The Brave & The Bold #241 - Batman and Green Lantern - homage to Fantastic Four #207

Latest Golden Age Team-Up Project commission - The Brave & The Bold issue #241, teaming Batman with the Golden Age Green Lantern, adapted from the Keith Pollard / Joe Sinnott cover to Fantastic Four #207, as reimagined by Bambos Georgiou.

1947 - and after Batman and Green Lantern capture Starman's former foe The Light, they go their separate ways: Green Lantern heading for the studios of Station WXYZ, where Alan Scott works as a broadcaster, while Batman has an appointment to present awards at a gathering of the Gotham police force. When the Gotham Guardian swings across town and arrives at his destination, however, he finds that members of Gotham's finest are rushing out, alerted to a crisis at one of the city's radio stations!

Earlier, as Green Lantern lands atop the WXYZ building, he's about to change into his secret identity when he overhears gunshots, and rushes into the studios, only to be confronted by a gang of criminals holding his co-workers (including Irene Miller) hostage - a gang under the command of Hawkman's foe The Monocle! Before GL can make a move, the Monocle threatens to kill his hostages unless the hero does his bidding - and when Green Lantern reluctantly agrees, he reveals that he wants revenge not just on Hawkman but on all super-heroes, and GL will be his instrument to carry that vengeance out --- starting with Gotham's other costumed defender, the Batman!

With the WXYZ employees under the guns of the criminal gang, the Monocle broadcasts an ultimatum - Batman needs to present himself at the radio station within 15 minutes, or the hostages will start to be killed! Across town, Batman is quickly filled in by Commissioner Gordon, and the caped crusader hitches a lift atop a speeding police car, which delivers him to WXYZ just in the nick of time!

Batman stealthily climbs the outside of the building, but as he's about to burst in, a giant green hand catches him and pulls him into the studio, where Green Lantern is ordered by the Monocle to kill the Gotham Guardian, or see the hostages die! Recognising the dilemma facing his fellow hero, Batman surrenders - but as GL prepares to use the powers of his emerald ring to crush Batman in a giant fist, Batman seizes a wooden crate and uses it to dispel Green Lantern's creation (being aware, of course, that Alan Scott's ring is powerless against wood). He then launches himself at GL, and the two start to scrap - a battle which leads to them crashin gout of the station's window and into the square below!

A suspicious Monocle swiftly follows them, however, and orders GL to bring Batman back inside the station so that he can he destroyed, an order which is reluctantly obeyed. Once inside, however, Batman breaks free and hurls a series of gas-bombs at the gang members who are threatening the hostages, and then leaps into battle with the Monocle, while Green Lantern uses his ring to snatch his fellow employees clear and deposit them outside the building, where they are quickly brought to safety by the police.

Returning to the fray, GL joins Batman in subduing the Monocle, despite the villain using the deadly ray from his eyepiece, which proves ineffectual against Green Lantern's power. With the Monocle captured, Green Lantern congratulates Batman on his quick thinking and passing on his plan while the two heroes were fighting - and Batman thanks GL for sharing the details of his vulnerability to wood at a wartime meeting of the All-Star Squadron.

A multi-part story starts - next issue!