Celebrating Artist Shea Pensa

Celebrating the birthday of artist Shea Pensa (March 18, 1968) with his two covers to Brave and the Bold (#1 and #2, of December 1991 and January, 1992), a six issue mini-series featuring Green Arrow, the Question and the Butcher.

Strange Sports Stories Baseball

Baseball is back!

What better way to celebrate than with a couple of comic books.

What do comics have to do with baseball?

Well, here's a few Strange Sports Stories involving baseball from a five issue run in Brave and the Bold, just before the title moved from super-hero premieres to super-hero team-ups.

Challenge Of The Headless Baseball Team

Here, in Brave and the Bold #45 (December-January, 1962/1963) by Gardner Fox, Carmine Infantino and Joe Giella, you have an odd case, where the uniforms were strong enough to play without the players!

It was invading aliens from another dimension that fielded a team to go against Lefty Clark and the Jets.

Gorilla Wonders Of The Diamond

It was a different type of game in Brave and the Bold #49 (August-September, 1963) by Gardner Fox, Carmine Infantino and Joe Giella (with a cover by Infantino/Anderson), where scientist John Emerson finds a way to evolve apes up the evolutionary ladder, but they have designs on more than winning baseball games.

John Emerson has to stop the apes from reducing humans to mindless beasts.

The best part of these stories, is that they were also collected in two issues of DC Special (#7 and #9, both with covers by Murphy Anderson) in 1970.  But, don't you wonder, who would have won...the uniforms or the gorillas if they had played each other?

Robin Hood In Brave And The Bold

Once, long ago, Robin Hood was but a simple man of Sherwood Forest, robbing from the rich to give to the poor, fighting for the honor of Maid Marion with his Merrie Men, against the forces of the establishment in the form of Prince John and the Sheriff of Nottingham.

 

Over at DC Comics, these stories ran in Brave and the Bold from issues #5 to #15  (April-May, 1956 to December-January 1957/1958), with writers Bill Finger and Bob Haney and artists Irv Novick, Joe Kubert, and mostly Russ Heath, and these tales highlighted Robin's sense of humor and his use of the cutting edge of technology of the time....that of the bow and arrow.

At the time, Robin Hood shared Brave and the Bold with a couple of other characters, that of Jon the Viking Prince and the Silent Knight, both of whom had started in the first issue of Brave and the Bold, along with the Golden Gladiator (and the Viking Prince and Silent Knight both continued in tales of heroic adventure in issues after the Robin Hood feature ended).

Some of these tales were reprinted in issues of DC Special, along with tales of the Three Musketeers and the Viking Prince, as well as appearing in issues of the Best Of The Brave and The Bold (6 Baxter stock reprint issue of the late 1980s, whose covers were focused on the later Batman team ups that had gained so much attention for B&B, including meetings with the Flash, Aquaman, Teen Titans and the Green Arrow, who fancied himself as a hero in the style of Robin Hood).  

Oh, for the simpler days these stories suggested!

Batman Meets Superboy?

Ever have one of those days, where you just feel out of time, not like yourself, as though you just lost years of your life, and are trying to catch up as quickly as you can?

 

Believe it or not, even Superman has those days....and, here is the story of a time when he had one of those days, and how his friend, Batman, had to work with Superman's younger self....Superboy!

 

You Can Take The Boy Out Of Smallville...

In this great little story by Mike W. Barr and Jim Aparo in  Brave and the Bold #192 (November, 1982), it starts off like any issue of World's Finest Comics might, with Batman tracking down some criminals in Gotham who had committed a crime in Metropolis.  Batman calls for his friend Superman...but, a twist this time, as Superman arrives glowing....and changes into....Superboy?

Superboy quickly flies into action, taking out the thieves (with a little less concern for the surroundings than Superman might have had).  Batman, the master detective, identifies himself to his newly younger friend, and checks him out, to figure out he is indeed the younger Superman (confused as to why he is here, as is Superman, back at the Kent house, fifteen years earlier).  

Superman (and Superboy) try to time travel home...but neither have success. 

Batman, after advising the Teen of Steel to think more, and be less impulsive, takes him along to investigate why this happened.  A quick check of electronic sales records finds one person who sold electronic parts to power a time machine.  

After another criminal encounter (with the youth acting a little too quickly), Batman, trying to keep Superboy busy, sends him to look for possible headquarters (but, this backfires, as Superboy checks on the Kent farm, and sees his adoptive parents graves, a tragic life event that helped change a Superboy into a Superman).  

Distraught, Superboy returns to Batman demoralized, yet Batman encourages the young man to live up to their memory and soldier on, looking for lead-lined possible secret headquarters.  

Finding the base, Batman goes in, realizing his foe is I.Q.....Ira Quimby, a Hawkman  villain who has high intellect powered by the sun, who sent Superman into the past to prevent Superman's Kryptonian form from absorbing solar radiation from solar flares coming to the Earth (and increasing his intelligence even more)....but, miscarried a decimal point, sending Superman to Superboy's time (and, this time), time travel rules prevented one person from being in one time sending Superboy here.  

