Robin the Boy Wonder: Volume 1

Classic Batman before he got too dark and still went out in the day. Great 70s era tales. This is the volume to start with as the previous volume one is 90% campy. Vol 3 is also superb.

This is the second in the Batman Brave & The Bold Team Ups, and I have to say it's better than the first volume in a lot of ways. For one thing, you have Neal Adams and Jim Aparo supplying art throughout. That gives you two of the best Batman artists of the 60's and 70's in the same book. There's always a different self-contained story in each issue, so you don't have time to get bored with anything. Those are the positives. The negatives are the amazing amount of repeat guests you have in these twenty-something issues. Two stories featuring Sgt. Rock (of all people), the Teen Titans (complete with the "hip" 60's slang), Black Canary, and Green Arrow. Some stars only rated one issue, like Wonder Woman (during her powerless phase), Plastic Man, Metal Men, and The Bat Squad (don't ask...it's easily the worst story in the book). Heroes like Deadman and The Flash are sorely underused in this run. Both of them get one story each to shine, and they should have been more in there. Hopefully the next volume will pick up with a few different guest stars rather than recycling the old ones over and over again. Hawkman, The Atom, and even The Elongated Man would make better guests than Sgt. Rock or the Bat Squad. Still, this is better than not having the stories at all. It's a nice glimpse into the past that was leading up to the best years of the Brave & The Bold stories ahead.

Ok, bone weary of people bleating about how these books are in black & white. Newsflash for the few comic fans who still don't know: Showcase Presents & Marvel Essentials are in black & white, ok? Get over it. It's still exceptional value for money. As for B & B 2, well, it's clearly a VAST improvement on vol 1. Sure there is some great Neal Adams stuff in the previous volume, but there's a lot of old tat as well. Herein, you get Adams, Nick Cardy and THE Brave & Bold artist, ( Also the best Batman artist ever. Discuss. ) Jim Aparo, along with stories from the insane genius of Bob Haney. Haney was the kind of writer who never let realism, continuity or even simple logic get in the way of a good story. And his B & B stories are always mad flights of fun. Remember when comics were FUN? ( For instance, in vol. 1, witness the Bats / Sgt. Rock tale, where he gets around the tricky problem of having two characters from different times meet, by having Bats simply say " Back when I was in WW2, I met Sgt. Rock ", when we all know this is impossible. You have to admire that kind of chutzpah. ) Similarly, when teamed with Aparo, Haney seems let off the leash, and promptly puts Bats through: Being possessed by the ghost of a wooden legged sailor / Selling his soul to the Devil / Foretelling the exact date of his own death and, in the best story, being paralyzed in a wheelchair. ( Which stops him chasing the bad guy not one iota. ) This is brilliant, brilliant stuff, and well worth your money. Don't let anyone tell you different.

One of the most anticipated series I get to review is DC Comics Showcase series. Where else can you get over 500 pages of a book dedicated to your favorite characters? So, far, DC has 'showcased' Wonder Woman, Batman, the Justice League, Jonah Hex, The Phantom Stranger, The Elongated Man, the Flash, and even the House of Mystery! To paraphrase one of my favorite book titles, all in black and white for under $20! Showcase: Robin, covers the comic book career of Robin the Boy Wonder from May of 1964 to September of 1975. It may not be a long time period chronologically, but the range of stories in the book spans the Worlds Finest team ups of Robin and Jimmy Olsen, Robin and Batman, Robin and Batgirl, Robin and Superman, and course, Robin and Robin. Not only are there outstanding stories in the book, but also outstanding art as well. Gil Kane, Rich Buckler, Terry Austin, Curt Swan, Sheldon Moldoff, Pete Costanza, Joe Giella, Al Milgrom, Chic Stone, Sid Greene, Ross Andru, Vince Colletta, and Murphy Anderson contribute to the stories. Mike Friedrich, Leo Dorfman, John Broome, Frank Robbins, Bob Haney, Denny O'Neil, and Gardner Fox pen this Whose Who in the DC universe from 64 to 78. Older comic readers will remember the stories from the first time they read them. I know I recognized a few right off the top, but that didn't stop me from sitting down and reading. Robin appeared in various titles like Detective Comics, Worlds Finest Comics, Jimmy Olsen, Batman, and the Justice League. My favorite tales include "How Many Ways Can A Robin Die??" by Frank Robbins, "Theater of the Mind" (Friedrich/Buckler), "The New Terrific Team" (Hamilton/Swan/Klein), and "Midnight is the Dying Hour" (O'Neill/Kane/Colletta). I am perpetually amazed by the volume of work that Gil Kane did for DC in his tenure there and books like this drive that point home every time. The book cover is interesting. If we look back in our collections, there is a Murphy Anderson Batman/Robin cover that is almost identical! Perhaps they took the same cover, and just removed Batman from the mix, or is it even NEW art for just this book? Enjoy the adventures of Robin, coming soon to a comic store near you. Www.dccomics.com Tim Lasiuta

This is another great Showcase book by DC. The stories are self contained in one issue and don't drag out for months in a prolonged manner just to sell a tpb. Batman is fairly close to the Dark Knight we all know and love but is a little bit less despondant in his personality. Great art and fun stories featuring most of the DC 2nd division heroes of the early 70s. I guess this title was used by DC to keep some characters active by throwing them in with Batman so they would not be forgotten.It's definitely worth buying for 12 bucks or so.