Review of Batman: The Brave and the Bold #4 (DC Comics) By Eddie R.

Adult tested, kid approved.

It’s been a while since I have wanted to review the comic book version of Batman: The Brave and the Bold animated series, currently showing on the Cartoon Network. Like many of you out there, when the show first aired, I was kind of hesitant about how it was going to turn out. Personally, I grew up with the Batman animated series from the 90’s, and adored it. And as the years have passed, there have been a few more series, which have managed to show the caped crusader in various incarnations, but they always seemed to be lacking something. Same can be said with the comic books which were published to be tie-ins with those other animated shows.

That’s why I have waited until Batman: The Brave and the Bold #4 to do a review. I wanted to see if that missing aspect, the link which would tie both the show and the comic together, would eventually show up. And I am glad to say it finally has.


All the things which make the newest Batman animated series fun to watch are in this issue. The mixture of adventure, action, and a good dose of DC Comics history are all there. Yes, the book is just as campy as the show, but in this case, it’s not a bad thing. One of the key moments I really enjoyed in this issue was the appearance of Rip Hunter and Bonnie Baxter: The Time Masters, who Batman recruits in order to help with this time traveling adventure. I was really surprised at how a piece of string could so simply and elegantly explain the temporal problems our heroes were facing. Who knew?

Now, for all you parents out there who have been wondering if you, or your kids (especially the under 7 crowd), should be reading this series or not, personally I would highly recommend it. The book is not only very kid friendly, but it allows even the adults who have been out of the habit of reading comic books, but who do enjoy the action on the Brave and the Bold animated series, to gain quick and easy access to what’s going on and who the major players are.

The only downside I see with the comic series though is the inconsistent art, spanning between the style shown on the animated series and what’s drawn in the book, especially when it comes to the female characters. The previous issue had an appearance by Wonder Woman, and although the guest star was well received, the way she was drawn wasn’t exactly too flattering in my opinion.

Other than that, this book does do justice for the show it’s based on.

7.5/10

Eddie R
Review Editor