Superboy charges in to stop I.Q., but, as Batman feared, I.Q. was ready with a Kryptonite beam, but Superboy miraculously shruggs it off, going to stop the solar flare as Batman deals with I.Q.  After, Superboy returns, explaining he took advice from Batman, borrowing some lead shielding from the HQ to protect him from I.Q's Kryptonite.  The solar radiation he absorbed seemed to destroy the barrier preventing him from going home, and headed home (not to remember this adventure, likely due to Saturn Girl's Legion of Super-Heroes edict to prevent Superboy learning of his future from time travel), with Batman ready to explain to his pal, Superman, what had happened.

A joyous tale of friendship and an odd "first meeting" for the pair, though Superman and Batman would later find their relationship strained, as Batman quit the JLA to form the Outsiders (with Barr and Aparo showing how well Batman could train new heroes....after a little encouragement from his young partner, Robin, from when the Titans/Outsiders teamed-up).

 

Flash Green Lantern Atom Second Multiple Crisis

Even more of the solo team-ups of heroes of Earth-1 and Earth-2 (as opposed to meetings of the JLA and JSA) for you to see!

With a concentration on Flashes and Green Lanterns, this time around also gives a look at the Atoms, as well as finishing a little from last time.

The Big Super-Hero Hunt

First up is Starman and Black Canary, going into action in Federal City, in Brave and the Bold #62 (October-November, 1965) by Gardner Fox and Murphy Anderson (with another stunner of an Anderson cover).

Golden Age Green Lantern villain, the Sportsmaster, decides he wants a trophy (and the money around it) at an event Larry Lance is providing security for.  This brings the villain into conflict Larry's wife, Dinah Drake Lance (the heroine known as Black Canary), who pursues the fleeing villain.  Meanwhile, Starman (Ted Knight) finds Wildcat (Ted Grant) being held hostage on Ted Knight's estate by the Huntress (a foe of Wildcat's, and member of the Injustice Society of the World...now married to Sportsmaster).  The villains work together to defeat the heroes and leave the area with Wildcat as a prisoner.  Starman and Black Canary pursue the villains, freeing Wildcat, and learning from him their plans to get another trophy (and prize money), head after them, defeating them by turning the tables on the villainous pair, getting back all their ill-gotten booty.  Boxer Ted Grant (secretly Wildcat) is able to present the first trophy as a prize now that it is returned.

The second of two wonderful Starman/Black Canary team-ups (the first and more Earth-1/Earth-2 adventures here). and this is the first Silver Age appearance of JSAer Wildcat, and Injustice Society of the World members Sportsmaster and Huntress.  Wildcat and Black Canary appear next in the JLA/JSA's fourth team-up, with Starman shining in the 6th.

Prince Peril's Power Play

It's time for two Green Lanterns in Green Lantern #45 (June, 1966) by John Broome, Gil Kane and Sid Greene, all under a cover by Gil Kane!

Poor Princess Ramia of Myrg, being forced into marriage with the evil Prince Peril, flees her planet and ends up meeting Doiby Dickles....who, while attending a symposium at Spaceland (a new amusement park outside of Earth-2's Gotham), Doiby introduces the princess to Alan Scott (Earth-2's heroic Green Lantern).  While Green Lantern faces Prince Peril, Doiby and the princess flee in Doiby's old cab, Goitrude.  Even with the princess' science allowing the cab to fly, Prince Peril is in pursuit after defeating Green Lantern.  Ramia uses a dimension changer to take the cab (and its passengers) to Earth-1, where Prince Peril soon follows, now engaging in battle with Hal Jordan, the Earth-1 Green Lantern.  Prince Peril defeats Hal, bringing Doiby and Ramia back to Myrg as his captives.  The two Green Lanterns team-up, defeating Prince Peril, and the princess does indeed find a man to marry...Doiby Dickles!

Doiby and Green Lantern Alan Scott appear next in the next Green Lantern team-up, so keep reading!

The Thinker's Earth-Shaking Robberies

Instead of splitting Atoms, they are teaming up in Atom #29 (February-March, 1967) in a story by Gardner Fox, Gil Kane (who also did the cover) and Sid Greene.

Lawyer Jean Loring (Ray Palmer's fiancee) is helping actress Cheryl Drake in a legal battle with her deceased husband's parents over custody of her child.  Jean tells this story to Ray as the pair goes to a museum exhibit...that ends up being robbed by the Thinker.  Ray goes into action as the Atom, but the Thinker escapes by returning to Earth-2 (Thinker is a members of the ISW, and a foe of the Golden Age Flash).  Thinker thought stealing items on Earth-1 and returning home to Earth-2 would be a great way to make money....except Artie Perkins was committing the same crime as he was on Earth-2, in Calvin City, drawing the attention of Al Pratt, the Golden Age Atom.  Atom Al tries to help Artie, who can't control his sudden criminal tendencies, calling in Atom Ray for help (who builds his own dimensional vibrator to get to Earth-2).  Thinker finds his upgrades to his Thinking Cap also projected his plans to Artie, forcing him to repeat his crimes.  The two Atoms have two battles with the Thinker, defeating him in the end.

The Thinker gets an awesome costume in this issue, as he appears between battles with the two Flashes, and the Earth-2 Atom appears here after the third JLA/JSA team-up, appearing next in the second dual Atom meeting, chronicled below.

