Written and Illustrated by Liam Sharp
Published by DC Comics
Liam Sharp concludes his mini series with The Brave & The Bold: Batman & Wonder Woman #6. Last month we gave a broad overview of the whole story, so if deciding if you want to read this, start there. Like all of the issues in this series, #6 is packed with lots on the page and is an interpretation of Celtic myths in much the same way Thor explores Asgard.
Batman has returned through a mystical causeway to Gotham from the realm of Tir Na Nog where Wonder Woman remains to maintain order and fight against Balor. Brother against brother, the silver armed king stands against the threat of Balor.
Meanwhile, back in Gotham, Alfred and the Batplane have subdued all of the spill-over demons and creatures from Tir Na Nog and Batman sets to integrate the exiles into our realm.
To be honest, this is a deep dive into Celtic lore that I am sure appeals to a lot of fantasy fans but might not be for me. We get the same dynamic of brother vs brother we’ve seen before and a large scale mystical war that our Justice Leaguers got themselves wrapped up into. Wonder Woman is able to stop the evil Balor with one punch after her friend Cerrunos has fallen.
The series is quite good, detailed and well researched. While touting that this is issue #6 of #6, the last page lays claim that this is the end of Book One.
Although I mostly enjoyed the ride, I was frequently lost and needed to refer to previous issues to remember character names and concepts. Though I suppose it’s a cognitive bias on my part knowing lots of Norse and Greek mythology but not being familiar with the Celtic stories.
I’m not sure I will dive into a Book Two, as I like my Batman a bit more cartoony. Diana of course fits seamlessly into this continuity, so I hope her fans enjoy this book for the rich historical references and her ability to help others solve their problems.
