CREDIT: DC
Rating: 4.5/5 – Batman and Wonder Woman are Braver and Bolder!
By ComicSpectrum senior reviewer Shawn Hoklas
It’s funny, although Liam Sharp has been in the comic industry for some time, only recently have I come to love his work. Sharp started drawing comics back in the 1980s with 2000AD and jumped around, working with all the major publishers and may be best known for a work I haven’t read, which is Vertigo’s Testament. Although I have read some of his Gears of War issues, and his Lord Havok and the Extremists books, they never stood out to me. It wasn’t until his recent Wonder Woman run with Greg Rucka that I really took notice.
Sharp’s art is beautiful and his pencils on a character like Wonder Woman really shine so I was ecstatic when DC not only announced that Sharp would be returning to Wonder Woman, but that he was also bringing back the Brave and the Bold! Brave and the Bold is a title I hold near and dear to my heart, and although it’s never had that long of runs since it’s heyday back in the Silver and Bronze age, those back issue bring fond memories.
This Brave and the Bold is a mini-series lasting just six issues starring Wonder Woman and Batman. Not only does Sharp provide the art, but he’s handling the writing duties as well. In this first issue the land of the faeries is full of unrest and conflict and the god Cernunnos needs the help of Wonder Woman to bring back peace and solve a murder. Meanwhile, Batman has noticed that something isn’t right within Gotham City that will for sure, although it hasn’t quite yet, tie into Wonder Woman’s adventure. The story has a few stutters as Sharp provides a bit too much exposition before getting to the action, but it does the job of getting you to want to come back for what gets set up by issue’s end.
It’s the art though, even if there weren’t any words, that would still make me come back. From the cover to the final page, Brave and the Bold is stunning. Sharp jumps between the fantasy and real world and although both look great, its the world of the faeries where Sharp’s pencils come to life. Castles, ruins, goblins and more fill the pages and the colors by Romulo Fajardo Jr. are a perfect match. I’ll also add that I love the logo design, incorporating the Batman and Wonder Woman symbols within the title. It’s is a nice touch that makes the cover stand out even more! Welcome back Brave and the Bold!
Reviewed by: Shawn Hoklas
(shawn@comicspectrum.com)
http://comicspectrum.com/ By Fans who Love Comics For Fans who Love Comics
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