Our Mastermind The Car

Hal's friend, Tom Kalmaku, gives readers this little flashback tale of a meeting of the two Green Lanterns in Green Lantern #52 (April, 1967) by John Broome and Gil Kane, though the incredible Gil Kane cover promises an epic battle between Hal and Sinestro (which it delivers).

Alan Scott comes to Hal Jordan to recruit his help in bring Doiby an anniversary gift, taking his cab, Goitrude, to Myrg for the happy couple.  But, the Green Lanterns go to find the car missing from its storage garage...the car seems to have taken on a life of its own, now working with criminals (and talking).  The two Green Lanterns contact Doiby, who leaves the Princess to go help....with the trio facing down Goitrude, with Green Lanterns blasting the car, releasing the force possessing it....Hal's foe, Sinestro!  Absorbing the power from two dimensionally differing Power Rings, gives Sinestro power, which he uses, along with Doiby's dimension changer and his own yellow Power Ring, to steal the Master Battery from the Guardians of the Universe on Oa, transporting it to Earth-2.  Sinestro plans on using the Master Battery to create a Corps of his own, dedicated to evil.  The two Green Lanterns head to Earth-2, facing Sinestro to take back the battery, and, after defeating him, give him to the Guardians for safe keeping.  Hal and Alan even give Doiby a replica Goitrude, promising to restore his real cab for him.

Green Lantern Alan Scott appears next in the next Green Lantern team-up (not covered in this book or article, but will be), and Doiby and the Princess eventually come back in the first Infinity, Inc. Annual, which happens during the Crisis On Infinite Earths.

The See-Nothing Spells Of Abra Kadabra

Flash Barry Allen is having a carefree day as seen on Carmine Infantino/Murphy Anderson's  Flash #170 (May, 1967) cover, but the story by Gardner Fox, Carmine Infantino and Sid Greene shows why he needs the help of three members of the JSA.

Barry and his new wife Iris attend a play, but while trying to meet the actor playing Merlin, Barry hears a disembodied voice threaten to reveal his identity as the Flash.  While Iris goes to dinner with her actress friend, a worried Barry dons his costume, but only stops a group of criminals committing a robbery.  The owner of the building gives Flash a device....and, as Flash takes the criminals to the police, he forgets why he brought them there.  Heading home. Flash ignores a mugging, then a mob war....all under the watch of three mysterious strangers.  It is revealed that the actor and owner were Abra Kadabra in disguise, who created a Psychonizer in his 64th Century prison, using that device to prevent his robot captor from seeing him, then travelled back to the 20th Century, to use that device on the Flash, to make him not see any crimes.  Thankfully, the three strangers trailing the Flash were the Golden Age Flash, Dr. Fate and Dr. Mid-Nite, who came to Earth-1 after Dr. Fate's magic detected evil descending down on Central City.  The trio helped Barry's Flash fight criminals, then worked in concert to defeat Abra Kadabra, with Dr. Fate a little confused as to why his magic was unable to counter Abra Kadabra's (Abra's was 64th Century science used to fake magic, why Dr. Fate's was real magic).  Freeing Barry from Abra's control, Barry met with Iris (promising to reveal his secret life as the Flash to her soon).

Dr. Fate and Dr. Mid-Nite were last in the fourth JLA/JSA team-up, and return in the 6th.  Flash Jay Garrick was last in the 3rd JLA/JSA team-up, and returns with Barry in the issue covered next.

Doomward Flight Of The Flashes

The three Flashes are fading fast in Flash #173 (September, 1967) by John Broome, Carmine Infantino and Sid Greene, as seen on this Carmine Infantino/Muprhy Anderson cover.

Jay brings his wife Joan to Earth-1 for the first time, as Joan wants to talk to Barry about revealing his identity to Iris.  The couple arrive and meet Iris and her nephew, Wally West, who seems a little upset.  Separating from the ladies, Wally talks to Jay, telling him that he (as Kid Flash) and Barry Flash were fighting the Domino Gang, but that Barry disappeared during the battle.  Kid Flash and the Golden Age Flash have their first team-up searching for Barry....but then Kid Flash disappears.  Kid Flash was transported to Vorvan by the Golden Man, a mutant from his planet who had evolved millions of years beyond the cave dwelling inhabitants of his world, who brought the two Flashes to his world.  Their energies proved not enough to power his evolutionary machine, so he brought Jay Flash to his world....except Jay didn't arrive unconscious like Barry and Wally did.  Jay battled the Golden Man, freeing Barry, and eventually the three battled him....getting him to use his evolution machine, but it instead devolved the Golden Man, freeing the Flashes.  Barry set up the machine, and Jay had arrived conscious on the planet due to his using internal vibrations as a mask (as he wears none).  The three return home, and meet up with ladies (with Joan having spoken to Barry, getting a promise that he will talk to Iris soon).

This was the first meeting of Jay Garrick and Wally West, and Jay appears next in the 6th JLA/JSA team-up. 

Menace Of The Mystic Mastermind

Switching gears to another team-up of members of the JSA is the Spectre #3 (March-April, 1968) by Mike Friedrich and Neal Adams, with a glorious Spectre/Wildcat cover by Neal Adams.

