Brave and the Bold #29
Let me be honest and tell you the only reason I’m reviewing this comic book is because it has Brother Power The Geek in it. Brother Power is one of those characters from DC’s past that I’ve always heard about but never really read any stories about. Well, let me tell you, after reading this story its easy to understand why Brother Power does not show up more often. Really, thought how easy can it be to write a story featuring a living mannequin that personifies the ideals of the 1960’s. I salute writer J. Michael Straczynski for having the courage to dust this character off and use him again but please don’t anyone do this again. Brother Power may have worked in mainstream superhero action/adventure comic books back when he was created but not today. Not even teaming him with Batman to create an odd couple combo helped. I think in today’s comic book environment Brother Power is best suited for a Vertigo type title.
If I haven’t given it away already, I did not like this story. Batman is almost totally wasted while Brother Power is only here to comment on how our society has changed since the 60’s. Needless to say, he does not see the changes that have taken place as positive. While, I’m certainly in favor of meaningful and thought-provoking content in comic books, that content should be delivered within the framework of a quality story. Despite the fact that I generally agree with every point the writer is making through Brother Power, Straczynski’s failure to do it within the framework of a quality story made me dislike this issue.
In the end, I have to say skip this issue of Brave and the Bold but keep your eye on this title. This title has the potential to be very entertaining both for the classic team-ups and the offbeat pairings.
Keith Forney