Art by: Otto Schmidt, Jeff Spokes, Javier Rodríguez, Jorge Molina
Colors by: Pierluigi Casolino, Jeff Spokes, Javier Rodríguez, Jorge Molina
Letters by: Pat Brosseau, Saida Temofonte, Simon Bowland, Robe Leigh
Cover art by:Simone Di Meo
Cover price: $7.99
Release date: July 25, 2023
Batman: The Brave And The Bold #3 delivers four tales of adventure as Batman acquires a new rogue, Stormwatch sets out on a new mission, Superman forgets, and a Manga-inspired version of Batman faces off against Gotham's greatest threat.
Is It Good?
Batman: The Brave And The Bold #3 has some good parts and some bad parts. It's an anthology, so that's the typical reaction you'd expect. The best of the bunch - Jorge Molina's Manga-inspired short about an alternate version of Batman facing Man-Bat - is mesmerizing. The worst of the bunch - Christopher Cantwell's miserable ending to his Golden Age-inspired Superman adventure - almost makes you wish you never read it. The rest range from pretty okay to serviceable. Plan your purchase accordingly.
Mr. Baseball
A bank robber with a penchant for baseball mistakenly robs a gangster's riches. In retaliation, the robber is caught and has his head carved up to form scars in the shape of a baseball as a twisted joke. Now, it's up to Batman to stop Mr. Baseball before he "strikes" again.
Oof, the baseball puns just write themselves. That said, this is a solid, standard Batman villain origin story that feels like a modern twist on the Batman '66 type of rogues. With great art and standard Batman action, the only real surprise is how much trouble Batman has with a man who wields a bat.
Stormwatch: Down With The Kings, Pt. 3
While Peacekeeper-01 undergoes treatment for the salt-eating virus, the team is sent on a new mission to confiscate Malware from Halo's research lab. Of course, the mission runs into a hiccup when Malware escapes his box. Meanwhile, Dr. Huskk puts two and two together to conclude the latest version of Stormwatch may have unsavory plans against the Justice League.
Jeff Spokes's art is outstanding, and Ed Brisson's pacing is top-notch. That said, the story oddly glosses over the events from the last part before diving headlong into a new mission for the longest section in the entire comic. In other words, this is the main story of the issue, and it looks and reads well, but the leap from part 2 to part 3 is jarringly disconnected.
Superman: Order of the Black Lamp, Pt. 3
Superman and Hop Harrigan meet their captor - the evil Dr. Anthelme - who has the power to selectively erase memories of individuals and the entire human race. When Hop makes a daring move that cripples the Eidos Citadel and gives him and Superman a chance to escape, Dr. Anthelme's backup plan puts a permanent end to the legend of Hop Harrigan.
What a downer, a bummer, and a miserable ending to a story that started off with Golden Age potential. Hop dies, Superman's memory of Hop is erased, and Dr. Anthelme barely breaks a sweat as he goes about using his memory tech to rule the world. Cantwell is foolishly going down the Tom King road of making every story an exercise in deconstructed misery.
City of Monsters
Lanzing, Kelly, and Molina re-imagine a Gotham ruled by a vampiric Man-Bat and his blood-starved minions. One night, Bruce Wayne steps onto the world stage to bring the winged demon down and usher in a new era for Gotham.
The story is basic but impactful, specifically due to Jorge Molina's super-polished, Manga-inspired art. The re-imagined Bat-suit is sleek and intimidating, Man-Bat's design (heavily inspired by Devilman) is monstrous, and the overall look of the story is a work of art. Honestly, this short would almost work without a single word of dialog or narration. The art is that good.
About The Reviewer: Gabriel Hernandez is the Publisher & EIC of ComicalOpinions.com, a comics review site dedicated to indie, small, and mid-sized publishers.
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Bits and Pieces:
Batman: The Brave And The Bold #3 delivers a mixed bag of one-off shorts and continuing chapters to give you a little DC variety in your life. Jorge Molina's Manga-inspired Batman short is gorgeous, but Christopher Cantwell's finale to his Golden Age Superman story is shockingly miserable.
6/10
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