The Brave & the Bold #140
Published and © by DC, March-April 1978
Title: “Dastardly Events Aboard the Hellship!”
Synopsis: Batman and Wonder Woman team to stop a notorious industrial spy who operates from a ship on international waters.
Writer: Bob Haney
Artist: Jim Aparo
Review: Oh, those zany Bob Haney Brave & the Bolds. Reviews of the writer’s work on this title can sound similar, but he really cranks up the wackadoodle for this outing: Batman felled by sneezing powder. Random new powers for Wonder Woman. Our teamed-up titans forced to act like big cats in a private circus. A “simian squad” trained for enforcement – and surgery. Industrial espionage, international intrigue and an aquarium of death. And more. More! MORE!!! Thank goodness Jim Aparo’s reliably excellent bat-art is there to ground this fun-but-ridiculous story. The artist is one of the real superheroes of the Bronze Age.
Grade: B-
Cool factor: How much fun must Jim Aparo have had with these Brave & the Bold scripts? Literally anything could happen from page to page.
Collector’s note: According to the Grand Comics Database, there is a 12p British variant of this issue. … According to MyComicShop.com, there is also a Mark Jewelers variant.
Character quotable: “Batman! Roar… roar like a lion! Wonder Woman! Purr! Purr like a tigress!” – Dimitrios, the Golden Greek (who should probably think of something more useful to do with mind control)
Editor’s note: This review was written June 25, 2025.
I miss Jim Aparo.