Two interdimensional sorcerors are having a mystic battle, but the power they directed at each other combined....then vanished.  That power drifted through dimensions. finding small time crook, "Sad" Jack Dold.  Being confronted by Wildcat during a robbery, Jack finds his powers (being those of persuasion and more), taking Wildcat to an arena to fight, and changing his name to "Happy" Jack, as he defeats Wildcat on camera.  Spectre happen to see the fight, and comes to try to remove the mystic might from Dold, but fails.  Spectre also has to help Ted Grant, demoralized by his defeat and feeling his age.  Spectre tries again, being able to remove the magic from Dold as Dold is using it, and Ted Grant finds new purpose, in training the next generation in the art of pugilism.

Spectre was here as a part of his 10 issue series, with Wildcat appearing between the 5th and 8th JLA/JSA stories.

Duel Between The Dual Atoms

Last but not least is a real atomic fight from Atom #36 (April-May, 1968) by Gardner Fox, Gil Kane and Sid Greene, as the Atoms fight (as shown so well on the Gil Kane cover).

Al Pratt is single, and set up on a date by his friends Bill and Betty Roberts.  But, meeting her, Al sees Marion as old...but, that's a sudden thing, as Betty suddenly aged as well.  A quick interruption by some criminals gives Al an excuse to go into action as Atom.  Capturing them, Atom finds out at the police station that women all around town have suddenly aged.  Atom decides to go to Earth-1 to see if this event has happened there.  On Earth-1, while Atom Ray Palmer is fighting thieves, they all stop....as they have all been de-aged about 10 years, losing their memories past that point as well.  Atom Al then appears, and helps him return to normal size, but Ray just wants to go meet his new girl, Jean Loring (who has been his fiancee for a decade).  Al takes Ray back to Earth-2, which restores Ray's age and memories, but makes him upset.  The two Atoms fight, with Ray activating Al's vibration device...but stopping it midway, putting them between dimensions.  They then return to Earth-1, where Ray's age devolves even further, including an appropriate memory loss.  Ray heads to Mount Ivy, seeing a new antenna set up, gets angry and smashes it.  This restores his age and memories.  Finding Al, the two go to Earth-2, finding a similar set up, and they take it out, restoring women to their younger selves around Calvin City.  Al goes on a new date with the restored Marion, as Ray meets with Jean.

Atom Al Pratt returns in the 6th JLA/JSA team-up.

Sadly, the second Crisis On Multiple Earths volume (with a Matt Wagner cover) is the last, but there were more team-ups of single JLA and JSA members (like a Flash/Spectre story and a Superman/Superman story) already covered....and more to come, as well as more JLA/JSA stories!

Flash Green Lantern Dr. Fate First Multiple Crisis

While the JLA and JSA team ups usually got more attention, that tradition began with the Flashes of two worlds, Jay Garrick and Barry Allen, teaming up for a few times.

Then, they got comfortable, and brought in their friends, and those friends, like the Green Lanterns of two Earths, as well as JSAers Dr. Fate and Hourman as well as Starman and Black Canary, had team ups of their own....

Flash Of Two Worlds

This was the big one.  The first time Barry met Jay, in Flash #123 (September, 1961) by Gardner Fox, Carmine Infantino and Joe Giella (with Infantino and Murphy Anderson supplying the cover).

While helping Iris by putting on a show as the Flash at the Central City Community Center, Barry ends up on another Earth, that had subtle differences.  The big difference between Earths was that Jay Garrick had been the Flash in Keystone City, and had retired for a time.  But, with his old foes on the loose (Thinker, Fiddler and the Shade), Jay was coaxed back into action by Barry, and the two Flashes defeated the three villains, with Barry vibrating home at the end (and Jay watching, so he'd know how to do that trick.

This was the first appearance of the Flash (Jay Garrick), his wife (Joan Garrick) and the Fiddler, Thinker and the Shade since the Golden Age.

Double Danger On Earth

Next up for the two Flashes was Flash #129 (June, 1962) by Gardner Fox, Carmine Infantino and Joe Giella, under another Infantino/Anderson cover.

This time around, Jay's Earth was menaced by a mysterious radiation coming from a comet that had crashed into the sun, with a meteorite in Arizona that was absorbing the radiation...but it vanished.  Jay figured out it went to Barry's Earth, and quickly went there for help, but encountered Captain Cold and Trickster (who were both robbing the same location).  So, Jay fought the villains, and quickly got help from Barry (as the Flash).  The villains decided to team up s well, but were promptly defeated, with the Flashes taking the meteor back to Jay's Earth to coat the atmosphere to protect it from the radiation.

The JSA's last case (or at least the one readers saw), All-Star Comics #57, was referenced in this issue, as was both Jay and Barry's origins, as well as Barry's copy of All-Star Comics #37 (the first appearance of the Injustice Society of the World).

Vengeance Of The Immortal Villain

Though mostly a team-up of Barry and Jay, the JSA returns in Flash #137 (June, 1963) by Gardner Fox, Carmine Infantino and Joe Giella, under an incredible Infantino/Anderson cover.

