Tuesday, July 5, 2016

Groove's Countdown: Batman's Groovy Age B&B Co-stars

Hey, hey, hey, Groove-ophiles! We talk about Batman's team-up mag, Brave and the Bold, a lot around here. Most of us dig it quite a bit...the "zany" Bob Haney stories (which were often deftly plotted and contained just the right amount of grim-and-gritty), the glorious Jim Aparo artwork, and, of course, the co-stars! The Caped Crusader seemed to have teamed up with just about everyone during the Groovy Age--but he didn't, really. In fact, he could have teamed up with a lot more DC Super-stars, but there were a few he kept hanging out with quite often! Who were the heroes who teamed with The Batman most often during the Groovy Age? The answer might just shock ya, baby! Here come The Batman's Top 5 (kinda/sorta) B&B Groovy Age co-stars via...

Whoo! And away we go!

#4: In fourth place, we have a SEVEN-WAY TIE! Yep, The Metal Men, Plastic Man, The Atom, Deadman, The Flash, Aquaman, and the Teen Titans all joined The Darknight Detective on (can you believe this?) four cases apiece! It's a fact, Jack!



#3: Coming in third--another tie!? S'true! Sgt. Rock (!), Black Canary, and Wildcat all teamed with The Batman on five adventures each!


#2: Okay, no tie here, but this one was the shocker! Believe it or not, Wonder Woman teamed with the Caped Crusader on six different occasions during the Groovy Age--and yeah, a couple of them were during her powerless stage! How 'bout those Amazonian apples?


#1: And the hero who teamed with The Batman most often during the Groovy Age era of B&B? None other than Green Arrow! Yep, the hero who started out (during the Golden Age) as a Batman clone joined his blue-and-gray inspiration on no less than eight different B&B adventures (over the course of nine issues--one case was a two-part/two issue affair)!

And there ya have it, Groove-ophiles! Don't never say Ol' Groove ain't never leart ya nothin'!


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2 comments:

  1. UnknownJuly 5, 2016 at 1:31 AM

    Nice bit of investigative analysis, Groove. I figured Green Arrow would have the edge. I remember a feature in one of those 100 page super specs that also claimed he was the most frequent guest star.

    However, that being said...My experience as a kid in the 70's is that while GA might've been the most frequent guest star, every other issue seemed to star Wildcat. I don't know how many times I saw the B&B logo on the spinner rack, lifted it up, and saw Wildcat on the cover (again). So while GA may have physically co-starred in more team-ups than anyone else, I nominate Wildcat as the most frequent flier of B&B, from a metaphorical standpoint.

    Betcha' the ghost of Wlidcat is haunting Haney in the great beyond at this very moment.

    James Chatterton

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  2. NobileJuly 5, 2016 at 3:50 AM

    Green Arrow was one of the best things to happen in the early groovy age. Yes, a lame Batman ripoff who became, thanks to Denny O'Neil, Neal Adams and Elliot Maggin, one of the most modern DC's hero of the time.
    Oliver Queen had a unique personality, a gorundbreaking, practical and way cool outfit (except for the cap, which realistically kept coming off in action), even the goatee made him unique. He was nothing like Batman/Bruce Wayne anymore, no more money, not an avenger anymore, but a man of doubts, capable of living with little and be happy. And he became the pivotal point in the GL/GA epic, obscuring poor titular do-gooder Hal Jordan (we love you, Hal!). It was probably the best "reboot" of the Bronze age, and the one that lasted the most.

    I love the "Longbow Hunters" as a story, and Grell has been great in the ongoing series, but it was a drawback: becoming grim and gritty, post-crisis GA went back to a Batman clone of sort, and the effects sadly remained in the "Arrow" series - which is 100% Batman stuff minus pointy ears. Too bad they did not go for a classic O'Neil-Maggin Oliver and Dinah: I still think it would have made a great series, similar in tones to Agent Carter and capable to span from drama, to thriller to comedy.

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