Fire & Water #230 – Bob Haney Showcase VII

#ZanyHaney Returns! Shag and Rob present another Bob Haney Showcase, discussing two of his classic stories: Batman and Wonder Woman in "Play Now...Die Later!" from BRAVE THE BOLD #105 by Haney and Jim Aparo, and Green Arrow in "I Shot An Arrow Into The Air" from WORLD'S FINEST COMICS #266, by Haney and Trevor Von Eeden!

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17 responses to “Fire & Water #230 – Bob Haney Showcase VII

  1. “What If Bob Haney Wrote a ‘What If…’ Story and didn’t even have to pretend to care about continuity?”

    The first page shows Bruce Wayne, newspaper reporter for The Daily Planet… and that’s not the WHAT IF part!

    Question: If Jim Aparo had gone to Marvel, which book or character do you wish he had drawn?

    1. > Question: If Jim Aparo had gone to Marvel, which book or character do you wish he had drawn?

      Captain America. After Aparo passed, they printed one of his Cap drawings in an anniversary issue. Oh, what might have been!

  2. If you haven’t covered it yet, you have to do the Batman and Superman story Haney wrote for World’s Finest Comics 246 & 247. It’s an absolutely insane story about Superman keeping his hunchbacked twin brother secretly imprisioned in an asteroid, and the consequences when the JLA discovers this horrible secret. Some highlights include, a new world order, Superman sentenced to death by firing squad and a depressed Batman forced into hiding.

    1. The X-Men. I’d loved to have seen his rendition of Wolverine in his classic Brown and tan costume, and Kitty Pryde in her Shadowcat costume.

  3. My suggestions for the next Zaney Haney showcase:
    Brave and the Bold #68
    All-Out War #3
    World’s Finest Comics #255
    The Witching Hour #18 (mostly to see a Haney horror tale)
    (Son of) Tomahawk #139 (mostly to hear Rob’s reactions to Haney Tomahawk stories)

  4. Always a fun show when you guys go Zany. I love how volatile Batman and Gordon can get in Haney’s stories. I always think of that opening scene in the Batman/Joker team-up from B&B #111, where Batman pauses to track down the Joker and murder him. The way Aparo draws it, you believe it!

    I seem to recall some Superboy story where we find out how Perry White got the Daily Planet editor job over George Taylor in the Earth-One continuity. I think it was from the 80s New Adventures of Superboy series. Green Arrow’s facial hair always made me pause on the whole secret identity thing, even as a kid. I could buy a pair of glasses for Clark Kent and Diana Prince, but the facial fuzz was a bridge too far.

    In addition to WF #246-247 which Matt Sirois mentioned above (truly the epitome of Haney’s zaniness), I would also recommend another WF tale, #249’s “The Vampire of Steel” which also guest stars Rob’s favorite, the Phantom Stranger!

    Now I’m off to listen to more Haney on Siskoid’s FW Team-Up!

    Chris

  5. Top episode, I love that cover, the seaweed green is so unusual, and that odd logo for Wonder Woman… shame she’s such a damsel in distress here, mind. And inside – guardian angel my aunt Fanny!

    I love that Diana’s boutique and fashion sense got a mention, that gal knew the value of a colourful belt. And there’s a Montoya in there, obviously a relative of Renee (hey, I was raised on Roy Thomas comics!).

  6. Impressive pod cast. Most impressive. I have no idea about the dog. Was this posable? I don’t even know how a dogs amity could be used if it’s bite still passed on the sickness. Or how if it’s air born how it now is only passed by the dog by biting. But, it’s Hayne. As good a fighter as Bats is not sure if he could beat Wild Cat in is prime. since boxing is his only fighting style. He’s probly pretty good at it. Yeh Bats knows a lot of fighting styles. ( No way he could master them all at lets say 30. Since he was probly that age in the 70s comics.) There’s a reason all the great masters are old. Takes a long time. Why would Bats stick with Boxing?

    One Joker wanted a boxing match. 2 yeah it’s a very affective fighting style. It like wrestling and Ju Jitisu has never been messed over by tournament changes to a style. It was made a sport, but the sport was to beat the other person. With a few rules. Unlike Karate ware you have to alter it To get it to be affective again. Since a lot of teachers altered it to win in tournaments. Thus why kick boxing and Ju jitsu got so far in the early UFCs. May have been savate. Any way a Savate or Kick Boxer get to the semi finales of the first UFC. Ware Rorce Gracie became the first winner beating Shamrock.

    So yeah it’s a useful style. Thus why most UFC guys tend to mix wrestling , boxing Ju Juitsu with kick boxing mostly. TKD is great if you got the right teacher, but sadly Karate isn’t taught the same as it was from pre WW2 to the 60s. Ju jitsu stayed affective. Harpakido as well. but, most got altered. Thus probly why Bats would stick to it. Spasifacly when fighting a champ like Ted grant. Yep he was in JLU. Even was in an unlimited episode ware he’s in an under ground fight club. Cannery and lie go in to get him to stop. Olie drugs Cannery so he fights Ted. Since he’s worried one would kill the other. And makes Ted stop fighting since he knows he can’t beat Ted he drugs himself so Ted thinks he killed Olie.

    So Ted will give up and it works. Dennis Farina voiced him in that one. This was a cool issue. Also yeah not to long ago Joker had said he was a swimming champ. So that was edited our by Hayne too. But, still a fun story.

  7. Immersive comics most Impressive. Yep this Zanny Heaney. The O’Neal version of it wasn’t to bad. But, ponce he left it became Barbie fashion show with WW. Yeah it was sad. Oh and she cried over a boy…as she beat him till he was out cold. Right after the detective guy left. This was an ok team up. And glad they were both there. But, glad WW went back to whom she was.

  8. Always love some Zany Haney!

    This isn’t really one of his weirder tales, though. The Amazon Guardian Angel was pretty-much out of left field, but otherwise this issue could be a straight ahead story.

    Haney’s Batman always had an eye for the pretty ladies, so I found it odd that Haney’s Batman was never attracted to Wonder Woman. Considering WW has the beauty of Aphrodite and the wisdom of Athena, you would think Haney’s Batman would have been falling at her feet. Remember in the Aquaman team-up when Batman was so attracted to Ocean Master’s moll that he offered to help get her less jail time, in spite of the fact that she had tried to toss him off a building?

    I think the weirdest Bob Haney story I ever read was the two-parter in World’s Finest 219-220. Also, Brave & the Bold 78.

  9. I echo the calls for Haney World’s Finest stories. The first issue of WF that I bought featured the Super Sons, and I had no idea who they were! Nevertheless, I strapped in and enjoyed the ride! A quick look at Mike’s Amazing World shows that Haney wrote the first 15 Dollar Comics World’s Finest Superman/Batman stories (except #250). Looking at those covers reminded me of just how much I loved that book! If you want a treat, #244 and #245 have art by JLGL (PBHN) inked by Murphy Anderson! Just gorgeous!

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