Barry sees problems in cities that seem familiar.....the cities on his Earth that are having problems are the homes of JSA members (heroes from Jay's Earth).  A quick jump to that Earth finds trouble, as Jay suspects someone has captured the JSA.  The two start to leave Keystone City to investigate, when Jay is captured in a stasis cube.  Barry frees Jay from a stasis cube, and after being manipulated into fighting each other by Vandal Savage (the villain who captured the team), the two Flashes defeat the immortal villain, freeing the other Justice Society members,  who decide that they need to meet more regularly in the future.

This story has the first appearances of the JSA's Green Lantern, Hawkman, Atom, Dr. Mid-Nite, Johnny Thunder and Wonder Woman, as well as Vandal Savage .

Invader From A Dark Dimension

This is the first solo team up of Barry and Jay, Flash #151 (March, 1965) by Gardner Fox, Carmine Infantino and Joe Giella, under an Infantino/Anderson cover, since the JLA and JSA met.

Barry Allen faces a new menace, a black goop that Iris finds in a jewelry store (which keeps the Flash busy, and allows the store to be robbed).  Similar thefts keep happening all over Central City, while, on Earth-2, Jay finds his foe, the Shade, with plenty of money to burn.  The Shade was using his powers to rob on Earth-1, then take the loot to Earth-2, and the Shade traps Jay in darkness after Jay confronts him.  Barry covers himself in gold on Earth-1, so Shade takes him as "loot", and, inside the dark dimension Shade accesses, Barry defeats the Shade, using his cane to free Jay and return the stolen goods.

This is the first time Barry and Jay's Earths are referred to as Earth-1 and Earth-2 in a Flash comic book, after their being named in the first JLA/JSA team-up.  Jay appears here between the second and third JLA/JSA team-ups.

Solomon Grundy Goes On A Rampage

A team up of two JSAers happens in Showcase #55 (March-April, 1965) by Gardner Fox and Murphy Anderson (with cover by Anderson), as Dr. Fate and Hourman team-up to save the original Green Lantern from his foe, Solomon Grundy.

Solomon Grundy ends up back on Earth, after the globe Green Lantern (Alan Scott) created crashes to Earth thanks to striking a comet.  Grundy heads to home, Slaughter Swamp.  Dr. Fate has a mystic alarm go off, which puts him on Grundy's tale, as Hourman gets involved as his chemical plant is close to Slaughter Swamp.  Grundy fights the two, countering their magic and miraclo powers, escaping from them.  Grundy then faces Green Lantern, and beats him, taking the original emerald crusader back to Slaughter Swamp, changing him into a Grundy like monster.  Dr. Fate cures Green Lantern with his magic, and using their combined magical might, capture Grundy in a new sphere.

This issue recaps Solomon Grundy's origin and battle with the JSA from All-Star Comics #33 (as will as being his first appearance since the Golden Age), but how Grundy got back in that prison is recounted as part of the origin of the All-Star Squadron, and Grundy returns soon, in the fourth JLA/JSA meeting.  It is also the first appearance of Inza Nelson, Kent's wife (with their marriage being revealed first here; as she was just Inza Cramer when she worked with Dr. Fate in the Golden Age).

Perils Of The Psycho-Pirate

Next up is a story by Gardner Fox and Murphy Anderson (under a cover by Anderson) from Showcase #56 (May-June, 1965), with Dr. Fate and Hourman facing a new villain with a familiar name.

Archeologist Kent Nelson finds a set of Medusa Masks on a dig, and financier Rex Tyler finds his fiancee, Wendi Harris, fascinated by them (so much so she tries to steal them when displaying them at a party she held).  Roger Hayden manipulated her into doing that, as he planned on taking the masks to take over the identity of Psycho-Pirate.  Hayden was a cellmate of the original Psycho-Pirate (Charley Halstead), who taught him how to manipulate emotions and about the masks.  The new Psycho-Pirate sets Dr. Fate and Hourman against each other until they are able to defeat him.

This issue has the first Silver Age appearance of the original Psycho-Pirate, as well as the reporting of his death.  Dr. Fate appears here between the second and third JLA/JSA team-ups, and Hourman between the first and fifth.

Secret Origin Of The Guardians

Green Lantern #40 (October, 1965) is a big issue, revealing much of the origins of the DC Universe in this story by John Broome, Gil Kane and Sid Greene, all under a great cover by Gil Kane and Murphy Anderson.

This story stars with a reunion of Alan Scott and Doiby Dickles at Gotham Broadcasting, with Alan having to ring-sling as Green Lantern to stop a meteor, which his ring seems to have no effect on, then to save Doiby from a falling tree, which oddly works as Alan's ring usually doesn't against wood.  Alan goes to show Hal his new trick....which now doesn't work.  Alan explains, with the help of his ring, that the comet was really an ancient Oan scientist named Krona, that ended up being freed from his prison by exposure to Alan's magical based ring.

Krona was an Oan scientist, long ago, who performed experiments trying to find the origins of the universe.  He succeeded slightly, seeing a "cosmic hand" of creation (but his activities were also destructive, causing evil to be unleashed in the universe, and later, more trouble like the creation of the Multiverse, according to the Crisis on Infinite Earths).  So, the Oans banished him in comet form (and eventually became the Guardians of the Universe, who formed the Green Lantern Corps).

