I was surprised when I spotted this comic book recently in the back issues boxes at a local comics shop - because I had never seen the cover before.
This issue of The Brave and the Bold is cover dated June 1982 - a time when I was mostly buying Marvel's comics, I must admit (hey, I was young and had limited funds).
But if I had seen it, I would have snapped this issue up - because I was always a fan of the Metal Men, and I knew who the "What'sername" was.
The thing that really stunned me about the cover was the idea that writer Bob Haney, who crafted B&B stories for many years, was actually clearing up a continuity thread.
Haney was a terrific writer, turning out lots of great stories, especially when paired with legendary Batman artist Jim Aparo, but he was also well-known for not worrying much about continuity.
(I believe he famously added Wonder Girl to the lineup of the original Teen Titans, not knowing that she was an imaginary character in Wonder Woman's comic.)
But my surprise was wasted - Haney had ended his run on this series 30 issues before this. Charlie Boatner provides the answer to a long-running mystery around the Metal Men, and brings along some old foes for that team.
Batman doesn't get to do much here, and it's all resolved a bit too abruptly to be really effective, but it's a fun "done in one" issue, and worth it just for the nostalgic buzz.
Grade: B
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