The Brave and the Bold issue 177 page 7 by Jim Aparo

This page is triply special to me.

First and second…this page came via George Hagenauer here on CAF, if you saw my Scooby, Superman, and Strega posts from 2025, you know why. A brief but important, re-discovered connection from 1996. He put me in contact with the owner…Max Allan Collins. Yes, that Max Allan Collin’s, the legendary writer, whose work I have long enjoyed. This page, he said, was on his wall for many years. It is an honor to be its second owner, and soon to have it on my wall as well.

And third, it is a Jim Aparo pencilled, inked, and lettered page from the year I was introduced to comics. While this wasn’t one I read that year, it was one from a pile I picked up at a convention in Dearborn, where I met Norm Breyfogle and Joe R. Lansdale (but that’s another story or two). (Though Joe did admire my taste as he saw my pile.) And it has quintessential Batman and Gordon images. AND it is signed by both Aparo and Mike W. Barr, the writer of the issue, to Max Allan Collins. How cool is that?

A classic mystery story page in my collection from Max Allan Collins via George Hagenauer to myself…I am hoping this bodes well for 2026!

The USPS did crease it, as carefully packed as it was, but I was able to get it mostly out. :) Can’t diminish my joy!!

Thank you George! Thank you Max!