The Brave and the Bold #2 GL + SG *SPOILERS*

[Rylon]

I really enjoyed this issue.

I still prefer Waid's Supergirl Joe Kelly's or even Lobe's. It's like nobody thought to give Kara a personality. The whole concept seems to be "she's Superman's cousin! Isn't that great!" Waid gives Kara the same personality he gave her in Legion, a vapid valley girl, but I still prefer it.

While I'm at it, Hal's been great these past two issues. Of course, my only long-term exposer to Hal is Waid's previous Brave and the Bold mini and JLA: Year One.

Spoiler Warning!

The plot is simple:
Find "The Book of Destiny," a book that knows all history. The book knows past, present, and future 'history.' The thief has taken to Ventura, a planet revolving entirely around gambling. Meanwhile, Batman is trying to get the weapon from issue one back to Gotham. Blue Beetle shows up because alien tech makes his suit jumpy. At the end of the issue, someone with a more sinister bent gets "The Book of Destiny." This guy wants to use it to destroy the Thanagarian race. GL manages to grab the Zeta beam with the racist bigot, but Supergirl is left behind. Next issue is Batman and The Blue Beetle.

A plot like this leaves lots a room for character interaction, and lots of busy panels. Really that's the strength of the book, watching the superheroes interact. Last issue, we saw Batman and Green Lantern take turns playing to their strength. This issue we saw old-guard Green Lantern playing against new-guard Supergirl. One thing that gets mentioned early on is that GL has a secret identity, but Supergirl does not. That pretty much sums-up their differences, if you ask me.

[stealthwise]

I refuse to pick up this series after reading the CSBG preview which showcased how pervy Hal is written with a flirty 17 year old girl. I found the scene quite disturbing, and not really funny at all.

[Samurai]

I refuse to pick up this series after reading the CSBG preview which showcased how pervy Hal is written with a flirty 17 year old girl. I found the scene quite disturbing, and not really funny at all.

It wasn't "pervy". It was a window into his perfectly natural thoughts. He never acted on the thoughts, and actively discouraged her from coming on to him. It's not like Kara is Superbaby... she's a young woman who will naturally turn heads when she flirts.

It's only human to have such thoughts... what matters is how he acted, and he was a perfect gentleman.

[Mike Smash!]

I wouldn't call Hal pervy, either. Hal's always been sort of a lady's man and he's got a gorgeous 17 year old girl making doe eyes at him. He is human, after all and it's not like he ever even seriously considers anything.

He isn't Ollie after all. ;)

He does actually put it to her straight at one point that she's just a kid.

Overall, the issue is great and I absolutely love how everyone has been written so far, from Batman to Hal...

[Sean Whitmore]

I must say, while I'm not terribly interested in the "future book" plot, I do like the structure of the team ups. Start with Batman and Hal, then they split up and team with someone else, now Hal's off to team up with a third person while Supergirl will be running into Lobo soon. I wonder how long they can keep it up.


SEAN

[KET]

It wasn't "pervy". It was a window into his perfectly natural thoughts. He never acted on the thoughts, and actively discouraged her from coming on to him. It's not like Kara is Superbaby... she's a young woman who will naturally turn heads when she flirts.

...because that's ALL there is to her characterization.

The problem is that SG's still being written as a ONE-DIMENSIONAL bimbo which reduces every other character's reaction to, "got Superman's powers.....but OOOOOHHH, is she HAWWWT!". Waid's 'teenage Marilyn Monroe' riff on her is getting pretty old at this point.

It's only human to have such thoughts... what matters is how he acted, and he was a perfect gentleman.

Actually, it's more like a RUNNING GAG that's been milked long enough. Yes, we know 'she's HAWWWT', but can she do more than merely be Super-Lolita? Seems more like Waid also needs to stop ripping off THE SEVEN-YEAR ITCH, and writing Hal as himself in the equation.

Perez's stylistic choices for the characters don't seem to have matured beyond 1985, either. Outside of the background flourishes, the book looks horribly DATED already.


All in all, yet more story-telling mediocrity which'll automatically get a pass for all the nostalgic fanboy winking Waid's doing throughout this book. Who WOULDN'T want to be Hal with this stereotyped set-up?

[mrc1214]

Hals thoughts are completly natrul. And I dont get how the book is dated already. The story is good the art is awesome Ill keep picking it up and enjoying.

[Billage]

Great book,one of DC's best.

[MAK15]

Waitaminute, isnt Lobo a preist to the triple-fish god?
HA! I wonder how his reaction to SG will be?
heck, I wonder how SG will react to Lobo? (she's prolly heard enough stories from the Big S to think tha Lobo's a ruthless killer)

[PastePotPete]

...because that's ALL there is to her characterization.

The problem is that SG's still being written as a ONE-DIMENSIONAL bimbo which reduces every other character's reaction to, "got Superman's powers.....but OOOOOHHH, is she HAWWWT!". Waid's 'teenage Marilyn Monroe' riff on her is getting pretty old at this point.






Actually, it's more like a RUNNING GAG that's been milked long enough. Yes, we know 'she's HAWWWT', but can she do more than merely be Super-Lolita? Seems more like Waid also needs to stop ripping off THE SEVEN-YEAR ITCH, and writing Hal as himself in the equation.

