Comics / Comic Reviews / DC Comics

The Brave and the Bold # 17

By Koppy McFad
September 23, 2008 - 03:11

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Supergirl seeks out Raven to resolve her daddy issues while a young activist with mysterious powers goes on a killing spree in this first chapter of a two-part storey.

This story is slow-going. It opens with a dream sequence and introduces all its characters gradually, all in the tradition of decompressed storytelling. The mystery bad-guy appears to be just an idealistic peace-nik but since the book devotes so much space to his efforts to break into a university laboratory, we know immediately that he is up to no good. But the full-scope of his threat is not revealed till the end of this issue and we still don't know how his plot somehow relates to what Supergirl and Raven are going through.

The interaction between Supergirl and Raven is rather forced. Supergirl sounds rather childish while Raven has the sarcastic 'goth' personality of her cartoon counterpart. The chemistry between these two different characters just doesn't work-- unlike the recent Superman-Catwoman team-up which played up the conflict between the good boy and the bad girl. Maybe someone thought there would be some sparks when the super prom-queen meets the emo girl but the two of them appear to have no reason to be together, aside from the writer's need to have a team-up.

The art is adequate but also a little 'matter-of-fact' in its presentation. The heinous crimes of the villain don't seem very frightening and the travels of Raven and Supergirl through other dimensions fails to inspire awe. For all its presentation, this might as well have been just another street crime story set in Anytown, USA.

A big problem with this issue is the decompressed storytelling style which sometimes gives the impression that the creators are just killing time. The heroes don't even get to meet the villain in this issue. So we don't even get to anticipate their eventual clash. Perhaps the next issue will finally bring something out of Supergirl-Raven combination, when they finally have to join forces against the bad guy.

Rating: 5 /10

Last Updated: August 31, 2023 - 08:12