Fresh off the heels of multiple wrap-ups is Batman: The Brave and the Bold #10 with brand new starts to multi-part stories. One of the best anthologies around returns with four tales and a one-shot. That includes a tale following Maps, a Joker Goon, Artemis, and not one but two Clayface appearances!
First up is a story by Karl Kerschl and Msassyk called “Batman: Mother’s Day”. Gotham Academy fans, rejoice, this story has all the charm and endearing quality fo the classic with a new adventure. The central focus at the start is Bruce Wayne, who brings Olive to a woman for help. Soon, he’s off being the playboy Bruce Wayne everyone comes to expect, but he is quickly chasing after a giant man-bat lookalike. Maps Mizoguchi then enters the story, and she continues to pine for the days she’s a bonafide Robin under Batman’s wing.
Kerschl’s art along with Msassyk’s colors doesn’t skip a beat, a highlight being the high-flying Man-Bat fight in the skies. Maps has all the spunk you’d want, and it’s cool to see the school again. The story is a little heavy on exposition here or there, but overall, it’s a good start to a story that will please and build out this corner of the DC Universe.
Delilah S. Dawson writes the next story focused on Artemis with art by Serg Acuna and George Kambadais. Told mostly through captions, it follows Artemis, who is all alone in the desert. After the events of Trial of the Amazons, she’s been shunned by her people and in a bad way mentally. The art beautifully captures an oasis and connects you to Artemis’ loneliness. Unfortunately, the story doesn’t do much and feels circular in her thinking. It only starts to get good at the cliffhanger.
We rarely see Bruce as a playboy these days.
Credit: DC Comics
“Nameless” is a one-shot written by Matt Harding with art by Mike Henderson that’s absolutely fantastic. The story answers the question: What if one of Joker’s goons was fed up with nothing to lose and went on a tear across the city? Sporting a goofy costume and running into the night, he soon attracts Duke Thomas, who soon learns he’s bitten off more than he can chew. Harding does a great job utilizing all sorts of random weapons, which throws Duke off and makes this goon seem quite resourceful. This story builds towards a cliffhanger that promises there could be more, as it hints at a rising of the forgotten.
Henderon supplies a fun art style maximized when enemies enter the fray. Give Henderson a Duke book, DC! The colors also pop by Adam Guzowksi, giving the book a comic book feel that suits Henderson’s detailed style.
Lois Lane gets the spotlight in Torunn Grønbekk and Tom Derenick’s story. This is as hard-boiled as detective stories come, or at least in this case, Lois Lane is doing her thing as a great investigative journalist. If you like following clues, you’ll dig this tale, although it lacks action and a punchy opening.
Closing things out is the black and white story by Dan Watters and Ricardo Lopez Ortiz called “Batman: The Cheeseburger.” Yes, the story is as good as it sounds. It opens with Batman going over the food he must take in in order to go on patrol. He’s obsessive about every detail, from working out to the kind of screens he has to look at. That includes food with no taste. Soon, he’s rushing out on a distress call and fighting Clayface, who just wanted a burger.
This story is excellent, getting into the little details superhero fans love, like the effort it takes Clayface to make a tongue or the disturbing, unfeeling quality of Batman.
Ortiz’s art is great for this tale, with a manga feel that’s unmistakable. The kinetic quality of Clayface is on full display, and he’s rendered like a giant mushy head. Batman’s suit is super cool, and it’s neat to see Ortiz render Bruce in a younger way.
There are a few must-read tales in Batman: The Brave and the Bold #10, making it another easy add to your buy pile. The opening and closing tales are fabulous, and there’s plenty to love from the various artists. Comics like this remind us that taking big and original swings always reaps benefits with superhero books.
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