Batman: The Bold and the Brave #16 – Tim Seeley, Jay Faerber, Alex Segura, Stephanie Williams, writers; Kelley Jones, PJ Holden, Andy MacDonald, Asiah Fulmore, artists; Michelle Madsen, John Kalisz, Patricio Delpeche, Marissa Louise, colorists
Beam – 9/10
Beam: Four stories this month – two sequels and two standalone stories. How do they turn out?
First, the conclusion to Seeley and Jones’ Nightwing And Deadman: Down The Road. This back-road ghost story played to the strengths of both horror creators and the final chapter has a chaotic, high-energy feel as Deadman tries to con a vengeful ghost and Dick dives into the unknown to make amends for his greatest loss. Like most great ghost stories, it has some excellent twists and turns and relies more on suspense than shock moments. Seeley is known as a great Nightwing writer, but I don’t think this would work nearly as well without Jones’ haunting art. He’s been one of DC’s finest horror artists for over thirty years and hasn’t forgotten anything in that time.
Faerber and Holden’s “First Watch” focuses on the Metropolis Police Department as we follow two cops – a tough, jaded sergeant and her excited new partner who can’t wait to work with Superman. But the reality of police work in Metropolis is very different, and the veteran cop wants to stay away from super-affairs. Over the course of the short ten-page story, we see both cops learn a little about how to make a difference. This story reminds me a little of the classic Astro City comic, as it deals with what it’s like to be an ordinary person in a super world.
In the second chapter of Segura and MacDonald’s “Duality,” Renee Montoya is hunted by a mysterious villain who is targeting every level of her life. The situation escalates when she is contacted by Tot, Vic Sage’s mentor and one of the few people who knows she is “The Question.” Soon, the mysterious killer sneaks into GCPD headquarters just as Renee is faced with a smear campaign and it becomes clear that this villain has every means possible. This story has a very claustrophobic atmosphere that works well, and this story is likely the transition that will take Renee from her controversial role as Commissioner to her upcoming solo series.
To wrap things up, “It’s Our Anniversary” by Williams and Fulmore is a light, easygoing story where Karen Beecher and Mal Duncan celebrate their anniversary at a tropical resort. That resort also happens to have a current exhibition featuring some very valuable work by an artist who is there in person and could be a target. What follows is a fun adventure as the two married Titans sacrifice their vacation to bust some heads, and the retired Mal is reminded of how good it feels to be in the Guardian costume. It definitely has a different tone than the rest of the book, which works.
There is no black and white story this month, but overall this is a very strong episode.
Reviews of all DC issues can be found under “DC This Week”.
GeekDad received this comic for review purposes.
Did you like it? Take a second to support GeekDad and GeekMom on Patreon!
