Review of Batman: The Brave And The Bold Issue #11

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Written by: Karl Kerschl, Christos Gage, Delilah S. Dawson, Michael W. Conrad, Zac ThompsonArt by: Karl Kerschl, Norm Rapmund, Danny Kim, Serg Acuña, P.J. Holden, Ashley WoodColors by: Msassyk, Diego Rodriguez, Matt Herms, Mike Spicer, Ashley WoodLetters by: Steve Wands, Pat Brosseau, Dave Sharpe, Tom Napolitano, Hassan Otsmane-ElhaouCover art by: Simone Di MeoCover price: $7.99Release date: March 26, 2024

Batman: The Brave And The Bold #11 delivers five continuing chapters or one-off shorts for your reading delight. Batman and Maps hunt down a nest of Man-Bats under a dark influence, Bat Marron plays a high-stakes game in the Old West, Artemis goes on a bender, a group of captured soldiers are interrogated to find Sgt. Rock, and Batman investigate a gruesome cult.Is Batman: The Brave And The Bold #11 Good?

Batman: Mother\’s Day, Part 2

Batman and Maps hunt for the sudden attacks by Man-Bat, but when they discover multiple Man-Bats who seem to be coerced by a dark power, the hunt eventually leads to a nest of vampires. And the mother of them all has her sights set on Bruce Wayne.

Karl Kerschl takes an already cool Batman story and makes it even cooler with a surprise revelation, a bigger scale, higher stakes, and a strong cliffhanger. As a bonus, the classic Batman art is excellent.

The Sweet Science

Old West Gambler and fighter Bat Marron gets himself in trouble with a rough desperado and an unscrupulous barkeep. However, the trouble is all part of a plan to win the freedom of his indentured cousin, Josephine Harkness. In the end, a well-laid plan of endurance during a bare-knuckled fight wins the day.

Heroes come in all forms and flavors, so Christos Gage delivers a classic tale of Old West fighting, drinking, wit, and charm. It\’s unclear if Bat Marron is a derivative of Bat Masterson, and this story certainly doesn\’t have anything to do with Batman or any familiar superhero, but it\’s a well-written and well-drawn story.

Artemis: The Poison Within, Part 2

Artemis\’s introspective journey sends her on a trippy tangent when she\’s bitten by a venomous snake. In her delusional state, Artemis engages in a lengthy disagreement with her horse over the finer points of body autonomy, servitude, and freedom. In the end, Artemis receives the message that she is free to be who she wants to be, but only if she chooses to move forward.

What a bunch of New Age, hippy-dippy hokum. Delilah S. Dawson fills pages with shallow phrases of affirmation and pep talks designed to move Artemis on with her life after murdering (by request) Hippolyta. It\’s all superficial and has no substance. Two chapters of this nonsense are already too much, but there\’s more coming next month. Oy!

Private Stein

A group of captured soldiers sit in awe as Private Stein takes the worst torture, and all their captors want is the answer to one question – Where is Sgt. Rock? Little do Stein\’s fellow soldiers know the myth is a man, and the legend leaves no man behind.

This is a serviceable little short on Easy Company\’s legendary leader that gets new readers introduced to Sgt. Rock. That said, the short relies on a twist you can see coming from a mile away, and the fight makes little sense in a room full of armed guards.

The Crown Of Twelve Tails

Batman investigates an assembly of body parts at the Gotham cemetery. Most parts come from ten dug-up graves, but two come from known criminals – Ratcatcher and Zodiac Master. What follows is a trail that leads to a rat cult intent on turning their leader into a Rat God. Batman intervenes, but does he stop the ritual in time?

Not bad. The maybe/maybe-not supernatural tale captures the mood and atmosphere of a detective story that sits firmly in Batman\’s wheelhouse. The short is further elevated by Ashley Wood\’s creepy art.

About The Reviewer: Gabriel Hernandez is the Publisher & EIC of ComicalOpinions.com, a comics review site dedicated to indie, small, and mid-sized publishers.

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Bits and Pieces:

Batman: The Brave And The Bold #11 traverses the genre gamut from Old West theatrics to murderous cults. All the shorts have something to offer, but the next chapter of Mother\’s Day is the strongest, and the next chapter of Artemis\’s personal journey is the weakest.

7.5/10

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