Posted By Dan Greenfield on Mar 15, 2024 | 10 comments

A BIRTHDAY SALUTE: Columnist Jim Beard returns to Earth-B, two years later…

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The late Bob Haney was born 98 years ago, on March 15, 1926. This year, we have a two-fer BIRTHDAY SALUTE. Jim Beard’s column below and a companion piece by Paul Kupperberg. Click here for that — and dig ’em both! — Dan

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By JIM BEARD

I love Bob Haney. I really do. That’s why I’m sequelizing an article honoring him that I did back in 2022.

Bob was a guy who played by his own internal set of rules when he wrote. He never met a piece of so-called continuity he wasn’t ready to throw out or ignore if it meant for a better story. Story was everything to him. Story was king.

I’m sure his editors hated him or at least tore out some hair over his scripts, but for a very long time he was one of DC’s most prolific writers and I feel good in supposing he made a good chunk of change for them throughout the 1960s and ’70s. He wrote fun stuff and sometimes significant stuff. He wrote comic books, and he could always be counted on to tell a story.

Now, by definition a Bob Haney story is wild and wacky, so picking out 13 MORE of the wildest and wackiest was not an easy task, but Dan has an obsession with the number 13 and I’m not Bob so I do what my editor says and picked out the required number of stories for my second birthday tribute to the man. Fortunately, I’ve recently read all 200 issues of The Brave and the Bold for an upcoming book on the subject so Haney is fresh in my mind. And Blazes! What a fun trip it’s been. One does not visit Earth-B and not return un-entertained.

Here they are, chums, 13 more picks for the wildest, wackiest, way-outiest Bob Haney B&B team-ups — B&B seeing you!

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The Brave and the Bold #56 (Oct-Nov 1964). No Batman here, ’cause this was prior to the Batman team-ups taking over the book, but what you get is the unlikely pairing of the Flash and J’onn J’onzz with a bunch of wild Justice League hero mash-ups you have to see to believe.

Art by Bernard Baily

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The Brave and the Bold #63 (Dec 1965-Jan 1966). I could just stop right here with this Supergirl-Wonder Woman team-up because, frankly, it just doesn’t get much zanier, much zowie-ier than this. The ladies quit being superheroes and join the jet-set—for real. Not a hoax, not a dream, not an imaginary story. For this brief moment in time and space, it really happened.

Jim Mooney

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The Brave and the Bold #68 (Oct-Nov 1966). This story is entitled “Alias the Bat-Hulk” and it’s every bit what you might imagine of Haney taking a shot at Marvel during the time of the Batman TV show. And don’t forget it has Metamorpho in it, as well as the Joker, the Penguin, and the Riddler… who laugh, chortle, and guffaw a lot.

Mike Sekowsky pencils, Joe Giella and Murphy Anderson inks

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The Brave and the Bold #72 (June-July 1967). You thought Flash-Martian Manhunter was unlikely? Check out Barry Allen boxing with the Spectre in an adventure revolving around a World War I-era ghost piggybacking on the Flash for a revenge scheme. Wild doesn’t describe it.

Carmine Infantino pencils, Anderson inks

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The Brave and the Bold #83 (April-May 1969). There were a lot of wayward kids back in the late ’60s, so Haney figured he’d saddle Batman with one—as his new ward. Yep, Bruce inherits this kid who’s a total brat and who gets even worse when he gets hip to his mentor’s double-life as the Caped Crusader, not to mention his fellow ward Dick Grayson’s Robin identity. Then, hilarity and blackmail ensues as only Haney could bring it.

Irv Novick

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The Brave and the Bold #84 (June-July 1969). This story is set during World War II. It stars Sgt. Rock. It also stars Bruce Wayne-Batman. It is not set on Earth-Two. This is not the Golden Age Batman. This is the Earth-One Batman. There is no time-travel involved. Go figure? No, go Bob Haney!

Neal Adams

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The Brave and the Bold #87 (Dec 1969-Jan 1970). CORRECTION: This was written by Mike Sekowsky! Sorry! Nobody bats 1.000! — Dan

Sekowsky pencils, Dick Giordano inks

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The Brave and the Bold #95 (Apr-May 1971). This is where Haney’s Ruby Ryder saga begins, and it’s also one of those fun stories where you’re supposed to guess who the “?” is in the story. Am I going to tell you here? No, I am not. Bob wouldn’t have wanted me to. Also, by the way, this isn’t the last time Haney will pull this gag on you.

Adams pencils, either Adams or Giordano inks

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The Brave and the Bold #99 (Dec 1971-Jan 1972). You say you want more examples of Haney’s flaunting the “rules” concerning the Caped Crusader? How about this one, in which Batman is finally cured of all that sadness and angst he’d cultivated all those years since his parents’ murders—for real.

Adams

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The Brave and the Bold #108 (Aug-Sept 1973). Editor: “Hey, Bob, can you, I dunno, come up with a Batman-Sgt. Rock story that also has Adolf Hitler and the Devil in it? And by Tuesday?” Haney: “Hold my beer.”

Jim Aparo

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The Brave and the Bold #118 (Apr 1975). If you’ve ever wondered what a comic book story would be like with Batman and Wildcat in a boxing ring whaling the bloody tar out of each other while wearing ancient Roman cestus gloves as the Joker stands by and laughs, have I got a B&B issue for you…

Aparo

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The Brave and the Bold #132 (Feb 1977). So, Batman’s supposed to be the best martial artist around (at least back then) and Richard Dragon’s no slouch in that department either, right? Can you imagine if, and get this, Batman mistook Dragon for a, you know, bad guy and they, like, fought? Who would win? Haney answers that question here… sort of.

Aparo

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The Brave and the Bold #151 (June 1979). This one will make a good bookend for all the Haney madness I’ve been promoting here. The story is called “The Disco of Death!” I’ll just leave that right there and slowly back away…

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MORE

— ZANY BOB HANEY: Dig These 13 Great BRAVE AND THE BOLD Stories. Click here.

— PAUL KUPPERBERG: My 13 Favorite BOB HANEY Creations. Click here.

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When JIM BEARD’s not editing and publishing through his two houses, Flinch Books and Becky Books, he’s pounding out adventure fiction with both original and licensed characters. In fact, he’s put words in the mouths of Luke Skywalker, Superman, Fox Mulder, Carl Kolchak, Peter Venkman and the Green Hornet… and lived to tell about it. 

Check out the most recent Batman ’66 books of essays he’s edited: Zlonk! Zok! Zowie! The Subterranean Blue Grotto Essays on Batman ’66 – Season One, Biff! Bam! Ee-Yow! The Subterranean Blue Grotto Essays on Batman ’66 – Season Two and Oooff! Boff! Splatt! The Subterranean Blue Grotto Guide to Batman ’66 – Season Three.