The Brave & the Bold #126
Published and © by DC, April 1976
Title: “What Lurks Below Buoy 13”
Synopsis: Batman and Aquaman race to recover a mysterious underwater satellite that threatens to shift the global “balance of terror.”
Writer: Bob Haney
Penciler: John Calnan
Inker: Jim Aparo
Review: At times, Bob Haney’s Brave & the Bold scripts resemble a homemade burrito: overstuffed and a bit of a mess. This one mixes ingredients with manic glee: Gunrunners, stolen Atlantean technology, Cold War geopolitics and … Nazis? Haney’s characterization is also a bit off this issue; his Batman isn’t very bright and his Aquaman reads more like Namor. John Calnan’s pencils aren’t as dynamic as Jim Aparo’s solo work, but the latter’s inking keeps a consistent B&tB look. Still, it would have been a treat seeing Aparo penciling this team-up featuring two of his signature characters.
Grade: C
Cool factor: Not so much, which is unusual for a Haney/Aparo B&tB.
Collector’s note: According to MyComicShop.com, there is a Mark Jewelers variant of this issue.
Character quotable: “As for the air-breathers, let them destroy each other! I care not!” – Aquaman, who does everything except holler “Imperius Rex!”
Editor’s note: This review was written April 20, 2023.