Krona planned on doing more experiments, and was possessing Alan Scott's body (with Alan hiding in Hal's mind).  The two battled, with Hal winning (as he had secretly switching rings with Alan, exchanging a weakness for yellow for one for wood), allowing Hal to defeat Krona, with the Guardians of the Universe returning Krona to comet form, the Green Lanterns swapping rings back, and Alan heading back to Earth-2.

This issue is the first appearance of the "Cosmic Hand", hinting at the foundation of the DC Universe (and Multiverse, all revealed during the Crisis on Infinite Earths), as well as Krona's first appearance, and the first appearance of Doiby Dickles, Alan Green Lantern's Golden Age partner.  Green Lantern Alan Scott appears here after his appearance in the third JLA/JSA team-up, and appears next in another team-up with Green Lantern Hal Jordan.

Mastermind Of Menaces

Another focus on a team-up of two JSA members, Brave and the Bold #61 (August-September, 1965) by Gardner Fox and Murphy Anderson (under a stunning Anderson cover), sees the gathering of Starman and Black Canary!

Ted Knight (Starman) is visiting Park City, and drops by the florist shop that is owned by Dinah Drake Lance, the Black Canary.  Larry Lance knows there is a rash of robberies in the town, traceable back to Dinah's flower shop.  Investigating, Starman finds that his old foe, the intangible Mist is behind it, having hypnosis, but Starman has problems working his Cosmic Rod near the Mist's men (due to frequencies given off by Mist's hypnotic flowers).  Working together, Starman and Black Canary are able to defeat the Mist and his men.

This issue sees the Mist return from the Golden Age, as well as Larry Lance (a detective who was friends with Black Canary, and is now revealed to be her husband).  Black Canary and Starman were both last in the second JLA/JSA team-up, and appear next in the next issue of B&B (which is reprinted in the second volume of this Crisis collection).

The Hour Hourman Died

The last story in this collection is from Spectre #7 (November-December, 1968) by Gardner Fox, Dick Dillin and Sid Greene, and is a back-up story featuring Hourman in a bit of a problem.

Returning to his HQ under Tyler Chemical Company from a JSA meeting, Hourman encounters Tricky Dick Arnold, a thief phasing through the door.  Taking a Miraclo pill for an hour of power, Hourman faces him, but the thief hits him with a beam from his Metalizer....which seems to kill Hourman!  Normally only working against metal (allowing Arnold to phase through items to thief), that unique radiation seem to spell doom for Hourman....except his Miraclo was keeping him alive for one last hour.  Tracking down the thief and analyzing the Metalizer, allowed Hourman to make an antidote before he faced his last hour.

Hourman appears here between the sixth and eighth JLA/JSA team ups.

All these stories are reprinted in the Crisis On Multiple Earths the Team-Ups Volume 1, with a cover by Jerry Ordway.

More JLA/JSA collections, including a second one of team-ups with team members will be forthcoming, as these meetings of members of teams from Earth-1 and Earth-2 foreshadow the Crisis On Infinite Earths.

Batman Meets Black Canary

Batman had been at times a lonely vigilante, but, every once in a while, he was able to get some help, from a fellow member of the Justice League.  Black Canary had accepted many changes in her life, and after joining the JLA, was willing to work with her new teammates.

So, team ups between these two were a great idea, and made for many a fun issue of Brave and the Bold.

Time to take a look at their meetings!

Brave and the Bold 91

Batman's first solo team-up with Black Canary happened in Brave and the Bold #91 (August-September, 1970) as the duo had to deal with "A Cold Corpse For The Collector" by Bob Haney and Nick Cardy.

This issue has Batman dealing with criminal syndicates, with the Collector, a hit man, taking out mob boss Rhymer's men.  Meanwhile, Black Canary was getting use to life on Earth-1, chasing down Larry Lance, the man, who on the alternate world of Earth-2, was her husband (or so she thought, later changes made this....odd).  Still, at the time, Dinah Lance was looking for Larry, who was also looking for the Collector....or, was he?  With Black Canary running interference for him, it is true Larry could purse the Collector unfettered, but, it was also preventing Batman from finding the Collector.  The pair realized...Larry was the Collector, with Lance dying accidentally during a fight with the Batman.  This also helped Dinah realize her old life was gone (and along with her JLA appearances at the time, was also working with Green Lantern and Green Arrow in their title).

Brave and the Bold 100

In fact, Black Canary's return to B&B had her working with Green Lantern and Green Arrow as well as Batman and Robin in Brave and the Bold #100 (February-March, 1972) in a story by Bob Haney and Jim Aparo (under a cover by Nick Cardy) entitled "The Warrior In A Wheel-Chair".

As Batman is taken out by a sniper's bullet, with only the talented Dr. Hellstrom between health, paralysis or death for the Caped Crusader, Batman's friends had to come to the forefront to stop a shipment of cocaine into Gotham.  None of the leads pans out for any of them, but Batman is about to undergo an operation, when he realizes his doctor is really the druglord, Belknap, trying to finish off the Batman.  The other heroes stop him, and Green Lantern goes to get the real doctor, who finds Belknap's stash in the equipment in the operating room.  After the operation, Batman recuperates, thanking his friends for the help.

Brave and the Bold 107

Black Canary returned to B&B in Brave and the Bold #107 (June-July, 1973) by Bob Haney and Jim Aparo, as the pair dealt with "The 3 Million Dollar Sky".


