The Brave and the Bold | |
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Cover of The Brave and the Bold #1 (August–September 1955). Art by Russ Heath, Joe Kubert, and Irv Novick.
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Publication information | |
Publisher | DC Comics |
Schedule | Bimonthly #1-117 Monthly #118-200 |
Format |
(vol. 1 and 3) Ongoing series (Flash and Green Lantern:...) Limited series |
Publication date |
(vol. 1) August–September 1955 – July 1983 (vol. 2) December 1991 – June 1992 (Flash and Green Lantern:...) October 1999 – March |
Number of issues |
(vol. 1): 200 (vol. 2 and Flash and Green Lantern:...): 6 each (vol. 3): 35 |
Main character(s) |
(vol. 1) Many characters until Batman and a rotation of DC Universe characters with #50 (vol. 2) Green Arrow, the Question, and the Butcher (Flash and Green Lantern:...) Flash, Green Lantern (vol. 3) Rotating characters from the DCU |
Creative team | |
Writer(s) |
List
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Penciller(s) |
List
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Inker(s) |
List
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Collected editions | |
The Brave and the Bold Team-Up Archives, Vol. 1 | |
The Brave and the Bold, vol. 1: The Lords of Luck | |
The Brave and the Bold, vol. 2: The Book of Destiny | |
The Brave and the Bold, vol. 3: Demons and Dragons | |
The Brave and the Bold, vol. 4: Without Sin |
The Brave and the Bold is the title shared by many comic book series published by DC Comics. The first of these was published as an ongoing series from 1955 to 1983. It was followed by a mini-series in 1991 and 1999, and was revived as an ongoing title in 2007.
The focus of each version of the series has varied over time but most commonly features team-ups of characters from across the DC Universe.
The first volume of the series ran for 200 issues from August/September 1955 to July 1983. Originally, The Brave and the Bold was an anthology series featuring adventure tales from past ages with characters such as the Silent Knight, the Viking Prince, the Golden Gladiator, and Robin Hood. With issue #25, the series was reinvented as a try-out title for new characters and concepts, starting with the Suicide Squad created by writer Robert Kanigher and artist Ross Andru.Gardner Fox and Joe Kubert created a new version of Hawkman in issue #34 (February–March 1961) with the character receiving his own title three years later.
Editor Julius Schwartz hired Gardner Fox and artist Mike Sekowsky to create the Justice League of America. The team debuted in The Brave and the Bold #28 (Feb.-March 1960), and after two further appearances in the title, received its own series.
Issues #45 through #49 were devoted to "Strange Sports Stories" combining sport and science-fiction in tales such as "Challenge of the Headless Baseball Team" and "The Man Who Drove Through Time." Strange Sports Stories was later resurrected briefly as a DC Comics title in its own right in 1973, but lasted only six issues.
The series was changed yet again with issue #50 as a team-up title between established characters. Starting with issue #59 The Brave and the Bold became, more specifically a Batman team-up book with the Caped Crusader as the book's main focus. This was due to the popularity of the Batman television series, which led to the creation of Batmania. After issue #74, The Brave and the Bold was exclusively a Batman team-up title until it ended with issue #200.