Batman: The Brave And The Bold #2
	Story Title: ‘The Attack of the Virtual Villains’ Writer: Matt Wayne Artist: Phil Moy Colorist: Heroic Age Letterer: Swands Editor: Rachel Gluckstern Published by: DC Comics
	Reviewed by: Bruce Logan

After last month’s opening with Power Girl this month’s Batman: Brave and the Bold has that other Kryptonian making an appearance. You know that one whose day job including him donning a blue suit and frumpy glasses. However, unlike his other-dimensional cousin Superman’s part is more of a cameo, a guest appearance if you will than a proper half-and-half. As for which character shares (majority of) the limelight with Bats, well, look no further than the cover. Yup, the same week as when his own ongoing comes to a close Blue Beetle gets called on by the biggest Bat of them all to wage battle against some cyber-baddies.

Well, it’s more like one cyber-baddie, with the rest of his minions being poor game-world schmucks who got caught in his web on the Web.

Given the target demographic for this (as other) Johnny DC titles, things are much brighter and lighter in this series. For one there is none of the raping, maiming and other (failed) attempts at maturity that abound in current mainline DC titles. Secondly even though their schemes are grandiose the villains are more concerned with getting money and other ‘tame’ endeavours than, say, getting it on with the semi-catatonic wife of another character. This I bring up solely cause of the one page ad featuring none other than the latest inductee to DC’s league-o’-rapists, Felix Faust.

Jaded curmudgeon notwithstanding, I quite enjoyed this issue, although slightly less than the previous one. This reaction I feel was coloured by my having read Blue Beetle #36 before this. One of the very few brighter, lighter, character-non-killing DC series Blue Beetle too got dragged into the muck that is useless character death.

The artwork was better than last issue’s. Even if the colours are at par for both issues, this month’s character sketches win over last month’s. After last month’s issue came out I remember reading (on the ‘net) some post about how Power Girl looked like Joan Rivers in certain panels. Now, I don’t know about others but as a Power Girl fan that is quite a damning comparison.

Conclusion: Another good series from Johnny.

RATING: 7.5/10