Perez's stylistic choices for the characters don't seem to have matured beyond 1985, either. Outside of the background flourishes, the book looks horribly DATED already.


All in all, yet more story-telling mediocrity which'll automatically get a pass for all the nostalgic fanboy winking Waid's doing throughout this book. Who WOULDN'T want to be Hal with this stereotyped set-up?

Please. Whaddya, defending the honor of Supergirl over here?? No need.

There was no mediocrity here my friend. Just a really solid comic book.

Waid's characterizations were RIGHT ON for the new Supergirl. Why wouldn't she be enamored with Green Lantern? And she proved she was more than a bimbo to Hal whenshe came up with the plot that allowed him to track his quarry by jumping into the arena. She WAS more than a super-lolita in this book. Did you read the whole thing?

Hal was not 'perving.' Why are comic book fans such prudes sometimes? All the superheroes have to be these androgynous, non-sexual, heroic ideals sans genitals in order to please some fans. Hal is reacting the way any hetero guy would react to such advances. And handling them heroically.

Perez's beautiful illustrations do have a timeless and classic look, if that's what you mean by 'dated.' He packs so much beautiful detail into every page and his layouts are really really smooth. He's one of the greats. You're gonna criticize this guy's art? Give me a break.

The plot? It's fun. I'll wait and see how Waid wraps up the arc before I pass internet judgement on it. But the characterizations really work for me.

All in all, a very solid comic book and well worth my money. A fun book for all the fans that have been whining that the DCU is getting too dark.

If you're going to spew bile like that, I'd pick a bad comic book. This was a good comic book. As fans, we need to applaud this kind of work.

[Joker2503]

I wouldn't call Hal pervy, either. Hal's always been sort of a lady's man and he's got a gorgeous 17 year old girl making doe eyes at him. He is human, after all and it's not like he ever even seriously considers anything.

He isn't Ollie after all.

Honestly, I was kind of hoping that Hal would give in to his... temptations. Just because I want to see the issue of Brave and the Bold where Clark shows up with glowing red eyes and says, "We need to talk. Now."

[NotSuper]

Waid's characterizations were RIGHT ON for the new Supergirl.

I haven't read the issue myself, but I like how Waid writes Supergirl in Legion of Super-Heroes. I've said this before, but I really think he should be the writer on Supergirl's title. Since he knows so much about the Superman mythos it would be interesting to see what he would do with the character.

[Ian J.N.]

Please. Whaddya, defending the honor of Supergirl over here?? No need.

There was no mediocrity here my friend. Just a really solid comic book.

Waid's characterizations were RIGHT ON for the new Supergirl. Why wouldn't she be enamored with Green Lantern? And she proved she was more than a bimbo to Hal whenshe came up with the plot that allowed him to track his quarry by jumping into the arena. She WAS more than a super-lolita in this book. Did you read the whole thing?

Hal was not 'perving.' Why are comic book fans such prudes sometimes? All the superheroes have to be these androgynous, non-sexual, heroic ideals sans genitals in order to please some fans. Hal is reacting the way any hetero guy would react to such advances. And handling them heroically.

Perez's beautiful illustrations do have a timeless and classic look, if that's what you mean by 'dated.' He packs so much beautiful detail into every page and his layouts are really really smooth. He's one of the greats. You're gonna criticize this guy's art? Give me a break.

The plot? It's fun. I'll wait and see how Waid wraps up the arc before I pass internet judgement on it. But the characterizations really work for me.

All in all, a very solid comic book and well worth my money. A fun book for all the fans that have been whining that the DCU is getting too dark.

If you're going to spew bile like that, I'd pick a bad comic book. This was a good comic book. As fans, we need to applaud this kind of work.

I wholeheartedly agree with this post.

[Raker616]

B&B is becoming one of my favorite books just 2 issues in and it's all thanks to Waid/Perez IMO they can do no wrong. The art isn't dated it's gorgeous George once again proves why he's the best artist in the world, and Waid's charactarizations of Hal and Kara were spot on. This is how a team up book should be handled and I can't wait to see how the story plays out over the next couple of issues.

[Justin D.]

It wasn't "pervy". It was a window into his perfectly natural thoughts. He never acted on the thoughts, and actively discouraged her from coming on to him. It's not like Kara is Superbaby... she's a young woman who will naturally turn heads when she flirts.

It's only human to have such thoughts... what matters is how he acted, and he was a perfect gentleman.

Every once in a while, we find something to agree on. This is one of those times.

I've seen people freaking out about those thought balloons that Hal Jordan has. Actually, it's one of the first times in a while I can even remember a comic book having thought balloons.

There was nothing wrong about Jordan's thoughts in the least. He had an attractive girl flirting with him, and he simply noted to himself numerous times that's she's incredibly young when compared to him. He didn't say anything out loud, and he didn't flirt back with her. To those that are complaining about this, what exactly is the problem? If it's because that kind of character shouldn't have sexual thoughts, I think the reaction of those who disliked that scene has more to do with their interpretation (brought on from anything to dislike of one of the creators to the age of the reader) of the scene than anything else.

I saw it as nothing more than an older man having a younger woman flirt with him and the man reminding himself that it doesn't matter how attractive she might be because of the difference in age. That's not just a naturally good reaction, but an admirable one too. It was just a humorous scene that put Jordan in an uncomfortable spot.