Tuesday 27 September 2011

Sheffield's Most Wanted. Part 8: Batman meets the Spectre. Brave and the Bold #116.

Batman meets the Spectre, Brave and the Bold #116, DC Comics, 100 pages, Jim Aparo
Once more Steve Does Comics casts off the icy grip of the grave, whips out its Ouija and returns from beyond the veil to look at another comic I always wanted as a kid but never owned.

This time it's the meeting of DC's two finest men of mystery, as Batman teams up with the Spectre to fight whatever forces it is they're up against.

As a kid, I loved Batman and I loved the Spectre. Thanks to The Golden Voyage of Sinbad, I also loved murderous multi-armed goddesses. I loved Jim Aparo and I loved 100 page comics. So, when you put all that together on one cover, how was I ever not going to be drawn to The Brave and the Bold #116?

Although I never had it as a kid, I read this tale a few months ago, online, and was somewhat disappointed with it, as Batman and the Spectre acted like old buddies and even knew each other's secret identities. It has to be said the Spectre presented here seemed far removed from the totally unknown Vengeance of God character I knew from the Michael Fleisher Adventure Comics tales.

But then, I don't suppose that version of the character would even have wasted his time teaming up with Batman.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Batman and the Spectre had met before in Brave & Bold #75 and maybe in some Justice League-Justice Society team-ups, but I don't know of any indication that they knew each others' secret identities. And the Spectre's characterization here was different from Adventure Comics, but then, B&B took place in the Haney-verse, outside of any other DC continuity.