So we’re at the penultimate issue of this anthology comic that has stuttered throughout most of its run. It has been harder and harder to recommend this series with each passing month, considering the overall poor quality of the stories, but the last few issues have had a few gems. Let’s hope this volume of The Brave and the Bold can end on a high note.

The Hum

Well, the streak of great Batman stories that were opening this title has come to an end. A mysterious hum is causing the citizens of Gotham to riot (it must be a day ending in ‘y’), and Batman needs the Scarecrow's help to stop it. I admire the sheer level of mental gymnastics that the writer had to employ to get us to this point, as I doubt even the newest Batman fan picking up a comic would struggle to stretch their disbelief with how the events of the comic play out.

The worst part of this story is how Batman lets the Scarecrow get away (spoilers the whole thing was his plot) and has the gall to claim that fear has lost and hope has won because Crane helped him defuse the device. AND THEN LETS SCARECROW GET AWAY WITHOUT MAKING ANY EFFORT TO STOP HIM AND SMILES KNOWINGLY.

I have a few more stories to get through, so I can’t lose my cool just yet.

Score: 2/10

Man’s Underworld, Part 1

Wonder Woman’s lasso has been stolen, and she has approached Plastic Man for help. Now, this is the type of story that’s almost tailor-made for my preferences. It relies on pre-existing continuity to create its plot - there are threads from JLA, Final Crisis, and Black Mirror - and writer Dave Wielgosz has a clear understanding of his two leads, with Plas’ need to redeem himself and Diana’s stern compassion shining through. Even the idea of Plas wanting to make an impression on Diana can be traced back to his questionable behavior towards women in the pages of JLA (anybody remember Plas turning into Barda’s dress?)

The plot is a bit thin, though I didn’t really mind, as getting to see characters with actual history play off of each other is a relatively rare treat these days. Even Shadow Thief is given a decent level of characterization, with fully fleshed-out motives and everything.

Score: 8/10

Hive Mind, Part 1

Maxine Baker is having troubles in her dreams, so her dad, Animal Man, calls in the Martian Manhunter to take a look. This feels like filler, with a plot and artwork to match. J’onn’s characterization is baffling, with the writer Micheal Conrad choosing to write him as a bit cold, though I’m not sure if that’s intentional.

This isn’t helped by J’onn seemingly having no idea what he’s doing, as he seems to be very reactionary, and poor Buddy is only there to be tossed around like a ragdoll. Hopefully, we get satisfactory answers in the next issue because right now, this is just bland.

Score: 5/10

Robin Season, Part 2

The two current Robins - Damian and Tim - have been put in a deathtrap by Killer Moth, who was actually targeting Jason. While I don’t remember if Jason ever hit Killer Moth with a pipe during his Robin days, it was rather refreshing to see Damian and Tim work together to make short work of the lame villain and even have a bit of respect for each other in the end.

Again, in what is a recurring theme for this issue, the plot is thin and is only held together by the character work. However, I will admit that the two Robins’ admiration for each other comes almost out of nowhere, and they seem a bit too friendly if that could be considered a complaint.

Score: 7/10

Leftovers

I am not allowed to swear in these reviews, which is probably a good thing because if I weren’t this would be the most expletive-laden piece I have ever written. Once again, the tired debate of whether Batman should kill his villains is trotted out for cheap commentary and the veneer of complexity, with the debate venue being a survivor’s group of victims of Zsasz. Most of you have probably guessed where this story is going from here, and the story ends with Zsasz surviving and one of his victims now apparently about to become like him.

I loathe this type of story. The only reason it happens is not for story-based reasons, it's for reasons beyond the comic page. Why don’t the villains stay locked up or are killed by Batman? Because DC needs to use them so that they have stories to publish. And the gall of putting this story in an anthology where the first story is about Batman releasing the Scarecrow just so the writer could have a story about the two teaming up, AND NOT EVEN RETURN THE SCARECROW TO ARKHAM, shows a remarkable lack of self-awareness that’s almost admirable on DC’s part. The cherry on top of this sundae is the victim blaming at the end, where the survivor of the group is thrown into Arkham for attempting to end Zsasz.

Score: 0/10

Recommended If

• You’re a Plastic Man fan
• You like feel good Robin stories
• …look its just one more issue before this series ends

Overall

Well, this series took a steep nose-dive for the worse. The first and final stories are not only poor in their own right, but are terrible choices to be paired together in an anthology together. The issue is saved by some decent character work between Diana and Plas and Tim and Damian, but it feels like a stretch to even call this a mixed bag. Well, only another issue before my suffering ends

Score: 4/10