issue #84 (ghetto teens clean up
their town), but this was executed better, almost as if it were a rewrite.
This is
Aparo’s second visit to Barcleyville, the town was featured in Phantom Stranger #4, which he also drew.
Also
features a silver age Robotman story, also featuring his fellow Doom Patroller,
the Chief. Rozakis and uber-comics-fan (the late) Robert Morrisey have letters.
#103: … & Metal
Men, “A Traitor Lurks Inside Earth”
Writer: Bob
Haney, Artist: Bob Brown. Twenty
cents? That’s better! Well, they did cut the page count in half,
but we’re paying five cents less than last issue for the same number of pages
before the price hike when it was fifteen cen – HEY!! Bob Rozakis’ name is again mentioned in the
letter column applauding #101.
John Doe,
the robot in charge of all US
nuclear missiles goes insane. Batman
asked the help of the newly-reformed Metal Men, until they decide to join John
Doe’s side! As with #101 (Metamorpho), this issue picks up the threads to the
guests’ canceled magazine.
#104: … &
Deadman: “Second Chance for a Deadman”
Deadman helps Batman infiltrate and gather
evidence on a Florida spa that
also changes the identities of fugitive criminals! Only one problem: Deadman falls in love with
the woman in charge!
Bob
Rozakis’ and Mark Gruenwald’s letters are published.
1973
#105: … & Wonder
Woman, “Pay Now – Die Later”
Another Bob
Rozakis letter (anyone keeping track?
Seven so far, six in a row) appears. This issue features superb art by
Aparo – a shining star among a galaxy of great performances in Brave & Bold by “Jaunty Jim”!
A senorita
and her revolutionary brother ask Bruce Wayne to pay their father’s ransom
before he reveals the location of his country’s exiled treasure trove. Wayne
suspects a scam and enlists Wonder Woman’s help to expose it all. Trouble is,
Batman finds out it isn’t a scam after all!
Is it too late?
#106: … & Green
Arrow, “Double Your Money or Die”
Eighth
Rozakis letter. And a letter by
professional fan-boy, the late Rich Morrisey from Framingham ,
Mass.
There are
“five little shareholders” who will cash in a ten million dollar dividend. Unfortunately, someone is killing them off –
the sole survivor is Oliver Queen! If
all shareholders die, the money goes to a Swiss clinic dedicated to new plastic
surgery techniques. Ah, that
explains Two Face’s murderous intent.
This is the
first appearance of a major Batman villain in seven years – since the
Joker-Penguin-Riddler team in #66.
It is a great
storyline!! Full of twists and turns! A blatant Haney-ism though: Queen is no longer destitute and collects the
ten million in dividends at the end of the story! This is explained later –
either the story took place before Queen lost his fortune, or Queen is the type
to “… gain a million, lose a million”. Or Haney goofed.
#107: … & Black
Canary, “The 3 Million Dollar Sky”
Another
Rozakis mention, as well as regular letter contributer Joe Rusnak. Note that B&B’s letter columns read more
like movie posters than actual letters – “Fantastic,” says Bob Rozakis of
Elmont, NY; “Fair,” Keith Griffin of Mobile, Ala. Writes; “Blows!” Mike Curry
of St. Louis , MO
A skyjacker
demands three million dollars, the release of a drug kingpin and a trip to San
Pedro. Batman and Black Canary disguise as an aviator and a stewardess (you are
left to you own devises as to who disguised as whom!) to foil the plot.
#108: … & Sgt.
Rock, “The Night Batman Sold his Soul”
No Batman
didn’t sign on to be the commercial spokesmen for Pepsi, he shouted that he’d
give his soul to be rescued after being trapped in a well during a manhunt. Now
the old man who rescued him claims to have his soul! Batman thinks he is the
devil, Rock thinks he’s an alive-and-well Adolph Hitler (there’s a
difference?).
Letters? Yep,
Rozakis again – ten times so far, ninth in a row.
B&B’s
first swear word – “hell” – is used three times, but in context (“we’ve gone
into the bowels of Hell”) rather than cursing.
They are fighting the devil after all! So I guess that’s all right…
#109: … & Demon,
“Gotham Be My Grave”
The first
Kirby-created character to appear with Batman!
And discounting the Bat Squad (who weren’t established characters) and
the House of Mystery (that was more of a style than a team-up), this is the
first new team-up since Adam Strange in #90 – three years ago! “Hell” is mentioned twice in this story, but
still not used as swear words. Still … they’re pushing it! Rozakis, Keith Griffen and Richard Morrisay
all contribute to the letter page.
A sailor
condemned to death in 1883 returns to haunt Gotham
killing all sailors and seamen in its path.
Copyright (c) 2012 Michael G. Curry
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