The Brave and the Bold Vol. 1: Lords of Luck [Hardcover]

Mark Waid (Author), Bob Wiacek (Illustrator), George Perez (Illustrator)

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 8 Up–Way back when, there was a comic-book series called The Brave and the Bold wherein superheroes would team up to battle villainy. Comics star Waid relaunches the series with The Lords of Luck, taking readers on a planet-hopping romp through the DC universe. The story begins when Green Lantern and Batman join forces to investigate a murder. The plot quickly becomes interstellar when Adam Strange, Blue Beetle, Supergirl, and others are enlisted for help. The convoluted plot (aliens attempting to control fate itself) is secondary to the real point of the story, which is an opportunity to play with the heroes and history of DC comics. Longtime readers will likely get the most from this book, which is so packed with references to the DC archives that it even comes with an appendix describing the many references to past stories. Epic in scale, but lighthearted in spirit, this is a book for lovers of heroic adventure comics. Legendary artist Pérez has a distinct, straightforward style and does a commendable job of depicting the scores of characters who populate the pages.–Douglas P. Davey, Halton Hills Public Library, Ontario, Canada
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From Booklist

The Hernandez brothers’ long-running alt-comic Love and Rockets here changes formats from comic book to annual trade paperback. For the first new-look volume, Jaime returns to his roots. The early episodes of his Locas series contained skewed superhero elements, and now supporting character Penny Century has finally gained long-desired superpowers, at the cost of her sanity, and a dysfunctional gang of superheroines must stop her intergalactic rampage. This departure from the realism of Jaime’s recent work retains his humanistic characterization, wry humor, and sensuously slick artwork. Meanwhile, Gilbert presents a cluster of more experimental stories that include a wanderer’s trek through a desolate countryside, a gay man seeking escape in a snowy refuge, a kangaroo that hits the jackpot in Vegas, a Martin-and-Lewis-like comedy duo that gets snatched into outer space, and, in a story written by third brother Mario, shenanigans in a Mexican village. All display Gilbert’s daringly bold graphic sensibility. The volume’s impressive diversity augurs well for the new format, even if the annual wait between installments may feel frustrating to longtime fans. --Gordon Flagg

Product Details

• Hardcover: 160 pages
• Publisher: DC Comics (December 5, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1401215033
• ISBN-13: 978-1401215033
• Product Dimensions: 6.9 x 0.5 x 10.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #836,721 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The Brave and the Bold are back!, January 8, 2008

By 

Brian Dun "l8comer" (Irvine, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Brave and the Bold Vol. 1: Lords of Luck (Hardcover)

Brave and the Bold used to be one of my favorite comic book titles as a kid. The title usually featured the Batman teaming up with another hero from the DC universe and it was great seeing the interaction between two superheroes that would not normally team-up.

The latest version of Brave and the Bold features the work of two legendary creators, Mark Waid (writer) & George Perez (artist). This hard cover edition collects the first story arc of the relaunched series, originally spanning six issues. A basic outline of the plot has Batman and Green Lantern teaming up to stop the Lords of Luck from using and prospering from two items they've stolen; a gun that can alter probability and the Book of Destiny (best known from Neil Gaiman's "Sandman" series).

While the first issue has Batman and Green Lantern as the book's featured team-up, subsequent issues has these two heroes teaming-up with a wide variety of superheroes like Blue Beetle, Supergirl, Adam Strange, and the Legion of Superheroes. George Perez's artwork is sensational and is as detailed as ever. The story is good but not Mark Waid's best work. However, there are some really funny moments and every scene with Supergirl really shines. The team-up between her and Green Lantern is my favorite and features some hilarious dialog like Hal Jordan having to constantly remind himself that Supergirl is "only 17."

A very enjoyable collection overall and it's great to see the return of the team-up to the DC universe. In terms of extras, there's a short introduction by Waid and six pages at the end where Waid discusses all the references to old characters and old stories he made during the series. A cover gallery at the end of the book rather than before each individual story would have been nice.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The lucky lords are the readers!, September 14, 2009

By 

Axel (St. Lucia) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Brave & The Bold Vol. 1: Lords Of Luck (Brave and the Bold (DC Comics)) (Paperback)

I'm surprised this excellent volume of stories hasn't received more praise and that there aren't more reviews on this collection of six stories by Mark Waid and George Perez. This volume collects issues 1-6 of the ongoing DC Comics series, Brave and the Bold, and is an old fashioned, fun-filled, gorgeous to look at romp through the DC universe. The stories here generally pair two unlikely heroes and allies, and traverse the earth and end up taking the reader on a fantastic journey through the DC cosmos.

One of the strengths of the Brave and Bold concept, is that it pairs unlikely characters or at least, teams up likeable characters for specific adventures, that help to contrast the strengths and weaknesses of each. Mark Waid exploits this premise to the fullest extent here. As a reader, you get pulled in right away, with an intriguing pairing of Batman and Green Lantern, which starts off oddly enough in space, but at one point ends up with both characters in their civilian identities gambling in Vegas. The contrast between the characters, in terms of dress, and in their approach to Blackjack for instance, is classically in character, and typical of Waid's thoughtfulness as a writer. The interplay between Green Lantern and Supergirl (She's sixteen!") is hilarious at several points, and Waid's gift for characterization makes every character seem strong and fresh and individual. The story traverses several planets and involves several heroes, including Blue Beetle, Adam Strange and others, and is at times, genuinely hilarious. Lobo's encounter with Supergirl is actually engaging and makes sense from a story perspective.

It's a satisfying story experience in its own right, but of course, what makes this an exceptional volume and a must own is the gorgeous, sumptuous feast-for-the-eyes that is the art of George Perez. Although Perez is not inked by his best inker here, his work is nevertheless so strong and so impressive, that every page is a joy to behold. If for nothing else, the excellent pencils of Perez makes this volume essential for his fans and pretty much anyone else who likes solid, good old fashioned comics with a satisfying plot in each issue.

I can't say enough positive things about this volume, and give it my highest recommendation. It's also a much better collection that the second in the series, "The Book of Destiny," where Waid's notoriously short attention span starts to get the better of him, and the series begins to flounder. Get this if you like the DCU, have enjoyed anything by Mark Waid before, are a fan of George Perez, or are a casual comics reading looking for a good story with great art to immerse yourself in the DCU.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Mark Waid and George Perez, what a team up, March 25, 2009

By 

Kauffinbauchser (Tacoma, WA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Brave & The Bold Vol. 1: Lords Of Luck (Brave and the Bold (DC Comics)) (Paperback)

I had eagerly anticipated this book, and was not disappointed.

Mark Waid is, as always, a wonderful story teller, and an expert of the Superhero.

George Perez is a master of his craft, and this book showcases his attention to detail and overachiever work ethic.

The book also includes an intro by Mark Waid and a few fun bonus pages of annotations at the end.

This is a great addition to any fan of vintage DC, but is accessible to any new reader. Buy it.