J. Michael Straczynski and Jesus Saiz are back at it with issue #30 of the Brave and the Bold. The first three issues of their run paired popular heroes (Batman, the Flash) with relatively obscure ones (Dial H for Hero, the Blackhawks, Brother Power, the Geek). This installment represents a slight derivation from this technique. Issue #30 of the Brave and the Bold stars two A-list superheroes: Green Lantern and Dr. Fate.
The story begins sometime in the past with a friendly meeting between Dr. Fate and Green Lantern. The story jumps several years later and finds Hal Jordan dying alone on a deserted planet. As a result of their earlier encounter, Dr. Fate miraculously comes to his aid.
There is very little action in this issue. Instead we are presented with a heated debate between the nature of free will and predestination. Given the theme of the issue, the pairing of Dr. Fate and Green Lantern is brilliant. Who better represents the power of free will than Hal Jordan? Juxtapose that with Dr. Fate’s philosophy of destiny and toss in a healthy dose of time travel, and you are in for one fascinating conversation.
Jesus Saiz continues to get better with every issue. He manages to take a conversation between two superheroes and make it interesting while capturing the desolation of the deserted planet where the conversation takes place. What really draws me to his art is how clean and detailed it is. His panels are logical and he does not clutter them.
The Brave and the Bold has quickly become my favorite comic on the stands. It is the first book I read upon returning home from the comic shop. J.M.S. continues to deliver poignant done-in-one stories with some of the DCU’s most interesting characters.
