Now this is the kind of comic I think of when I think about The Brave and the Bold.For a while it was a showcase for team-ups between assorted DC heroes, and since that was unusual at DC, it was a treat in this new format. This time around, we got Aquaman (and Aqualad) and Hawkman (and Hawkgirl).
They team up - well, sort of, since they're rarely working together on this adventure - to fight an old enemy of Atlantis who has been transformed by a strange gem. He's become a lizard-like creature with wings, and he sets out to conquer both the skies and Atlantis.
There are no credits listed in this issue (which was typical for DC in 1964), but the Grand Comics Database lists the writer as Bob Haney and the artist as Howard Purcell.
The story, frankly, is mostly silly. The heroes run around, are victims of sneak attacks, barely recover, and then solve the problem by the most unorthodox method possible.
The art seems to veer between exceptional and average. The cover is terrific, and there are some wonderful illustrations inside - but the characters often seem thin and wasted, and some panels are very cluttered. But that's being picky - overall it's a strong effort from Purcell.
The "assorted heroes teaming up" concept only ran until issue #66 - which I thought was a shame, because I liked the freshness of it, even though some of the stories were less than stellar.
After that this comic became another vehicle for the hugely popular Batman (thanks to the TV show, of course), but it remained a team-up comic until it wrapped with issue #200.
But it was fun while it lasted.
Grade: B-
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