Plane hijacker Willie Kresh wants 3 million dollars and the release of Monk Devlin.  Batman and Black Canary sneak aboard the flight as a pilot and stewardess to stop the theft, but the plane crashes, with Batman and Black Canary having to stop the crooks, and recover the money from a local bandit.  By luck, the heroes win this one, as the criminals turn on each other, with Willie and Monk killing each other, leaving the money and their corpses to be taken home by the heroes.

Brave and the Bold 141

To see the next team-up of Batman and Black Canary, you had to "Pay -- Or Die", or just read Brave and the Bold #141 (May-June, 1978) by Bob Haney and Jim Aparo (after giving your retailer 35 cents, at the time).

Batman is investigating the deaths of some Gotham businessmen, as Black Canary also has one of her business partner's murdered, so the two team up and find that they all had been in debt to a loan shark by the name of Mr. Longreen.  They then realize that "Longreen" is really a possessor of a "long grin"....the Joker!  Batman then volunteers his butler Alfred to get a loan, so the heroes can track how Joker gets his victims.  Sadly, that way is found...that Joker doses his victims with a slow acting chemical that will cause them to explode if they don't get a cure.  As Black Canary almost finds the Joker in his hideout, she gets captured, making Batman work to save her and capture the Joker instead of saving Alfred.  Joker is overjoyed that he'll get to watch Alfred die, until Batman realizes the cure is in Joker's blood, which he give some of to Alfred via a transfusion.  This saves Alfred, who is none too happy to have Joker blood in his veins.

Brave and the Bold 166

Black Canary's last team up with Batman in B&B was in Brave and the Bold #166 (September, 1980) in "Requiem For 4 Canaries" by Michael Fleisher, Dick Giordano and Terry Austin (all under a stunning Jim Aparo cover, in an issue that also featured the premiere of Nemesis in a separate story).

Batman deals with a breakout at Gotham State Penitentiary, capturing most of the escapees except for the Penguin, who Batman deduces might be headed to Star City in search of his four former henchmen who turned against him.  That is true, as Penguin is beginning a crime spree in Star City, using a canary theme, which is when Black Canary catches wind of his scheme, as Penguin gets his first of 4 victims.  Working with Batman when he arrives, the pair still fail to save the second of Penguin's targets.  Penguin then changes tactics, instead trying to eliminate Batman....by sending Black Canary after him?  Well, to be fair, Penguin had kidnapped Black Canary first, then sent out a look-a-like in Dinah's costume to kill Batman, but he stopped her, and went to Penguin's hideout to defeat the fowl bird....and loan a scantily clad Black Canary his cape until she can get her costume back, earning Batman a kiss for his chivalry.

It's Black Canary's occasional attraction to Batman that might explain why Batman/Green Arrow team-ups are sometimes less cordial, though, to be fair, Black Canary has also had problems with Batman's paramour, Catwoman.

Martian Manhunter Meets Green Arrow And The Flash

Martian Manhunter was once a rising star at DC Comics.  A charter member of the Justice League of America, J'onn J'onzz was also one of two characters who was picked to start a new team-up magazine feature in Brave and the Bold, and he was the first of those two characters to return to the title....

...so, let's take a look at those two appearances!

Brave and the Bold 50

First up is Brave and the Bold #50 (October-November, 1963), where the Martian Manhunter worked with Green Arrow (and his partner, Speedy), in "Wanted -- The Capsule Master" by Bob Haney and George Roussos.

Green Arrow and Speedy have some problems with three super powers criminals in Star City who steal a meteor.  Thinking they might be aliens, Green Arrow calls in his JLA teammate, the Martian Manhunter, for help, but the three beat the bowmen again, as their leader, Vulkor, defeats J'onn J'onzz.  J'onn uses Dr. Erdel's machine to go back to Mars to learn about the villains as Green Arrow and Speedy face them again, this time with the villains capturing Green Arrow, with a mental compulsion placed in his mind to work against the Martian Manhunter.  As planned, Green Arrow works against the Martian Manhunter when next they meet, but J'onn disguises himself as Green Arrow, which allows him to get close enough to Vulkor to defeat him, while knowing their enemies are Martians, allows Green Arrow and Speedy to use their knowledge of J'onn, and Martian's weakness to flame, to stop the criminals.  Then, the Martian Manhunter takes them back to Mars for imprisonment.

Brave and the Bold 56

The second (and last) of Martian Manhunter's appearances in B&B was in Brave and the Bold #56 (October-November, 1964) where J'onn and the Flash have to deal with the "Raid Of The Mutant Marauders" (by Bob Haney and Bernard Baily).

Flash and the Martian Manhunter are attending a fair with an exhibit on the Justice League, when they have to face an alien mutant android that manifests the powers of the Justice League members two at a time.  Even worse, the alien turned its rocket into a bomb, that was going to explode, and destroy the Earth.  J'onn flies to Argon, the home of the creature, to learn of its history, and that the planet was ruled by Tatania.  To attempt to fool the creature into leaving Earth, J'onn calls on Hawkgirl (who's husband, Hawkman, just joined the JLA) to disguise herself as Tatania, to convince the menace to leave Earth.  Only problem is the creature sees through the disguise, and almost detonates the bomb, before the real queen arrives, wherein the android destroys himself on command, saving Earth from the bomb.

