The Brave and the Bold #54

First book here at the new blog, and we go way back to the old era of the Teen Titans... Ah yes, the Teen Titans... Dick Grayson in a speedo, Aqualad just sort of there, Wonder Girl getting kidnapped every issue, good times had by all! I have the black and white DC Showcase edition of the early Teen Titans adventures, so that's what I'll be using. First up is the very first team up of the teenage heroes of DC. Sidekicks Unite!!

The Brave and the Bold #54(June 1964)

Summery: So the town of Hatton Corners is having some problems between the teenagers in town and the adults. The adults want a curfew on all of their offspring, while the teens want... A new clubhouse... Even though they're holding their meeting IN a clubhouse! And on top of that, they decide to go on strike(from what?!) if their demands aren't met... In what I can only imagine was a slow news day worldwide, Robin, Kid Flash and Aqualad(?!) inform their mentors of the terrible troubles in Hatton Corners. Like the squares they are, the older heroes side with the adults, but all three squares are okay with their sidekicks heading to Da Corners to speak on behalf of the kids. Upon arriving and meeting each other, the three boys discover that the teenage clubhouse had been destroyed!!! Well, now I guess I have to take it back, Da Corners' kids really did need a new clubhouse after all... Robin and company head to the town hall, where the mayor shows them a note, presumably from the teenagers, claiming they had left town and gone on strike, and that they wanted a new clubhouse. After reading the letter though, Robin calls shenanigans, since the letter writer uses the word “music”, which is a word no hip cat would use in the 60's, daddio!

Mr. Twister is a jive-ass turkey!

The boys split up to search for the missing teens, but are soon confronted by a tornado, which hurls Robin through the air. Kid Flash flies to catch him(Um, I didn't think he could do that...), and the two land safely. Some really pathetic looking villain named Mr. Twister(Yep, I assume he loves him a game of Twister), confronts the town people and tells them he had kidnapped all of their teenagers.

This is literally one of the worst looking villains I have ever seen...  Literally!

He claims to want revenge on the town, but doesn't say for what reason, nor does he list any demands, he simply flies away in a tornado, warning that he would return... And that's the end of chapter one... Huh, I forgot these older books had chapters! Cool, I can stop right here for now!

Thoughts: Honestly, the main thought I had going through my head during this entire issue was that episode of the Simpsons where the kids and adults paired off and sang at each other... As for this comic? I don't know what to say... Teenagers in a clubhouse were demanding a clubhouse. Aqualad was getting news about the surface world from an eel with a bottle tied to it... And it didn't even bring important news! Like shit about the Cold War or something, no, it brought that story(that was in all the papers nationwide) about that dumbass town! Kid Flash was randomly flying...

Who needs Superman when Kid Flash is on the scene?

And to top it all off the big bad was a dude named Mr. Twister! Not even just Twister, that guy had the audacity to demand he was called Mr. Twister! He didn't even have a badass costume, he was just wearing some shit left over from the Revolutionary War! On the plus side, Robin told Batman he sounded like an old square, which is always a plus in my book.

I'm a little surprised Batman didn't beat the living hell out of Dick for that comment...

On top of that, Aqualad showed his utmost importance to this issue by scouring the waters around Da Corners for the missing kids, you know, in case every single teenager in town drowned at the same time. So that was helpful of him. Speaking of helpful, that chapter break was great! Now I can end this post and get started on Chapter 2, which is ominously titled: 'Town Without Teenagers!' Dun dun dun!!!