Every day this month will have the five goofiest moment from a five-issue stretch of a particular comic book run. Once a week it will be the ten goofiest moments of a ten-issue stretch. Here is a list of the moments featured so far.
Today we're looking at the first five issues of The Brave and the Bold that dealt with superhero team-ups. Issues #50-54, written by Bob Haney (#50-51, 53-54) and Robert Kanigher (#52), with art by George Roussos (#50), Howard Purcell (#51), Joe Kubert (#52), Alex Toth (#53) and Bruno Premiani (#54).
As always, this is all in good fun. I don't mean any of this as a serious criticism of the comics in question. Great comics often have goofy moments (Kirby/Lee's Fantastic Four is one of the best comic book runs of all-time and there were TONS of goofy stuff in those 100 plus issues!).
HONORABLE MENTIONS
The odd relationship between heroes and their teen sidekicks...
In #54, Robin is given an invitation...
I like how Batman is basically, "Yeah, sure, whatever."
Later, Aquaman and Aqualad have an interesting discussion...
"Don't forget the one hour thing, because, as you know, I presume you're a moron."
I also enjoyed the eel delivering mail. I'd love to know how the surface folk knew how to find an eel to deliver their note for them.
DC cities lack creativity...
In #50, a crime is committed at "city museum"...
Really? You can't think of a better name than "city museum"?
And yet, such lack of creativity is widespread. From #51...
How convenient...
In #54, the bad guy is Mr. Twister (real name is Brom Stikk...I kid you not), and his staff allows him to create twisters. But I like how Bob Haney also pulls another power out of nowhere...
Oh...yeah...it creates twisters and also repels any blows against me! The connection between the two is clear, right?
Not the Black Canary/Huntress kind of Bird of Prey...
In #51, Hawkgirl goes through some changes...
For whatever reason, Hawkman's reaction amuses me a lot.
Oh ye of little faith...
In #54, the heroes are looking for Mr. Twister and the teens that he kidnapped....
You have to love the utter lack of faith Aqualad has in Robin. "Why did you decide to just goof off in the middle of the mission?"
Iris "Shrewish" West...
In #53, Haney decided to wrap up this Atom/Flash team-up in an odd fashion....
Quite a ball-buster, Iris was...
5. Why don't we just shoot 'em?
In #52, we meet a French resistance operative who the Nazis have decided to imprison, Man in the Iron Mask-style, rather than just shooting the operative...
"They figured this would slow me down and make it hard for people to recognize me. A better way to slow me down, of course, would be to shoot me. Thank goodness that did not occur to them!"
4. Goofy and super-awesome at the same time...
This scene is quite goofy, particularly the dialogue (especially as Rock speaks it all out loud), but man oh man, is it awesome...
3. Yeah, sure, now pull the other one...
In the beginning of #50, we are introduced to the new concept of the book. That we'll be seeing team-ups of various DC heroes, as demanded by the fans. Cool idea, but you have to love the audacity of them trying to claim that the first team-up requested was Green Arrow and Martian Manhunter...
Suuuuuure it was...
2. I don't think that is even a preponderance of evidence...
In #54, you have to dig how Robin figures out that a note from the teens of the town is phony...
Oh Haney and your teen dialogue...
1. Send out the alarm! Tell the populace to watch out!
One of the things Haney was known for was not exactly always paying attention to the comics of the characters he used in Brave and the Bold. This is evident in #50. One of the many ways that Green Arrow was a Batman rip-off is that the police had an "Arrow symbol" that they would use to contact Green Arrow. However, unlike a spotlight, they would send up a flare shaped like an arrow (think the Fantastic Four and their four-shaped flare).
Well, in #50, Haney had the Arrow symbol, but he used it a bit oddly...
Yes, in this story, it is an ACTUAL GIANT ARROW!
You have to adore the idea of the police just shooting off a giant arrow whenever they need help. People getting hit out of nowhere from falling giant arrows - it is just a price you have to pay for having a bank robbery stopped!