Now, Green Arrow would return time and time again to team-up with Batman (being his partner in B&B most often; though Flash tried to give Green Arrow a run for his money).  Flash had the uniqueness of being the second most used host of B&B after Batman....but, sadly, the Martian Manhunter never returned to meet Batman in B&B, though J'onn did meet with Superman solo, once in World's Finest Comics, and once in DC Comics Presents.

Batman Marries Catwoman

It isn't a hoax, imaginary story or any other such phony plot device, but a real wedding for Batman and Catwoman....or, technically for Bruce Wayne and Selina Kyle.

It happened long ago, on a place called Earth-2, where the original Batman (who was a member of Justice Society of America) and the Golden Age Catwoman lived....

The Autobiography Of Bruce Wayne

Brave and the Bold #197 (April, 1983) by Alan Brennert, Joe Staton and George Freeman (with a stunning cover by Jim Aparo), presents the story where Bruce and Selina finally admit their love for each other in 1955.

Batman worries about being alone as one of Bruce Wayne's former girlfriends gets marries, and, thanks to a recently paroled Scarecrow, that fear manifests, as Robin, Batwoman, then Alfred, Gordon, even Lois Lane and Superman disappear.  Batman goes for help from an old enemy, Catwoman, serving time as Selina Kyle after turning herself in (and claiming amnesia for most of her time as Catwoman).  During their search for Scarecrow, the two open up to each other about how much life had hurt them, and that they had both needed someone...so that they both conquered their fear of being alone by trusting each other.  The story ends with a quick summary of their wedding, as well as the events which happened in the decades following.

This story is one of the best Batman stories ever written, and has been reprinted many times, including in the Greatest Batman Stories Ever Told of 1988, Catwoman: A Celebration of 75 Years of 2015, and in Tales Of The Batman: Alan Brennert of 2016.  This tale alone almost makes any of those collections worth buying, and the other tales around it are just a bonus.

The Kill Kent Contract

Bruce and Selina get married in Superman Family #211 (October, 1981) by E. Nelson Bridwell, Kurt Schaffenberger and Dan Adkins, with guests like Dick Grayson (Robin), Alfred Beagle, Commissioner James Gordon, Harvey Kent (the former Two-Face), and Clark Kent and Lois Lane (Mr. and Mrs. Superman).

This tale starts with Clark and Lois getting an invitation of Bruce and Selina's wedding (via Batplane, no less), and the pair heading to Gotham City to attend (revealing Lois knows both parties secret identities as well as how Selina gave up, about her brother Kyle, the King of Cats).  A phone mix up allows Lois to hear that a plot to kill Kent is afoot at the wedding.  The ceremony shows Dick Grayson as Bruce's best man, Karl Kyle giving Selina away, and Bruce's butler, Alfred Beagle (the Golden Age version of Alfred Pennyworth), Com. James Gordon (with wife Barbara and son Tony).  Afterward, at the reception, Clark and Lois meet Harvey Kent, former Gotham District Attorney (and Two-Face, before cured with plastic surgery), who as the Kent who was the target.

Superman foils the criminal's plans, and later, when Lois, Clark, Bruce and Selina are alone, Lois and Clark reveal their secret to Selina, hoping the couples would be best of friends (but it was Bruce and Dick who returned for a second appearance in the Mr. and Mrs. Superman feature in Superman Family #216). 

Sadly, this tale, like most of the Mr. and Mrs. Superman tales other than Lois and Clark's wedding from Action Comics #484, has not been reprinted, but this whole run from Superman and Superman Family, along with the Action Comics issue cries out to be collected, as writer E. Nelson Bridwell really fleshed out the differences between the Earth-1 and Earth-2 versions of Superman (and Batman) with entertaining tales of a married Clark and Lois set in the 1950s.

From Each Ending....A Beginning

A quick peak at Bruce and Selina's wedding happens in DC Super-Stars #17 (November-December, 1977) by Paul Levitz, Joe Staton and Bob Layton, as well as a little look at Bruce and Selina's life after getting hitched, including how both retired their costumed identities for a while, as they raised a daughter, Helena Wayne.

The majority of this issue is about Helena, and Bruce and Selina's life at that time, but this does have that first flashback to her birth in 1957, as well as a little time of her growing up, as well as establishing many of the guests at Bruce and Selina's wedding, setting up for the later tales which help fill in the holes of the details.  The issue also introduces Silky Cernak, and the catastrophe he will introduce into the lives of Bruce, Selina and Helena Wayne in 1976, which the title of the tale suggests, leading to the introduction of the Huntress and her costume which looks like a hybrid of Batman and Catwoman's (though Huntress appeared only days earlier in All-Star Comics #69, technically her first appearance in a cameo in the JSA tale, though this story happened first).

This tale has been reprinted a few times, in Batman In The Seventies from 1999, Huntress: Darknight Daughter from 2006 (which cries for a follow up volume to finish the Huntress reprints from the 1970s/1980s from the back of Wonder Woman as her history shows, almost all her other tales have been reprinted), and in Catwoman: A Celebration of 75 Years from 2015), completing our look back at the first time Batman and Catwoman got married.