The Brave & The Bold #234 - Batman and Hawkman - homage to Nova #2

Latest Golden Age Team-Up Project commission - The Brave & The Bold issue #234, teaming Batman with Hawkman, adapted from the John Buscema / Frank Giacoia cover to Nova #2, as reimagined by Bambos Georgiou.

1949 - and as Bruce Wayne works on upgrading his crime computer in the Bat-Cave, he's interrupted by the arrival - via the hidden entrance - of his long-time Justice Society and All-Star Squadron team-mate, Hawkman. The winged wonder brushes off Wayne's welcome, revealing that he's come to Gotham City on the trail of his missing girlfriend, Shiera Sanders (secretly Hawkgirl) - and with the police unable to help, he needs Batman's aid to track her down!

Wayne quickly dons his costume, but before he can start the Batmobile, Hawkman scoops him up and flies him out of the Bat-Cave and towards the nearby city. On the way, he explains that Shiera had come to Gotham to attend an archaeological seminar, but while he knows that she made it to the event, there's no trace of her after it concluded!

The two heroes land at the Gotham Museum Of Antiquities, and Batman sets to work looking for clues. A guard, responding to an alarm, is mollified by the presence of two of the JSA's members, and Hawkman quizzes him about anything strange which might have happened during the recent seminar - but as the guard notes only that there had been an unexplained power-cut during the event, Batman uncovers something which may be a clue!

Calling Hawkman over, Batman shows him a small scrap of unusual leather, and a strand of animal hair, both of which the Gotham Guardian has found in a recess at the bottom of the stairs leading to the roof of the museum. The heroes return to the roof where they'd landed, but nothing more reveals itself, so Hawkman flies Batman back to Wayne Manor, where they analyse the two clues using the crime computer...

Later that night, Batman crouches on the roof of the Museum Of Antiquities, but Hawkman is nowhere to be seen. As a consequence, Batman appears to be caught off-guard when he's attacked by "Fairytales" Fenton, the self-styled Villain From Valhalla, who's wielding a rebuilt version of his original electro-mechanical hammer! Batman is able to evade the villain's assault, and tells Fenton that his analysis of the leather fragment and animal hair had identified them as part of a sandal and a loincloth - and from that, it was a easy task to identify Fenton as the person who had been in the museum, and who Batman suspects was involved in the kidnap of a prominent archaeologist, Shiera Sanders.

When Fenton confirms this to be the case, Hawkman - who had been hiding on a nearby rooftop - can contain himself no longer, and flies over to attack Fenton, only to be struck by a bolt of lightning from the Villain From Valhalla's hammer, which stuns him! As Hawkman plummets, Batman attacks Fenton, but he's outmaneouvered, grabbed from behind, and forced towards the edge of the building, as the villain prepares to throw him over --- only for Hawkman to reappear, swooping down to break Fenton's grip and free the Gotham Guardian!

The two heroes face off against the Villain From Valhalla - but his hammer comes into action once more, with a lightning bolt striking Batman and knocking him out, and another catching Hawkman and sending him crashing to the roof! With both of his opponents dazed, Fenton picks up Batman, strides to the edge of the roof, and throws him towards the ground several stories below!

.... to be continued next issue - when Batman teams up with a female guest-star, who probably isn't who you're expecting!